Retirement Plan Administrator
United Retirement Plan Consultants
in NJ

Plan Services Specialist I
MBM Advisors, Inc.
in TX

Actuarial Analyst
New York Life Retirement Plan Services
in MA

Health and Welfare Client Manager
Buck Consultants a Xerox Company
in ANY STATE

Client Administration Manager-Project Team
T. Rowe Price
in CO

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Cash Balance Outlook 2014
July 17, 2014 WEBCAST
(Kravitz)

Network Adequacy: Balancing Cost, Access and Quality
July 21, 2014 in DC
(Alliance for Health Reform)

Transitional Reinsurance Program: Contributing Entities and Counting Methods
July 23, 2014 WEBCAST
(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)

What the New Healthcare Law Means for Your Small Business
July 31, 2014 WEBCAST
(Small Business Majority)

Nuts and Bolts Series: The Affordable Care Act and Employer Shared Responsibility Penalty
August 13, 2014 WEBCAST
(ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits)

2014 Ethics Case Studies One
August 20, 2014 WEBCAST
(McKay Hochman Co., Inc.)

HSA Basics
August 21, 2014 WEBCAST
(Ascensus)

Advanced HSAs
August 26, 2014 WEBCAST
(Ascensus)

View All Webcasts and Conferences

[Guidance Overview]

Section 6103(l)(21) Questions and Answers from IRS
"On Aug.13, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations implementing section 6103(l)(21) of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by the [ACA]. This provision authorizes the IRS -- upon written request and subject to strict privacy and security safeguards -- to disclose certain taxpayer information for use in verifying eligibility for health care affordability programs. The following questions and answers provide information that may be helpful in understanding the final regulations." (Internal Revenue Service [IRS])  

[Advert.]

WEB's mission is to further the development of benefits professionals

We are committed to helping define the role of the benefits professional in the 21st century, and as changing market forces reshape the profession, WEB will help its members meet the challenges ahead.

[Guidance Overview]

Wellness Programs After the Affordable Care Act
"Wellness programs can be used to make employees aware of health issues that might otherwise go undetected, which might result in significant savings to the employer in terms of lost productivity and the employer's medical plan in terms of claims avoidance. Although the myriad laws impacting wellness programs may seem overwhelming, it is quite possible to design a compliant and cost-effective wellness program that has the potential for significant benefits to the employee and the employer." (Nixon Peabody LLP)  

[Guidance Overview]

Proposed FMLA Regs and CMS Guidance Redefine 'Spouse' (PDF)
"[An] eligible employee would now be entitled to FMLA leave to care for the child of a same-sex spouse regardless of whether the employee satisfies the in loco parentis requirement of providing day-to-day care or financial support for the child. Also, an eligible employee would be entitled to leave to care for his or her parent's same-sex spouse, even though the spouse never stood in loco parentis to the employee.... Although not clear, it appears that CMS is saying that if an individual is reported as a spouse ... instead of, for example, a domestic partner, Medicare will consider the individual to be a spouse for purposes of the MSP Working Aged provisions." (Buck Consultants)  

Midyear Check on Health Plan Compliance
"If you sponsor or administer a group health plan, you are almost certainly taking steps to prepare for legal requirements that will become effective on or before January 1, 2015. New rules under HIPAA, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and other laws will affect your plans. As we pass the midpoint of 2014, it is an appropriate time to take stock of the measures you have completed and those you will need to take regarding recent guidance." (Ballard Spahr LLP)  

Group Health Plans Are More Susceptible Than Ever to Security Violations
"Due to the sensitivity of employer access to employee health information and concern that it might be used in employment decisions, [group health plans (GHPs)] have additional HIPAA requirements related to the access and disclosure of member [protected health information].... Here are some ways that a GHP can reduce its exposure to HIPAA violations and data breaches: Clarify policies and procedures... Implement a comprehensive training program... Complete a HIPAA security risk analysis... Strengthen your [business associate] relationships." (Clearwater Compliance)  

[Advert.]

Join Us at the ACO Summit: West! August 13-14, San Diego

This unique event has been researched and developed for executives working on all stages of ACO development -- specifically for Health Systems, Hospitals, IPAs, Physician Groups, and Health Insurance firms. Continuing Education Credits offered!

Top 10 Employee ACA Questions
"Respondents say the most common questions from employees are related to the health insurance exchanges (e.g., How do the exchanges work? Am I eligible? Are they free? Could I qualify for a subsidy? How does exchange coverage compare with my current coverage?) Below are the ten most common questions employees are asking about ACA along with some answers to help guide employer responses." (International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans [IFEBP])  

Healthcare Prices Jumped 50 Percent Year-on-Year from 12-Month Moving Average
"Prices of prescription drugs jumped higher than prices of other healthcare goods and services. Further, healthcare prices continue to grow significantly faster than the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Exhibit 7 illustrates how ineffective Obamacare is at restraining costs: Per capita healthcare utilization increased at about 5.5 percent (year on year) in the first half of 2002, well before the December 2007 onset of recession, and dropped until the end of 2010." (National Center for Policy Analysis Health Policy Blog)  

