Employers Hold the Line on Health Benefit Cost Increases
In 2009, employer-provided health coverage saw the lowest annual increase in a decade, thanks in large part to wellness management programs and the growth of consumer-directed plans. More
Employers Group Offers Mixed Appraisal of Senate Health Bill
The Senate health care reform bill, which would ultimately be merged with the House-passed health care measure, addresses several important concerns of employers. But "significant improvements are still necessary to protect and preserve employer-provided coverage,” according to the American Benefits Council. More
Most Employers with Consumer-Driven Plans Prefer HSAs
Among U.S. employers that offer an account-based health plan, health savings accounts (HSAs) continue eclipse health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). A new study also looks at motivations for adopting or avoiding these consumer-driven plans, and at employer contribution levels. More
Cutting Health Costs Is Top Reason for U.S. Wellness Programs
Boosting productivity is the goal behind employer-sponsored wellness programs in five of seven regions of the world, although in the U.S. it’s a way to cut health care costs and in Asia it’s a morale-boosting tool, according to a new global survey. More
Agencies Asked to Revise GINA Limits on Health Assessments
If health plans are prohibited from offering participants incentives to complete confidential health risk assessments that include family medical histories, these programs will be less effective, an employers' group warns. More
DOL Withdraws Investment Advice Rule
On Nov. 19, the Department of Labor (DOL) officially withdrew the final rule on providing investment advice to defined contribution plan participants, issued by the Bush administration in January 2009. DOL indicated it intends to release for comment a new, more restrictive rule sometime in the future. More
IRS Provides Relief to Hybrid Pension Plan Sponsors
The IRS issued Announcement 2009-82 providing plan sponsors of hybrid defined benefit pension plans—including cash balance plans—with a one-year reprieve to comply with forthcoming interest rate rules. More
SHRM: Rethink Paid Leave Mandate
A SHRM member tells a Senate committee that an inflexible approach to mandating paid leave might cause conflicts with existing regulations. More
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Daily Newswire
For full links/summaries to some of the best new comp/benefits stories on the web, click here. Highlights:
• Reform Won't Rein in Health Care Costs; Employers Can (BusinessWeek)
• Senate's Health Care Bill Revises Employer Mandate (CNNMoney.com)
• DOL Withdraws Investment Advice Rule (Department of Labor)
• Mammogram Coverage Won't Change, Insurers Say (USA Today)
• Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform (New York Times)
Recently Posted
News and Features
BENEFIT TRENDS:
• 'Holistic' Approach Recommended for Benefits Enrollments
• Fewer U.S. Companies Having Holiday Parties
• More Companies Plan to Unfreeze Salaries, Restore 401(k) Matches
HEALTH CARE:
• Employer Contributions Shifting in Consumer-Driven Health Plans
• Congress Weighs COBRA Subsidy Extension
• HIPAA Enforcement Rule Revised to Reflect Increased Penalties
• Forecast: Health Care Costs Over $10,000 per Employee Plus One
• Rx Trends: Employers Crunch Data, Add Clinical Management to Pharmacy Programs
WELLNESS:
• Fairness and Wellness Incentives
• EEOC: Risk Assessment Can't Be Prerequisite to HRA Reimbursement
• Do Your Health and Wellness Plans Violate GINA?
• Size and Scope of Wellness Incentives Grow Larger
RETIREMENT--DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS:
• 50-Somethings Lack Adequate Retirement Savings, Study Warns
• Retirement Investing: No Gender Gap in Portfolio Performance
• Automation, Lower Fund Fees, Advice Becoming Standard in 401(k)s
• Caterpillar Agrees to Pay $16.5 Million to Settle Excessive 401(k) Fee Claim
RETIREMENT--DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS: