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Healthcare Analytics
for Cammack LaRhette Consulting in NY

Installation Coordinator
for Ascensus in PA

Analyst-401(k) & Savings Programs
for US Airways in AZ

Senior Analyst/Principal Analyst I
for University of California Office of the President in CA

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Participant Fee Disclosures and Investment Basics
Nationwide on August 8, 2012 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

Creditor Protection of Retirement Assets
Nationwide on September 12, 2012 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

RMDs for a DB
Nationwide on September 26, 2012 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

Strategic Benefits Management Amidst Health Care Reform
in Ohio on August 16, 2012 presented by Lake / Geauga Area Chapter of SHRM (LGA SHRM)

CFDD

 

Some Plans Deny Pregnancy Coverage for Dependent Children
"Group health plans with 15 or more workers are required to provide maternity benefits for employees and their spouses under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. But other dependents of employees aren't covered by the law, so companies don't have to provide maternity coverage for them." (Kaiser Health News)

Employee Benefits Producer Training—September 17-27, 2012   [Advert.]

A proven formula for producers, brokers, consultants or sales professionals to develop successful selling skills and learn the technical side of employee benefits. Register Now!

ML Strategies Health Care Reform Update, August 6, 2012 (PDF)
Weekly update on developments in federal and state health care reform legislation and regulations. Includes summaries of recent announcements and regulatory activity by HHS, CCIIO, IRS and CMS. (Mintz Levin)

Employees Taking Intermittent Family Medical Leave Are Three Times More Likely to File for Short-term Disability
"[A] study of more than 112,000 FMLA claims closed between 2008 and 2011 ... found the following: 51 percent of all FMLA claims involved intermittent leaves; and, Employees on intermittent leaves are more likely to file a STD claim within the following six months, (21 percent) than those on continuous leave (8 percent). The most common reasons for disability following intermittent leaves are musculoskeletal conditions and behavioral health problems." (MarketWatch.com)

Businesses Think the Growth of Health Insur.ance Premiums Is Slowing. Yes, Really.
"Employers do indeed expect the cost of health insur.ance to rise—but they see it going up at a rate slightly slower than it has in years past. That trend started before the Affordable Care Act passed, and looks to be persisting as it comes into effect ... Some of this has to do with a lower cost of health care: During the recession, people have used fewer health care services, which has translated into lower cost growth." (The Washington Post; free registration required)

National Business Group on Health Projects 7% Health Benefit Cost Increase, Stronger Wellness Incentives
"While many employers continue to adopt cost-sharing provisions, survey respondents now consider consumer-directed health plans (CDHP) and wellness initiatives to be more effective at stemming cost than shifting costs to employees. According to the survey, 43% cited a CDHP as the most effective cost control tactic followed by wellness programs (19%). Less than one in ten (9%) respondents reported increased employee cost-sharing as the most effective tactic. Last year, cost shifting was cited as the most effective measure." (Employee Benefit News)

Health Care Reform: Perspectives from Consumers, Physicians and Employers
"The majority of consumers feel that the U.S. health care system is complicated (three in four in 2011 said they did not have a strong understanding of how the system works) and may not be the best in the world (three in four believe other systems may work better).... 22 percent report feeling satisfied with the system's overall performance in 2012 ... Executives closest to the health care system, such as those responsible for health benefits programs, are often the least positive about the system's performance, with only 15 percent of benefits administrators, 21 percent of chief Human Resources officers, and 27 percent of health benefits executives grading the system performance positively." (Deloitte)

Large Employers Expect Health Benefits Costs to Increase 7% in 2013
"[A recent survey] revealed that: Employers expect their health care benefits costs will increase an average of 7 percent in 2013—the same as in 2012 but a smaller increase than employers experienced the previous three years. 60 percent expect to increase the percentage of the premium paid by employees in 2013, although most indicated that the increase would be by a small amount (less than 5 percent). 40 percent expect to increase in-network deductibles. 33 percent expect to increase out-of-network deductibles. 32 percent expect to increase out-of pocket maximums." (Society for Human Resource Management)

OPM Seeks More Competition for Federal Employee Health Plans
"'While the [Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB)] model has withstood the test of time and influenced the direction of health reform, the competitive environment is not as robust as it could be,' says an unsigned OPM briefing paper obtained by The Washington Post. 'The health insur.ance market has changed dramatically over the last 50 years, but . . . the FEHB program lacks the flexibility to adjust in response to the changing market.'" [Article includes link to the briefing paper.] (The Washington Post; free registration required)

[Opinion]

Text of Comments to NAIC ERISA Working Group on Draft Guideline Amendments to the Stop Loss Insur.ance Model Act (PDF)
Comments on proposed updates to stop loss model provisions and their effect on self-insur.ance, particularly for small employers, in light of ACA requirements, submitted by AHIP; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Chambers of Commerce from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas and California; Cigna; Protect Health Care Choice Coalition; The Council of Insur.ance Agents & Brokers; HCC Life Insur.ance Company; Self-Insur.ance Institute of America, Inc.; American Insur.ance Association; and consumer representatives. (National Association of Insur.ance Commissioners - ERISA Working Group)

[Opinion]

Obamacare: The Road to Repeal Starts in the States
"States that have refused to implement the Obama health law have already blocked $80 bil.lion of its new deficit spending. If more states follow suit, they can block the other $1.6 tril.lion and force Congress to repeal the law." (Cato Institute)

Triple Tax Advantages Touted for HSAs
"Are health savings accounts simply better than 401(k) plans? While there's so simple answer, a leading authority is quick to point out the unsung potential of HSAs as a long-term investment vehicle at a time when some critics have suggested the 401(k) plan model provides insufficient savings." (Employee Benefit News)

Improving All Types of Saving With the UK's Expanded Retirement Savings Platform
"Known in the UK under the term 'corporate platform' ... the development allows employees to use the employer's retirement savings mechanism to save and invest for additional nonretirement purposes.... Although the UK's platform is intended as an enhancement to employer-provided benefits, it can also be used for a wide variety of policy goals, as the basic structure can be easily adapted to meet almost any nation's specific tax and savings system. In the United States alone, policy experts have proposed dedicated savings accounts for nonretirement purposes ranging from unemployment benefits and retraining, home purchases, health care, and long-term health care coverage, to repaying student loans or building college balances for children or grandchildren." (Lincoln Institute of Land Policy)

Segal Co. Founder Martin Segal Dead at 96
(Segal Company)

U.S. Department of Treasury Unveils New Ready.Save.Grow. Facebook Page
(U.S. Department of Treasury)

Nation’s Largest Legal Service Plan Provider, Hyatt Legal Plans, Wins First Place Award in PACE Contact Center Incentive Contest
(Hyatt Legal Plans, a MetLife company)