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May 18, 2012 Get Retirement News  |  Advertise  |  Unsubscribe  |  Past Issues  |  Search

Employee Benefits Jobs

Strategic Communications Consultant
for New York Life Retirement Plan Services in CA, MA

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Webcasts and Conferences

Designated Roth Accounts and Roth Conversions
Nationwide on May 24, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

The Complex World of ADP/ACP Testing
Nationwide on May 31, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

401(k) Safe Harbor and SIMPLE Plans
Nationwide on June 5, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

Automatic Contribution Arrangements
Nationwide on June 15, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

Qualified Default Investment Alternative
Nationwide on June 27, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

Hardship, In-service and Elective Deferral Distributions
Nationwide on July 3, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

Participant Loans
Nationwide on July 11, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

ERISA Disclosure Under 404(a)(5) and 408(b)(2)
Nationwide on July 20, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

Overview of Cross-Testing
Nationwide on July 26, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.

401(k) Rekon Advisor Symposium - Sacramento
in California on June 13, 2012 presented by 401(k) Rekon

"Practical Guide to Plan Fees: June 2012 Update" - A 3-part Web Seminar
Nationwide on June 18, 2012 presented by SunGard Relius

Live FutureOffice Network Smartcast - FLSA Compliance
Nationwide on May 22, 2012 presented by Davidson Marketing Group—FutureOffice Network

2012 Third Quarter Update
Nationwide on August 14, 2012 presented by McKay Hochman Co., Inc.


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[Guidance Overview]
Chart of State Domestic Partner and Same-S.ex Marriage Laws as of May 10, 2012
Jurisdictions covered are CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, IA, IL, MD, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OR, RI, VT and WA. Issues described in this nicely done 3-page chart include: type of relationship addressed, whether or not health insur.ance coverage is mandated; whether a leave law applies; scope of state tax exclusion for health coverage; scope of rights (same as opposite se.x vs. limited); and recognition of out-of-state relationships. (Mercer)


7th Annual Executive Forum on the Business of Wellness - July 24-26 - Chicago   [Advert.]

Sponsored by World Congress

Meaningful worksite wellness programs motivate behavior change and combat ever-increasing health care costs. This event delivers a roadmap to achieve measurable outcomes and meaningful, individual behavior change.


Health Tax Credit Could Mean Big Savings for Small Firms
"Of firms with fewer than 50 workers and that offer health benefits, 65 percent last year said they had not explored their eligibility for the tax credit, according to a national survey by ... Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Of similarly sized firms that don't offer health insur.ance, 48 percent said they were not aware of the tax credit, the survey said. The tax break will expand to cover 50 percent of health premium costs in 2014[.]" (Crain's Chicago Business)

New York State Retiree Health Liability Rises to $72 Bil.lion; NYC's Is $84 Bil.lion
"Most states cover retiree health benefits on a pay-as-you go basis. They don't set aside money annually to pre-fund the obligations, as they do with pensions. Last year, New York, the third-biggest U.S. state by population, spent $3.3 bil.lion on health care for active and retired employees as health-care spending rose 6 percent." (Bloomberg)

Congressional Investigation Alleges Closed-Door Obamacare Negotiations with Drug Makers (PDF)
"This investigation has confirmed the existence of a deal between the White House and [the Pharma.ceutical Manufacturers of America, or 'PhRMA'] that explicitly bound both parties to certain commitments.... [The deal] was so clearly understood to be binding that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina made direct contact with PhRMA's chief lobbyist for the negotiations regarding the deal to express his displeasure with an apparent violation of the agreement more than two months before the legislation was given final approval by Congress." (Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives)

Probe Continues Into Reform Law Dealings Between White House and Pharma.ceutical Manufacturers
"The inquiry [by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations] aims to answer the following: Did the Obama administration and outside stakeholders make deals that exchanged policy outcomes for public support of the law; if so, who made such deals; was Congress left out of the discussions; what issues were negotiated; and what, if anything, did the White House gain in the arrangement." (Modern Healthcare)

MLR Killing Off Business, Hurting Consumers
"[According to a recent NAIFA study,] agent commissions have declined dramatically since the medical loss ratio (MLR) provision of the health care reform law went into effect, forcing many agents to reduce their services to clients, consider charging fees for services they had been providing at no additional charge and in some cases, laying off employees and leaving the health insur.ance market." (John Goodman's Health Policy Blog)

Individual Insur.ance Benefits Becoming Available Under Health Care Reform Would Have Lowered Out-Of-Pocket Spending In 2001-08
"This study compared out-of-pocket spending on health care between individual and employment-related insur.ance, controlling for numerous characteristics such as health status. Then it simulated the impact of full implementation of provisions of the Affordable Care Act on adults who currently have individual insur.ance ... [Among other findings, the study determined that the] likelihood of having out-of-pocket expenditures on care exceeding $6,000 would have been reduced for all adults with individual insur.ance, and the likelihood of having expenditures exceeding $4,000 would have been reduced for many." (Health Affairs)

[Opinion]
Text of Memo to Republicans on Status of Congressional Investigation on Obamacare Negotiations with Drug Makers (PDF)
"This investigation has confirmed the existence of a deal between the White House and [the Pharma.ceutical Manufacturers of America, or 'PhRMA'] that explicitly bound both parties to certain commitments.... [The deal] was so clearly understood to be binding that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina made direct contact with PhRMA's chief lobbyist for the negotiations regarding the deal to express his displeasure with an apparent violation of the agreement more than two months before the legislation was given final approval by Congress." (Majority Staff of Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives)

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

Highly-Paid Boston Public Employees Enjoying Free Commutes in Taxpayer-Funded Cars
"In all, 122 of the 199 city workers with take-home vehicles make more than $100,000 a year, including nine who earned over $200,000. At least 36 employees with take-home cars live outside the city, including officials who reside in Duxbury, Marshfield, Hingham, Norwell and Framingham, among other suburban towns." (BostonHerald.com)

Press Releases



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