[Guidance Overview]
Early May Application Deadline Announced for the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program
"Any plan sponsor that wishes to apply for ERRP funds must apply by May 5, 2011, or else they will not be able to receive reimbursement under the program. While most interested plan sponsors have already applied, some that waited should ensure that their applications are completed by May 5."
(The Segal Group, Inc.)
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[Guidance Overview]
Court Rules Death Benefits Should Go to Estranged Ex
"According to the Courthouse News Service, although Robert Alsager had signed a separation and property-settlement agreement with his ex-wife releasing claims to her estate or property, a three-judge panel . . . said it leaned heavily on the 2009 decision for Kennedy v. Plan Administrator for DuPont Savings & Investment Plan, in which the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that a claim for benefits must stand or fall by the terms of the plan."
(PLANSPONSOR.COM)
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[Guidance Overview]
State and Federal Income Tax Treatment of Adult Child Health Coverage May Differ
"To date, the following states do not conform to federal income tax law, at least with respect to health care reform's favorable federal income tax treatment afforded employer-provided health coverage for an employee's adult child to age 26: 1. Georgia 2. Hawaii 3. Indiana 4. Minnesota (for 2011 and beyond; however, no withholding is required for 2011) 5. Wisconsin (however, it appears no withholding is required)."
(Towers Watson)
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Obama Signs Measure Into Law Repealing Expanded Form 1099 Rules
"The legislation (H.R. 4) repeals language from the 2010 health care law requiring businesses to issue a Form 1099 for payments to corporations for goods and services that exceed $600 per year to each vendor. It also repeals an expansion of those rules to include landlords, which was enacted under a small business law."
(Tax Management Inc.)
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Study Shows 127% ROI on Vision Care Benefit
"VSP Vision Care has released the findings of a new study showing $4.5 bil.lion in savings for its clients through the early detection of chronic diseases via eye care and vision exams covered by the firm's vision insurance."
(Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
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[Opinion]
Medicare Reform's OPEB Side Effects: Public Employers Need Preemptive Cost-Control Strategies
"What's important to state and local managers is this harsh reality: Many public employers have heretofore written a blank check to pick up all or most of the costs that Medicare doesn't pay. They have flunked the first rule of risk management and left themselves open to the 'fat tail' of high losses in once-remote scenarios that are now looking more inevitable."
(Governing)
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[Opinion]
What Conservatives Won In Health Reform (And Don't Seem to Know It)
"Conservatives (and some economists) have always favored more 'skin in the game,' arguing that it will incentivize consumers to be more prudent purchasers of health services and hold down utilization of health care overall. They particularly favor high-deductible plans tied to tax-preferred savings accounts. According to our study, both Bronze and Silver Plans in exchanges would have deductibles that meet the standards for Health Savings Accounts."
(Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
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Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
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Benefits Planning in a Challenging Environment (PDF)
"In retirement planning, the need to hold the line on benefits costs and to reduce financial risk may mean more serious consideration of risk-transfer solutions for companies that have retained their DB plans."
(CFO Publishing LLC via Prudential Retirement)
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Press Releases
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