BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter
Employee Benefits Jobs
Defined Contribution Relationship Manager
for Milliman in TX
Associate Consultant - Retirement Plans
for CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services, Inc. in MD
Plan Administration Manager/Site Manager
for TRA, Inc. in WI
401(k) New Business Consultant
for TRA, Inc. in CA, CO, DC, NJ, PA, TX, VT
Customer Service Representative Daily Trading Platform
for Heritage Pension Advisors, LLC in MA, NY
401(k) / Defined Contribution Plan Administrator
for R.J.L. Pension Services, Inc. in FL
Director, Retirement Key Account Management
for Prudential in NY
Defined Benefit New Business Data Analyst
for Prudential in CT
Post Your Job on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
Webcasts and Conferences
"Complete Guide to Correcting 401(k) Operational Failures" Web Seminar Nationwide on September 15, 2011 presented by SunGard Relius
COBRA and HIPAA Compliance Workshops in Rhode Island on September 12, 2011 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
NY CLE Program: Fee Disclosure: What You Need to Know and What You Need to Do Now in New York on September 22, 2011 presented by WEB (Worldwide Employee Benefits Network) New York Chapter
Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program Workshop in Nevada on September 22, 2011 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program Workshop via Webcast Nationwide on September 15, 2011 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
We also publish the BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter (free): Subscribe
"[Much of the discussion in recent guidance] is focused on insured products, and there are significant gaps for employer-sponsored group health plans. The Departments have requested comments on a number of those gaps so we can expect further guidance." (Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP)
2nd Annual Executive Forum on Creating a Culture of Health [Advert.]
Employee Benefits professionals clearly recognize the benefits of health and wellness programs. Learn how to obtain the maximum value from these initiatives by shifting organizational norms and behaviors to a Culture of Health .
"The Michigan legislature has passed a new law which will impose a 1 percent assessment on all paid claims under fully-insured and self-funded employer group health plans beginning in 2012." (Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey C.L.P.)
"Similar to an earlier proposal passed by the House, the final enrolled bill establishes hard dollar caps on the amount public employers will be permitted to contribute annually toward health benefits for their employees, but will give public employers the opportunity to elect to comply with an 80 percent contribution limit instead. The new limits apply to coverage years beginning on or after January 1, 2012." (Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey C.L.P.)
"An employee who not only abuses FMLA leave, but does so to effectively extend personal time off, raises the ire of co-workers. Their actions can only have a negative impact on employee morale. When you dare to take action as Southwest did in this instance, you not only rid yourself of FMLA abuse. You also enhance employee morale." (Franczek Radelet P.C.)
"The proposed regulations require that the SBC be a stand-alone document. However, the agencies have invited comments as to how the SBC might best be coordinated with the Summary Plan Description and other group health plan disclosure materials." (Cheiron, Inc.)
"These Guidelines supplement the previously adopted preventive care guidelines, and are subject to the same rules regarding cost-sharing." (Alston & Bird LLP)
"Employers and administrators that already provide summary plan descriptions are understandably concerned about the duplications and additional costs associated with elements of the new SBC requirement—including a uniform glossary and coverage facts labels." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business / CCH)
"The new amendments clarify that the 30 days of paid leave for organ donors and the 5 days of paid leave for bone marrow donors are to be counted as business days, not calendar days.' (Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, LLP)
Michigan Legislature Caps Public Employee Health Insurance Spending
"Cities and school districts would be limited to paying $15,000 for employee health insurance or, alternatively, no more than 80% of premiums for more expensive insurance." (www.freep.com)
The Evolving Wisdom on Health Plan Design
"Many large employers are acting now to implement, or move toward implementing, some elements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that will not be required until 2014 or later . . . . In some cases, the moves are not necessarily an effort to get ahead of the upcoming requirements. Rather, they are in line with ongoing trends in employer-sponsored health-care coverage that the reform law merely recognized and fashioned as 'essential' benefits . . . ." (CFO Acquisitions LLC)
State Health Care Reform Update, August 26, 2011
"For the last few years, states have been leading the way toward more comprehensive health care coverage to ensure that more people have or can obtain health insurance." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business / CCH)
Health Care Benefits Can be Used to Compete for Talent
"A new Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) study explains that further incorporating health care into the total rewards strategy is one of several ways organizations can use this important benefit to attract and retain top talent and to get the most out of health care spend." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)
The Insurance Maze for U.S. Doctors
"A study published this month in the journal Health Affairs . . . . asked hundreds of physicians and administrators in private practices across the United States and (Can.ada) how much time they spent each day with insurers and other third-party payers, tracking down information for claims that were denied or incorrectly paid, resolving questions . . . ." (The New York Times; free registration required)
"Health care reform could provide better care at less cost by replacing individual mandates with a single-payer national health care plan financed by taxes. Congress's power to mandate purchase of private products sold at a profit is disputable, but Congress's power to tax is not." (The New York Times via Physicians for a National Health Program)
Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
Gold and Silver Buying Service Newest Voluntary Benefit
"Josh McCleary, Mass Metal's chief operating officer, says that the SilverSaver benefit program is the only service that enables participants to automatically save in precious metals through the convenience and safety of payroll deduction." (Employee Benefit Adviser; free registration required)
Bloomberg Agrees to Buy Bureau of National Affairs for About $990 Mil.lion
"BNA, which publishes the Daily Labor Report and U.S. Law Week, will 'significantly grow Bloomberg's presence in Washington' and its research will contribute to coverage and analysis of employment, health care, labor, accounting, intellectual property and telecommunications, Bloomberg said." (Bloomberg L.P.)
Charleston, West Virginia, Officials End Practice of Paying Retiring Firefighters for Holidays They Have Not Yet Worked
"[Lump-sum payments that in previous years had been made to firefighters upon retirement] had included pay for holidays for the remainder of the calendar year in which they were retiring even though they had not yet worked those days." (Charleston Daily Mail)
Press Releases
MassMutual Enhances TPA Business Implementation Kit (MassMutual Retirement Services)
Securian Retirement Introduces Plan Sponsor Web Portal (Securian Retirement Services)
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