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October 24, 2011 Get Retirement News  |  Advertise  |  Unsubscribe  |  Past Issues  |  Search

Employee Benefits Jobs

Manager, ARRC Retirement Plans
for Alaska Railroad Corporation in AK

Director, Benefits Administration
for EBS-RMSCO, Inc. in NY

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[Guidance Overview]
IRS Releases 2011 Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses, and Instructions
"The expenses that can be used to calculate the DCTC for the 2011 tax year are limited to $3,000 for one qualifying individual and $6,000 for two or more. However, these limits are reduced by the amount of any DCAP reimbursements for the year." (Thomson Reuters/EBIA)


American Health Care Congress and Exhibition   [Advert.]

Sponsored by World Congress

Bringing together the health care community to discuss strategies aimed at more efficient and effective operation of our health system post-reform. December 5-6, 2011, Anaheim, CA.


Are Forces of Secrecy Blocking Path to Health Cost Control?
"Insurers say they need to keep fee schedules confidential because if arduously negotiated discounts become known to the world, all providers will demand some form of 'most favored nation status,' and insurers' business model would no longer work." (SmartHR)

A New Rule Is Making Flexible Spending Accounts Less Easy to Use, Say Experts
"Some companies are stepping in to make the process easier. Many third-party administrators of FSAs are offering a so-called master prescription form that allows employees' doctors to list the OTC medications their patients need throughout the year . . . ." (The Wall Street Journal)

VEBA Cuts Health Care Costs for Retirees
"Thousands of retirees from auto parts manufacturers that abandoned their pension plans will be able to get health care coverage through a groundbreaking arrangement that will use a special trust to tap federal premium subsidies." (Business Insurance)

What's Ahead for Health Plans
"The key provisions of the federal health overhaul take effect in 2014, including a requirement for most people to have health insurance; a ban on insurance companies considering individuals' health status when they sell plans; and the creation of new health-coverage marketplaces called 'exchanges.'" (The Wall Street Journal)

Reduced Prescription Drug Coverage Common among Employers in 2011
"Employers are adopting plan design changes that reduce drug benefit coverage and improve pricing, according to findings from the 2011–2012 Prescription Drug Benefit Cost and Plan Design Report published by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute . . . ." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Urgent Care Education for Employees Could Reduce Employer Health Care Costs
"Employers experiencing higher medical costs due to unnecessary emergency room utilization by employees may be able to reduce those costs by better educating employees about their choices." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

[Guidance Overview]
Tennessee Employers Required to Compensate Employees for Travel Time to and from Jury Duty
"The Attorney General opined that the employers are required to compensate employees for time spent traveling to and from jury duty regardless of whether the employee's usual compensation includes travel time." (Ford & Harrison LLP)

Companies Look for Free Employee Perks That Actually Help the Bottom Line
"The freebies that proliferated during flush times—from tuition assistance to free snacks—are steadily disappearing, while perks that don't cost anything, such as allowing employees to work from home, are becoming increasingly common." (The Wall Street Journal)

2012 Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Transportation Benefits, Adoption Assistance, and More
"Employers with transportation or adoption benefit plans will need to confirm whether their plans automatically apply the latest limits or whether an amendment is needed to recognize these changes." (Thomson Reuters/EBIA)

[Opinion]
Taking Workplace Flexibility from Private to Public
"Workplace flexibility, while a little thing, can make a huge difference for working parents, by providing control over when, how and where work gets done. So why aren't the needs of working parents for flexibility becoming a big public issue and ultimately the normal way of doing business?" (TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.)

Press Releases

US Labor Department Publishes Final Regulation to Improve Access to Quality Investment Advice
(U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA))

ERIC Urges Proposals to Make Benefit Summaries Relevant to Self-Insured Plans
(ERIC (ERISA Industry Committee))

ASPPA Honors Members for Educational Achievement
(American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA))

ASPPA Honors Ashton with Eidson Award
(American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA))

Robert Richter Becomes 43rd President to Lead ASPPA
(American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA))

PenChecks Introduces Distributions via Debit Card
(PenChecks, Inc.)

PULSE! Connect™ Adds Real-Time Polling Though Partnership with Wayin
(PULSE! Connect)

US Healthcare Costs Rise 5.73% Over the 12-Months Ending August 2011 According to the S&P Healthcare Economic Indices
(S&P Indices)

Standard Life and Accident and Hammerman & Gainer Release New Limited Medical Plan and ClaimPay MasterCard
(Standard Life and Accident Insurance Company)

Integrated Retirement Announces the Addition of Jayne Fahlen as Vice President, Business Development
(Integrated Retirement)

E4 Health Launches to Deliver Focused EAP Solutions that Improve Engagement and Behavior, Reducing Healthcare Costs
(E4 Health)



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