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The BenefitsLink Newsletter -
Welfare Plans Edition
February 2, 2001
Today's sponsor is EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com (click on banner for more information) 
( Would your company like to sponsor an issue?
)
Company Shows Web-Based Health Programs Effective
Excerpt: "A year-long study of patients with congestive heart failure shows Web-based disease management can reduce hospitalization rates, shorten hospital stays and reduce costs, the study's sponsor reported ..." (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
Vault.com's Business Model: Bitch, Bitch, Bitch
Excerpt: "Vault.com invited the disgruntled employees of the world to vent at its Web site. But then its own workers joined in." (Salon.com)
Amazon Backpedals On Trash-Talking Clause In Severance Pay Agreements
Excerpt: "Amazon.com backed down Thursday from requiring laid-off workers to sign 'non-disparagement' agreements, which is unusual since such agreements are increasingly common.... Amazon said workers who signed the agreements would get additional weeks' worth of severance pay and a cash bonus." (CNET.com)
Winning Worker Loyalty Through Strong and Caring Leadership
Excerpt: "Sculpting classes, BMW Z3s, and pet insurance-yes, pet insurance. These are just a few of the amenities being offered by labor hungry employers in the escalating bidding wars for top talent. Outlandish perks make for great ad copy, but do they lift their weight in motivating and retaining top talent?" (Roofing, Siding, Insulation)
Former President of Aurora, Colo., Firm Indicted for Alleged Benefits Fraud
Excerpt: "A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted the former president of a Colorado company for allegedly converting money designated for an employee benefit plan for his own use ... Burnett was the president of PROsera Inc., later known as PROsera CMI Inc., an employee leasing company based in Aurora. PROsera agreed to establish and maintain an employee benefit plan for the employees it leased to client companies." (Denver Post)
U.S. Lawmakers Prepare to Introduce Patients Rights Legislation
Excerpt: "U.S. lawmakers are aiming to introduce patients'-rights legislation as early as this week, saying they believe they can send a bipartisan bill to the White House this year." (Bloomberg)
HMO Violations Net $300,000 Fine
Excerpt: "The state Insurance Commissioner on Monday fined an Atlanta-based HMO with offices in Augusta $300,000 for violating Georgia's prompt payment laws. The fine is the largest levied by Commissioner John Oxendine for such offenses. He is reviewing HMOs to ensure they are paying claims within 15 working days, as Georgia law requires." (The Augusta [Ga.] Chronicle)
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Fines HMO for Violation of Prompt Pay Law
Excerpt: "Provide a service, get paid for the effort. That's how the business relationship works. The state insurance commissioner's office fined an HMO Monday for not paying for services provided. Commissioner John Oxendine issued the office's largest-ever fine to CIGNA for violating the state's prompt pay law. The state office fined the company $300,000 and ordered it to revamp its claims payment process." (Savannah [Ga.] Morning News)
Should Insurance Companies Pay for Out-of-Network Care?
Excerpt: "Do the managed care companies urologists work with keep any kind of record of the number of procedures they do or their success rate, and does a patient have the right to demand that information from their insurance companies? And, if the patient is unhappy with their choice of surgeon, should the carrier cover out-of-plan services?" (Urology Times )
Florida Panel Helps Medical Consumers When HMOs Won't Pay
Excerpt: "Ruggles and her fellow panel members are the people you go to see in Florida when a health-maintenance organization has refused to pay for a service or treatment, you think they're wrong, and you've exhausted all appeals inside the HMO. You want some higher authority to tell the HMO it has to pay. Victory isn't assured, but the consumer prevails about 65 percent of the time, said Ruggles ..." (Knight Ridder/Tribune)
(Following also appears in Retirement Plans Edition)
Withholding Liability on ISOs and ESPPs: The Kinder Gentler IRS
Excerpt: "... in Notice 2001-14 [the IRS announced that it] will not assert liability for either income tax or FICA/FUTA withholding on the exercise of Section 422 Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and options provided under Section 423 employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) or even on the disqualifying disposition of shares acquired by option exercise. The kicker is that the options must be exercised before January 1, 2003." (Foundation for Enterprise Development)
Amazon Offer Links Stock Option Profit to Share Price
Excerpt: "Amazon.com announced today that it was offering to lower the price of existing employee options, making it subject to an accounting rule that will directly tie its financial results to fluctuations in its shares. The repricing offer, filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, lets employees swap existing options for new options that have a lower exercise price." (New York Times; free registration required)
Job Openings Newly Posted or Reposted on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
Employee Benefits Conferences Newly Posted on BenefitsLink
Subscribe to the Retirement Plans Edition, too (click)
Copyright 2001 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
Feel free to forward this email to friends, colleagues or clients, if no fee is paid to you and the email is forwarded in its entirety. Thanks!
