| Representatives Prepare to Vote on Health Bill This Weekend Majority Leader Steny Hoyer predicts the House will pass historic health care overhaul legislation Saturday to extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and ban insurance companies from turning people away. Date posted: 11/6/09 Source: Associated Press [via www.insurancenewsnet.com] 11/5/09 |
| Law Firm Creates Easy Compliance Guide for Year-end 2009 2009 is quickly coming to a close, and health and welfare plan sponsors should address several recent legal developments and ongoing compliance requirements before the year's end. Date posted: 11/6/09 Source: DrinkerBiddle [via BenefitsLink Newsletter] 11/5/09 |
| Half of Small-Business Workers Face Higher Risk of Losing Coverage Employees of small businesses are 50 percent more likely to lose coverage as workers at large businesses, according to a recent report. Date posted: 11/6/09 Source: CCH News Library [via Wolters Kluwer] 11/5/09 |
| Cyber-Checkup: Many Employees Open to Emailing Doctors Hoping to save time and money, Americans have no qualms about emailing their primary care physician about some health-related issues, finds a study on email communication and health care. Date posted: 11/6/09 Source: Employee Benefit News 11/4/09 |
| GINA, ADA Deliver Heavy Blow to Health Risk Assessments The last few months have seen significant [changes in] the ability of employers to provide incentives for employees to complete health risk assessments. Date posted: 11/6/09 Source: Deloitte [via Benefits in the News, compiled by BenefitsLink] 11/2/09 |
| COBRA Extension Hinges on Progress of Health Care Reform In September, House lawmakers approved a bill granting workers in 27 states another 13 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits. For employers, the move may signal that Congress is willing to extend the Dec. 31 eligibility date for the COBRA subsidy program if lawmakers fail to agree on health care legislation by the end of the year. Date posted: 11/5/09 Source: Employee Benefit News 11/1/09 |
| Employers Seek to Unite Pharmacy, Medical Data to Improve Disease Management In addressing the growing problem of chronic disease, U.S. health plan sponsors are increasingly looking to integrate pharmacy and medical data to help improve health and financial outcomes, according to a survey. Date posted: 11/5/09 Source: Society of Human Resource Management 11/4/09 |
| Bill Would Create Federal Benefit for Long-Term Care Coverage One provision of the health care legislation with broad potential impact on Americans isn't about health insurance. Instead, it would create a new federal long-term care benefit that would pay cash to people who become disabled. Date posted: 11/5/09 Source: The Wall Street Journal [via Benefits in the News, compiled by BenefitsLink] 11/4/09 |
| Possibility of Drastic 401(k) Reform Fades, Experts Say A dramatic overhaul of the 401(k) regime by lawmakers is unlikely in the near future, but there’s plenty of room for improvement to the employer-sponsored retirement system, experts say. Date posted: 11/5/09 Source: Workforce Management 11/3/09 |
| Fisher & Phillips: Watch Out for ERISA Pitfalls in Severance Packages Employers should be aware of several tricky compliance issues that may have been overlooked in the rush to deal with the economic slowdown and the practicalities of significant employee reductions, according to a national labor law firm. Date posted: 11/5/09 Source: Fisher & Phillips 11/4/09 |
