http://www.watsonwyatt.com Latest Watson Wyatt Group Benefits & Health Care Articles and News en-us Copyright 2012 Watson Wyatt Worldwide http://backend.userland.com/rss091 2/8/2012 1:09:30 PM 20 Both the House and Senate health care reform bills currently being debated would establish a new voluntary long-term care insurance program. Called CLASS, the new program would be offered to all workers through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). CLASS is significant for at least three reasons. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22906The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) approved by the House on Nov. 7 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) now under debate in the Senate would affect retiree health plans significantly. Some of the changes — such as taxing the retiree drug subsidy (RDS) provided to employers and prohibiting employers from reducing benefits after employees retire — could have a chilling effect on the sponsorship of retiree health benefits. On the other hand, a proposed reinsurance program for early retirees would (temporarily) reward sponsors of employment-based plans. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22889Flu season can be challenging for employers as well as employees, but this year’s emergence of swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, raises the stakes. Protecting employees’ health and ensuring business continuity during a pandemic requires thoughtful policies, strong communication and enough flexibility to respond quickly to changes in the pandemic’s severity. [GLOBAL]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22850As the debate surrounding health care reform continues, four Watson Wyatt consultants weigh in on what reform could mean for employers around the country and recommend steps for employers to take now. [GLOBAL]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22846The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) subsidy enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in February (see Watson Wyatt Insider, March 2009) will begin to phase out at year's end. ARRA provides a 65 percent premium subsidy for qualified beneficiaries who lose their health coverage and become eligible for COBRA following an involuntary termination of employment by Dec. 31, 2009. The premium subsidy is available for the first nine months of COBRA coverage, so the subsidy has already ended for those who began receiving it immediately after enactment. Others will continue receiving the subsidy into 2010. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22802On Nov. 3, House Education and Labor Committee chair George Miller (D-Calif.) introduced the Emergency Influenza Containment Act to ensure that employees sent home by their employers because of a contagious illness receive paid sick leave. On Nov. 17, Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the Pandemic Protection for Workers, Families and Businesses Act, which shares many of the same goals, although there are important differences between the two bills as well. Paid sick leave has been receiving more attention from lawmakers recently, and legislative action is possible. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22803On Nov. 7, in a rare Saturday vote, the House of Representatives approved the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) by a tally of 220 to 215. While the vote represents an important step forward in the health care reform debate, lawmakers still have a long and difficult battle ahead. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22804The IRS has released final regulations on employer comparable contributions to health savings accounts (HSAs). The regulations also provide guidance on the method and timing of reporting and paying excise taxes due under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the HSA (and Archer medical savings account) comparable contribution rules. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22725WASHINGTON, D.C., December 1, 2009 — With employee benefit choices becoming more complex, a growing number of employers are providing self-service decision-making tools to workers during open enrollment season, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. A majority of employers who offer these tools believe they lead employees to make changes in their plan decisions. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22782The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (H.R. 2647) expands eligibility for certain rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The new law will increase the number of employees who qualify for leave on account of a family member's deployment and will broaden the circumstances in which employees may take leave to tend to a family member with a service-related injury or illness. The provisions took effect when President Obama signed the legislation on Oct. 28, 2009. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22784WASHINGTON, D.C., November 30, 2009 — Despite pressure to reduce budgets, many large U.S. employers are ramping up initiatives to improve worker health and productivity, according to a survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm, and the National Business Group on Health, an association of more than 280 mostly large employers. At the same time, employers are finding that more workers are using their health services and experiencing higher levels of stress. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22767Despite the economic turbulence of the past year and the high employer spend on benefits across the region, many organizations in Asia-Pacific still have not reviewed their benefits strategies, according to Watson Wyatt’s “2009 Asia-Pacific Benefits Trends Survey Report.” [ASIA-PACIFIC]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22807Workmen's compensation has been increased effective November 6, 2009. As a result, insurance companies have announced that they may raise employer contributions. [ARGENTINA]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22818After more than a decade of discussion, Congress finally enacted legislation mandating full parity for mental health and substance abuse benefits. The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) became law on Oct. 3, 2008, as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. The law, which generally becomes effective in 2010, affects insured and self-insured group health plans provided by employers. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22655A provision in America’s Healthy Future Act, passed by the Senate Finance Committee on Oct. 13, would limit deductible compensation for health insurers. If the provision makes it into the final legislation, it will establish a special rule under section 162(m) to cut the deductible compensation limit in half — from $1 million to $500,000 — for “covered health insurance providers.” The provision is targeted at the health insurance industry — employers with self- insured plans are excluded. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22639Watson Wyatt has published an analysis estimating the volume of end-of-service benefit (ESB) obligations for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. According to various scenarios analyzed, GCC employers could face an ESB liability ranging from USD 14.9 to USD 15.7 billion, depending on their employee turnover rate and service profiles. This represents over 20 percent of the wage bill in the region. [MIDDLE EAST]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22645Effective October 1, 2009, employers’ total social security contributions are required to be paid gradually, within three fiscal years from the company’s incorporation. [URUGUAY]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22649Effective September 19, 2009, male workers are entitled to four consecutive paid days off when their wife or partner gives birth. [PERU]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22650A vast majority of employers anticipate that health care reform, if enacted, will lead to higher health care costs and weaken their role in providing coverage to workers. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22580Asia-Pacific, 05 October 2009 – Over 40 percent of employers think that their employees do not appreciate the value of benefits provided for them, according to a survey on benefits trends by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [ASIA-PACIFIC]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=22430