An online, clickable version of this newsletter is available at: http://benefitslink.com/2004/2004_12_30_welfare.html
=========================================================== BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter (Plain Text Format) December 30, 2004 =========================================================== We thank and invite your attention to today's sponsor: World Congress =========================================================== The 2nd Annual WORLD HEALTH CARE CONGRESS (Advert.) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/modperl/a_d.cgi?a_d=2004_12_30_welfare> http://benefitslink.com/modperl/a_d.cgi?a_d=2004_12_30_welfare (Click on above address, or copy and paste it into your web browser, to learn more.) January 30 – February 1, 2005 ~ Washington DC ~ Marriott Wardman Park Hotel The 2nd Annual 2005 World Health Care Congress is the most progressive forum to achieve an affordable, accountable U.S. health care system. Co-sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, the 2004 executive conference initiated a dialog of national significance. The 2005 conference achieves significant strides in implementing actionable solutions as it will convene all stakeholders - over 1500 CEOs, senior executives and government officials from the nation’s largest employers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, pharmaceutical and leading government officials. (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) ---------------------------------------------------------- Some Employers in Massachusetts Drop Health Benefits for Same-Sex Domestic Partners <URL:http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=4249123> http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=4249123 Excerpt: "With g.ay marriage now legal in Massachusetts, many companies are cutting domestic benefits for g.ay couples, unless they wed. Others in the private sector are refusing to recognize same-sex marriage. NPR's Chris Arnold reports." (Morning Edition via National Public Radio) ---------------------------------------------------------- Text of Agencies' Request for Comments on Effect of Benefit-Specific Waiting Period (PDF) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/IRS/04-28114.pdf> http://benefitslink.com/IRS/04-28114.pdf 3 pages. Excerpt: "The Departments invite comments about benefit-specific waiting periods. This solicitation is to ensure that the public can provide input into any criteria used to determine whether a benefit-specific waiting period utilized by a group health plan or issuer is a preexisting condition exclusion under HIPAA. The Departments are requesting this information to help decide whether to issue any guidance on this question, and the content of any such guidance." (Internal Revenue Service, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) ---------------------------------------------------------- Text of Proposed HIPAA Portability Regulation Modifying Break in Coverage, Special Enrollment Period (PDF) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/IRS/04-28113.pdf> http://benefitslink.com/IRS/04-28113.pdf 26 pages. Excerpt: "Under the proposed rules, the beginning of the period that is used for determining whether a significant break in coverage has occurred (generally 63 days) is tolled in cases in which a certificate of creditable coverage is not provided on or before the day coverage ceases. In those cases, the significant break- in-coverage period is tolled until a certificate is provided but not beyond 44 days after the coverage ceases." (Internal Revenue Service, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) ---------------------------------------------------------- Text of Final HIPAA Portability Regulations (PDF) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/IRS/04-28112.pdf> http://benefitslink.com/IRS/04-28112.pdf 81 pages. (Internal Revenue Service, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) ---------------------------------------------------------- FTC Enforcement Activity Foreshadows Future for HIPAA Entities <URL:http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122904c.html> http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122904c.html Excerpt: "The Federal Trade Commission's first two enforcement actions for violations of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB) are a cautionary tale for covered entities (CEs) under HIPAA. They underscore the risk of an enforcement action if organizations have a compliance program that is window dressing and fails with the 'meat and potatoes' of assessing privacy risks and adopting safeguards." (REPORT ON PATIENT PRIVACY via AISHealth.com) ---------------------------------------------------------- Ruling Makes Medical Insurance Appeals More Difficult in Hawaii <URL:http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=4103> http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=4103 Excerpt: "A recent court ruling will make it more difficult and costly for most Hawaii residents to appeal a health insurer's decision when they are denied medical coverage. Residents denied medical coverage now can represent themselves before a review panel at the state Insurance Division. But a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling last month requires them to take their disputes to court." (AP via Hawaii News) ---------------------------------------------------------- Medical Group Pay Plans Keep Emphasis on Individual Production <URL:http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122904e.html> http://www.aispub.com/Bnow/122904e.html Excerpt: "The most widely used national physician pay surveys -- MGMA, AMGA and Sullivan, Cotter & Associates (SCA) -- indicate that medical group compensation calculation plans are maintaining and even increasing the emphasis on individual production, measured most commonly by collections, work relative value units (wRVUs) or gross charges, with the last of those falling in popularity." (PHYSICIAN COMPENSATION REPORT via AISHealth.com) ---------------------------------------------------------- Oregon-Based Health Plans Taking Measures to Switch Members to Generic Pres.cription Drugs <URL:http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1104325056194700.xml> http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1104325056194700.xml Excerpt: "Oregon health insurers will try to increase acceptance of generic medicines by providing free samples and incentives." (The Oregonian) ---------------------------------------------------------- Consumer-Driven Health Plans Gain Traction in Kansas City <URL:http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/10509954.htm?1c> http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/10509954.htm?1c Excerpt: "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is teaming up with the Wells Fargo financial services company to launch BlueSaver, a high-deductible health plan that can be used with a health savings account." (The Kansas City Star; one-time registration required) ---------------------------------------------------------- More Companies Go the Self-Insurance Route for Health Care Benefits Provision <URL:http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/12292004/biz_nati/56375.htm> http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/12292004/biz_nati/56375.htm Excerpt: "More than half of all U.S. workers currently insured have their coverage through self-insured or partially self-insured plans, according to the latest figures compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation. And