BenefitsLink is a trademark of BenefitsLink.com, Inc., published by Dave Baker with much help from Mary Hall and lots of friends.
To subscribe (free): visit https://benefitslink.com/newsletter - or the person desiring to subscribe can send an email to BLwelfare@add.mb00.net
We have an online archive of prior issues at
https://benefitslink.com/newsletters/
Welfare Plans Edition
February 2, 2001
Today's sponsor is EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com (click on banner for more information)
Company Shows Web-Based Health Programs Effective
Excerpt: "A year-long study of patients with congestive heart failure shows Web-based disease management can reduce hospitalization rates, shorten hospital stays and reduce costs, the study's sponsor reported ..." (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
Vault.com's Business Model: Bitch, Bitch, Bitch
Excerpt: "Vault.com invited the disgruntled employees of the world to vent at its Web site. But then its own workers joined in." (Salon.com)
Amazon Backpedals On Trash-Talking Clause In Severance Pay Agreements
Excerpt: "Amazon.com backed down Thursday from requiring laid-off workers to sign 'non-disparagement' agreements, which is unusual since such agreements are increasingly common.... Amazon said workers who signed the agreements would get additional weeks' worth of severance pay and a cash bonus." (CNET.com)
Winning Worker Loyalty Through Strong and Caring Leadership
Excerpt: "Sculpting classes, BMW Z3s, and pet insurance-yes, pet insurance. These are just a few of the amenities being offered by labor hungry employers in the escalating bidding wars for top talent. Outlandish perks make for great ad copy, but do they lift their weight in motivating and retaining top talent?" (Roofing, Siding, Insulation)
Former President of Aurora, Colo., Firm Indicted for Alleged Benefits Fraud
Excerpt: "A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted the former president of a Colorado company for allegedly converting money designated for an employee benefit plan for his own use ... Burnett was the president of PROsera Inc., later known as PROsera CMI Inc., an employee leasing company based in Aurora. PROsera agreed to establish and maintain an employee benefit plan for the employees it leased to client companies." (Denver Post)
U.S. Lawmakers Prepare to Introduce Patients Rights Legislation
Excerpt: "U.S. lawmakers are aiming to introduce patients'-rights legislation as early as this week, saying they believe they can send a bipartisan bill to the White House this year." (Bloomberg)
HMO Violations Net $300,000 Fine
Excerpt: "The state Insurance Commissioner on Monday fined an Atlanta-based HMO with offices in Augusta $300,000 for violating Georgia's prompt payment laws. The fine is the largest levied by Commissioner John Oxendine for such offenses. He is reviewing HMOs to ensure they are paying claims within 15 working days, as Georgia law requires." (The Augusta [Ga.] Chronicle)
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Fines HMO for Violation of Prompt Pay Law
Excerpt: "Provide a service, get paid for the effort. That's how the business relationship works. The state insurance commissioner's office fined an HMO Monday for not paying for services provided. Commissioner John Oxendine issued the office's largest-ever fine to CIGNA for violating the state's prompt pay law. The state office fined the company $300,000 and ordered it to revamp its claims payment process." (Savannah [Ga.] Morning News)
Should Insurance Companies Pay for Out-of-Network Care?
