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BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter
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[Guidance Overview]
American Health Benefit Exchanges
"In 2014, individuals and small business will be able to purchase private health insurance through state-based Exchanges. This document reflects information and guidance issued through statute, rule, or communications from the federal government concerning the activities and options as they related to the development of a health benefit exchange."
(National Conference of State Legislatures)
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Need to advertise your benefits’ value? Try benefit statements! [Advert.]
Ad campaigns are expensive, but BeneCom’s benefit statements are an economical promotional tool you can use to “advertise” the value of your benefits – value that’s often ignored. So, discover BeneCom’s impact on your benefits, not your budget!
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[Guidance Overview]
ERISA 'Participant' Status Is Not a Jurisdictional Issue
"Whether a plaintiff is a 'participant' has posed one of the great metaphysical questions in ERISA benefits litigation. It is usually clear that the person was once a participant — but following separation from employment, are they still? The question can present itself in the form of another ERISA imponderable — that of standing . . . ."
(Roy Harmon III, Health Plan Law)
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[Guidance Overview]
Prepare for Health Plan Participant Fee
"Many questions about the fee are currently unanswered, including when it must be paid. Proposed regulations are expected on this and other matters. In the meantime, Notice 2011-35 provides information for plan sponsors and issuers to ensure they have properly budgeted for this expense."
(Dorsey & Whitney LLP)
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WellPoint to Increase Primary-Care Reimbursement
"Beginning in the summer, WellPoint will increase reimbursement for primary-care services — offering those physicians a fee increase of around 10% with the chance of additional payments that could bolster what they receive for covered patients by as much as 50% — in an attempt to lower acute-care costs, the WSJ reports."
(The Wall Street Journal)
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The State of Massachusetts Health Reform, in 3 Charts
"Health Affairs is out . . . with a four-year look back at Massachusetts health reform. It has some good news (coverage has gone up!) and not-so-good news (health care isn't getting any cheaper). With the Massachusetts reforms serving as the model for the federal law, it's worth taking a look at what has and hasn't worked in the Bay State reforms."
(The Washington Post; free registration required)
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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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U.S. Financial Worries Rival Those of 1992, According to Gallup Poll
"Americans' worries about maintaining their standard of living (51%), being able to pay medical bills (43%) or losing their job (34%) in the next 12 months are among the highest Gallup has measured in the past 20 years, on par with the levels seen in 1991 and 1992, Gallup says."
(LifeHealthPro)
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State of the Union: Time to Trim the Regulatory Fat in Health Care
"As Obama continues to shift away from touting the Affordable Care Act and focus on its implementation, it's clear that streamlining federal regulations will be a top priority for the White House this year. And as one of the nation's most heavily regulated sectors, health care stands to be significantly affected."
(California HealthCare Foundation)
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Employers Should Offer Health Care Options
"In choosing employee health benefits, businesses have two main options for fully insured plans — a 'preferred provider organization' or a 'health maintenance organization.'"
(World Publishing Co.)
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One Year of Innovation: Taking Action to Improve Care and Reduce Costs (PDF)
"The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (the Innovation Center), is an important new resource for health care providers dedicated to improving how our health care system works. Its mission is to move quickly to identify, test, and spread delivery and payment models to help providers improve care while cutting costs."
(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation)
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Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
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Lessons Learned: The Inaugural Year of Say-on-Pay (PDF)
"CalSTRS wants to reflect on what it learned during the 2011 proxy season, the first with mandatory Say-on-Pay at a majority of U.S. companies. Not only to improve our process going forward, but to help influence the market towards a better alignment between pay and performance."
(California State Teachers' Retirement System)
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Press Releases
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Lois Baker, J.D., President
Holly Horton, Business Manager
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