Relationship Manager (Team Lead) - Institutional Trust & Custody
U.S. Bank
in MN

Relationship Manager - Institutional Trust & Custody
U.S. Bank
in IA

Marketing Manager
Employee Fiduciary, LLC
in ANY STATE, AL, FL

401k Administrator
Guardian Life
in MA

Defined Benefit Administrator
Alliance Pension Consultants, LLC
in IL

Retirement Education Specialist
MassMutual Financial Group
in ANY STATE

Pension Administrator/Consultant
PenServ, Inc.
in NY

Pensions Field Service Manager
Nationwide Financial
in AZ, IL, TX

Pensions Field Services Representative
Nationwide Financial
in CA

Pensions Field Services Representative
Nationwide Financial
in CT, NJ

Pensions Field Service Manager
Nationwide Financial
in GA, OH

Client Relationship Manager
Nationwide Financial
in AZ, CA

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Affordable Care Act 101 Webinar
January 30, 2014 WEBCAST
(U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA))

Summit 2014
May 1, 2014 in IL
(bswift)

View All Webcasts and Conferences

[Official Guidance]

Text of CMS-Updated Early Retiree Reinsurance Program 'Common Questions'
"Is the Plan Sponsor or the data aggregator/insurer/third party administrator/etc. required to keep the records? ... What must I do with the records after 6 years has passed? ... If the records are disposed of, is the Plan Sponsor required to make sure the data aggregator/insurer/third party administrator/etc. properly disposes of the records after 6 years? ... What does CMS consider a record? What specifically is a Plan Sponsor or subcontractor required to save/keep?" (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)  

[Advert.]

4th Annual Leadership Summit on Ancillary Products and Voluntary Benefits

This unique Summit convenes health plans, non-medical insurance carriers and brokers to discuss leveraging ancillary and voluntary products to increase their competitive edge and to meet the needs of a consumer driven market. March 11-12, Orlando. BLINK3 for discount.

[Guidance Overview]

When To Amend Cafeteria, HSA and FSAs to Reflect DOMA Decision
"If you received same-sex coverage elections from your employees between June 26, 2013 and December 16, 2013 and did not process them because you were unsure of the requirements that applied, the guidance protects you if you implement the election any time before the later of the date that coverage would normally be added under your plan's usual procedures for change in status elections or a reasonable period of time after December 16, 2013. Thus, if you have a calendar year plan, you would be okay if you delayed implementing all same-sex coverage elections until January 1, 2014." (McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP)  

[Guidance Overview]

Recent Guidance on Wellness Programs Clarifies Premium Surcharges for Tobacco Use
"The FAQs clarify that if a group health plan provides a reasonable opportunity to avoid a tobacco use surcharge at the beginning of a plan year (e.g., a tobacco cessation educational program), the plan is not required to provide another opportunity to avoid the surcharge that year to a participant who declined the initial opportunity. The FAQs note that nothing prevents the plan from providing another opportunity that year for a participant to avoid the surcharge, or for prorating rewards for those who complete the reasonable alternative later that plan year after having declined it initially." (Proskauer's ERISA Practice Center)  

[Guidance Overview]

New FAQs Provide Guidance Regarding Effect of ACA on the MHPAEA
"[T]he ACA expanded the [reach of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA)] by including mental-health and substance-use disorder services as one of the ten essential health benefit categories. Accordingly, non-grandfathered health plans in the individual and small group markets must comply with the Parity Regulations. Additionally, section 1563 of the ACA extends MHPAEA protection to the individual market with regard to both grandfathered and non-grandfathered coverage." (Proskauer's ERISA Practice Center)  

[Guidance Overview]

CMS Update and Issuer Q&A Presentation Slides About Operation of FF-SHOP, January 14, 2014 (PDF)
27 slides with 16 Q&As, including: "Is the FF-SHOP supporting enrollments initiated through mechanisms other than the direct enrollment approach for coverage beginning in 2014? ... For plan years beginning in 2014, who is making FF-SHOP eligibility determinations for employers and employees? ... What is the timeline for an employer to mail the FF-SHOP application? ... How does an issuer know whether an employer or employee qualifies for FF-SHOP? Does the FF-SHOP require employers to disclose FF-SHOP eligibility to the issuer? ... May issuers quote only plans certified through the FF-SHOP or may issuers also provide a quote for small group plans not certified by the FF-SHOP? ... What enrollment steps must an employer take in the FF-SHOP to be eligible to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for 2014? ... Can FF-SHOP QHP and QDP issuers work directly with employers to set enrollment timeframes and coverage effectuation dates? ... Can issuers participating in the FF-SHOPs offer employee choice, that is, can they provide employers the option of offering their employees more than one QHP or QDP for plan years beginning in 2014?" (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)  

[Advert.]

