[Guidance Overview]
Dealing With Long Term Care Insurance Under Healthcare Reform Excerpt: "As most people know by now, many of the rules governing health plans have been changed -- by The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act . . . . However, not everyone has considered that long-term care . . . benefits are considered 'health benefits' and may also need to be addressed."
(Ford & Harrison LLP)

[Guidance Overview]
Regulations Issued Under Health Care Reform on Preventive Services and Internal Claims and Appeals, and External Review Procedures (PDF) Excerpt: " imposing any cost-sharing requirements (e.g., co-pay, co- insurance, or deductible) on certain in-network preventive health services . . . A list of the preventive services currently falling within one of these categories is available at "
(Bryan Cave)

[Guidance Overview]
New Guidance on Grandfathered Health Plans Excerpt: "Employers need to review this new guidance carefully to determine: (1) whether it is important for them to maintain grandfathered status; (2) if so, whether any changes they have already made, are currently contemplating, or want to make in the future, may cause their grandfathered health plans to lose that status; (3) whether losing such status will create additional problems and burdens; and (4) accordingly whether such changes are worth making."
(Baker & McKenzie)

[Guidance Overview]
New Claims and Appeals Procedures Are Unappealing Excerpt: "On July 23, 2010, new interim final regulations were issued providing some of the details for the claims and appeals procedures that will apply to all non-grandfathered group health plans beginning with the plan year starting on or after September 23, 2010, or a later loss of grandfathered plan status."
(Vorys, Sater, Seymour And Pease LLP)

How Employers Can Stay in The Retiree Healthcare Benefit Game
Excerpt: "Some companies have nixed group health-care coverage and are sending their former employees to exchanges to shop for plans."
(CFO.com)

Nevada Slashing Health Benefits to State Workers
Excerpt: "Facing a $111.2 million shortfall to support existing benefits, the Public Employee Benefits Plan board voted Thursday for sweeping changes that will drastically reduce benefits for active state workers and retirees."
(Nevada Appeal)

[Guidance Overview]
Arizona Ban on Benefits for State Employees Domestic Partners on Hold Excerpt: "Domestic partners of Arizona state employees may be receiving benefits next year, now that a federal judge has blocked a state law that would have prohibited the state government from extending benefits to them."
(Thompson Publishing Group Inc.)

Appeal Lodged After California G.ay Marriage Ban Overturned
Excerpt: "US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled Wednesday in favor of activists who argued that a state referendum which barred g.ays and les.bians from tying the knot was discriminatory and therefore violated the US Constitution."
(Planet Out via Yahoo! News)

Medicare Stronger, Social Security Worse in Short Run, Report Finds
Excerpt: "Medicare will remain financially solvent for 12 additional years, until 2029, because of the cost-cutting measures in President Obama's recently enacted health care legislation, the program's trustees projected on Thursday."
(New York Times; free registration required)

IRS Will Scrutinize Fringe Benefits During Employment Tax Audits
Excerpt: "[The IRS'] Employment Tax National Research Project . . . will initially focus on issues the IRS had already identified as commonly giving rise to compliance problems, including employee/independent contractor classification, fringe benefits, employee reimbursements, and executive compensation."
(Pillsbury)

152nd Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans
in District of Columbia on August 31, 2010
presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

Abusive Tax Avoidance Transactions and Emerging Issues Phone Forum
Nationwide on August 27, 2010
presented by Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Health Care Reform - Regulatory Update Webinar with Kevin Knopf, Office of Benefits Tax Counsel, Office of Tax Policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury
Nationwide on August 10, 2010
presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference - Los Angeles Chapter

How I'm Spending My Summer Vacation - Employers Wrestle with Health Care Reform
in Illinois on August 25, 2010
presented by WEB - Chicago Downtown

Positioning Consumer Driven Plans for 2011: Health Reform Challenges, Opportunities and Compliance Webcast
Nationwide on September 9, 2010
presented by Healthcare Web Summit

The Impact of Health Care Reform on Employee Benefits Webcast
Nationwide on October 7, 2010
presented by Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC

Click to post your webcast or conference

Report Warns that Baby Boomers Could Face a Grim Retirement without Social Security, Medicare, and Other Social Insurance Programs Century Foundation, The

Roth 401k Accounts Failing to Gain Traction Francis Investment Counsel

Baby Boomers Willing to Delay Gratification Now For a Better Lifestyle in their Golden Years New York Life Investment Management

Click to post your press release

Defined Contribution Qualified Plan Administrator/Consultant
for Pension Works, Inc.
in VT

Compliance Specialist
for PSA Insurance and Financial Services
in MD

Retirement Plan Services Support Compliance Specialist
for Associated Bank
in WI

ESOP Administrator
for Blue Ridge ESOP Associates
in VA

401(k) Retirement Plan Administrator/ Consultant
for Applied Plan Administrators LLC
in MI

DB/DC Pension Analyst
for Boyce & Associates, Inc.
in AZ

On-Site Pension Actuary
for Boyce & Associates, Inc.
in AZ

Manager, Physicians' Benefits
for Piedmont Healthcare
in GA

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