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=========================================================== BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter (Plain Text Format) December 23, 2004 =========================================================== We thank and invite your attention to today's sponsor: World Congress =========================================================== Innovation in the Cost-Appropriateness of Behavioral Health & Wellness (Advert.) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/modperl/a_d.cgi?a_d=2004_12_23_welfare> http://benefitslink.com/modperl/a_d.cgi?a_d=2004_12_23_welfare (Click on above address, or copy and paste it into your web browser, to learn more.) The Leadership Summit on Innovation in the Cost-Appropriateness of Behavioral Health & Wellness explores the costs of behavioral health to the Nation and the workplace. Stakeholders will discuss economic incentives and present successful cost-effective initiatives to provide quality, cost-appropriate behavioral health and wellness services. Featuring employer and government driven cost-reduction demands with health plan and provider collaboration the Summit showcases innovative behavioral health, pharma and wellness interventions and how to combine the best of both. (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) ---------------------------------------------------------- Federal Court Blocks Pharmacy Benefit Manager Accountability Measure <URL:http://www.businessinsurance.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=4824> http://www.businessinsurance.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=4824 Excerpt: "For the second time this year, a federal court has rejected a state or local jurisdiction's efforts to impose stricter rules on pres.cription benefit managers. In a ruling on Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the Pharmaceutical Care Management Assn. a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of a section of the district's Access Rx Act that would have required greater accountability from pres.cription benefit managers and the pharmaceutical...." (Business Insurance) ---------------------------------------------------------- State-Mandated Disability Rates for 2005 <URL:http://wrg.wmmercer.com/content_print.asp?article_id=20046988&ext=.DOC> http://wrg.wmmercer.com/content_print.asp?article_id=20046988&ext=.DOC Excerpt: "California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island mandate that employers provide short-term disability insurance to their employees. Some of the contribution and benefit amounts have been adjusted for 2005. [A] chart provides a basic outline of the programs." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting) ---------------------------------------------------------- State Contract Workers Go Without Insurance Amid Push to Boost Coverage <URL:http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/12/23/state_contract_workers_go_without_insurance_amid_push_to_boost_coverage/> http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/12/23/state_contract_workers_go_without_insurance_amid_push_to_boost_coverage/ Excerpt: "As Gov. Mitt Romney promotes a health care plan to persuade more businesses to cover their workers, about 2,300 state contract workers under executive agencies that the governor oversees are going without insurance coverage from the state." (AP via The Boston Globe) ---------------------------------------------------------- Schwarzenegger Finalizes Medi-Cal Reform Plan, Expected to Release Proposal in January <URL:http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=108140> http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=108140 Excerpt: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said that he has finalized his plan to reform Medi-Cal and will release the proposal on Jan. 10 as part of his fiscal year 2005-2006 budget plan, the Contra Costa Times reports. Schwarzenegger has twice withdrawn Medi-Cal reform plans from HHS consideration. His past plans have included measures to limit eligibility, increase copayments and reduce services in the program." (California Healthcare Foundation) ---------------------------------------------------------- Many HIPAA Covered Entities Still Transmit E-mails That Contain Protected Health Information <URL:http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122204d.html> http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122204d.html Excerpt: "Many health care organizations are still transmitting e-mail messages containing protected health information (PHI) over public networks without using appropriate safeguards, according to recent findings by researchers with Zix Corp., a global provider of e-messaging management and protection services. But one expert says that organizations are addressing the issue and adopting appropriate controls." (REPORT ON PATIENT PRIVACY via AISHealth.com) ---------------------------------------------------------- Disease Management in Medicaid: 2004 -- A Study in California (PDF) <URL:http://www.chcf.org/documents/policy/DiseaseManagementInMedicaid2004.pdf> http://www.chcf.org/documents/policy/DiseaseManagementInMedicaid2004.pdf 43 pages. Excerpt: "In 2003, the California Legislature directed the Department of Health Services to apply for a federal waiver to test the efficacy of providing a disease management (DM) benefit to fee-for-service Medi-Cal beneficiaries with specific chronic diseases. Organized in an easy-to-read presentation format, provides: An overview of disease management; A summary of other states' experiences with disease management in Medicaid, including the role of community clinics; Case studies...." (California Healthcare Foundation) ---------------------------------------------------------- Psychiatrists in Demand, but Pay Checked by Insurer Rules <URL:http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122204c.html> http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122204c.html Excerpt: "There probably is no field in medicine that shows better the difference between clinical and economic demand than psychiatry for both adults and children/adolescents. While there are vast unmet clinical mental health needs in the U.S., economic demand and therefore pay levels in the field are held back by insurers' prior-authorization care-plan rules, and by health plans that don't cover mental conditions at all." (PHYSICIAN COMPENSATION REPORT via AISHealth.com) ---------------------------------------------------------- Health Care