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Employer's Suit Against Health Plan TPA Is Not Preempted by ERISA
Excerpt: "The Sixth Circuit has concluded that an employer's claims against a third party administrator and a stop-loss insurer for its employees' benefit plan are not completely preempted. Michigan Affiliated Healthcare Sys v. CC Sys Corp. of Michigan, 139 F.3d 546, 550 (6th Cir. 1998)." (Health Plan Law blog by Attorney Roy F. Harmon III)

Growing Retiree Health Care Costs in Contra Costa County Demand Board of Supervisors Action (PDF)
Excerpt: "Contra Costa County's growing OPEB problem was brought to light by a Grand Jury report three years ago and subsequent Grand Jury reports have focused more attention on the issue. Few significant corrective actions have been taken to date. The Board of Supervisors continues to 'study the problem' while the unfunded liability of over $2.6 billion grows with each passing day." (Contra Costa County, California)

A Short Guide to Post-Job Health Care: COBRA and Beyond
Excerpt: "[Today's pre-retirees and early retirees increasingly] face the double whammy of 'gently persuaded' early retirement or not-so-gentle off-the-payroll off-shoring of their jobs--both of which leave them without the health insurance they intended to rely on until becoming eligible for Medicare." (Forbes.com)

The Issue of COBRA Continuation for 36 Months for People Whose Spouses Become Eligible for Medicare
Excerpt: "Baby boomers may choose Medicare, but their younger spouses will opt for employer health coverage through COBRA. And that's where an employer's trouble starts." (Workforce Management; free registration required)

Patient Consent Key to Adoption of Health IT
Excerpt: "Emerging technology allows patients to control who has access to their medical information, but there is still some resistance to its use from the healthcare community. Now, however, there is some discussion that -- unless consumers are given this control -- the general public will resist the adoption of health information technology." (Modern Healthcare; free registration required)

Statement for Ways And Means Hearing To Examine Comparative Effectiveness Research
Excerpt: "Too much of the healthcare delivered today lacks a basis in evidence. Researchers and policymakers agree there often is not enough information on which medical treatments work best. One study estimates up to 30 percent of healthcare spending pays for ineffective, inappropriate, or redundant care." (Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association)

Research on Comparative Effectiveness of Medical Treatments: Options for an Expanded Federal Role (PDF)
22 pages. CBO testimony: Statement of Peter R. Orszag, Director, before the Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, June 12, 2007 (U.S. Congressional Research Service)

A 'Limited' Alternative to Health Plans with Gold-Plated Price Tags
Excerpt: "Limited-benefit medical plans, which cover some basic health care needs but not catastrophic events, can help retail and service industry employers whose hourly workers often live paycheck to paycheck." (Workforce Management; free registration required)

Health Care Trusts May Be Hard Sell to U.S. Workers
Excerpt: "Union-managed health benefits trusts, one way U.S. automakers could address soaring costs for health care, may be a hard sell to the United Auto Workers in contract talks this year, an adviser to billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian said . . . ." (Reuters via Medscape)

'Consumer Reports' Best Buy Drugs Will Save You Money
Excerpt: "Can it save you money? The CR Best Buy drug could save you $1,900 a year if you're taking Celebrex and $1,700 a year if you're taking Nexium, to give you two examples. Look at the CR site for your own medications to see how much you might save." (The PRECEPT Employee Benefits Blog)

Medical Centers Are Helping Workers, As Well As Patients, Keep Fit
Excerpt: "The fitness center is one of several ways employees are encouraged to stay healthy by St. Margaret Mercy parent, Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Inc., which has hospitals throughout Northwest Indiana and in Illinois. Promoting employee wellness was a natural outgrowth of the hospital system's mission, spokesman Doug Jontz said.' (The Times (Munster, Indiana))

Smaller Companies Value Wellness Programs, but Fall Short on Implementation
Excerpt: "This is one of the findings in Benefits and Behavior: The Voice of American Business Owners and Benefit Decision Makers Today, from The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)

