DC Plan Administrator
for TPA Firm in Maryland in MD

Senior Compliance Consultant
for Lincoln Financial Group in ANY STATE

Sales Professional
for Matthews Benefit Group, Inc. in FL

Qualified Pension Plan Specialist
for Pen-Cal Administrators, Inc. in CA

Associate Actuarial Manager - Financial Reporting - Pension Risk Transfer
for Prudential in NJ

Implementation Partner
for Lincoln Financial Group in ANY STATE, IN

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401(k) Rekon Advisor Symposium - Salt Lake City
in Utah on April 3, 2012 presented by 401(k) Rekon

DOL and IRS Audits: What to do when the government is on your doorstep.
in California on March 15, 2012 presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference - Orange County Chapter

Health Benefits Laws Compliance Assistance Seminar
in New Jersey on April 10, 2012 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

Overview of Final Guidance on Summary of Benefits and Coverage (PDF)
"Plan sponsors will need to coordinate the distribution of the SBCs with their upcoming open enrollment material. It is important to note that with respect to a participant already enrolled in the plan, an SBC must only be provided for the option in which the participant is enrolled. Whether 'passive' enrollments (where employees are not required to make an election) satisfy the requirements for automatic reenrollment is not clear. Inclusion of the SBCs in SPDs and open enrollment guides should be considered now, in order to meet the requirements most efficiently." (Buck Consultants)

9th Annual World Health Care Congress: Strategy, Innovation and Execution   [Advert.]

The 9th Annual World Health Care Congress, April 16-18 in Washington, DC. Register now, save $300 with code RDR697. To register, call 800-767-9499 or learn more at www.worldhealthcarecongress.com.

Agency FAQs Regarding PPACA Automatic Enrollment, Employer Shared Responsibility, Waiting Periods, and Essential Health (PDF)
"At this time, there is no need for employers to develop plans to enroll employees in their health plans automatically." (Buck Consultants)

Medical Loss Ratio Rebates: ERISA Plan Assets?
"The first set of rebates will be due in August, 2012, based upon insurers' calculations of their medical loss ratio for 2011. Plan sponsors should review applicable insurance policies and plan documents, and consider the plan asset issues before then to ensure that they will know what to do with any MLR rebates that they receive." (Spencer Fane)

HHS's Intended Approach for Determining Actuarial Value for Individual and Small Group Coverage
"We suspect the devil will be in the details as HHS's methodology is translated into proposed (and then final) regulations. For example, when the calculator tool is used by an insurer to determine the AV of an HDHP offering, how will the insurer know what HSA contributions an employer will make? Presumably, some coordination or minimum contribution levels will need to be established to ensure the combined offering satisfies the applicable metal level." (Thomson Reuters/EBIA)

Small Companies Working to Make Health Coverage Pay
"[I]n certain industries, health insurance is already essential to attract good employees. That forces entrepreneurs to figure out ways to afford coverage. [One employer] has been providing fully paid insurance with no copays or deductibles for 33 years. He says he does it because it makes good business sense." (Star Tribune)

Looking Ahead to the Supreme Court's Health Care Reform Hearings in March
"Almost three years to the day after the ACA was enacted, it will become the most significant piece of legislation reviewed by the Court since the Voting Rights Act in the 1960s. In anticipation of the major news coverage that will surely ensue, this post outlines the legal issues at stake, and takes a look at how the Court's voting might line up." (E is for ERISA)

The Role of the Basic Health Program in the Coverage Continuum: Opportunities, Risks & Considerations for States
"The brief offers a framework for states looking to assess the financial feasibility of the Basic Health Program, highlighting key considerations in estimating the amount of federal funding they will receive and the costs of implementing the program." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Under The Affordable Care Act, 105 Mil.lion Americans No Longer Face Lifetime Limits on Health Benefits
"Overall, we estimated that 70 mil.lion persons in large employer plans, 25 mil.lion persons in small employer plans, and 10 mil.lion persons with individually purchased health insurance had lifetime limits on their health benefits prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act .... These 105 mil.lion Americans now enjoy improved coverage without lifetime limits." (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation)

Congressional Representative Wants Explanation of Rise in Estimated Cost of Health Care Reform
"Cost estimates for a key portion of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law have ballooned by $111 billion from last year's budget, and a senior Republican lawmaker on Friday demanded an explanation." (Click on link to Associated Press article on the target page.) (Kaiser Health News)

Massachusetts Health Insurers Rake in Earnings at Ten Times 2010 Profits
"Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state's largest health insurer, which reported a net $136.1 mil.lion last year in 2011 — more than 10 times the $13.4 mil.lion it earned in 2010, according to The Boston Globe." (FierceHealthPayer)

Health Saving Account Contribution Guidance Raises Concerns for Employers
"Employers who contribute to employees' health savings accounts or health reimbursement arrangements may not get full credit for that amount when running a key 'actuarial value' test that is part of the health care reform law, federal regulators said in a bulletin." (Business Insurance; free registration possibly required)

When Are Health Insurance Premiums Tax-Deductible?
"You can always deduct your premiums as medical expenses on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions. The downside is you have to itemize, and the total of your medical expenses has to exceed 7.5% of your income before you get any tax benefit. It would be better if you could receive the health insurance premiums as a tax-free benefit, similar to when you were an employee." (Fox Business)

Employers Boosting Values of Wellness Incentives: Survey
"Employers are boosting the values of incentives they offer employees to encourage them to take action to improve their health ... [J]ust under 73% of employers used incentives in 2011 as part of their health improvement programs.... Incentives used by employers include cash, gift cards and contributions to health savings accounts." (Business Insurance; free registration possibly required)

Determining the Level of Payments in Health Care
"Unilateral, administrative price-setting shares with an all-payer system the advantage of simplicity in claims processing and, thus, lower administrative costs. Both methods furnish the ideal platform for common claims forms and electronic billing." (The New York Times; free registration required)

ObamaCare's Supreme Mistake: Mandatory Purchase of Health Insurance
"The US Supreme Court this month hears arguments on the constitutional challenges to the ObamaCare law — with the top challenge centering on the mandate that every American buy health insurance. Increasingly, and not just for constitutional reasons, that mandate looks to be the law's downfall." (Galen Institute)

Winter 2012 Edition of Statistics of Income (SOI) Bulletin Published by IRS
"This issue of the [Bulletin] includes articles on the following: Individual income tax rates and shares. Split-interest trusts. Domestic private foundations. Unrelated business income tax returns. Personal wealth. Projections of federal tax return filings." (Internal Revenue Service)

What Does Maryland's Same-S.ex Marriage Law Mean for Employers?
"Employers in Maryland have 10 months to adjust their employee benefit policies, plan documents and plan language regarding dependents before a law legalizing same-s.ex marriage goes into effect.... The new law contains protections for churches and religious groups and officials." (Thompson / SmartHR Manager)

Mercer Sees High Employee Utilization of HelloWallet Financial Wellness Solution
(Mercer)

Miller / Russell & Associates, LLC Is Certified For Fiduciary Excellence
(Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX))

eTekhnos Partners with BackBone, Inc. to Integrate Social Media-Driven Communications Program Into Benefits Portals
(PULSE! Connect)

Integrated Retirement’s 401(k) Training Program Gains Momentum With John Hancock’s Advisors
(Integrated Retirement)