23rd Annual National Health Benefits Conference & Expo - Jan. 28-29, FL

Hear Here: Sprint, L.L. Bean, We Energies, City of Houston, Eastman Chemical, Univ. of IA, AL & S.FL, Palm Beach Co Schools, Crowley Maritime Corp, Anoka Co, S. Shore Hospital, more. Jan 28-29 - Hi quality, moderate cost. Complete Program brochure online now!

FAQs Clarify Treatment of Expatriate Health Plans Under the ACA
"[C]overage under qualifying expatriate health plans is a form of minimum essential coverage. As a result, an employer who offers coverage under a qualifying expatriate health plan will not be treated as having failed to provide coverage to an expatriate for purposes of employer 'pay or play' penalties that take effect in 2015. Further, employees who are covered by a qualifying expatriate health plan will not be subject to the individual coverage mandate tax that is now in effect." (Winston & Strawn LLP)  

CBO Report on Approaches to Reducing Federal Spending on Military Health Care
"Policymakers have considered various initiatives to slow federal spending for health care in general, some of which could apply to [the Department of Defense (DoD)]. CBO examined three: [1] Better management of chronic diseases; [2] More effective administration of the military health care system; and [3] Increased cost sharing for retirees who use TRICARE. In CBO's judgment, only the last of those approaches has the potential to generate significant savings for DoD. The other two could generate modest savings, but they would not address the primary drivers of health care costs for DoD." (Congressional Budget Office)  

Continuous Insurance Before Medicare Enrollment Associated with Better Health and Lower Program Spending
"Beneficiaries with continuous health insurance coverage for approximately 6 years before enrolling in Medicare were more likely than those without prior continuous insurance to report being in good health or better during the first 6 years in Medicare. In particular, having prior continuous insurance raised the predicted probability that a beneficiary reported being in good health or better by nearly 6 percentage points during the first 6 years in Medicare. Beneficiaries with prior continuous insurance had lower total program spending during the first year in Medicare compared with those without prior continuous insurance." (U.S. Government Accountability Office)  

[Opinion]

Bare-Bones Health Plans Still with Us
"As long as employers offer to their employees a plan that complies with the requirements of the [ACA], but a plan that the employees cannot afford to purchase, then the employers are relieved of their penalties for providing them with almost worthless 'fixed indemnity' plans, even though that means that the employees may have to pay a penalty for failing to be insured with a qualified plan." (Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP])  

Deadline Approaches for Reporting Incentive Stock Option Exercises and Employee Stock Purchase Plan Transfers that Occurred in 2013
"For ISO grants and ESPP transfers that occurred in 2013, the required information statements must be provided to employees and former employees no later than January 31, 2014. In addition, employers must file a corresponding return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by February 28, 2014 for paper filings and March 31, 2014 for electronic filings." (Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.)  

Dodd-Frank's Pay Versus Performance Disclosure Requirement: What We Can Expect in Rule Timing and Content (PDF)
[T]he required pay and performance disclosure has seemingly received the least amount of public commentary through blog postings or articles.... [T]his lack of public discussion may be due, in part, to the vague language of Section 953(a).... [A]lthough the specifics of the Dodd-Frank pay versus performance disclosure requirement remain unknown, the market appears to be anticipating a multi-year disclosure comparing CEO compensation and company relative TSR performance." (Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC)  

Complete Versus Conflict Preemption In ERISA Cases
"When a claimant sues in state court, however, removal to federal court should not be a forgone conclusion just because ERISA issues may be involved. Because only certain types of cases are subject to removal and because of rigid time and procedural requirements, an analysis of whether to remove a case involving ERISA issues must be prompt and informed. This article provides a reminder and summary of one key consideration -- complete versus conflict preemption." (Lewis Roca Rothgerber LLP, via DRI)  

City of Detroit Issues Statement on Pension 'Swaps' Settlement and Post-Petition Financing Decision
City of Detroit

Constangy's ERISA Practice Grows with Addition of Partner James R. Napoli
Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP

Actuaries Unveil Critical Approach to Assessing Nation’s Retirement-Income Challenges
American Academy of Actuaries

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