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This topic provides guidance on how to handle compensation issues in a way that attracts and retains the best talent and advances the strategic goals of your business. You get news and tips on what’s going on nationally and in the states, and updates on changes in regulations, possible governmental action, and emerging compensation trends.
The claims administrator of an employer-sponsored health plan abused its discretion when it rejected a health benefits claim because it: (1) denied it without an explanation or plausible support; (2) had a structural conflict of interest because it was also the insurer; and (3) violated ERISA regulations by merely reciting its policy without refuting the […]
Employers may not feel much of an administrative burden from the new “starter” retirement savings accounts announced Jan. 28 in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, but those opting to participate should be prepared for employees’ questions about the My Retirement Account or “myRA” program ahead of its launch late this year. While […]
Sales Organization Sales compensation plans often fail because they are not rooted in careful analysis beforehand. Your plan has to be defined by the market you are in and who your customers and competitors are. For example, if your customers are all young, you may do your sales work over the Internet; if you sell […]
Pre-authorization procedures, plan disclosures and geographical restrictions are just a few features group health plans will need to re-examine by the time the recently finalized mental health parity rules take effect. For calendar-year plans, this means Jan. 1, 2015 — less than a year away. The interaction of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity […]
Due to an administrative error, an employer clearly did not provide a qualified beneficiary with a COBRA election notice. However, the qualified beneficiary also benefited from that mistake by receiving 11 months of free health coverage. For that reason, a federal district court in Iowa rejected claims that the employer should be subject to COBRA […]
Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. King was a man who developed a followership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands—if not millions—made up of people compelled to follow his example of nonviolent civil disobedience to bring attention to the civil rights movement in the 1950s […]
A third-party administrator that poorly communicated a COBRA premium rate increase — which in any case was likely prohibited under COBRA’s rules — is being sued for ERISA benefits denial and state-law promissory estoppel claims. The TPA instituted the premium change but did not provide clear written notice of it as required under plan terms. […]
A new type of “starter” retirement savings account for smaller balances that’s backed by the federal government but administered by employers was promised by President Barack Obama in his 2014 State of the Union address on Jan. 28. The president said he would use an Executive Order to direct the U.S. Treasury Department on Jan. […]
In proposed rules issued Jan. 27, the IRS clarifies how participants in employer-sponsored plans are to count employer contributions to HRAs and wellness program incentives when calculating their contributions to employer-sponsored coverage. In those rules, the IRS also allows temporary exceptions to health care reform’s definition of minimum essential coverage for government-sponsored limited-benefit plans, giving […]
While you are at it, Schickman adds, make sure that your practices match your policies. Schickman is a partner with Freeland Cooper &Foreman LLP in San Francisco. He offered his tips during a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. Supervisor Training Highlights Be sure your training covers the following, says Schickman: Basic rules […]