EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT

Analyses

Protection of Enrollees in Managed Health Care Plans and HMO's: Sara Rosenbaum, David M. Frankford, and Rand E. Rosenblatt, S7516 [25JY]

Bills and resolutions

Employment: adjust the guaranteed monthly multiemployer plan benefits (see H.R. 5665), H12094 [14DE]

Health: allow certain retirees who lose employer-based coverage to acquire coverage under Medicare or COBRA and require employers to notify retirees of any changes in their health benefits (see H.R. 3631), H340 [10FE]

———improve access to health insurance and Medicare benefits for individuals aged 55 to 65 and allow tax credits for payment of such premiums and COBRA coverage premiums (see S. 2918), S7542 [25JY]

———prevent group and individual health insurance coverage, and group health plans, from seeking to recover more than costs in cases of third party recoveries (see H.R. 3765), H573 [29FE]

———protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's (see S. 3057, 3058), S8635 [15SE] (see H.R. 5628), H11842 [3NO]

———provide emergency protection for retiree health benefits (see H.R. 5405), H9011 [5OC]

Income: improve the retirement security of American families (see H.R. 5549), H11194 [25OC]

Insurance: increase access to long-term health care (see S. 2935), S7656 [26JY]

———require comprehensive coverage for childhood immunizations (see H.R. 4563), H3868 [25MY]

———require that group and individual health insurance plans and Medicare+Choice organizations provide prompt payment of claims (see H.R. 3993), H1077 [15MR]

Medicare: improve access to benefits for certain individuals and provide financial assistance to individuals who are too poor to afford premiums (see H.R. 3529), H48 [27JA]

———improve access to health insurance by offering certain individuals a Medicare buy-in option and allow tax credit for payment of premiums (see H.R. 4938), H6777 [24JY]

Pension Reform and Simplification Commission: establish (see S. 2922), S7656 [26JY]

Pensions: ensure employees are not improperly disqualified from benefits under pension and welfare plans based on a miscategorization of employee status (see S. 2946), S7839 [27JY] (see H.R. 4962), H7127 [26JY]

———harmonize employer-sponsored retirement plan services requirements with other Federal and State laws (see H.R. 4749), H5168 [26JN]

———increase the availability of employer-sponsored retirement plan services to participants, beneficiaries, and plan fiduciaries (see H.R. 4748), H5168 [26JN]

———provide cost-of-living adjustments to guaranteed benefit payments paid by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (see H.R. 4877), H6469 [18JY]

———provide retirement investment advice to workers managing their retirement income assets (see S. 2969), S7839 [27JY] (see H.R. 4747), H5168 [26JN]

Taxation: provide retirement security and pension reform (see H.R. 5546), H11194 [25OC]

Descriptions

Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act (H.R. 1102): Jeffords Amendment on Simplifying and Modifying Provisions Relative to Employer Pension Plans, S10097-S10099 [6OC]

Letters

IRS enforcement of pension age discrimination laws relative to conversion of defined benefit plans to cash balance plans: Horace B. Deets, AARP, H6689 [20JY]

———Karen W. Ferguson and Karen Friedman, Pension Rights Center, H6689 [20JY]

Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance Program corrections relative to the Balanced Budget Act: George N. Miller, Jr., Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital, H11550 [30OC]

Pension Benefits Protection and Preservation Act: several Representatives, H854-H856 [9MR]

Pension Reform and Simplification Commission Act: James A. Klein, Association of Private Pension and Welfare Plans, S7660 [26JY]

———James E. Turpin, American Academy of Actuaries, S7660 [26JY]

Protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's: Representatives Dingell and Norwood, Committee on Commerce (House), S4788 [8JN]

———several individuals, H97 [1FE]

Protection of enrollees in managed health care plans and HMO's: Representative Ganske, S7516 [25JY]

Retirement Enhancement Act: Karen W. Ferguson, Pension Rights Center, E1937 [25OC]

———M. Cindy Hounsell, Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, E1937 [25OC]

———Martin A. Corry, AARP, E1936 [25OC]

———Peggy Taylor, AFL-CIO, E1937 [25OC]

Motions

Health: national policy to provide health care and reform insurance procedures (H.R. 2990), H67 [31JA], H129 [1FE]

Press releases

Protection of Enrollees in Managed Care Plans and HMO's: AMA, S4788 [8JN]

Remarks in House

Dept. of HHS: Medicare+Choice organizations funding, H5423 [28JN]

———prohibit funding to Medicare+Choice organizations that fail to comply with certain requirements of the Social Security Act, H4287, H4288 [13JN]

Health: allow certain retirees who lose employer-based coverage to acquire coverage under Medicare or COBRA and require employers to notify retirees of any changes in their health benefits (H.R. 3631), E116 [10FE]

———national policy to provide health care and reform insurance procedures, H7875 [20SE], H11516-H11520 [29OC]

———national policy to provide health care and reform insurance procedures (H.R. 2990), H67 [31JA], H139-H143 [1FE], H367-H370 [14FE], H1465-H1468 [28MR], H2110-H2114 [11AP]

