FEATURED
Clear comparisons
BY ANDREA DAVIS
On the heels of new DOL rules on pension fee disclosure,
third-party administrators and some plan sponsors want
more transparent fees for health plans; other industry
players think it’s unnecessary.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 19)
ALSO INSIDE
Editor’s Inbox
Readers respond to editorial on
retirement options
Benefits Corner Office
Small employers turn to self-funding
Employee-Consumer
A new twist on bathroom breaks
BY THE NUMBERS
80%
of workers with DB plans say
they will continue working
for their employer until they
retire.
See page 58
FEBRUARY 2011 • VOL 25 NO 2 • EBN.BENEFITNEWS.COM
ON CAPITOL HILL
Lawmakers hear testimony
praising, panning mini-meds
BY KATHLEEN KOSTER
A Senate panel in December deepened
a probe of copay-based mini-med plans
that raised pointed questions about the
plans’ value and transparency for workers, even when employers are unable to
sponsor more comprehensive coverage.
Though the information-gathering
session notably excluded testimony from
mini-med insurers or brokers, questions
are likely to intensify amid health care reform implementation that could outlaw
the plans by 2014.
The only option
Concurrent with the hearing, Ameri-
can Benefits Council President James
A. Klein issued a statement observing
mini-meds cover more than 1 million
part-time workers, seasonal workers and
volunteers who may not be able to afford
coverage otherwise.
DB PLANS
Map offers 24/7 access to
state, local pension reforms
BY LYDELL C. BRIDGEFORD
;e Center for State and Local Government Excellence recently launched an interactive map showing a sample of state
and local governments that have made
major reforms to their pension plans.
Users of the map can view how other state and local pension systems are
amending their plans, so that they can
continue to provide pension benefits in a
fiscally sustainable way that will also provide retirement security to public-sector
employees, says Dr. Joshua Franzel, vice
president of research at SLGE.
The online map, a diagram of the
United States, provides public data on
negotiated changes to defined benefit
plans in the public sector. It houses information on 20 states, six counties, and
19 cities.
Of the 45 locations highlighted on the
map, 32 have links to public data on plan
designs. The creators behind the map
explain that locations were selected because they have made substantive changes to their public pension plans over the
(SEE PENSIONS ON PAGE 55)
