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June 28, 2011 Get Retirement News  |  Advertise  |  Unsubscribe  |  Past Issues  |  Search

[Guidance Overview]
What Employers Need to Know about Connecticut's Paid Sick Leave Law
"Although the legislation (Public Act 11–52) provides a safe harbor for covered employers that already offer other types of paid leave, such employers nonetheless may need to modify their policies and practices to ensure compliance with the legislation." (Jackson Lewis LLP)


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Health Care Reform's Internal Claim Processes and External Review Rules Revised Again
"Nongrandfathered group health plans and insurers will need to comply with revised rules on internal claim processes and external reviews." (Mercer LLC)

Amended Regs on Enhanced Claims and Appeals and External Review, Revised Model Notices, and Guidance on External Review
"[Agencies have] issued revised model notices as part of new technical release guidance on state and federal external review procedures." (Thomson Reuters / EBIA)

Last Call for Waivers of Annual Dollar Limits: All Requests Due by Sept. 22
"Group health plans have until Sept. 22 to request waivers from health care reform's minimum annual dollar limits for 2012 and 2013." (Mercer LLC)

Wellness Program Grant Materials Contracts Awarded to Wellness Organizers/Vendors
"As announced on June 23, 2011, the 'Comprehensive Health Programs to Address Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Tobacco Use in the Workplace' is not designed to grant funds directly to employers who sponsor wellness programs, but instead to established wellness program vendors which will in turn organize and staff 24-month wellness programs among seven employer cohorts located throughout the U.S." (E Is for ERISA)

The Affordable Care Act's Impact on Employer Sponsored Insurance: A Look at the Microsimulation Models and Other Analyses (PDF)
"The Affordable Care Act . . . includes a number of provisions that will affect employer decisions to offer coverage to employees after 2014. Given that employer sponsored insurance (ESI) is the primary source of coverage for Americans, any change to this market is of significant interest. To assess the validity of differing estimates of the effect of the ACA on ESI, Avalere reviewed analyses conducted by economists and policy analysts." (Avalere Health LLC)

IRS and Treasury Officials Provide Informal Views on Wellness, Health FSA, and HSA Issues
These notes from the ABA's Joint Committee on Employee Benefits' May 2011 Q&A session with IRS and Treasury officials report on health issues. (Thomson Reuters / EBIA)

Five Things You Should Know About Workplace Wellness
"1. Engage your leadership." (www.DesMoinesRegister.com)

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

[Guidance Overview]
Proposed 162(m) Regulations Affect Deductibility of Equity-Based Compensation
"Although these regulations are prospective only, they will become effective when adopted later in 2011." (Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP)

[Guidance Overview]
IRS Clarification of the 162(m) Deduction Requirement
"The proposed regulations clarify (i) the requirement to set forth in the plan document the maximum number of shares to which options and stock appreciation rights may be granted to each individual covered employee and (ii) the application of the transition rule to stock-based compensation for privately held corporations that become publicly held." (Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP)

[Guidance Overview]
Ninth Circuit En Bank Expands ERISA Liability
"In the 9th Circuit, beneficiaries were limited to suing the plan and plan administrator for denial of benefits under ERISA plans. But no more. The en banc court overruled prior decisions to that effect." (Shaw Valenza LLP)

June 2011 Employee Benefits Update (PDF)
The newsletter includes select compliance deadlines and reminders, retirement plan developments, health and welfare plan developments, and other issues of note. (Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.)

After New York, New Look at Defense of Marriage Act
"[T]he first lawsuits regarding same-s.ex marriage that are likely to reach the Supreme Court challenge the Defense of Marriage Act and its effect on benefits in a more surgically focused way." (The New York Times; free registration required)

2011 Employee Benefits Research Report
"In 2011, 284 benefits were explored, covering the areas of health care and welfare benefits, preventive health and wellness benefits, retirement savings and planning benefits, financial and compensation benefits, leave benefits, family-friendly benefits, flexible working benefits, employee services benefits, housing and relocation benefits, and business travel benefits." (SHRM)

A Compact Review of SHRM's 2011 Employee Benefits Research Report
"Although the percentage of HR professionals that reported their companies have been negatively affected by the economic recession has slightly decreased over the last year, there has been a slight increase in the percentage of respondents reporting their benefits offerings have been negatively affected by the economy." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Press Releases

Employee Benefits Jobs

New Business Specialist
for BeneTrends, Inc. in PA

Associate
for Thompson Hine LLP in OH

Client Relationship Manager - Chicago, Illinois
for Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation in IL

Retirement Plan Operations Manager
for Charles Schwab in OH

Sr. Analyst - Retirement
for AECOM in CA

Post Your Job on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com

View All Jobs

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Webcasts and Conferences

401(k) Rekon Advisor Symposium- Leawood
in Kansas on July 26, 2011 presented by 401(k) Rekon

Coordination of Multiple Health Care Account Plans
Nationwide on July 7, 2011 presented by ftwilliam.com

Voluntary Fiduciary Compliance Programs
in Illinois on August 16, 2011 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)


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Holly Horton, Business Manager

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