UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE / SOCIAL SECURITY
| Issues and Answers | ||
| Product testing can qualify as working condition tax-free fringe benefit | |||
|
| Summary of State Law Changes | ||
|
| |||
|
| Test Your Human Resources Knowledge | ||
|
| Labor Law Journal Submissions | ||
|
| Human Resources Links | ||
|
| Labor Arbitrators' Awards and Biographies | ||
The Spencer’s Consumer-Driven Health Report is a summary of the week's news items posted in the WHAT'S NEW pages of Spencer’s Consumer-Driven Health Report Online. For questions regarding this email service, contact Customer Service at (800)449-9525.
Questions Answered Here--As a paid subscriber to Spencer’s Consumer-Driven Health Report, you have access to the expertise of Spencer editors, who will try to answer any questions regarding material we have published in the Report. To Ask A Benefits Question, visit our web site.
The U.S. Master Pension Guide reflects the latest regulations, rulings and cases for qualified retirement plans, surveying the different type of plans from which an employer may choose, and describing the procedures for obtaining plan qualification.
Links within news stories display full text documents including legislation, regulations, court decisions, rulings and government reports.
The first time you click on a link you will be taken to the IRN login page, where you will need to enter your ID and password. Subsequent links will take you directly to the desired document.
Learn about a 7 day free trial will allow you to click on the links within the news stories and see the full text documents.
Consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) cost an average of 4.8% less than more traditional health care options, according to recently released research from Milliman. Milliman arrived at this figure after adjusting claims information for characteristics of both CDHP and non-CDHP populations that correlate with claims costs, such as risk, age, gender, and geography. The study, Consumer-Driven Impact Study, is based on quantitative analysis of six employers with a combined 225,000 health care plan enrollees; more than 30,000 of these members were enrolled in a CDHP. The study found that the lower cost is due to reduced utilization of the plan, as well as the fact that healthier employees are enrolling in these plans...
Family health insurance coverage among all employers is declining and firms are shifting costs for their workers’ coverage to other employers, both large and small, according to a survey recently released by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy...
A 65-year-old couple retiring in 2008 will need approximately $225,000 to cover medical costs in retirement, according to new data from Fidelity Investments. This figure is 4.7% higher than that for 2007. Since its inception in 2002, the estimate has risen a total of 41%, with an average annual increase of 5.8%, Fidelity noted. The estimates assume that retirees have no employer-sponsored retiree health care coverage and include costs of Medicare Part B and D premiums (30%), Medicare cost-sharing provisions (copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and excluded benefits (39%)), and prescription drug out-of-pocket costs (31%). The estimates do not include other health-related expenses, such as over-the-counter medications, most dental services, and long term care expenses...
Reflecting the growing concern over health care costs and economic issues, American workers’ confidence in being able to afford a comfortable retirement decreased over the past year by a rate unmatched in the 18 years in which the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) has conducted its Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS). According to the 2008 RCS, the percentage of workers “very confident” about having enough money for a comfortable retirement decreased sharply, from 27% in 2007 to 18% in 2008, the largest one-year drop in the history of the survey. Retirees’ confidence in having a financially secure retirement also decreased, from 41% to 29%...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted new survey information at the Hospital Compare consumer Web site offering more information about the general hospitals in various communities. Included in the updated Hospital Compare Web site is new information from Medicare patients about their hospital stays, information about the number of certain elective hospital procedures provided to those patients, and what Medicare pays for those services. In addition, consumers may compare hospitals on three critical elements to make effective decisions about the quality and value of the health care available to them—process and outcome of care, patient satisfaction, and Medicare average payment for specific procedures provided from October 2005 through September 2006...
In 2006, only 40% of Hispanic workers and their families were enrolled in employer-sponsored health care plans, according to a recent report from national Latino civil rights and advocacy group National Council of La Raza (NCLR). The report, Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance: Already Poor Access Further Dwindles for Working Latino Families, noted that this is significantly lower than the 66% of nonHispanic whites and 49% of African-Americans enrolled in employer-sponsored plans...
The Department of Defense (DOD) has issued proposed regulations that would implement a prospective payment system for hospital outpatient services similar to that furnished to Medicare beneficiaries, as set forth in Sec. 1833(t) of the Social Security Act. The proposed regulations appeared in the April 1 Federal Register...
The Internal Revenue Service has announced that it is requesting membership nominations for the Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC). The deadline for submitting applications is May 30...
CCH® is the leading provider of information covering Human Resources, Employment and Labor Benefits, Pensions, Payroll, Safety, and Workers Compensation. For more information about our products and services, go to http://hr.cch.com/ or call 800-449-9525. This newsletter is copyrighted by CCH® and may be redistributed only for non-commercial purposes and only in its entirety, specifically including the CCH® headers, this paragraph and the CCH® copyright line. No other redistribution or re-purposing, including but not limited to use on a web site, intranet or extranet, is permitted without prior written permission of CCH®.
To opt out of this newsletter or to make changes to your email preferences click here.
contactus@wolterskluwerlb.com
© 2008, CCH®. All Rights Reserved.
A WoltersKluwer Company
©2008, CCH. All Rights Reserved.
