[Guidance Overview]
Group Health Plans: Year-End Action Items, Upcoming Changes
"Plan sponsors of grandfathered plans must assess whether 2012 plan design changes will impact the plans' grandfathered status. For example, grandfathered plan status is lost if any increase is made to the percentage of cost sharing borne by a participant or if a co-pay increases by more than $5 (from the co-pay in place when healthcare reform was enacted, not from the prior year). . . . [Further, for non-grandfathered plans,] new content requirements for claim-related notices become effective January 1, 2012."
(Morgan, Lewis & Bockius)
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Nat'l Health Benefits Conf & Expo (HBCE) Jan.31-Feb.1, Clearwater Bch, FL [Advert.]
Dr. Oz praises books from speakers - hear from IBM, Sprint, Intel, Yahoo!, L.L. Bean, First Energy Corp., governmental employers, universities, more. Low cost, high quality! More info and complete program: www.HBCE.com Ph: 941-484-1430 info@HBCE.com
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[Guidance Overview]
Updates on Health and Welfare Benefit Developments, Dec. 12, 2011
Includes discussion entitled "Amendment to 'Pay-or-Play' Law May Require Immediate Attention by Employers with San Francisco Employees." Excerpt: "The HCSO amendment will likely require most employers who satisfy the HCSO's pay-or-play mandate by using health reimbursement arrangements ('HRAs') or employer contributions to health flexible spending arrangements ('health FSAs') to amend or restructure those HRAs or health FSAs before the end of the year."
(Miller Chevalier)
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[Guidance Overview]
2012 HSA Changes: What You Need to Communicate
"Under the last-month rule, an eligible individual on the first day of the last month of the member's tax year (Dec. 1, for most taxpayers), is considered an eligible individual for the entire year. . . . This means that someone who becomes eligible on Dec. 1, 2011, and has family HDHP coverage on that date [generally] can immediately contribute $6,150 to their HSA, and then add another $6,250 on Jan. 1, 2012."
(BenefitsPro)
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[Guidance Overview]
Seventh Circuit Holds Employer Not Liable Under FLSA for Employee's Off-The-Clock Work
"[T]he Seventh Circuit advanced the law by looking more closely at whether it truly was reasonable to think that the employer knew or should have known that the employee allegedly was working. . . . An employer should have a good policy on when overtime work is permitted and should discipline employees who violate that policy, while still paying them for any work performed in compliance with applicable wage laws. At the same time, employers need to be wary of putting non-exempt employees in positions where there is a substantial risk that they will perform off-the-clock work."
(Ogletree Deakins)
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7th Annual Employer Health & Human Capital Congress [Advert.]
Find solutions to empower improved health outcomes, restructure benefits to achieve cost sustainability and implement measurable wellness and benefit designs that stand up to CFO-scrutiny. February 7-9, Washington, DC
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[Guidance Overview]
2012 HSA Changes: What You Need to Communicate
"For calendar year 2012, the annual limitation on deductions for an individual with self-only coverage under a high deductible health plan will be $3,100. The annual limitation on deductions for an individual with family coverage under a high deductible health plan is $6,250. The catch-up contribution for those 55 or older will remain at $1,000."
(BenefitsPro)
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Survey: Employers Will Drop Health Care Coverage If Competition Does
"80 percent of employers don't intend on dropping employer-sponsored health insurance in 2014, once health insurance exchanges are in place and workers have an alternative marketplace to shop for affordable coverage. However, a majority — 65 percent — say they would drop coverage if most of the companies in their industry eliminated their benefits programs."
(BenefitsPro)
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Checking Up on Health Insurance Exchanges
"According to [the National Conference of State Legislatures's] analysis, 30 states and the District of Columbia have enacted an executive order or legislation that lays the groundwork for developing an exchange. Most other states have at least formed a task force to explore options."
(Governing.com)
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Rewarding Patients for Cheaper Care
"This program provides cash rewards ranging from $10 to $75 for members that seek lower cost care for non-emergency outpatient procedures such as colonoscopies, MRI and CT scans, mammograms, lab work, bone density studies and ultrasounds. Members can call a toll-free number and to speak to a nurse who informs them of any lower cost plan providers in their area."
