Pension & Benefits Reporter Index-Summary

PATENTS

– Business methods, test sought (Fed. Cir.), 1156

PBGC

See PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION (PBGC)

PBM

See PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGEMENT (PBM)

PENNSYLVANIA

– Contingent employees, House approves bill allowing prison sentences for misclassification, 1487
– Port authority elimination of excess pension benefit upheld (W.D. Pa.), 920

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION (PBGC)

– Advice updated by CRS, In Brief, 854
– Appointments

– – Communications director, In Brief, 564
– – Director confirmed by Senate, In Brief, 24
– – Inspector general, In Brief, 1023

– Budget for FY2009, includes hike, 334
– Information collection authority, In Brief, 349
– Outlook 2008, 161
– Phased retirement, few plan implementing, 1199

PENSION PROTECTION ACT (PPA)

– Asset smoothing, efforts being made in Congress to address, 503
– Bonding requirement, increase of maximum amount, lawsuit concerns raised, 221
– Disclosure rules increase administrator responsibility, conference told, 1109
– Funding rules, Special Report, 433
– Guidance

– – Distribution-related guidance issued by IRS, 553
– – Qualified automatic enrollment, IRS proposes safe harbor, CPA group seeks clarification, 338

– Public employees, interest credit cap may hurt, 1201
– Service provider exemption from some prohibited transactions requires lower level of regulatory oversight, 502
– Technical corrections

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 6143
– – Legislation

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 3361, S 1974

PENSION REFORM AND SIMPLIFICATION

– Best practices, benefit statements, and multiemployer plan professional services expenses, final reports posted at Labor Dep't web site, 1067
– Necessary amendments, IRS issues guidance, 706
– Notice of reduction in accrual rate, In Brief, 1121
– Safe harbor for employee contributions, Labor Dep't issues rule, 501; comments received, 1008

PEOs (PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS)

– Restoration of benefits (S.D. Ohio), In Brief, 1051

PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGEMENT (PBM)

– D.C. disclosure law, challenge may proceed (D.C. Cir.), 915
– E-prescribing campaign launched by industry group, 1031
– Fiduciary duty, Outlook 2008, 146
– Md. PBM requirements bill signed, 981
– Switching, Express Scripts settles charges, 1223

POLICE

See LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL

POSTAL WORKERS

– Disability benefits, no jurisdiction to review lower court remand (U.S., rev den), 680

PPA

See PENSION PROTECTION ACT (PPA)

PREEMPTION

– ERISA

See ERISA

PREFERRED PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS (PPOs)

– Medicare PPOs, enrollment up, 1498

PREMIUMS

– Flat-rate premium increase, termination premium, and small employer VRP cap implemented by PBGC, Special Report, 54

PRESCRIPTION DRUG REIMPORTATION

– FDA funding provisions

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 2764

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

– Brand name prices outstrip inflation, 570
– Cancer and diabetes affect drug costs, 1404
– Direct-to-consumer ads, House Democrats urges limits, 1077
– Discount program cleared by FTC, In Brief, 416
– Generics, slower rise in drug costs attributed to, 569
– Medicare

See MEDICARE PART D

– Negotiating prices

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 971

– PBMs

See PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGEMENT (PBM)

– Reimportation

See PRESCRIPTION DRUG REIMPORTATION

– Tracking

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 5839

PRIVACY

– Coleman (R-Minn) and Collins (R-Me) seek data from agencies on efforts to protect privacy, 560
– Complaints to Office of Civil Rights increasing, 1130
– E-records

– – Legislation

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, S 1693

– – Privacy upgrades needed speakers tell FTC, 1026

– HIPPA rule relies on voluntary compliance, 720
– Ill. genetic privacy bill approved, 1289
– IT bills should consider privacy, House panel told, 1287
– Medicare drug claims, MedPac reports, 770

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS (PEOs)

– Restoration of benefits (S.D. Ohio), In Brief, 1051

PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS

– Comments sought by EBSA, In Brief, 765
– ERISA, checkbooks issued to life insurance beneficiaries rather than lump-sum payments, no violations (D. Mass.), 622

PROMPT PAYMENT

– Colo. bill would increase penalties for unreasonable delays or denials, 1032
– Medicare Part D

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 1474

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES

– Firefighters

See FIREFIGHTERS

– Police

See LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL

– PPA interest credit cap may hurt public employees, 1201
– State and local employees

See STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANS

– Teachers

See TEACHERS