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	<title>Group Health Insurance - Employee Benefits - Healthy Halo - 515 Flower Street, 36th Floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90071</title>
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	<link>http://healthyhalo.com</link>
	<description></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:29:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>AB1825 CA Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training  - -7/01/2009</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/ab1825-ca-mandatory-sexual-harassment-training-7012009/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/ab1825-ca-mandatory-sexual-harassment-training-7012009/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:21:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Law & Regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=962</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[July 9, 2009 
2:00-4:00 pm (PST)

Please note Advance Registration is required. 



California Employers - If you have more than 50 employees you are required by California law to have your supervisors and managers attend sexual harassment training for 2 hrs. Now that California has finally finished the training regulations we are ready to help you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em>July 9, 2009</em></span><em><span style="color: #333399;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2:00-4:00 pm (PST)<br />
</span></em><br />
<small><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please note <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Advance Registration is required</span></strong>. </span></small></p>
<p><small></small></p>
<div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><small></small></span><small></small></span></div>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><small><span style="font-size: x-small;"></p>
<div id="attachment_478" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 135px"><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/don-phinn.gif"><img class="size-full wp-image-478" title="don-phinn" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/don-phinn.gif" alt="Don Phinn, Employment Lawyer, Founder of HR That Works," width="125" height="145" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Don Phinn, Employment Lawyer, Founder of HR That Works,</p></div>
<p>California Employers - If you have more than 50 employees you are required by California law to have your supervisors and managers attend sexual harassment training for 2 hrs. Now that California has finally finished the training regulations we are ready to help you train! his is a two hour on preventing and managing sexual harassment claims.</p>
<p>We encourage all Healthy Halo clients to have all your managers and supervisors attend no matter how many employees you have.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </p>
<p></span></span></small></span><small><small><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></small></small></p>
<div><span style="font-size: x-small; color: #0000ff;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #000000;">The AB1825 program has been approved by HRCI for 2 California credits. If attendees wish to obtain credits, you must register and attend individually.  </span> </span></span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small; color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Note: Credit can only be offered for &#8220;live&#8221; attendance. This webinar has been approved for 2 General CE credits. If you would like credit, please contact us </span><span style="color: #000000;">for a Certificate of Completion <em><strong>AFTER</strong></em> you&#8217;ve attended the webinar.</span></p>
<div><span style="color: #000000;">These are approved for HRCI and NASBA credits.</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">REQUIREMENTS:</p>
<p></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Prerequisites: none </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Advanced prep: none </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Course level: Overview </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Delivery method: Group-Internet-Based  </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">CE credit: 2 CPE credits awarded through NASBA; 2 California recertification credits awarded through HRCI</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p></span></span></p>
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		<item>
		<title>HIPAA &#8212; Back With A Vengeance - Webinar</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/hipaa-back-with-a-vengeance/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/hipaa-back-with-a-vengeance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:14:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Law & Regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=957</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[July 1, 2009 
2:00 pm (EDT)
11:00 am (PDT)
Please note Advance Registration is required
Now that the ultra-time-sensitive COBRA periods have passed, it&#8217;s time to turn your attention back to HIPAA&#8230;
ARRA   HIPAA.