(WGA InsureBlog)
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Obese Adults Pay 23 Percent Higher Premiums
"[P]olicyholders in the obese BMI category pay an average monthly premium 22.6 percent higher than those in the normal BMI category ($164 compared to $201). For men, it's an even heftier toll: The average monthly premium paid by men in the obese category ($187) is 30.8 percent higher than the average premium paid by men in the normal category ($143)."
(BenefitsPro)
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Findings from The 2011 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey
"A significant portion of the population reported using a smartphone, and 1 in 5 reported using a tablet. Among them, about one-quarter reported using an app for health-related purposes. Among those not using an app, nearly one-half were interested in using one."
(Employee Benefits Research Institute)
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Sending Out 2011 With a Rush on Flexible Spending
"Yet a surprising number of workers don't take part: Mercer's 2011 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans shows that healthcare spending accounts are offered by 85 percent of employers, yet have an average employee participation rate of just 22 percent."
(Reuters)
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Stopping The Health Insurance Tax on Small Businesses
"The [Health Insurance Tax] was originally pitched as a tax on large insurance companies. The hidden caveat is that the new tax only applies to the fully insured market, where nearly all small business and the self-employed purchase their insurance policies."
(Deseret News)
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Obama Campaign Promotes Health Care Reform Law
"One of the intriguing things about the 2012 election is how both President Obama and his Republican opponents believe that the Obama health care law will be a winning issue for them."
(USATODAY.com)
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Public Can Be Swayed on Health Law's Mandate, Survey Finds
"In general, only 33 percent of Americans support the individual mandate, while 65 percent oppose it. . . . But opinions change when poll respondents are told that without the mandate, people might wait until they are seriously ill to obtain coverage, driving up insurance costs for everyone."
(Kaiser Health News)
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Health Trends to Watch For in 2012
"Employers are going to increase their efforts of maintaining a healthy workforce to help reduce health insurance costs in 2012. ACE reports more employers will turn to local gyms and health clubs to run their wellness programs. For employees, this could mean discounts and reduced membership fees at local fitness facilities."
(FOX News Network, LLC)
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New York Benefit Fund Finds Wellness Success in Walking Program, Weight Watchers
"[The benefit fund] initiated its own workplace wellness program. In phase one of the program, [it] conducted a health fair and screening in cooperation with [a hospital and the health plan], and sponsored a 14-week Weight Watchers program. Midway through the weight program, [the benefit fund] added a walking program that allowed employees 2.5 hours per week to run, walk or work out at a local gym."
(Employee Benefit News)
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[Opinion]
Obama's Piecemeal Approach to Health Law in States
"States now collectively mandate more than 1,600 health services but vary widely in which ones they require. With some exceptions, like bariatric surgery or acupuncture, experts expect benefits for most basic services to be fairly consistent across the nation."
(New York Times; free registration required)
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Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
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[Guidance Overview]
Electronic Signatures on Forms 5500 and 5500-SF Become Mandatory for 2012
"[Beginning January 1, 2012, employer,] plan sponsors or plan administrators must electronically sign a Form 5500 or Form 5500-SF before they submit the form to the IRS and Department of Labor (DOL). Any individual who e-signs an original or amended return must have a valid EFAST2 user identification and personal identification number."
(SmartHR)
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[Guidance Overview]
December 31 is PTIN Renewal Deadline
"Recently enacted regulations require all paid tax return preparers to obtain a [Preparer Tax Identification Number] each year by December 31 for the upcoming year. All preparers — including those who have obtained PTINs in the past — must apply on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Web site or submit a paper Form W-12."
(AccountingWEB.com)
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The Next Say-on-Pay Vote May Not Be as Easy to Win as the First
"In anticipation of the 2012 say-on-pay vote, institutional investors and their advisors are refining their analytical approach, particularly around the alignment of pay with performance. Moreover, the [SEC] as required by Dodd-Frank, will further influence say-on-pay outcomes when it issues its pay-for-performance and pay-parity disclosure requirements."
(Sibson Consulting)
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[Opinion]
Calculating Public Employee Total Compensation
"A study released late last year, sponsored by U.C. Berkeley's 'Institute for Research on Labor and Employment' entitled 'The Truth about Public Employees in California: They are Neither Overpaid nor Overcompensated,' contains its conclusion in its title, but whether or not this study is presenting the 'truth' or not is worthy of further discussion."
(Union Watch)
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Press Releases
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