Analysts See Bleak Outlook for Hospitals with Reimbursement Changes <URL:http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/23/business/23place.html?ex=1261544400&en=a17cc40fd97b6472&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland> http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/23/business/23place.html?ex=1261544400&en=a17cc40fd97b6472&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland Excerpt: "Chill is in the air for hospitals accustomed to having insurers - both public programs like Medicare and private health plans - pay ever higher prices for hospital services. That era appears to be ending, some analysts say." (The New York Times; one-time registration required) ---------------------------------------------------------- Drug Companies Issuing Internal Notices About Moore Film <URL:http://bcbshealthissues.com/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=140865&PROACTIVE_ID=cecec6ceccc7cac7cdc5cecfcfcfc5cececbccc7cbcbcfccc8c5cf> http://bcbshealthissues.com/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=140865&PROACTIVE_ID=cecec6ceccc7cac7cdc5cecfcfcfc5cececbccc7cbcbcfccc8c5cf Excerpt: "At least six drug manufacturers have issued internal alerts about filmmaker Michael Moore's plans to create a film about FDA, health insurers and drug manufacturers, the Los Angeles Times reports (Dutka, Los Angeles Times, 12/22). The film is tentatively titled 'Sicko,' according to a Moore spokesperson." (The National Journal Group, Limited via BlueCross BlueShield Association) ---------------------------------------------------------- Estimated Enrollment in Account-Based CDH Plans Will Surpass 3 Million Lives on January 1, 2005 <URL:http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122204e.html> http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122204e.html Excerpt: "More than 3.2 million people will be covered by an account-based consumer-directed health (CDH) plan as of Jan. 1, 2005, ICDC predicts. The estimate is based on data provided by more than 60 national and regional insurers (including more than 30 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans), CDH vendors and third-party administrators." (INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED CARE via AISHealth.com) ========================================================== Links To Items on Executive Comp, Benefits In General ---------------------------------------------------------- Heads-Up on Deferred Compensation Guidance issued in Notice 2005-1 (PDF) <URL:http://www.fwcook.com/alert_letters/12-22-04%20Heads-Up%20on%20Deferred%20Compensation%20Guidance.pdf> http://www.fwcook.com/alert_letters/12-22-04%20Heads-Up%20on%20Deferred%20Compensation%20Guidance.pdf 5 pages. Excerpt: "The guidance confirms the broad coverage of arrangements considered to provide for the 'deferral of compensation' which are treated as nonqualified deferred compensation plans in addition to traditional deferred compensation plans, including cash-settled stock appreciation rights, discount stock options, supplemental retirement plans and excess retirement plans (i.e., plans providing benefits or contributions in excess of the limits for tax-qualified retirement plans)." (Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc.) ---------------------------------------------------------- Overview: Section 409A Guidance Issued (PDF) <URL:http://www.dechert.com/library/EB_Update31_12-04.pdf> http://www.dechert.com/library/EB_Update31_12-04.pdf 5 pages. Excerpt: "Earlier this week, the initial wave of guidance applicable to new Internal Revenue Code section 409A was issued in the form of IRS Notice 2005-1. The initial guidance which is structured as a series of questions and answers focuses upon: (i) what constitutes a nonqualified deferred compensation plan; (ii) the definition of a 'change in control'; (iii) when deferred compensation payments may be accelerated; (iv) transition rules; and (v) reporting and withholding issues." (Dechert LLP) ---------------------------------------------------------- Overview: DOL Releases First USERRA Guide (PDF) <URL:http://www.mellon.com/hris/pdf/fyi_12_21_04b.pdf> http://www.mellon.com/hris/pdf/fyi_12_21_04b.pdf 7 pages. Excerpt: "The DOL's Veterans' Employment and Training division has issued, for the first time, guidance in the form of Q&As governing employers' responsibilities (and employees' rights) under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). Employers whose employees enter military service will have to review their obligations under this law and determine whether they have been applying it in accordance with this guidance." (Mellon Financial Corporation) ========================================================== Newly Posted Events The Leadership Summit on Innovation in the Cost-Appropriateness of Behavioral Health & Wellness in Maryland on May 2, 2005 presented by World Congress <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39045> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39045 Post yours! http://benefitslink.com/events/eventmaint.php ========================================================== Newly Posted Press Releases Cash Balance Pension Plan Documents from DATAIR (DATAIR Employee Benefit Systems, Inc.) http://benefitslink.com/pr/detail.php?id=38538 Post yours! http://benefitslink.com/pr/maint.php ========================================================== Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings Health & Welfare Project Manager for Hewitt Associates in NJ http://benefitslink.com/modperl/job.cgi?id=H41319 Human Resources Generalist (PEO) for ADP TotalSource in CT http://benefitslink.com/modperl/job.cgi?id=H41320 Actuarial Assistant for Hand Benefits & Trust in TX http://benefitslink.com/modperl/job.cgi?id=H41324 Client Services Consultant -Phoenix for One America in AZ http://benefitslink.com/modperl/job.cgi?id=H41325 Post yours! http://benefitslink.com/jobs/post_help_wanted.html =========================================================== Subscribe to the BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter, Too Sign-up form is at: <URL:http://benefitslink.com/newsletter/> http://benefitslink.com/newsletter =========================================================== Copyright 2004 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you can forward this email in full (if you also include this boilerplate part) or otherwise reprint this email in full (if you include this boilerplate part) without obtaining our permission. 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