http://www.watsonwyatt.com Latest Watson Wyatt Group Benefits & Health Care Articles and News en-us Copyright 2008 Watson Wyatt Worldwide http://backend.userland.com/rss091 5/9/2008 1:49:31 PM 20 WIESBADEN, 6. Mai 2008 – Immer mehr Arbeitgeber bieten ihren Mitarbeitern eine Kfz-Zulage (Car Allowance) anstelle eines Firmenwagens an. Nach einer Studie von Watson Wyatt nutzen 35 Prozent der befragten deutschen Unternehmen diese Option – ein Drittel mehr als vor vier Jahren. Der Trend geht vor allem auf multinationale Unternehmen zurück, die europa- oder weltweite Dienstwagenregelungen einführen. [GERMANY]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=19041UK – May 1, 2008 – Cash is in the driving seat for an increasing number of UK employers’ company car policies. A new report from consultants Watson Wyatt has found that 28 per cent of employers provide a cash allowance instead of a car; double that of four years ago and now more the than proportion (23 per cent) who offer company cars without a cash alternative. [EUROPE]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=19033More than 85 percent of companies provide additional medical benefits to employees covered by national contractual labor agreements as a retention and attraction tool, a recent survey has found. While employers appear committed to providing private healthcare benefits, most predict the rate of medical cost increases will accelerate in coming years. Many will be looking to review plan design and benefits levels in an effort to control the cost of their plans. [ITALY]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=19029The Labor Department recently ruled that a specific but complex global asset pooling arrangement satisfies ownership requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). This ruling potentially removes a significant roadblock multinational companies faced when attempting to combine assets of employee benefit plans maintained all over the world into a single pool. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=19026Washington, D.C., April 23, 2008 — Most U.S. companies do not support a single-payer health care system or state legislation mandating coverage. Instead, they prefer relying on private-sector solutions, according to research by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm, and the National Business Group on Health. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18990On January 9, 2008, a federal appeals court ruled that San Francisco’s health care ordinance could get under way while the court considers the ERISA preemption challenge. The mandate requires employers to spend specific amounts on health care for or on behalf of their employees. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18766Health care reform is a hot topic right now. The presidential candidates have made speeches, debated and discussed health care at voter forums. All three major party candidates have issued proposals aimed at increasing access or coverage, reducing costs and improving quality. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18943Watson Wyatt has welcomed a report from the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pension Supervisors (CEIOPS) on how countries in the European Economic Area measure the levels at which companies must fund their defined benefit pension schemes, and on the other mechanisms that are in place to provide security for pension scheme members. [EUROPE]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18942Mental health parity reform moved another step closer to enactment when the House approved the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (H.R.1424) on March 5. The Senate approved the Mental Health Parity Act (S.558) – a version supported by the business community and mental health advocates – by unanimous consent in September 2007. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18911Medicare and Medicaid legislation has seen considerable debate this legislative session. The Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (S. 2499) delayed scheduled cuts in physician reimbursements for six months, reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for 18 months and required employer-provided health plans to provide enrollment data to the secretary of Health and Human Services. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18877Employers around the world are struggling with the implications of retiree health care, and Brazil is no exception. A recent Watson Wyatt <i>Voice of the Consumer</i> survey asked more than 2,700 Brazilian employees how they feel about their prospects for post-retirement health care. Seven out of ten (68 percent) said they are concerned or very concerned, while another 29 percent are somewhat concerned. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18860Lack of Performance Measurement Cited as Top Impediment to Operations. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18824Nearly Half of Employers Now Have CDHPs, Watson Wyatt/National Business Group on Health Survey Finds. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18805President Bush has proposed a budget for fiscal year 2009. Many of the budget’s health care and retirement proposals appeared in earlier budget submissions, such as replacing the tax exclusion for employer-provided health insurance with a standard tax deduction, and establishing a new retirement savings plan to replace existing defined contribution plans. These proposals failed to gain legislative traction in earlier years and are unlikely to do so this year either. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18700In a recent Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) differentiates exempt from nonexempt supplemental health coverage under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The DOL is responding to concerns about some insurance products being improperly marketed as HIPAA-exempt supplemental plans. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18742The IRS recently modified its position on the permissibility of pretax payments for health coverage under a cafeteria plan for domestic partners and others who are not tax dependents. Formerly, employees had to pay taxable health benefits with after-tax dollars. Now, employees may pay for both nontaxable and taxable health benefits with pretax dollars, and the cost of the taxable benefits will be imputed to employees’ gross incomes. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18743The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released final regulations that allow employers to coordinate retiree health benefits with Medicare benefits. Although the EEOC decided to approve this long-standing employer practice some time ago, the agency had been blocked from issuing these final rules by litigation brought by AARP. Under the final rules, employers can eliminate or reduce retiree health benefits when retirees become eligible for Medicare without violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18744Employers face new retirement and healthcare plan contribution rates for executives (dirigenti) under a collective agreement for the commerce/services industry, reached on January 23, 2008. [ITALY]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18679A San Francisco ordinance that requires employers to spend specified amounts on health care for their employees recently took effect for large employers. However, the mandate remains the subject of litigation and could be overturned by upcoming court action. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18736Medical cost increases for UK employers are projected to rise by 8 per cent in 2008, part of a significantly above-inflation global trend, according to a survey of insurance companies conducted by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm. [EUROPE]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=18629