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BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter
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[Guidance Overview]
Office of Civil Rights to Conduct HIPAA Compliance Audits
Includes 7 tips for employers. "According to a recent survey, a majority of health care organizations are not fully prepared for the federal audits that will test compliance with HIPAA privacy and security rules. Of the more than 400 survey respondents, less than 20 percent indicated they were fully prepared for OCR's HIPAA compliance audits."
(Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.)
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[Guidance Overview]
Your 2012 PPACA Checklist (PDF)
"As we all know, there was a big push under PPACA for plan sponsors to amend health plans for the 2011 plan year. While there are not as many changes to be made in 2012, there is still work to do to ensure you are in compliance for the year. [First published online November 2011.]"
(PLANSPONSOR.COM; written by Groom Law Group)
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[Guidance Overview]
Medical Loss Ratio Requirements Rules
"As of January 6, 2012, seventeen states have requested adjustments. Six states have received relief from application of the 80 percent MLR (Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, and New Hampshire).[See footnote 4] The relief allows each of these states to implement an MLR that is lower than 80 percent."
(Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.)
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Auditing Health Plan Dependent Eligibility
"Employers that allow dependents to be covered under their health plans need to be aware of health care reform rules that may limit their ability to retroactively remove ineligible dependents from coverage."
(Perkins Coie LLP)
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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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Walgreen-Express Scripts Pricing War Could Cut Drug Costs
"Starting this month, plan participants at most companies that contract with Express Scripts for PBM services can no longer get prescriptions filled at any of Walgreen's approximately 8,000 locations. The two companies were unable to reach an agreement to renew the contract under which Express Scripts paid Walgreen to fill its clients' prescriptions."
(CFO Publishing LLC)
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The Expansion of Private Insurance
"[Looking at how health benefits are managed, rather than how they are financed — it becomes clear that in some ways] we are increasingly relying on the private insurance industry to provide health coverage. And, even when coverage is publicly-managed, health care services are primarily purchased from private providers."
(The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
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Vermont Moving Forward with Its Own Brand of Health Reform
"Vermont lawmakers are taking steps to move the state toward a publicly-financed insurance program and craft a state health exchange, which is required by the 2010 federal health law and which state officials hope to use as the groundwork for their eventual move to a unique single-payer system."
(Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
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The Benefits That a Corporate Wellness Program Can Have on Your Business
"It is no secret that a regular routine of fitness and dieting can have an overwhelmingly beneficial effect on an individual's health and wellness. Not only does fitness play a large role in disease prevention, healthy living and weight loss, but it can also influence the mood, motivation and productivity in a person's day-to-day life."
(Walkingspree)
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Six Considerations When Shopping for LTC Insurance
"Here are six basic factors for you and your employees to consider about LTC coverage: 1. The elimination period. . . . 2. The benefit period. . . . 3. Inflation riders. . . . 4. Shared benefits. . . . 5. Premiums. . . . 6. Financial stability of the insurance carrier."
(Employee Benefit News)
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Prepare for Higher Child Care and Commuting Costs in 2012
"Thanks to little-known factors such as lower transit and child care benefits, some workers can expect to have their net pay decrease by several hundred dollars this year as new federal regulations rolled out Jan. 1."
(Reuters via Employee Benefit News)
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2012 Progress Report: States Are Implementing Health Reform (PDF)
"[A]ll States have taken some action to implement health reform. For example, forty-four States are participating in the new premium rate review system where insurers must justify the rationale for any double-digit insurance premium increase. And 28 States and the District of Columbia are on their way toward establishing their own Affordable Insurance Exchange — an essential component of the law."
(The White House)
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Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
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Employers Who Rein in Compensation Too Much Could Pay a Price Later
"Extensive research shows that employees are more willing to accept negative outcomes when they feel that decision-making processes are fair and just, Grant points out. 'When bosses can't promise eternal employment, the best substitute is to offer neutrality, transparency and employee involvement in decision-making.'"
(Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania)
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Press Releases
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Holly Horton, Business Manager
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