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BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

July 5, 2011 Get Retirement News  |  Advertise  |  Unsubscribe  |  Past Issues  |  Search

Employee Benefits Jobs

Part Time On Call Participant Counselor
for Diversified in CA, DC, FL, IL, MI, NJ, NV, OH, TX, WI

Client Services Advisor
for 401(k) Advisors - Arizona in AZ

Defined Benefit Administrator
for ABG Carolinas, Inc., a subsidiary of Pentegra Services, Inc. in NC

Compliance/Plan Document Specialist
for BeneTrends, Inc. in PA

Participant Call Center Specialist
for Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation in OH

Manager, Retirement Services
for The Newport Group in NC

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[Guidance Overview]
Employer's Delay Means Remedies Deemed Exhausted
"[A court] has overturned a lower court's ruling that a disability plan participant cannot sue for benefits because he did not exhaust all remedies under the plan." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)


Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Compliance Training Webinars   [Advert.]

Sponsored by ftwilliam.com

Check out our upcoming compliance training webinars. We’ll cover topics like Coordination of Multiple Heath Care Plans, In-service Distributions, Hardships and Loans and more. Have a topic in mind? Let us know and we’ll cover it!


[Guidance Overview]
CMS Update of Model Creditable Coverage Notices for Prescription Drug Benefits
"Because the Medicare annual enrollment period now starts Oct. 15, plans must distribute notices one month earlier this year than in previous years." (Mercer LLC)

[Guidance Overview]
Mileage Rate for Transportation to Obtain Medical Care Will Increase in July
"Ordinarily, the IRS updates mileage rates only once a year, but occasionally it makes interim adjustments like this one, which reflects substantial increases in the price of gas." (Thomson Reuters / EBIA)

[Guidance Overview]
Important Changes in Amended Regulations on Enhanced Claims and Appeals and External Review, Revised Model Notices, and Guidance on External Review
"[T]he guidance confirms that the enforcement grace period applicable to these claims and appeals requirements continues to apply, giving plans and insurers additional time to come into compliance with the amended rules . . . ." (Thomson Reuters / EBIA)

Integrated Health and Disability Benefits Management
"While such programs may not result in reduced long-term-disability claims, companies may find their workers more often opting to engage in wellness programs as well as reporting improved experiences and turnaround on claim decisions." (Human Resource Executive Online)

More Employers Offer On-Site Medical Clinics
"Many of the health centers are full-service medical offices equipped with exam rooms, X-ray machines and pharmacies. Some provide on-site appointments with dentists, dermatologists, psychiatrists and other specialists who treat life-threatening illnesses." (Los Angeles Times)

Corporate Fitness Programs Survive Hard Times
"The number of companies with 20,000 or more employees that provided fitness centers, subsidies or discounts grew by 11 percent from a year earlier, according to a 2010 national survey . . . ." (The Washington Post; free registration required)

Many California Small Cities Pay Officials Hefty Health Benefits
"A Times analysis of perks and benefits received by elected city officials across California found major disparities when it comes to medical coverage. The data show that some of the most generous benefits go to part-time council members in some of California's smallest cities." (Los Angeles Times)

The Hidden Cost of Employee Confusion about Health Insurance
"Health literacy is defined by the U.S. government's Healthy People initiative as: 'The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.'" (Employee Benefits News; free registration required)

Emerging Challenges and Opportunities in the New Health Care World
"[E]mployers are wondering what lies ahead. How can organizations manage soaring health care costs and comply with a dizzying array of new requirements while maintaining the value of employee benefits? Mercer research and client feedback have provided insights . . . ." (Mercer LLC)

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

[Guidance Overview]
IRS Revision of Code Section 162(m) Rules (PDF)
"[T]hese proposed regulations provide further evidence of the IRS taking tougher positions on section 162(m) issues and the dangers of relying on private letter rulings, particularly in this area [of equity compensation issues]." (Groom Law Group)

Court Moves Forward Top Hat Plan Participant's Claim for Benefits
"A federal court has decided that a top hat plan participant has made adequate allegations of a merger that support her contention that the successor company owes her benefits from the plan." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Local and State Leaders Say Workers Demanding Unsustainable Benefits; Union Rebuttal Not Turning the Tide
"If the stakes were not high enough already, union leaders in the public sector are attempting to raise them even higher. The current circumstances, they say, represent a challenge to their workers—and, indeed, to government programs in general. They also consider themselves to be on the front lines of a broader battle between corporations and the wealthiest Americans on one side, with union members and middle-class workers on the other." (Governing)

2011 Guide to Employee Benefits Based on the Alphabet
"Your role as a benefits professional has become more complex and involved. You will be able to prepare six months in advance for some benefit initiatives, while having to reverse course on proper actions taken for others. It is more important than ever to surround yourself with good resources and talent so you can maintain your workload and sanity." (Employee Benefits News; free registration required)

Proposed DOL Rule Could Require Employers Report Agreements with Their Attorneys
"The Department of Labor has asked for public comment on a proposed rule that would significantly affect reporting requirements for agreements with labor relations consultants, including attorneys." (Employee Benefits News; free registration required)

What Perk Would Keep You at Your Job?
"The Wall Street Journal reports that employee perks are up! Companies that have been treating their employees like [insert bad word of your choice] are, apparently, now realizing that their best employees just might be prone to leaving them if a better offer comes along." (CBS Interactive)

Employee Ownership Update for July 1, 2011
NCEO Executive Director Loren Rodgers discusses employee ownership companies among the Winning Workplace Award winners; the Supreme Court's CIGNA v. Amara decision; proposed regulations on the taxation of performance-based equity compensation; employee ownership and values; and the death of Robert Oakeshott. (The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO))

Press Releases



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