FEATURED
Covering all bases
The second in EBN’s three-part series on open enrollment
offers brokers’ and provders’ tips and strategies for
engaging employees around voluntary benefits during
open enrollment.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 18)
ALSO INSIDE
Health Care
One employer’s experience with
charging higher premiums for smokers
Retirement Planning
The seven attributes of successful
retirement plans
Laws and Regs
Beneficiary designation forms cause
headaches for administrators
BY THE NUMBERS
17%
of health spending account
holders had more than
$5,000 in their accounts
in 2010.
See page 58
JUNE 1, 2011 • VOL 25 NO 7 • EBN.BENEFITNEWS.COM
IMMIGRATION
Experts offer do’s and don’ts of
employment verification
BY KATHLEEN KOSTER
Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials audited the popular
burrito chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill,
Inc., which fired hundreds of illegal
workers as a result. Using Chipotle as a
cautionary tale, employers cannot turn
a blind eye to illegal workers, as Chipotle
allegedly did — one woman claims she
gave the company two false social security numbers when applying for positions
within the company.
As federal and state governments
crack down on workers unlawfully employed in the United States, employers
should take extra care that they are covering all of their bases lest they be subject
to large fines or even jail time.
Even though only the federal govern-
ment can regulate immigration, some
states, like Arizona, passed even more
stringent immigration laws, when the
state last year notoriously approved SB
1070. Though court rulings have prevent-
ed key provisions from implementation,
the Arizona controversy took enforce-
ment of federal law a step further.
COBRA UPDATE
Health care exchanges may
threaten existence of COBRA
BY LYDELL C. BRIDGEFORD
Health insurance exchanges under the
Patient Protection and A;ordable Care
Act may pose a threat to COBRA.
The observation emerged during a
session at the MetLife’s 9th annual National Benefits Symposium, just a week
shy of COBRA’s 25th anniversary.
Most employers “are not going to
make a decision about whether they are
going to play or pay until they see how
successful the health exchanges are in
creating a viable market where employ-
ees will be able to go and obtain cover-
age,” said American Benefits Council
President James A. Klein, whose organi-
zation co-sponsored the MetLife event,
held on March 28.
