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(a) New Guidance Documents

(None today.)

(b) News

College of Physicians Endorses Single-Payer System Because Access to Health Care Has Deteriorated
Excerpt: "But the organization stopped short of saying that a single-payer system like Medicare, in which the government would get and pay most bills, is the best way to achieve universal health coverage. The group said the country also could do that through expansion of the current mix of private insurance and government coverage. Under the proposal, people would be required to get health insurance." (Reuters)

(c) Summaries of Guidance; Filed Comments

(None today.)

(d) Trends, Surveys, Research

While the Consumer-Directed Model Isn't Taking the Country by Storm, Its Innovations Are Influencing Other Coverage Designs
Excerpt: "[A]s health plans develop the next generation of CDHPs -- adding more detailed information on price and quality, more sophisticated online tools, a greater focus on prevention and wellness, and easier payment at the point of care -- they are working on incremental changes that will continue to have important, even transformational, long-term results. Because if the goal is to turn health plan members into health care consumers, insurers and consultants say, a high-deductible health plan with a Web site and an account is just a start." (Managed Care Magazine)

(e) Policy, Opinion, Advocacy

Letters to the Editor: Health Insurance for All, Only if Everyone Pays?
Excerpt: "How can Paul Krugman limit his discussion of health care reform to the competing Obama-Clinton-Edwards 'universal coverage' plans with nary a mention of a single-payer system? As Mr. Krugman has noted in previous columns, having insurance does not always equate to being 'covered' when needed care is prescribed." (The New York Times; free registration required)

The Pervasiveness of California Health Insurance Rescissions
Excerpt: "[Comments on an article published in the American Medical News] Although California has been in the news because of the rescission practices of its private insurers, this article demonstrates the pervasiveness of this practice. UnitedHealth spokesman Tyler Mason's statement that they are helping consumers by holding down health insurance inflation applies only to healthy consumers who clear their underwriting standards." (Physicians for a National Health Program)

Towers Perrin U.S. Legislative Tracking Charts -- Health and Welfare -- Updated November 28, 2007 (PDF)
51 pages. Excerpt: "These charts summarize selected federal legislation that would affect employee benefit programs. The bills included on the charts are based on judgments regarding the prominence of the issue, the likelihood of enactment, and the influence of the sponsors." (Towers Perrin)

A Conversation with HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt About Healthcare Information Technology
Excerpt: "The discussion explores his perspective that using health information technology (IT) to modernize health care and create value must be done through collaboration, not government mandate. Secretary Leavitt says that new approaches based on linking reimbursement with results must be adopted incrementally, as more is learned about carrying out such approaches. But he also says that it is time to begin linking reimbursement with health IT adoption." (Health Affairs)

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Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General

Overview of Section 409A Corrections Program per IRS Notice 2007-100
Excerpt: "Corrections relief is provided to plans that make unintentional errors, such as mistakenly paying out deferred compensation earlier than required by a plan. Plans that correct under this guidance within the service recipient's tax year can avoid adverse tax consequences. Plans that do not qualify for such relief, but nevertheless correct before January 1, 2010, can avoid some of the adverse consequences of plan failure." (CCH Tax Newsletter)

Overview: IRS Guidance on Reporting and Withholding Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan Deferrals
Excerpt: "In what is becoming an annual ritual, the IRS delayed the requirement for companies to report nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plan deferrals on Forms W-2 and 1099 for another year (see Watson Wyatt Insider, January 2007). Notice 2007-86 waives reporting requirements for calendar year 2007 for annual deferrals of compensation under section 409A (Form W-2, Box 12, Code Y and Form 1099, Box 15a)." (Watson Wyatt Worldwide)

Towers Perrin U.S. Legislative Tracking Charts -- Human Resources -- Updated November 28, 2007 (PDF)
12 pages. Excerpt: "These charts summarize selected federal legislation that would affect employee benefit programs. The bills included on the charts are based on judgments regarding the prominence of the issue, the likelihood of enactment, and the influence of the sponsors." (Towers Perrin)

Tougher COLI Restrictions Explored by Congress
Excerpt: "Corporate-owned life insurance would face new restrictions under a bill sitting in a House subcommittee. HR 150 would prevent companies from taking out life insurance policies on employees, regardless of income, without telling them." (Investment News; free registration required)

IRS Notice 2007-99: Eligible Distributions from Governmental Plans for Payment of Healthcare Premiums Now Tax-Free When Paid to Self-Insured Plans (PDF)
Revises certain IRS rules implementing a PPA provision, to reflect Congressional intent; tax-free treatment formerly applied only to payment for healthcare premiums to 'insured' plans. Excerpt: "Notice 2007-7, Q&A-23, is modified as follows: Q-23. Can the accident or health plan receiving the payments of qualified health insurance premiums be a self-insured plan? A-23. Yes. An accident or health plan, which is defined under § 105(e), includes a self-insured plan. See § 1.105-5(a) of the Income Tax Regulations." (Internal Revenue Service)

Text of IRS Notice Allowing Correction of Certain 409A Operational Failures, and Proposed Ongoing Corrections Program (PDF)
Excerpt: "This transition relief and additional guidance includes: (1) Methods for correcting certain operational failures during the taxable year of the service provider in which the failure occurs to avoid income inclusion under § 409A(a). (2) Transition relief limiting the amount includible in income under § 409A(a) for certain operational failures occurring in a service provider's taxable year beginning before January 1, 2010, that involve only limited amounts. (3) An outline of, and request for comments on, a potential corrections program that would permit service recipients and service providers to limit the amounts required to be included in income under § 409A(a) due to certain operational failures." (Internal Revenue Service)

Feds Unveil Potential 409A Compliance Relief
Excerpt: "Federal officials on Monday issued additional guidance on how section 409A nonqualified deferred compensation programs can fix certain types of plan problems." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

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Newly Posted Events

New Rules for the New Year
in Ohio on December 12, 2007
presented by ASPPA Benefits Council of Cleveland

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Newly Posted Press Releases

Watson Wyatt Study Reveals Six Communication "Secrets" Of Top-Performing Employers
Watson Wyatt

PPA'06 Defined Benefit Administration Software from DATAIR
DATAIR Employee Benefit Systems, Inc.

Treasury, IRS Issue Notice Allowing 409A Corrections
U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service

Prudential Retirement Captures Platinum Best-In-Class Award For Plan Sponsor Communications
Prudential Financial, Inc.

NTSAA Announces Plan to Establish Data Standards to Enable Compliance with New 403(b) Regulations
National Tax Sheltered Accounts Association

ING Employee Benefits Announces New Critical Illness Insurance Product
ING Group

HSA Bank Announces New Investment Options
HSA Bank

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

Employee Benefits Attorney
for Hershner Hunter, LLP
in OR

Enroller - Employee Benefits Meeting Presenter
for Total Benefit Communications
in ANY STATE

401(k) Plan Administrator
for Pollard & Associates, Inc.
in MD

Assistant 401(k) Administrator
for Pollard & Associates, Inc.
in MD

Retirement Plans Analyst
for AutoNation, Inc.
in FL

Pension Administrator
for Alliance Pension Consultants
in IL

Director Health & Welfare
for Buck Consultants
in OH

401(k) Plan Administrator
for Work for a big city with a small town attitude!
in TX

Junior Account Manager
for WHA Financial Solutions
in WI

Legislative Counsel
for Pension Rights Center
in DC

Plan Consultant Opportunity
for Weaver Partners, Inc.
in ANY STATE

Daily Valuation/Recordkeeping Manager
for Pension Specialists, Inc.
in CA

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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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