those numbers have risen over the past three years as companies turn to self-insurance to avoid the skyrocketing premiums charged by large insurers.' (The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)) ---------------------------------------------------------- HHS Sets Final Regs on Access to Health Insurance Coverage <URL:http://www.modernhealthcare.com/news.cms?newsId=3281&potId=MN> http://www.modernhealthcare.com/news.cms?newsId=3281&potId=MN Excerpt: "HHS announced final regulations setting limits on the pre-existing condition exclusions that can be imposed by group health plans on workers who lose their jobs or change jobs. The regulations ... implement provisions set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Under the final provisions, to be published [December 30] in the Federal Register, health plans will be required to offer an immediate 'special enrollment' to some individuals who lose ...." (modernhealthcare.com) ========================================================== Links To Items on Executive Comp, Benefits In General ---------------------------------------------------------- Uncovering the Billion-Dollar Secret -- The Unreported Costs of Stock Options. <URL:http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2004/commentary04122803.htm?npu=y> http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2004/commentary04122803.htm?npu=y Excerpt: "Traditional stock option accounting practices lead companies to overstate their net income. We take a look at how significant these overstatements are, who's responsible for fixing the problem, and what they're doing about it." (The Motley Fool) ---------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Executives Get a Year to Alter Deferred Compensation Plans <URL:http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/12/29/us_execs_get_a_year_to_alter_compensation_plans/> http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/12/29/us_execs_get_a_year_to_alter_compensation_plans/ Excerpt: "U.S. corporate executives will face tighter restrictions and tougher penalties on their deferred compensation plans, but they have a full year to get prepared for it, tax attorneys said. Benefit plan designers and corporate lawyers praised the U.S. Treasury Department's decision to give companies all of 2005 to redesign their compensation plans and implement new rules designed to stem executives' ability to grab cash before jumping off a sinking corporate ship." (Reuters via The Boston Globe) ---------------------------------------------------------- Perspective on the New Accounting Standard for Stock-Based Compensation <URL:http://www.mercerhr.com/knowledgecenter/reportsummary.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1166405;jsessionid=MQAR1I3IZUYX0CTGOUFCHPQKMZ0QUI2C> http://www.mercerhr.com/knowledgecenter/reportsummary.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1166405;jsessionid=MQAR1I3IZUYX0CTGOUFCHPQKMZ0QUI2C Excerpt: "On 16 December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued its long-awaited accounting standard for stock-based compensation: Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (revised 2004): Share-Based Payment. For most public companies, this new standard requires expensing of employee stock options for annual and quarterly periods beginning after 15 June 2005." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting LLC and Mercer Investment Consulting, Inc.) ========================================================== Newly Posted Events 401(k) Plans in California on April 12, 2005 presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39051> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39051 Cafeteria Plans in California on April 13, 2004 presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39050> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39050 Cafeteria Plans in California on April 13, 2005 presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39053> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39053 COBRA Compliance for Group Health Plans in California on April 15, 2005 presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39047> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39047 ERISA Compliance for Health & Welfare Plans in California on April 14, 2005 presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39049> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39049 HIPAA Portability, Privacy & Security in California on April 15, 2005 presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39048> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39048 HSAs, HRAs, & Consumer-Driven Health Care in California on April 14, 2005 presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA) <URL:http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39052> http://benefitslink.com/events/detail.php?id=39052 Post yours! http://benefitslink.com/events/eventmaint.php ========================================================== Newly Posted Press Releases PBGC To Assume Responsibility For Pilots Pension Plan At UAL (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)) http://benefitslink.com/pr/detail.php?id=38543 Bush Administration Announces Final Rules on Portability of Health Coverage (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C.) http://benefitslink.com/pr/detail.php?id=38544 Americans Will See A Mixed Bag Of Changes In Their Paychecks In January (Symmetry Software) http://benefitslink.com/pr/detail.php?id=38542 Post yours! http://benefitslink.com/pr/maint.php ========================================================== Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings Plan Administrator for Valley Forge Asset Management in PA http://benefitslink.com/modperl/job.cgi?id=H41362 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. Anyone can receive this newsletter; just use this web page: <URL:http://benefitslink.com/newsletter/> http://benefitslink.com/newsletter/ Your company can sponsor an issue; for details, please see: <URL:http://benefitslink.com/newslettersponsor.html> http://benefitslink.com/newslettersponsor.html We're proud of our Privacy Policy: <URL:http://benefitslink.com/privacypolicy.html> http://benefitslink.com/privacypolicy.html To view earlier issues: <URL:http://benefitslink.com/newsletters/> http://benefitslink.com/newsletters/ Published by: BenefitsLink.com, Inc. http://benefitslink.com/about.html 1298 Minnesota Avenue, Suite H Winter Park FL 32789 (407) 644-4146 Fax: (407) 644-2151 Editor and Publisher: David Rhett Baker, J.D. [EMAIL PROTECTED] =========================================================== If you'd like to STOP this newsletter, just click on this link (or copy and paste it into your web browser): <URL:http://benefitslink.com/cgi/subme/[EMAIL PROTECTED]&l=12%20&subscribe=unsubscribe> http://benefitslink.com/cgi/subme/[EMAIL PROTECTED]&l=12%20&subscribe=unsubscribe If that doesn't work for you, please use this web page: <URL:http://benefitslink.com/newsletter/> http://benefitslink.com/newsletter/ On that web page enter the following email address: kumpulan@yahoogroups.com (That's the exact address under which you are subscribed.) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $4.98 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Q7_YsB/neXJAA/yQLSAA/BCfwlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> <a href=http://English-12948197573.SpamPoison.com>Fight Spam! Click Here!</a> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumpulan/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