No, we didn&#8217;t say, &#8220;Aarghhhhhhhhhhhhh! HIPAA!&#8221; (although we&#8217;ve felt it). It&#8217;s ARRA HIPAA. As in &#8220;The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,&#8221; Pub. L. 11-5, which you&#8217;ve [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em>July 1, 2009</em></span><em><span style="color: #333399;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2:00 pm (EDT)<br />
11:00 am (PDT)</span></em><br />
<small><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please note <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Advance Registration is required</span></strong></span></small></p>
<h1>Now that the ultra-time-sensitive COBRA periods have passed, it&#8217;s time to turn your attention back to HIPAA&#8230;</h1>
<p>ARRA   HIPAA.</p>
<p>No, we didn&#8217;t say, &#8220;Aarghhhhhhhhhhhhh! HIPAA!&#8221; (although we&#8217;ve felt it). It&#8217;s ARRA HIPAA. As in &#8220;The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,&#8221; Pub. L. 11-5, which you&#8217;ve already heard a great deal about in changing your withholding tables and tweaking and re-tweaking your COBRA administration. Now that the ultra-time-sensitive COBRA periods have passed, it&#8217;s time to turn your attention back to HIPAA, a subject that caused great upheaval in the beginning years of this decade and is now back with a vengeance.</p>
<p><img src="http://portal.hrthatworks.com/HRTWImages/Webinar/DonnaMartin.jpg" alt="" height="125" align="left" />In this webinar, attorney <a href="http://www.lehrmiddlebrooks.com/profiledbrooks.htm" target="_blank">Donna Brooks</a> of Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland, a Worklaw Network firm, will discuss how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has changed compliance requirements for employers as plan sponsors of group health plans.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Note: Credit can only be offered for &#8220;live&#8221; attendance. This webinar has been approved for 1 General CE credit. If you would like credit, please contact <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">healthy halo </span></span> for a Certificate of Completion <em><strong>AFTER</strong></em> you&#8217;ve attended the webinar.</p>
<p>These are approved for HRCI and NASBA credits.</p>
<p>REQUIREMENTS:</p>
<ul>
<li>Prerequisites: none</li>
<li>Advanced prep: none</li>
<li>Course level: Overview</li>
<li>Delivery method: Group-Internet-Based </li>
<li>CE credit: 1 CPE credit awarded through NASBA; 1 general recertification credit awarded through HRCI</li>
</ul>
<p><!-- To download the Handout, <A href="http://portal.hrthatworks.com/General%20Documents/Webinars/WebinarHandout070109.pdf" mce_href="http://portal.hrthatworks.com/General%20Documents/Webinars/WebinarHandout070109.pdf" target=_blank>click here</A>. To download the PowerPoint presentation, <A href="http://portal.hrthatworks.com/General%20Documents/Webinars/Webinar070109.ppt" mce_href="http://portal.hrthatworks.com/General%20Documents/Webinars/Webinar070109.ppt" target=_blank>click here</A>.</FONT> &#8211;><span style="font-size: x-small; color: #ff0000;"><span style="font-size: x-small; color: #ff0000;"><small> </small></span></span><small></small></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><small></small></p>
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		<title>Wage &amp; Hour Webinar</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/wage-hour-webinar/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/wage-hour-webinar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:06:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Law & Regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=952</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Overtime, Undertime, and Killing Time
Presented for Healthy Halo clients July 16th &#8212; 11am to 12 noon.

In this webinar, wage and hour consultant Lyndel Erwin of Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland, a Worklaw Network firm, will discuss:



Recent developments at DOL
Recent litigations trends
Exemptions
Special Issues in Wage and Hour Compliance.
