[Guidance Overview]
Florida Court Upholds ADA 'Safe Harbor' in Wellness Program Case
"This case is significant in that it has been unclear whether wellness programs and health risk assessments . . . that otherwise comply with the HIPAA wellness rules (particularly those that are mandatory or involve penalties) would be permitted under the ADA." (Groom Law Group)

The Most Complete, Current, Easy-to-Use HSA Resource Available! [Advert.]

Health Savings Account Answer Book answers every HSA question... clarifies every HSA issue... in a format that's quick and easy to use. It tells you virtually everything you have to know to profit from HSAs.

[Guidance Overview]
When the Employee's Doctor Refuses to Use Company FMLA Form
"Generally speaking, it doesn't matter whether a medical certification is written on your preferred form or on the back of a bar napkin. So long as the document is signed by a health care provider, and is 'complete' and 'sufficient' in the sense that it provides the employer with all of the information needed to determine if the leave is covered by the FMLA, then the certification should be accepted." (Franczek Radelet PC)

[Guidance Overview]
Extension of Enforcement Grace Period for Certain of the Internal Health Claims and Appeals Requirements (PDF)
"Because of different enforcement dates for different provisions, plan sponsors should check when they must comply with each provision of the interim final regulations." (Buck Consultants)

New Budget Deal Repeals Two Health Care Law Provisions
"The Hill reports that the deal strikes Senator Ron Wyden's (D-Oregon) provision allowing some workers to forgo their employer's health care coverage and opt instead for a contribution to buy insurance on their own in state health insurance exchanges." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Geographic Variation in Health Care: Changing Policy Directions
"This Policy Analysis reviews evidence and key inferences from geographic variation research that have helped shape the ongoing policy debate about health care efficiency. More recent research, employing improved data and analytical approaches, indicates that unwarranted geographic variation is less extensive than believed." (National Institute for Health Care Reform)

[Opinion]
How to Save a Tril.lion Dollars
"In the scheme of things, saving the 38 bil.lion bucks that Congress seems poised to agree upon is not a big deal. A big deal is saving a tril.lion bucks. And we could do that by preventing disease instead of treating it." (The New York Times; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview]
Incentive Compensation Under Dodd-Frank Regulations (PDF)
"The proposed rules are similar to those already applicable to insured depository institutions and their holding companies under Section 39 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act." (Dechert LLP)

[Guidance Overview]
DOL May Allow Expanded Electronic Disclosure by Employee Benefit Plans
"[EBSA] on April 7 announced that it is welcoming comments on whether it should expand, beyond the current safe harbor allowing it, plan administrators' ability to electronically furnish information that ERISA says must be provided to participants about an employer's benefit plan. This would apply to summary plan descriptions and other documents by which participants are given information about the plan." (Thompson Publishing Group)

GAO Testimony: Financial Literacy: The Federal Government's Role in Empowering Americans to Make Sound Financial Choices
"The multiagency Financial Literacy and Education Commission, which coordinates federal efforts, has acted on recommendations GAO made in 2006 related to public-private partnerships, studies of duplication and effectiveness, and the Commission's MyMoney.gov Web site." (U.S. Government Accountability Office)

Evolution Benefits Hosts Annual PayDirect® User Conference
(Evolution Benefits)

US Labor Department Sues Trustee of Cranston, RI, 401(k) Plan to Restore Employee Contributions
(U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA))

CareCounsel Appoints Director of Sales
(CareCounsel)

Milliman Analysis: Rising Interest Rates Improve Pension Funding
(Milliman USA)

International Foundation Announces Annual Conference Keynote Speakers
(International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans)

New ftwilliam.com DB(k) Document: An Industry First for Leveraging DB(k) Plans
(ftwilliam.com)

Local Company Launches Money-Saving Health Plan for Maryland Small Businesses
(WellNet)

USI Consulting Group Announces New Benefits in Focus Webcast
(USI Consulting Group)

New Law May Prevent Employees From Getting Their Full Pension
(Pension Department, Inc.)

Definition of a Fiduciary
in California on April 21, 2011 presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference - Orange County Chapter

Employee Benefits for Domestic Partners: Design, Taxation, and Administration
Nationwide on April 7, 2011 presented by EBIA / Thomson Reuters

See ftwilliam.com’s Form 5500 Software in Action
Nationwide on May 6, 2011 presented by ftwilliam.com

See ftwilliam.com’s Form 5500 Software in Action
Nationwide on May 18, 2011 presented by ftwilliam.com

See ftwilliam.com’s Form 5500 Software in Action
Nationwide on May 31, 2011 presented by ftwilliam.com