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December 20, 2001 - 6,656 subscribers
Today's sponsor: EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
(Help BenefitsLink to provide this newsletter at no charge to you -- our sponsors pay our way. Remember to visit them periodically; we try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Congress Gives Up on Stimulus Bill; Health Benefits Seen as Deal-Breaker
Excerpt: "In many ways, Mr. Bush, the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-controlled Senate were not far apart.... But the talks failed to bring the parties together on what emerged as the most contentious issue, how to provide health insurance benefits to people who lose their jobs." (New York Times; free registration required)
Analysis: Replay of a War Over Health Care and Insurance
Excerpt: "The deadlock over the economic stimulus legislation makes one thing very clear: the health care wars have resumed with a vengeance." (New York Times; free registration required)
ERISA Industry Committee Applauds Dropping of Mental Health Parity Mandate
Excerpt: "By voting to drop the Domenici-Wellstone mental health provision from the FY 2002 Labor-HHS appropriations bill (H.R.3061), conferees took a firm stand against costly mandates that restrict access to quality health insurance for workers, according to Mark Ugoretz, President of The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC)." (ERISA Industry Committee)
Supporters of Mental Health Parity Bill Remain Upbeat in Defeat
Excerpt: "Proponents of the Senate-passed mental health parity bill expressed disappointment on Wednesday with House Republicans' decision to drop the measure from the 2002 Health and Human Services appropriations bill, but remained upbeat about the measure's future prospects." (Medscape; free registration required)
Can Employees Use Online HMO Report Cards?
Excerpt: "To make better health plan choices, employees are often encouraged to review their statewide HMO report card. But there may be major barriers to the use of those report cards ... a typical 37-page full-color report card may take over six hours to print out on an inkjet printer ... Benefit managers should give employees information about how long it takes to print out a report card, what kind of quality they can expect and how much it might cost." (Mark Hochhauser on BenefitsLink)
Savvy Health Plans Using HIPAA to Accelerate Change
Excerpt: "Rules mandated by the federal government are rarely seen as an opportunity. However, that is exactly how smart health plans and insurers are viewing the HIPAA privacy regulations that will take effect in April 2003, as well as the related health information security requirements that are still in proposal form." (Ernst & Young LLP)
Maintaining Health Insurance During a Recession: Likely COBRA Eligibility (PDF)
6 pages; December 2001 Issue Brief. Excerpt: "Conducted during mid-2001, The Commonwealth Fund 2001 Health Insurance Survey provides data on the potential and limits of COBRA as a strategy for protecting workforce health and financial security. Survey findings indicate that millions could benefit if COBRA were made affordable through premium assistance." (The Commonwealth Fund)
LTV, Steelworkers Reach Tentative Deal to Extend Health Benefits
Excerpt: "LTV Corp. reached a tentative agreement with its workers to extend unemployment and [health] insurance benefits for displaced workers and 60,000 retirees through February." (StarTribune.com)
Opinion: More Health Care Choices But No Free Lunch
Excerpt: "[W]e stand on the threshold of a fundamental change in how medical care will be financed and delivered. This change will be far more sweeping than the effects of managed care have been.... There undoubtedly will be many more upheavals as our society embarks on a consumer-focused approach to medicine." (The [Cincinnati] Business Courier)
How Instability In Health Insurance Puts U.S. Workers At Risk (PDF)
December 2001; 63 pages. Excerpt: "In a period of rising unemployment rates and new threats to public health, insurance that provides ready access to affordable medical care is vital to the nation's future health and economic security. Yet based on a new survey sponsored by The Commonwealth Fund, one of four working-age adults ... was either uninsured or had been uninsured at some point during the past year." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Survey: Employers Blame HMOs For Health Care Woes
Excerpt: "A recent survey of California employers found that 79.5 percent of business owners in the state believe HMOs and insurance companies are 'very responsible' for health care system's problems." (East Bay [Calif.] Business Times)
The Season's Best Reads for Work-Life Advice
Excerpt: "For last minute gift-giving or just curling up on your own, here are 10 of my favorites: On organizing your life ... On parenting ... On making corporate cultures worker-friendly ... On adapting to aging and elder care ..." (CareerJournal.com)
(Following items are in both editions of the BenefitsLink Newsletter)
What Employers Need To Know when Employees Are Called to Active Duty
Excerpt: "Almost all civilian employees are within USERRA's protection. The law covers all private employers regardless of size, all state governments, and the three branches of the federal government. Furthermore, unlike many anti-discrimination statutes, USERRA does not exempt small businesses." (Nixon Peabody LLP)
SEC Widens Rule Covering Stock Options
Excerpt: "To the surprise of shareholder advocates, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted unanimously yesterday for far greater disclosure of corporate stock option plans." (New York Times; free registration required)
Newly Posted Press Releases ( Post Yours! )
Copyright 2001 BenefitsLink.com, Inc., but you may freely distribute this email newsletter in whole. This newsletter is edited by David Rhett Baker, J.D.
Jobs | Today's Messages | Topical News | Q&A Columns | Services & Products | Search | Reference
The BenefitsLink Newsletter -
Welfare Plans Edition
Welfare Plans Edition
December 20, 2001 - 6,656 subscribers
Today's sponsor: EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Fill your employee benefits job openings fast by advertising on BenefitsLink. What better place to find qualified candidates? Your help wanted ad will be listed in the BenefitsLink Newsletter (over 19,000 subscriptions to the two editions), will be seen by thousands of candidates who view our listings online, and will be emailed to over 2,800 job-seekers . Click to see how easy it is to place an ad!