If attendees wish to obtain credits, you must register and attend [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>Overtime, Undertime, and Killing Time</h1>
<p>Presented for Healthy Halo clients July 16th &#8212; 11am to 12 noon.</p>
<p><img src="http://portal.hrthatworks.com/HRTWImages/Webinar/LMVLogo.jpg" border="0" alt="" hspace="5" vspace="5" height="75" align="right" /></p>
<div><small><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img src="http://portal.hrthatworks.com/HRTWImages/Webinar/bio_erwin.jpg" border="0" alt="" hspace="30" vspace="5" height="130" align="left" />In this webinar, wage and hour consultant <a href="http://www.lehrmiddlebrooks.com/profileerwin.htm" target="_blank">Lyndel Erwin</a> of Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland, a Worklaw Network firm, will discuss:</span></small></div>
<div><small></small></div>
<p><small><span style="font-size: x-small;"></p>
<ol>
<li>Recent developments at DOL</li>
<li>Recent litigations trends</li>
<li>Exemptions</li>
<li>Special Issues in Wage and Hour Compliance.<br />
If attendees wish to obtain credits, you must register and attend individually. </li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p></span></small></p>
<p> REQUIREMENTS:</p>
<ul>
<li>Prerequisites: none</li>
<li>Advanced prep: none</li>
<li>Course level: Overview</li>
<li>Delivery method: Group-Internet-Based </li>
<li>CE credit: 1 CPE credit awarded through NASBA; 1 general recertification credit awarded through HRCI</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Note: Credit can only be offered for &#8220;live&#8221; attendance. This webinar has been approved for 1 General CE credit. If you would like credit, please contact us at Healthy Halo for a Certificate of Completion <em><strong>AFTER</strong></em> you&#8217;ve attended the webinar.&#8221; These are approved for HRCI and NASBA credits.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Thanks</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/thanks/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/thanks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:24:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brent Heurter</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=924</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s a very busy time for us all.
I really appreciate your registration for the webinar.
I&#8217;ve taken great care to make sure that the information I deliver will be useful, profitable, and clearly presented.
The webinar is this Thursday from 2pm to 2:20pm.
Details on where to log in will be sent to you by email right away.
Wondering [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_459" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 160px"><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/brent-new-pic-09.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-459" title="brent-new-pic-09" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/brent-new-pic-09-150x150.jpg" alt="Brent Heurter, President" width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Brent Heurter, President</p></div>
<p>It&#8217;s a <strong>very busy time for us all</strong>.</p>
<p>I really appreciate your registration for the webinar.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve taken great care to make sure that the information I deliver will be useful, profitable, and clearly presented.</p>
<p>The webinar is <strong>this Thursday from 2pm to 2:20pm</strong>.</p>
<p>Details on where to log in will be sent to you by email right away.</p>
<h1>Wondering who I am?</h1>
<p><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/about-us/brent-heurter-president/"></a><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/about-us/brent-heurter-president/">Here&#8217;s a quick bio.</a></p>
<h1>Who is Healthy Halo?</h1>
<p>On the website here, we have some quick overviews of services we deliver. Click on the blue link below for a quick look at how we work with HR, CFOs and CEOs.</p>
<p><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/our-edge/for-hr/">A helping hand for HR.</a><br />
<a href="http://healthyhalo.com/our-edge/for-cfos/">A focus on the bottom line for the CFO.</a><br />
<a href="http://healthyhalo.com/our-edge/for-ceos/">Controlling costs and advancing your organization for CEOs &amp; owners.</a></p>
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		<title>How To Save 4% To 15% On Your Health Plan &#8212; The Actuaries Agree</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/how-to-save-4-to-15-on-your-health-plan-the-actuaries-agree/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/how-to-save-4-to-15-on-your-health-plan-the-actuaries-agree/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:55:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=911</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Consumer driven health (CDH) plans are not for everyone.
Employees don&#8217;t like change, and employers are skeptical about real savings &#8212; and at the same time believe that changing health plans is difficult, time-consuming, hassel-filled, and ultimately not worth it.
However, more and more evidence is piling about around CDH.