Excerpt: "Do the managed care companies urologists work with keep any kind of record of the number of procedures they do or their success rate, and does a patient have the right to demand that information from their insurance companies? And, if the patient is unhappy with their choice of surgeon, should the carrier cover out-of-plan services?" (Urology Times )
Florida Panel Helps Medical Consumers When HMOs Won't Pay
Excerpt: "Ruggles and her fellow panel members are the people you go to see in Florida when a health-maintenance organization has refused to pay for a service or treatment, you think they're wrong, and you've exhausted all appeals inside the HMO. You want some higher authority to tell the HMO it has to pay. Victory isn't assured, but the consumer prevails about 65 percent of the time, said Ruggles ..." (Knight Ridder/Tribune)
(Following also appears in Retirement Plans Edition)
Withholding Liability on ISOs and ESPPs: The Kinder Gentler IRS
Excerpt: "... in Notice 2001-14 [the IRS announced that it] will not assert liability for either income tax or FICA/FUTA withholding on the exercise of Section 422 Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and options provided under Section 423 employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) or even on the disqualifying disposition of shares acquired by option exercise. The kicker is that the options must be exercised before January 1, 2003." (Foundation for Enterprise Development)
Amazon Offer Links Stock Option Profit to Share Price
Excerpt: "Amazon.com announced today that it was offering to lower the price of existing employee options, making it subject to an accounting rule that will directly tie its financial results to fluctuations in its shares. The repricing offer, filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, lets employees swap existing options for new options that have a lower exercise price." (New York Times; free registration required)
for Putnam Investments
in MA
in MA
for Towers Perrin - Benefit Administration Services
in NJ, PA
in NJ, PA
for Clark Bardes Consulting/Compensation Resource Group, Inc.
in
in
for Universal Pensions, Inc.
in MN
in MN
for William M. Mercer
in NY
in NY
for Fast growing Benefits firm
in CA
in CA
for Jordan & Andrews, Consultants and Actuaries
in CA
in CA
for Benefit Recruiters
in NY, OH, PA, TX, WI
in NY, OH, PA, TX, WI
for Phelps Dodge Corporation, one of the world's leading natural resource and industrial manufacturing companies.
in AZ
in AZ
for Reliance Trust Company
in GA
in GA
for http://www.401k-recruiter.com
in DC, DE, GA, MD, NC, TN, VA, WV
in DC, DE, GA, MD, NC, TN, VA, WV
for Benetech, Inc.
in TX
in TX
in NY
on February 15, 2001
presented by NEW YORK CHAPTER OF WEB
presented by NEW YORK CHAPTER OF WEB
in FL
on April 4, 2001
presented by Marcus Evans-Miami, Fl.
presented by Marcus Evans-Miami, Fl.
Subscribe to the Retirement Plans Edition, too (click)
Copyright 2001 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
Feel free to forward this email to friends, colleagues or clients, if no fee is paid to you and the email is forwarded in its entirety. Thanks!
BenefitsLink is a trademark of BenefitsLink.com, Inc., published by Dave Baker with much help from Mary Hall and lots of friends.
To subscribe (free): visit https://benefitslink.com/newsletter - or the person desiring to subscribe can send an email to BLwelfare@add.mb00.net
We have an online archive of prior issues at
https://benefitslink.com/newsletters/
DEPARTMENTS
BENEFITS SPEAKERS
Looking for a speaker for your benefits group? Want to throw your hat into the ring? Free.
BENEFITS CANDIDATES
Need personnel? It's like fishing in a barrel here.
BENEFITS JOBS
Need a benefits job? Sort the openings by their distance away from you.
BENEFITSBOARDS.NET
Exchange questions and tips with colleagues. Co-sponsored by us and several employee benefits organizations.
PROGRESSIONS
Promotions and new personnel in the employee benefits community.
Q&A COLUMNS
Experts field questions online, submitted by readers via email.
CONFERENCES
View by location, by sponsoring organization, or by date.
SOFTWARE
Largest listing of benefits software on the net: descriptions, downloads.
ADVERTISE
Ads are our sole source of support. No subscription fees!
CONTACT US
Questions?
Comments?
Suggestions?
Copyright 2001 BenefitsLink.com, Inc. All rights reserved. BenefitsLink is a trademark of BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
Looking for a speaker for your benefits group? Want to throw your hat into the ring? Free.
BENEFITS CANDIDATES
Need personnel? It's like fishing in a barrel here.
BENEFITS JOBS
Need a benefits job? Sort the openings by their distance away from you.
BENEFITSBOARDS.NET
Exchange questions and tips with colleagues. Co-sponsored by us and several employee benefits organizations.
PROGRESSIONS
Promotions and new personnel in the employee benefits community.
Q&A COLUMNS
Experts field questions online, submitted by readers via email.
CONFERENCES
View by location, by sponsoring organization, or by date.
SOFTWARE
Largest listing of benefits software on the net: descriptions, downloads.
ADVERTISE
Ads are our sole source of support. No subscription fees!
CONTACT US
Questions?
Comments?
Suggestions?
Copyright 2001 BenefitsLink.com, Inc. All rights reserved. BenefitsLink is a trademark of BenefitsLink.com, Inc.