(Help BenefitsLink to provide this newsletter at no charge to you -- our sponsors pay our way. Remember to visit them periodically; we try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Congress Gives Up on Stimulus Bill; Health Benefits Seen as Deal-Breaker
Excerpt: "In many ways, Mr. Bush, the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-controlled Senate were not far apart.... But the talks failed to bring the parties together on what emerged as the most contentious issue, how to provide health insurance benefits to people who lose their jobs." (New York Times; free registration required)
Analysis: Replay of a War Over Health Care and Insurance
Excerpt: "The deadlock over the economic stimulus legislation makes one thing very clear: the health care wars have resumed with a vengeance." (New York Times; free registration required)
ERISA Industry Committee Applauds Dropping of Mental Health Parity Mandate
Excerpt: "By voting to drop the Domenici-Wellstone mental health provision from the FY 2002 Labor-HHS appropriations bill (H.R.3061), conferees took a firm stand against costly mandates that restrict access to quality health insurance for workers, according to Mark Ugoretz, President of The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC)." (ERISA Industry Committee)
Supporters of Mental Health Parity Bill Remain Upbeat in Defeat
Excerpt: "Proponents of the Senate-passed mental health parity bill expressed disappointment on Wednesday with House Republicans' decision to drop the measure from the 2002 Health and Human Services appropriations bill, but remained upbeat about the measure's future prospects." (Medscape; free registration required)
Can Employees Use Online HMO Report Cards?
Excerpt: "To make better health plan choices, employees are often encouraged to review their statewide HMO report card. But there may be major barriers to the use of those report cards ... a typical 37-page full-color report card may take over six hours to print out on an inkjet printer ... Benefit managers should give employees information about how long it takes to print out a report card, what kind of quality they can expect and how much it might cost." (Mark Hochhauser on BenefitsLink)
Savvy Health Plans Using HIPAA to Accelerate Change
Excerpt: "Rules mandated by the federal government are rarely seen as an opportunity. However, that is exactly how smart health plans and insurers are viewing the HIPAA privacy regulations that will take effect in April 2003, as well as the related health information security requirements that are still in proposal form." (Ernst & Young LLP)
Maintaining Health Insurance During a Recession: Likely COBRA Eligibility (PDF)
6 pages; December 2001 Issue Brief. Excerpt: "Conducted during mid-2001, The Commonwealth Fund 2001 Health Insurance Survey provides data on the potential and limits of COBRA as a strategy for protecting workforce health and financial security. Survey findings indicate that millions could benefit if COBRA were made affordable through premium assistance." (The Commonwealth Fund)
LTV, Steelworkers Reach Tentative Deal to Extend Health Benefits
Excerpt: "LTV Corp. reached a tentative agreement with its workers to extend unemployment and [health] insurance benefits for displaced workers and 60,000 retirees through February." (StarTribune.com)
Opinion: More Health Care Choices But No Free Lunch
Excerpt: "[W]e stand on the threshold of a fundamental change in how medical care will be financed and delivered. This change will be far more sweeping than the effects of managed care have been.... There undoubtedly will be many more upheavals as our society embarks on a consumer-focused approach to medicine." (The [Cincinnati] Business Courier)
How Instability In Health Insurance Puts U.S. Workers At Risk (PDF)
December 2001; 63 pages. Excerpt: "In a period of rising unemployment rates and new threats to public health, insurance that provides ready access to affordable medical care is vital to the nation's future health and economic security. Yet based on a new survey sponsored by The Commonwealth Fund, one of four working-age adults ... was either uninsured or had been uninsured at some point during the past year." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Survey: Employers Blame HMOs For Health Care Woes
Excerpt: "A recent survey of California employers found that 79.5 percent of business owners in the state believe HMOs and insurance companies are 'very responsible' for health care system's problems." (East Bay [Calif.] Business Times)
The Season's Best Reads for Work-Life Advice
Excerpt: "For last minute gift-giving or just curling up on your own, here are 10 of my favorites: On organizing your life ... On parenting ... On making corporate cultures worker-friendly ... On adapting to aging and elder care ..." (CareerJournal.com)
What Employers Need To Know when Employees Are Called to Active Duty
Excerpt: "Almost all civilian employees are within USERRA's protection. The law covers all private employers regardless of size, all state governments, and the three branches of the federal government. Furthermore, unlike many anti-discrimination statutes, USERRA does not exempt small businesses." (Nixon Peabody LLP)
SEC Widens Rule Covering Stock Options
Excerpt: "To the surprise of shareholder advocates, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted unanimously yesterday for far greater disclosure of corporate stock option plans." (New York Times; free registration required)
Newly Posted Press Releases ( Post Yours! )
ERIC Applauds Decision to Drop Domenici-Wellstone Mental Health Mandate
(The ERISA Industry Committee)
STAPLES INC. RECEIVES BEST PRACTICES 2001 E-PROCUREMENT AWARD
(IE-Engine Inc.)
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Copyright 2001 BenefitsLink.com, Inc., but you may freely distribute this email newsletter in whole. This newsletter is edited by David Rhett Baker, J.D.
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