A May 2009 report form the American Academy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Consumer driven health (CDH) plans are not for everyone.</p>
<div id="attachment_913" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 160px"><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/actuaries.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-913" title="actuaries" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/actuaries-150x150.jpg" alt="Acutaires may not make for great jokes -- but they produce the most valuable information about what's REALLY going on in healthcare today" width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Acutaires may not make for great jokes -- but they produce the most valuable information about what&#39;s REALLY going on in healthcare today</p></div>
<p>Employees don&#8217;t like change, and employers are skeptical about real savings &#8212; and at the same time believe that changing health plans is difficult, time-consuming, hassel-filled, and ultimately not worth it.</p>
<p>However, more and more evidence is piling about around CDH.</p>
<div class="entry-body">
<div>
<div class="item-body">
<div>
<p>A May 2009 <a title="Emerging Data on Consumer Driven Health Plans" href="http://www.actuary.org/pdf/health/cdhp_may09.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> form the American Academy of Actuaries, summarizes the latest data on the performance of Consumer-Drive Health Plans (CDHPs). The authors conclude that CDHPs cut expenditures 4 to 15 percent in their first year. After the first year, the expenditure growth rate is 3 to 5 percent lower than in comparable PPO plans.<strong></strong></p>
<p>After controlling for possible selection bias, there was no evidence that people reduced expenditure by avoiding necessary care. People in CDHCs purchased more preventive care, were more likely to receive recommended care for chronic conditions, and take their prescribed medications. They were more likely to use generic drugs, and less likely to use inpatient services and emergency rooms.</p>
<h3>Out-of-pocket costs were lower for CDHP members.</h3>
<p>In one study, &#8220;Even members with greater than $10,000 in total claims had nearly 17 percent lower out-of-pocket expense than PPO members, a savings of over $400 per member.&#8221; Premium costs were lower as well.</p>
<p>On average, employees in CDHCs paid $98 a month for employee-only coverage in PPO/POS plans, $92 a month for HMO plans, $46 for HSA-eligible CDHPs, and $58 a month for HRA-eligible CDHPs.</p>
<div id="attachment_914" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/quality_driven_healthcare1.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-914" title="quality_driven_healthcare1" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/quality_driven_healthcare1-300x188.jpg" alt="Your employees care about these issues" width="300" height="188" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Your employees care about these issues</p></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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		<title>Health Care Reform &#8212; One Area of Real Success!</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/health-care-reform-one-area-of-real-success/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/health-care-reform-one-area-of-real-success/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:36:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[California News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=904</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is remarkable in the current debate over health care reform how policymakers are ignoring the one thing that has been proven to work: consumer-driven health care (CDH).
I&#8217;ve never liked the term &#8220;consumer-driven health care&#8221; as it came to mean simply shifting costs to employees in the early days of CDH.  But the phrase has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/healthcare_success.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-906" title="healthcare_success" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/healthcare_success.jpg" alt="healthcare_success" width="535" height="154" /></a>It is remarkable in the current debate over health care reform how policymakers are ignoring the one thing that has been proven to work: consumer-driven health care (CDH).</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve never liked the term &#8220;consumer-driven health care&#8221; as it came to mean simply shifting costs to employees in the early days of CDH.  But the phrase has stuck, and CDH is catching on for some very good reasons.</p>
<p>CDH is an approach that has proven to work after six years of testing by many millions of people in real-world conditions all across the nation. Consumer-driven health plans empower individuals by taking money away from third-party payers and putting it in the hands of consumers to spend as they wish.</p>
<p><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/quality_driven_healthcare.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-907" title="quality_driven_healthcare" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/quality_driven_healthcare-300x188.jpg" alt="quality_driven_healthcare" width="300" height="188" /></a>Now that one out of five American consumers under age 65 is paying some of his or her own bills through health savings accounts, high deductible plans and similar consumer-driven plans,  policy makers are beginning to see a profound effect on the service side of the ledger. Consumer-driven health (CDH) plans cost 25 to 40 percent less than PPOs and HMOs, and their rate of cost increases from year to year is one-third of that of PPOs and HMOs, according to a wide variety of health plans and benefits consulting firms.</p>
<p>Last fall the Kaiser Family Foundation&#8217;s annual employer survey found the average family premium for an HMO totaled $13,100, while a health savings account (HSA) program cost only $9,100. The premiums for CDH plans at WellPoint and Cigna actually fell over a two-year period, while premiums for their HMO and PPO plans rose about 10 percent.</p>
<p>Costs for CDH plans are falling because people are becoming more invested in their own health. Consumers with a CDH plan participate in wellness and prevention programs at a higher rate than others, and they choose generic medications over name brands, avoid using hospital emergency rooms in favor of retail clinics or their own doctor, and comply better with recommended treatment programs.</p>
<p>By any measure, CDH is a rip-roaring success, confirmed last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It found 20 percent of the under-65 population is now in some version of a CDH plan. That is an astonishing rate of growth for an approach that has been around only for six years or so.</p>
<p>CDH is not for every client of Healthy Halo.  But every client of Healthy Halo, (and every reader of this website), really should take a closer look at some of the new ways that CDH can be a winner for both employee and employer.</p>
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		<title>Health Care Costs Projected To Rise 9% Next Year</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/health-care-costs-projected-to-rise-9-next-year/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/health-care-costs-projected-to-rise-9-next-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:34:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[California News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=900</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[PricewaterhouseCoopers is projecting that national medical costs will rise 9% next year.  California costs will likely rise more than the national average.  Large employers (&#62;5000 ee&#8217;s) can expect their rates to be on par with this average. 
