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Start Spreadin' the News: Time to Defuse NYC's Pension Bomb

"New York City's pension costs will soon displace social services as the second-biggest spending category in the city budget, consuming the equivalent of more than 80 cents out of every dollar raised by the city's personal income tax. But even with annual contributions approaching the once-unimaginable level of $10 billion a year -- more than the entire budgets of all but a handful of large cities -- the city remains vulnerable to a pension funding crisis within the next few years."

Public Employee Pension Reforms Are Recipe for Disaster

"While many of the people, including the Daily News, calling for reform are acknowledging that private-sector workers have lost tremendous value on their retirement plans, incredibly they present that as a model for public-sector employees!"

Los Angeles Workers' Costs Up 7.5% a Year, But Revenue Up Just 5.7%

Excerpt: Salaries, pensions and benefits for Los Angeles city workers have soared in the past seven years, outstripping revenue growth and pushing the city toward a serious budget crisis, according to a Daily News study.

The News Media Failed on Health Care Reform

Excerpt: In the 2009 debate over health care reform, it can be argued that there was one particular factor that contributed to the current situation. It was not conservative opposition to liberal legislation or complex health-policy questions. In any substantive debate those problems would have existed, no matter which way the sides or issues were rotated. Rather, what failed in one of the first significant policy debates of the 21st century was the news media. Between the weblogs, television and newspapers, the amount of disinformation and gossip that was produced swallowed any substantive discussion that could have taken place.

Health Reform News: Final Regs on Summary of Benefits and Coverage Try to Eliminate Redundancy with SPD

Responding to concerns that the new 'summary of benefits and coverage' (SBC) mandated by the health reform law is redundant, HHS, DOL and Treasury/IRS quickly turned around a final rule that eases some SBC requirements.

Cost of Health Insurance Provides Healthy Dose of Sticker Shock

"Providing decent medical coverage for [the author's] family of four -- including both what's deducted from [his] paycheck and the larger amount chipped in by The News -- costs more than the sticker price for a brand-new Ford Mustang. Per year. Holy cow. No wonder the experts are so freaked out about health care costs. The rest of us should start freaking out, too, before these costs bankrupt the country."

Los Angeles City Council Moves Ahead on Furlough and Layoff Plan Leaving Early Retirement Option in Question

Excerpt: Still failing to reach a deal with city unions in contract talks Wednesday, the City Council asked officials to start drafting plans to lay off 926 workers and furlough thousands of others, while continuing to consider an early retirement program. But the action sets up a possible veto from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who said he believes he has no choice but to block the Early Retirement Incentive Program. 'We are in a rapidly deteriorating financial circumstance,' Villaraigosa said at a late afternoon news conference. 'The reality is we cannot continue as we have. Originally, the plan would have saved $111 million. Now it will save only $12 million.'

Eliminating the Health Insurance Time Bomb on Your Balance Sheet

"ICHRAs allow businesses to permanently separate their health insurance costs from the health status of their employees. And as more organizations empower their employees to buy coverage through the individual market, the larger the risk pool will grow. This in turn leads to more competitive pricing and better coverage as carriers are now developing ICHRA-specific plans."

Businesses Looking at Employee Mental Health as They Work on Attracting, Retaining Talent

"[Dayton area businesses] are now offering access to things like on-demand counseling and therapy sessions to subscriptions for meditation and mindfulness apps, personal fitness resources and other tools that can provide some immediate support.... Employee assistance programs are a tool frequently used by employers of all sizes and industries ... and what those programs might include has evolved over the years."

U.S. House Set to Vote on Bill to Restore Pensions for Delphi Salaried Retirees

"The U.S. House of the Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill restoring pensions for Delphi salaried retirees [HR 6929], most likely [on July 27] ... [T]his would be a milestone vote for hundreds of Dayton-area Delphi retired managers and engineers who fought for well over a decade to restore pensions lost or reduced in the bankruptcy of Delphi."