Willis

FOCUS on Benefits Archive - 2006

December 2006

• More DOL Guidance for Health Savings Accounts
• Standard Mileage Rates for 2007
• 2006 Kaiser Survey: Health Insurance Cost Slow
• Emerging Benefit Trends
• Real-Life Experience: Dependent Care FSAs
• International Pension Plan Interplay
• 401(k) Fee Change Legislation
• HIPAA Nondiscrimination Rules and Eligibility
• Wal-Mart Adds More States to Drug Plan
• Benefits Communication Mistakes

November 2006

• Medicare Prescription Drug Notice
• WHCRA Notice Reminder
• Women's Pension Bill Introduced
• Wal-Mart Prescribes Price Cut for Generics
• We're From the Federal Government and We're Here to Help
• California "Fair Share" Legislation Vetoed
• CEOs in the Dark on Employees' Benefit Preferences
• To Blog or Not to Blog
• Are Language Barriers Compromising Health Care
• Ready for Open Enrollment?
• HIPAA Update: Medical Privacy Law Nets No Fines
• Issue Spotlight: Summary Annual Reports

October 2006

• Reapplying for RDS
• HRA Participant Expense News
• Implications of Breached PHI
• HHS Launches Transparency Website
• Fresh Look at Health Care Costs
• Canadian Drugs: Bargain or Bogus
• Calling for Limits on Profits
• High Cost of Failing to Offer COBRA
• Workplace Adoption Benefits
• Status Report: Fair Share Bills
• Insurance Carriers and COBRA Obligations
• Since You Asked: Eligibility for Employees' Children
• Issue Spotlight: Communicating with Non-English Speaking Employees

September 2006

• Bush Signs Pension Reform Bill
• HSA Comparable Contributions: Final Regulations
• Changes to the Form 5500 Filing
• Massachusetts Health Care Mandate
• Court Overturns Maryland's "Wal-Mart Health Care Law"
• Reducing Wait Time
• And the Survey Says...
• Tougher Executive Comp Disclosure Coming?
• Hawaii: Health Care Paradise?
• FMLA Enforcement Complaints Declined
• Since You Asked: Creditable Coverage Confirmation

August 2006

• Title VII's Retaliation Provision Broadens
• Taming Workers' Comp Drug Costs
• Subrogation and Constructive Trusts
• Generics Pushing Down Prescription Drug Costs
• Tempting Ways to Save More
• Paid-Leave Proposals Gain Steam
• Since You Asked: Proof of Domestic Partner Status
• Employee Disclosure: SPD Distribution

July 2006

• Voluntary Correction Program Changes
• Variations on Mandating Health Coverage
• EEOC Falters in Effort To Keep Up
• Capping Cancer Drug Costs
• Costly Healthcare Prevents Enrollment
• Are COBRA Premium Hikes Transferable?
• Since You Asked: Common Law Spouse Coverage
• Issue Spotlight: FMLA; In-Laws and Other Family Members

June 2006

• CMS Disclosure Notices Revised
• IRS Issues Proposed Regulations Governing DCAP
• Redefining Dependent Child Laws
• Health Savings Accounts Gaining Popularity
• States Examining Medicaid Programs for Cost Savings
• Requirements Require Consistency
• EAPs: ERISA and COBRA Implications
• HIPAA Privacy Rule: No Private Rights
• Self-Inflicted Injury: Covered or Not?
• Since You Asked: FMLA Protections for Domestic Partners

May 2006

• Massachusetts Mandatory Health Insurance
• Enforcing Newborn Enrollment
• IRS: 2005-2006 Priority Guidance Plan
• Banking on Your Retirement
• COBRA Retirees: Prescription Drug Subsidy
• Group Health Plan Flex Credits and FMLA
• Issue Spotlight: Enforcing Subrogation
• Pandemic Planning Procrastination
• State Health Care Costs May Dwarf Pensions
• Nonprofit Hospital's Plan is Not ERISA Exempt
• Since You Asked: Pro-Rating COBRA Premiums

April 2006

• NYC Equal Benefits Law
• Injured Veterans Challenge Employers
• Tracking Retiree Medical Liabilities
• DCAP Grace Period Reporting
• Form 5500 Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims
• HSA Opponents Losing Steam?
• 401(k) Money Surpasses Pension Totals
• Baby Boomers Back Out
• Defined Benefit Pensions - A Dinosaur?
• FSA Grace Period Issues
• Health FSAs: When Are Expenses Incurred?
• DOJ Limits HIPAA Criminal Enforcement
• Since You Asked: TPA's Stolen PHI; Shared Responsibility?

March 2006

• Avian Flu and the Workplace
• President Bush Touts HSAs
• New Tax Breaks for Medical Expenses?
• HSAs: Banking Industry Favorite
• Strong-Arm Tactics to Enforce Medicare
• Where There's Smoke You're Fired
• Fair Share Health Care Fund Act
• Simpler Safety Rules for Some Employers
• Uninsured Are Uninterested in New Health Plans
• High Use Equals High Cost Health Care
• Since You Asked: How Long Must Records Be Kept?
• Issue Spotlight: Common Costly HR Mistakes

February 2006

• USERRA Compliance
• Reporting Creditable Coverage Status
• Mental Health Parity Law Extended
• IRS Announces 2006 Mileage Rates
• HSA Contributions and Grace Period Coordination
• Retiree Prescription Drug Coverage
• Proposal to Expand FASB Obligations
• Inquiry on Pensions
• SEC Rules on Executive Pay
• Avoiding Employee Misclassification
• Health Care: Ballooning Benefit Costs

January 2006

• Health Plan Mismanagement Lawsuit
• Aggressive DOL Auditing
• Employer-Backed Health Care: Here to Stay?
• BC/BS Bank
• Surgery Preview: Is Seeing Believing?
• Postponing the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit?
• FMLA Intermittent Leave
• Proper Contraception Use Pays Health Care Dividends
• DOL: Benefits Outpace Other Compensation
• California Paid Leave Program Attracts Few
• Creditable Coverage Notice
• Building a Healthier You: One Step at a Time
• Since You Asked: HDHPs and Medicare Part D