Smaller employers should brace themselves for even larger increases!
Medical costs will grow at a slightly slower rate next year [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>PricewaterhouseCoopers is projecting that national medical costs will rise 9% next year.  California costs will likely rise more than the national average.  Large employers (&gt;5000 ee&#8217;s) can expect their rates to be on par with this average. </p>
<p>Smaller employers should brace themselves for even larger increases!</p>
<p><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/health-care-costs_drivers.gif"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-902" title="health-care-costs_drivers" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/health-care-costs_drivers.gif" alt="health-care-costs_drivers" width="338" height="309" /></a>Medical costs will grow at a slightly slower rate next year — but the growth will still outpace inflation and workers’ pay, according to a <a href="http://pwchealth.com/cgi-local/hcregister.cgi?link=reg/Behind_the_numbers_Medical_cost_trends_for_2010.pdf" target="blank">new report</a> from the health wonks at PricewaterhouseCoopers.</p>
<p>The medical cost trend — the measure insurers use to change premiums based on the cost and intensity of health care provided to each person — is projected to grow at 9% next year, down from 9.2% this year and 9.9% last year, the report says.</p>
<p>The estimate is based on interviews with health-plan executives, surveys of employers and hospital-based health plans and analyst reports. Forty-two percent of the employers surveyed said they planned to increase employees’ share of health care costs.</p>
<p>The report says health reform isn’t likely to have much of an effect on health costs until 2011 or later. It also notes that the recession affects overall health costs in multiple ways, many of them contradictory. For example, some people are postponing elective procedures, while others who think they may be laid off are rushing to use their employer-sponsored health insurance.</p>
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		<title>COBRA Premium Subsidy Issues &#8212; New IRS Guidance</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/cobra-premium-subsidy-issues-new-irs-guidance/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/cobra-premium-subsidy-issues-new-irs-guidance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:32:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[California News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Law & Regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/cobra-premium-subsidy-issues-new-irs-guidance/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On June 4, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) posted 19 new questions-and-answers on issues related to administration of the COBRA premium subsidy provisions under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Issues addressed include involuntary terminations, special election periods and payrolll tax credit processing.
