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A free monthly newsletter for plan sponsors and employee benefits 
professionals published by The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

Employer Comparable Contributions to Health Savings Accounts
The IRS has issued final regulations on HSA comparability rules. Current rules say that an employer contributing to one employee's HSA must contribute comparable amounts to the HSAs of all comparable employees. These final regulations provide additional flexibility in several areas including: 1) allowing different comparable contributions based on variations of family coverage (self plus one, self plus two, and self plus three or more); 2) exempting collectively bargained employees from the comparability rules; and 3) clarifying the exception to the comparability rules for employer contributions made through a Section 125 cafeteria plan. Full Article
July 28, 2006—U.S. Dept. of the Treasury


Panel Begins Crafting PBM Standards
EXCERPT: "The latest effort to make more information about pharmacy benefit managers available to employers began in July when a committee of industry participants and observers began work on a set of standards that PBMs must meet in order to receive an industry-wide seal of approval." Full Article
August 16, 2006—Workforce Management

Consumer-directed Health Plans Tutorial
This online slide show will walk you through the basics of HSAs, HRAs and other consumer-directed health plan features. This tutorial is narrated by Gary Claxton, Vice President and Director, Health Care Marketplace Project, Kaiser Family Foundation. Online tutorial.
June 2006—kaiserEDU.org

Michael Best Labor and Employment Law Sessions
Michael Best strives to keep their clients and contacts apprised of the most recent legal developments by frequently offering seminars and roundtable discussions on various labor and employment law topics. Join them at one or more of their seven Fall 2006 Labor and Employment Law Breakfast Briefings, to be held in their Chicago and Milwaukee offices on various dates. The cost is $50.00 per person per session. A continental breakfast will be served and CLE, PHR and SPHR Credit will be available. Please click on the link to download an invitation and registration form.

Trends in Health Care Innovation

HealthLeaders News magazine recently gave 100 healthcare leaders from hospital, physician, supply chain and policy sectors a list of 35 major innovations and asked them to rank the top 10 that are transforming U.S. healthcare.

The poll revealed five major directions:

1. Information technology tools for consumers to better manage and pay for care are on everybody’s docket.

2. Consumer-driven healthcare has staying power.

3. Chronic care management will be huge.

4. Public-private partnerships to manage care for Medicare and Medicaid recipients will be a preoccupation.

5. Customized ambulatory care centers and chains to deliver high quality, cost effective patient services locally, regionally and nationally will flourish.

Full Article
 

By providing links to other sites, The Benefit Services Group, Inc. does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

The preceding is not intended to be and is not offered as legal advice. We are prohibited from the practice of law. Compliance is the responsibility of the employer or Plan sponsor and affected employees, who should seek their own legal counsel regarding questions about information presented in this newsletter.

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Copyright 2006 The Benefit Services Group, Inc. BSG® is a registered trademark of The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

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