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House Committee Seeks IRS Documents on Health Care Law
"House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa demanded all documents and communications between the IRS and President Barack Obama's White House after the healthcare overhaul law was signed into law in March 2010, in a letter released on Wednesday. Issa has challenged the Obama administration's authority to administer the healthcare law in states that are refusing to cooperate. A handful of Republican governors have opted not to establish health insur.ance exchanges that are required by the law." (Reuters)

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Three Major Insurers Seek Up to 14 Percent Rate Hike for Small Business Coverage in Connecticut
"In recent weeks, Aetna, ConnectiCare and Anthem all have requested rate hikes of 13 to 14 percent for small-business coverage [in Connecticut]. That's just below the 15 percent threshold that could trigger a public hearing on the proposed increases. The requests have some health care advocates questioning whether increases are still too high. Insur.ance companies say the hikes reflect the cost of mandated federal benefits required by the Affordable Care Act." (the ct mirror)

San Francisco Ups Employers' Health Care Spending Requirement for 2013
"Employers with workers in San Francisco will have to pay more next year to comply with the city's healthcare spending law. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2013, employers with 100 or more employees in San Francisco will be required to spend $2.33 per hour per covered employee on health care, up from $2.20 in 2012 ... Employers with between 20 and 99 employees will have to spend at least $1.55 per hour, up from $1.46. Employers with fewer than 20 employees are exempt from the requirement." (Modern Healthcare Online; free registration required)

Terms of Collective Bargaining Agreement Precluded Alteration of Retiree Health Benefits
"[The Sixth Circuit found that although] healthcare is a 'welfare benefit,' not entitled to the same ERISA protection as pension benefits, employers are free to waive their power to alter welfare benefits. [The plan sponsor] did so by offering vested healthcare coverage to retired employees and spouses, and by agreeing that CBAs could only be modified with signed, mutual consent of the parties." [Moore v. Menasha Corp. (6th Cir., August 22, 2012)] (Justia.com)

New Reform Mandate Puts Plans on Hook for Birth Control Coverage
"While health plan opponents of the [ACA's] contraceptive coverage requirement ... argue that the mandate will raise drug costs, the greater obstacle for qualifying plans may be confusion around just how contraception should be covered. As a result, a number of health plans indicate that they will offer broad access to oral contraceptives rather than placing $0 copays only on generics and single-source brands." (AISHealth.com; free registration required)

New Mexico State Workers Face Health Insur.ance Hike
"New Mexico state government employees could face a 15 percent increase in their health insur.ance premiums next year due to rising health care costs. Under the most popular insur.ance plan, the increase would translate into about $133 per year for a single worker making $45,000 and $393 annually for a worker at that salary level with family coverage." (Albuquerque Journal)

HHS Establishes Safe Harbor for Adverse Benefit Notices of Non-Federal Governmental Plans
"HHS will not enforce the requirement ... that non-federal governmental plans provide notice of the private right of action under ERISA. Similarly, HHS will not enforce the requirement that non-federal governmental plans provide contact information for the EBSA or a state department of insur.ance. This safe harbor is applicable as long as such a plan provides contact information for member assistance provided by any third-party administrator or health insur.ance issuer that is hired by or contracts with the plan, and, if available, consumer assistance offered directly by the plan[.]" (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)

Choosing the 'Best' Plan in a Health Insur.ance Exchange: Actuarial Value Tells Only Part of the Story
"This analysis illustrates the out-of-pocket costs that might result from plans with various plan designs and actuarial values.... [A]average out-of-pocket expense declines as actuarial values rise, but two plans with similar actuarial values can produce very different outcomes for a given person." (The Commonwealth Fund)

How Much, for What, by Whom? A Break Down of Health Care Spending
"An expected spike in healthcare spending resulting from full implementation of the [ACA] will disrupt an extended period of lower than average growth, according to the California HealthCare Foundation. The philanthropic organization's 2012 healthcare almanac looks at how much is spent on healthcare, where it's being spent and who's doling out the dollars." (HealthImaging)

Eleventh Circuit Holds Wellness Program Does Not Violate ADA (PDF)
"While the Eleventh Circuit's decision gives significant support to employers that want greater flexibility in designing their wellness programs, it remains to be seen whether the decision will influence the EEOC staff's position or other courts that are asked to address these issues." (Sutherland)

[Opinion]

Insur.ance Exchange an Opportunity to Minimize the Negative
"Proponents tout the [ACA's] ability to expand access to coverage. Opponents criticize its cost and approach. Amid the political bickering, however, many have lost sight of the most important question: Does the 'Affordable Care Act' improve the quality of care and thereby make health care more affordable? The answer, unfortunately, is no." (TwinCities.com)

17% of Banks 'Clawed Back' Compensation in 2011
"New survey data ... shows that 14% of global banking organizations have 'clawed back' compensation payments made to employees while a further 3% of organizations have reclaimed the payments but have yet to receive the pay back. This recent data comes from Mercer's Financial Services Executive Compensation Snapshot Survey which looks at compensation structures in 63 global financial services companies, including banks and insur.ance firms." (Mercer)