On its special COBRA premium subsidy Web site, http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204708,00.html, the IRS added [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_385" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 160px"><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cobra_healthy_halo.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-385" title="CA Employee Benefits Health Insurance" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cobra_healthy_halo-150x150.jpg" alt="We keep our clients compliant and up-to-date." width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">We keep our clients compliant and up-to-date.</p></div>
<p>On June 4, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) posted 19 new questions-and-answers on issues related to administration of the COBRA premium subsidy provisions under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Issues addressed include involuntary terminations, special election periods and payrolll tax credit processing.</p>
<p>On its special COBRA premium subsidy Web site, <a title="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204708,00.html" href="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204708,00.html">http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204708,00.html</a>, the IRS added Q&amp;As to the following categories: (1) administration and eligibility; (2) form preparation; and (3) reporting and documentation. No Q&amp;As were added to the taxability and recapture section. Following are some highlights of the Q&amp;As.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Employer Determination of Involuntary Termination </span></h3>
<div style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal;">If an employer’s determination that an employee’s termination of employment was involuntary for purposes of the COBRA subsidy provision is consistent with a reasonable interpretation of the applicable statutory provisions and IRS guidance, the IRS will not challenge that determination for purposes of whether the employer is entitled to claim a payroll tax credit for the premium subsidy.</div>
<h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Voluntary Coverage</span></h3>
<div style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal;">If a health plan is not subject to any “COBRA continuation coverage” requirements as defined for purposes of the COBRA premium subsidy, but the employer voluntarily provides continuation coverage, the subsidy does not apply to the voluntary coverage.</div>
<h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Seasonal Workers and Involuntary Terminations</span></h3>
<div style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal;">In the case of an employee who is hired only for a limited period, such as a seasonal worker, or a teacher hired only for one school year, the end of employment at the end of the period can be considered an involuntary termination.</div>
<h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Elected Officials </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">and Involuntary Terminations</span></h3>
<div style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal;">An elected official is deemed involuntarily terminated when at the completion of his or her term: (1) the official ran for reelection and was not reelected; or (2) the elected official is prohibited from running for reelection because of term limits. However, such an official is not involuntarily terminated is he or she is eligible to run for reelection, but chooses not to.</div>
<h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">State Laws Amended for Special Election Periods</span></h3>
<div style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal;">If state COBRA law is amended to provide a special election period similar to the extended federal (or FEHBP) COBRA election period, the COBRA premium subsidy applies to coverage elected during such a period. Such state law can require coverage offered during such a period to be effective with the first period of coverage beginning on or after Feb. 17, 2009, or allow it to be effective as of a later date. However, if an individual is eligible for COBRA coverage effective with the first period of coverage beginning on or after Feb. 17, 2009, and elects COBRA coverage to be effective as of a later date, the nine-month limit on eligibility for the premium subsidy would begin with the first period of coverage beginning on or after Feb. 17, 2009. In addition, depending on state law, the delay in the beginning of COBRA coverage could affect the application of pre-existing condition limitations.</div>
<h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Multi-employer Plans and Involuntary Terminations</span></h3>
<div style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal;">If an employee covered by a multi-employer health plan is involuntarily terminated by an employer contributing to the plan, resulting in a reduction in hours of employment, which causes the employee to lose coverage and become eligible for COBRA, the employee can be an assistance-eligible individual (AEI, and eligible for the COBRA premium reduction) if the involuntary termination and COBRA eligibility occur between Sept. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009, and the individual elects COBRA coverage. This is the case even if the loss of coverage and COBRA eligibility do not occur immediately after the involuntary termination, for example, because the employee has “banked” hours at the time of the involuntary termination. In addition, the employee does not become ineligible for the premium subsidy merely because of subsequent employment with one or more employers contributing to the plan, provided that the employee continues COBRA coverage and does not otherwise become disqualified. However, if the employee works enough hours to become eligible again for active coverage, eligibility for the premium subsidy ends when active coverage under the plan begins and COBRA coverage ends.</div>
<h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Controlled Group and Payroll Tax Credit </span></h3>
<p>Although all the members of a controlled group are treated as a single employer for employee benefit purposes, each member is treated as a separate employer for payroll tax purposes. Therefore, if a plan (other than a multi-employer plan) that is subject to federal COBRA requirements covers employees of different employers that are members of a single controlled group, the person entitled to take the payroll tax credit attributable to the premium subsidy provided to an AEI is generally the former employer of the employee on whose involuntary termination of employment the individual’s eligibility for the subsidy is based. Thus, the total amount of the premium subsidy provided to all AEIs under the plan is allocated among the former employers on this basis.</p>
<p>For more information, call us at 1-877-THE_HALO</p>
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		<title>Elea Sherrod Joins Healthy Halo</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/elea-sherrod-joins-healthy-halo/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/elea-sherrod-joins-healthy-halo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:01:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[California News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Health Insurance 101]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Law & Regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Elea Sherrod, Executive Vice President
We’re delighted to announce another new member of the Healthy Halo team as of June 1, 2009.
