Overheard @: Readers sound off on HSA editorial
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the response to my March editorial, "I regret enrolling in an HSA." For all the mail I've received since it was published — which ranged from...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Take the long view; invest in vision benefits
According to a new study released yesterday from VSP, vision benefits help save employers -- ka-ching! -- nearly $3 billion in health care costs each year, associated with the treatment of chronic...
View ArticleNews You Can Use: Life insurance coverage eroding
The recession has nearly all employees and their families recasting how they separate "wants" and "needs." Apparently, more are taking life insurance out of the "need" category, and it's showing in...
View ArticleTip of the Day: 5-point plan to developing a total-comp plan
Employers today are facing some of their most difficult decisions when it comes to one of their most important asset: their employees, writes Elliot Dinkin in this month's EBN. Layoffs, salary and...
View ArticleWish You Were Here: Dave Thomas Foundation names this year's Best...
Particularly in these economic times, adoption benefits seem to be one offering that can help employers do well by doing good.At a time when financial uncertainty could discourage some people from...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Weighing the pros and cons of 401(k) loans, distributions
During the recession, more employees are taking tomorrow's savings to pay for today's needs -- taking 401(k) loans, hardship distributions or cashing out their plans altogether.EBN legal eagle Frank...
View ArticleOverheard @: EBN's Contributing Editors take on benefits' 'biggest challenge'
In a special extended episode of EBN's podcast series "Five Minutes With ...", our eight featured columnists draw on their unique expertise to answer, “What is the most important challenge currently...
View ArticleNews You Can Use: Don't forget to submit your Benny noms!
Hey pros, there's only a couple weeks left to nominate yourself, a colleague or a client for the 2009 Benny Awards, presented by EBN and sponsor VSP. Click here for a full description of the award...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Widen your wellness tent
In a report for BenefitNews.com, Associate Editor Lydell Bridgeford writes about a study from Rutgers University that finds 46% of highly educated and affluent workers report that their employer offers...
View ArticleNews You Can Use: SCOTUS rules against crediting maternity leave in pension...
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that women who took maternity leave before the enactment of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 don’t have a legal claim in requiring employers to apply that...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Mandating health risk assessments is an ADA no-no
Some employers have taken the bold step in recent years to mandate employees to participate in health risk assessments to obtain group health insurance. However, a new informal letter from the Equal...
View ArticleNews You Can Use: Republicans reveal health care reform proposal
Us EBNers don't believe in duplicating efforts, so rather than rehash the new Republican-led health care proposal here, I'll just link you to the writeup from Benefits Explained, the blog from EBN...
View ArticleOverheard @: HSA enrollees have no regrets
As more employers switch to CDHPs and HSAs to fight the good fight against health care costs, they have greater reassurance that the plans will be well-received by employees, as two new surveys show...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Wait! You forgot your 401(k)!
When an employee leaves, I know you must have your offboarding procedures: take their security card, give them a COBRA application, perhaps conduct an exit interview. But somewhere in those procedures,...
View ArticleOverheard @: 'We had a $3 billion investment loss'
If the recession drags on, it will be a red-hot summer for the PBGC -- emphasis on "red."In a report from BenefitNews.com, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. reports that the agency’s underfunded...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Raise the roof (on HSA limits)
The Internal Revenue Service recently released a notice outlining 2010 minimums and maximums for health savings accounts plans and high-deductible health plans.For calendar year 2010, the annual HSA...
View ArticleYay or Nay: Is swearing at work okay?
Two surveys find differing opinions on whether it's okay to swear at the workplace, and I want to get your thoughts, pros.According to a poll by SurePayroll, 80% of respondents believe that even...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Hit all the right target dates next month
Mark your calendars, pros; there's some don't-miss action going on at Capitol Hill next month regarding target-date funds.The first date to put in your Outlook is June 18, when the Department of Labor...
View ArticleNews You Can Use: Another day, another delay
If there's one thing the government does well, it's make things take longer. The Department of Labor announced on Thursday a second extension for public comment on final regulations that would permit...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Prepare for a health care battle
As summer approaches, so does the official start of a duel over health care reform. A host of proposals from Republicans and Democrats are on the table, and Sen. Charles Grassley acknowledged to...
View ArticleYay or Nay: Is the employer-sponsored system worth saving?
Although President Obama has called the employer-based health care system "an accident of history that works," a recent New York Times opinion piece by Princeton economics professor Uwe Reinhardt says...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Submit your ideas for fixing the retirement system
Do you have an idea of what a universal, secure, and adequate retirement system should look like? Retirement USA wants to hear from you!The organization is accepting proposals from us regular folks on...
View ArticleOverheard @: Trimming FSAs could pay for health care reform
In a recent article written for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, authors Chuck Marr and Kris Cox suggest that "Congress should consider scaling back or eliminating health care flexible...
View ArticleTip of the Day: Beware of Sen. Kennedy
A recent report in The Washington Post reveals that Sen. Edward Kennedy's health care reform proposal involves mandates both for employees and employers, similar to the health care system in Kennedy's...
View ArticleWe're moving!
Attention all Daily Diversion readers! This is the last post to our blogspot url!From now on, you can read DD posts at http://ebn.benefitnews.com/blog/daily_diversion/. If you RSS us, you'll have to...
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