Long-Term Prospects for Consumer-Driven Plans Under Question
Excerpt: "Low enrollment in high-deductible health plans with health savings accounts and low satisfaction among many enrollees in the plans have raised the 'question of whether consumer-directed plans will stall before they ever hit the mainstream,' the Wall Street Journal reports." (California HealthCare Foundation; free registration may be required)

Proposal Would Change Health Care Coverage Access
Excerpt: "Workers would no longer get their health and retirement benefits directly from employers, but would shop through regional 'benefit administrators,' under a proposal released today by a group representing more than 100 of the nation's largest employers, including IBM, Tyco, DuPont and General Motors." (USA TODAY via Visalia Times-Delta)

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Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General

Opinion: A New Benefit Platform for Life Security (PDF)
62 pages. Excerpt: "Employer programs alone cannot satisfy the life security needs of American workers in today's highly competitive business environment. At the same time, turning to government programs that are themselves under financial stress or relying too heavily on individuals to pick up the slack is likely to prove unsatisfactory." (The ERISA Industry Committee)

Major Employers Introduce Platform for New Option for Health and Retirement Security
Excerpt: "The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), an association representing America's largest employers, introduced its 'New Benefit Platform for Life Security' report today at a Washington, DC briefing. The platform provides guiding principles and a new approach to complement the current voluntary employee benefit system." (Earthtimes.org)

Pension Benefits Accrue Handsomely for the Guys at the Top of S&P 500 Companies, One Study Finds
Excerpt: "The world of corporate pensions may be shrinking, but it's still fairly robust at S&P 500 companies. And that's true for no one more so than the current crop of the companies' already highly paid CEOs, who have accrued retirement benefits worth over $2 billion today, according to a report released Monday." (CNN.Money)

Investors Reluctant to Tackle Corporate Executive Pay
Excerpt: "Despite years of outrage over soaring executive pay, shareholder activists still find it tough to persuade many investors to cast even symbolic votes against management on compensation issues." (Los Angeles Times; free registration required)

Big Company CEOs Fare Best with Pensions
Excerpt: "New research from The Corporate Library reveals that corporate defined benefit pensions are disappearing for all but the CEOs of the largest companies." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

Perks Round Out Executive Pay Packages
Excerpt: "Even as CEO pay has increased, their perquisites, from personal flights on the corporate jet or yacht, to cars and drivers, to country-club fees and home alarm systems, have persisted. The perks mean free stuff for a crowd that could afford to pay its own way." (AP via South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Options Most Valuable Item in Executives' Goodie Bags
Excerpt: "Bay Area companies are using a variety of stock grant plans as their preferred way to reward executives for current performance -- or prod the top bosses to reach new heights of excellence, according to a MediaNews review of regulatory filings by public companies in the Bay Area." (Inside Bay Area)

Country Club Dues, Private Jet, Company Car, for Some Executives It's Not Just the Paycheck
Excerpt: "Perks, such as jet use and country club memberships, are drawing increased scrutiny. So are so-called related-party transactions, deals companies do with executives, board members or their relatives." (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

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Newly Posted Press Releases

CPI Qualified Plan Consultants Adds Wells Real Estate Funds
CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc.

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Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
( Post a Job | View All Jobs )

ERISA Attorney
for O'Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong S.C.
in WI

Senior Pension Analyst
for Boyce & Associates, Inc.
in AZ

Benefits / Actuarial Analyst
for Retirement Consulting Actuaries
in GA

Pension Administrator
for Hackler Associates, Inc.
in MA

SEBS - Senior Pension Analyst
for Paychex, Inc.
in NC

Client Service Manager
for Fidelity Investments
in TX

Institutional Trust Sales Officer-New Business
for BB&T
in DC, VA

Client Service Manager
for Fidelity Retirement Services
in TX

Pension Software Business Analyst
for Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.
in IL

Director, Employee Benefits
for Raley's
in CA

Regional Marketing Director
for AIG SunAmerica
in IL, MO, TX

Health & Welfare Analyst (consultant)
for Constantin Control Associates
in NJ

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Handy Links:

• View Today's Active Message Threads
• Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
• Employee Benefits Library

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