CBO Considers Options to Limit Tax Exclusion for Employer-Based Coverage
"While these proposals would increase government tax revenue, the unintended consequences could be substantial.... The CBO's review is positioned as '... being circulated to stimulate discussion and critical comment as developmental work for analysis of interest to members of Congress.' In its presentation, the agency projects the effect of the status quo and three possible options, by 2017, on health care coverage provided through exchange plans, employer-sponsored plans, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the number of uninsured." (HighRoads)  

ACA Litigation Continues: A Primer of Major Cases
"Two lines of cases currently pending in the appellate courts seek to repeal the ACA in its entirety.... Dozens of other cases are challenging an ACA provision that requires most new health insurance plans to cover all [FDA]-approved methods of contraception without cost-sharing.... Some lawsuits have asked courts to enjoin state laws that restrict the activities of individuals who are federally certified to inform and assist uninsured individuals to enroll in qualified health plans (QHPs) under the ACA." (National Health Law Program [NHeLP])  

Health Care Under ACA Is Not Better, According To Small Business Owners
"Fifty-one percent of independent business owners recently surveyed reported that their companies' health care is neither better nor more affordable under health care reform. Not only that, but, now that the [ACA] has been implemented, 34 percent of those surveyed said they are unsatisfied with their current health care, and 21 percent are unsure." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)  

The Case for Legal Services and ID Theft Benefits
"If considering a group plan, evaluate different offerings to see which will best meet employee needs such as: Writing a will or a living will. Establishing a trust. Resolving traffic violations. Creating a health care power of attorney. Reviewing miscellaneous legal contracts and documents. Handling family issues like adoption and divorce. Beyond that, a legal services plan should have an ample number of lawyers who specialize in required services available in the geographic area where all or most employees reside." (Society for Human Resource Management [SHRM])  

Employers Requiring Workers to Pay More as Health Costs Continue to Rise
"The increase in health care costs was 4.5 percent in 2013, compared with earlier projections of 5.4 percent. The expected annual increase for 2014 is 5.3 percent. Some 38 percent of employers said they have increased employee cost sharing through medical plan design changes, and 47 percent said they are considering further hikes[.]" (Bloomberg BNA)  

GAO Finds Most Insurers Met MLR Requirements
"About 76 percent of insurers met or exceeded the minimum MLR standards in 2011 and 79 percent of insurers met or exceeded the standards in 2012. Overall, insurers in the large group market spent a higher share of their premiums on enrollees' medical claims and less on nonclaims costs, compared to individual and small group market insurers." (FierceHealthPayer)  

[Opinion]

The Halbig Cases: Timothy Jost Responds
"There is in fact not a shred of evidence that Congress meant to limit tax credits to state-operated exchanges. The heads of the House and Senate committees that drafted the legislation, stated in briefs filed in court that the text, purpose, and history of the Affordable Care Act establish that both federally facilitated and state-operated exchanges are authorized to issue premium tax credits.... There is a school of thought, however, that believes that it does not matter what Congress means; all that matters is the language it uses in a law." (Forbes)  

[Opinion]

Income Verification on the Exchanges: The Broader Policy Picture
"In any given year, one percent of the population accounts for 20 percent of health expenditures, 5 percent for half of all expenditures. The least costly fifty percent of the population accounts only for 3 percent of health care costs. If we are to cover the health care costs of the most costly Americans, we must find some way to move resources from those who use little health care to those who need much." (Timothy Jost for Health Affairs)  

[Official Guidance]

Treasury Department Circular No. 230 (Rev. 6-2014): Regulations Governing Practice Before the Internal Revenue Service (PDF)
The IRS on June 9 finalized Circular 230 regulations (TD 9668), which adopted the approach taken in the proposed regulations, namely eliminating the covered opinion rules in former Circular 230 section 10.35 and instead subjecting all written tax advice to one standard under a revised section 10.37. This June 2014 revision and restatement of Circular 230 reflects the final regulations. (Internal Revenue Service [IRS])  

The New Realities of Executive Compensation in the Banking Industry: The Impact of Regulatory and Shareholder Influence, 2013-2014 (PDF)
8 pages. "[T]his paper explores emerging trends related to executive compensation in the banking industry. It outlines perspectives from regulators and the impact they are having on pay programs. It also provides guidance on how to measure and ensure alignment between pay and performance to address shareholder goals. The two perspectives (regulators' and shareholders') are not always aligned, which is creating significant challenge in bank boardrooms across the United States and globally." (Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC)  

Say-on-Pay Support Hits Record High in 2014
"Management say-on-pay proposals hit a record high of 2,229 in 2014, a 14.4 percent jump in the volume of advisory pay votes from 1,948 in 2013. Average support level for the 2014 management say-on-pay proposals were at a record 91.7 percent of votes cast, up slightly from 91.5 percent in 2013 and 90.7 percent in 2012. Only 51 of the 2,229 proposals failed to win majority shareholder backing." (Society for Human Resource Management [SHRM])  

Pentegra Retirement Services Announces New Board Appointments
Pentegra Retirement Services

Mercer Launches Compensation Localizer for Streamlining Pay for Expatriates on Local Compensation Programs
Mercer

TIAA-CREF Releases 2014 Responsible Investment Report
TIAA-CREF

Envestnet Retirement Solutions Completes the Acquisition of Klein Decisions
Envestnet

OneAmerica Conducts Inaugural Pension Risk Transfer
OneAmerica Financial Partners

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