Elea brings 21 years of outstanding performance in Employee Benefits,  Group Health Insurance,  Individual Insurance Products, Dental, Life, and Voluntary Products.
In a recent position as Senior Account Executive for USI (the largest privately [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1></h1>
<h1>Elea Sherrod, Executive Vice President</h1>
<p>We’re delighted to announce another new member of the Healthy Halo team as of June 1, 2009.</p>
<h3>Elea brings 21 years of outstanding performance in Employee Benefits,  Group Health Insurance,  Individual Insurance Products, Dental, Life, and Voluntary Products.</h3>
<p>In a recent position as Senior Account Executive for USI (the largest privately held agency in America), she was:</p>
<ul>
<li>Consultant to over 60 Employer Groups for Medical, Dental, Life Insurance and Voluntary products</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Oversaw client retention and sales of new lines of coverage</li>
<li>Responsible for delivery of Cobra Services, FSA, Section 105, HR consulting and Safety Services</li>
<li>Supervised Account Managers and Marketing Managers</li>
</ul>
<p>In her career, Elea has managed the Group Insurance Department for an insurance brokerage in Westlake Village, and handled customer service, marketing and sales of insurance products for a Tarzana-based brokerage.</p>
<p>She has years of experience with Mass Mutual Life Insurance, and worked for more than a decade with Prudential Insurance Services.</p>
<p>Elea is licensed in California, Arizona, Texas, Ohio and Arkansas.</p>
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		<title>HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AND WORK COMP LEAVE</title>
		<link>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/health-care-coverage-and-work-comp-leave/</link>
		<comments>http://healthyhalo.com/2009/06/health-care-coverage-and-work-comp-leave/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:38:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Don Phinn</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Health Insurance 101]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthyhalo.com/?p=741</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Guest Article by Don Phinn
Many employers get confused about their obligation to continue health care coverage when someone is out on extended work comp leave. Here are some general guidelines to consider:
* Workers comp law doesn&#8217;t require an employer to keep paying an employee&#8217;s health care when they&#8217;re on extended leave due to a work [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_231" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 135px"><a href="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/don-phinn.gif"><img class="size-full wp-image-231" title="don-phinn" src="http://healthyhalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/don-phinn.gif" alt="Don Phinn, Our Employement Law Expert" width="125" height="145" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Don Phinn, Our Employement Law Expert</p></div>
<p>Guest Article by Don Phinn</p>
<p>Many employers get confused about their obligation to continue health care coverage when someone is out on extended work comp leave. Here are some general guidelines to consider:</p>
<p>* Workers comp law doesn&#8217;t require an employer to keep paying an employee&#8217;s health care when they&#8217;re on extended leave due to a work comp injury. An employer may not discriminate against someone on work comp leave. For example, if your practice is to continue health care coverage for two or three months hoping that someone can return to work, you need to maintain this practice with an employee on work comp leave or face a discrimination or retaliation claim.<br />
* Be aware of a Health insurance provision that employees must be &#8220;actively employed.&#8221; For example, if they haven&#8217;t worked for two months, they may not be actively employed. Even though you might have extended their coverage, if they have a significant claim, the carrier may decide to decline coverage, leaving them unprotected because you didn&#8217;t issue them a COBRA notice. Not a good spot to be in.<br />
* Remember, if you have more than 50 employees, the FMLA requires you to maintain extended coverage for at least 12 weeks — but only if there&#8217;s a reason to believe the employee will be returning to work.</p>
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