———national policy to provide health care and reform insurance procedures (H.R. 2990), motion to instruct conferees, H129-H137 [1FE]

———protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's, H16-H19 [27JA], H77-H81 [31JA], H96, H97, H98, H129-H137, H139-H143, H157 [1FE], H170 [2FE], H248-H252 [8FE], H275-H277 [9FE], H367-H370 [14FE], H376, H426 [15FE], H1465-H1468 [28MR], H2488, H2504 [3MY], H2745-H2748, H2750 [9MY], H5831-H5836 [11JY], H7086-H7090 [26JY], H7572-H7575 [13SE], H7985-H7988 [21SE], H10224, H10240 [18OC], H10399 [19OC], H10892-H10905 [25OC], H11245, H11247, H11248, H11250, H11253, H11254 [26OC], H11435-H11442 [27OC], H11452, H11476-H11483 [28OC], H11512-H11520 [29OC], H11595-H11608, H11609 [30OC], H11754-H11761 [1NO], H11807, H11808 [2NO], H12012-H12016 [5DE], H12036-H12040 [7DE], E7 [27JA]

———protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's (H.R. 2723), H739-H747 [8MR], H970-H974 [14MR], H6448-H6450 [18JY], H7986 [21SE]

Insurance: provide nondiscriminatory coverage of substance abuse treatment services under private group and individual health coverage (H.R. 1977), H1062 [15MR]

IRS: enforce pension age discrimination laws relative to conversion of defined benefit plans to cash balance plans, H6689-H6692 [20JY]

Medicare: improve access to health insurance by offering certain individuals a Medicare buy-in option and allow tax credit for payment of premiums (H.R. 4938), E1304 [24JY]

Pensions: preempt State law in certain cases relative to certain church plans (S. 1309), H5100, H5101 [26JN], E1114, E1117 [26JN], E1194 [10JY]

———protect benefits of employees in defined benefit plans and enforce age discrimination requirements relative to tax legislation on defined benefit plans becoming cash balance plans (H.R. 2902), H853 [9MR]

———provide retirement investment advice to workers managing their retirement income assets (H.R. 4747), E1110 [26JN]

Taxation: provide retirement security and pension reform (H.R. 5546), E1935 [25OC]

———provide tax credits to individuals aged 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare or purchase COBRA health coverage, H1418 [28MR]

Texas: implementation of legislation to protect enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's, H17-H19 [27JA], H426 [15FE], H970-H974 [14MR], H11202 [26OC]

Remarks in Senate

Health: improve access to health insurance and Medicare benefits for individuals aged 55 to 65 and allow tax credits for payment of such premiums and COBRA coverage premiums (S. 2918), S7552 [25JY]

———national policy to provide health care and reform insurance procedures, S4513, S4514 [6JN], S5821 [26JN], S9565 [2OC]

———national policy to provide health care and reform insurance procedures (H.R. 2990), S1698 [27MR], S6412 [11JY]

———protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's, S1111-S1113 [2MR], S2339 [6AP], S2450 [10AP], S2891 [26AP], S4787-S4808 [8JN], S5729 [23JN], S6079-S6093 [29JN], S7516-S7519 [25JY], S7980 [5SE], S8630 [15SE], S9401 [27SE], S9427, S9428 [28SE], S9926, S9927 [5OC], S10127-S10129 [10OC], S10746, S10748 [19OC], S10886 [23OC], S10963, S10967-S10972 [25OC], S11064, S11082, S11111 [26OC], S11334, S11335, S11337 [29OC]

———protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's (S. 3057), S8641 [18SE]

———protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's (S. 3058), S8641 [18SE]

Insurance: increase access to long-term health care (S. 2935), S7674-S7676 [26JY]

———legal accountability for actions by health insurance companies and HMO's, S4799, S4801, S4806 [8JN]

Pension Reform and Simplification Commission: establish (S. 2922), S7656-S7658 [26JY]

Pensions: ensure employees are not improperly disqualified from benefits under pension and welfare plans based on a miscategorization of employee status (S. 2946), S7843 [27JY]

———protection of workers whose employers convert from defined benefits to cash balance pension plans, S2415 [7AP], S2610 [12AP]

———simplify and modify provisions for employer pension plans, S10097 [6OC]

Taxation: provide retirement security and pension reform, S11320-S11322 [29OC]

———provide tax credits to individuals aged 55 to 64 to purchase COBRA health coverage through elimination of the percentage depletion allowance for hardrock mining on Federal lands, S6788 [14JY], S7046 [17JY]

Statements

Protection of Enrollees in Managed Care Plans and HMO's: National Conference of State Legislatures, S4797 [8JN]

Studies

Impact on Patients of Delays in Passing a Patients' Bill of Rights: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (Senate) Minority Staff, S2340 [6AP]

Summaries

Medicare Early Access and Tax Credit Act (H.R. 4938), E1305 [24JY]

Retirement Enhancement Act (H.R. 5546), E1936 [25OC]

Testimonies

Protection of Enrollees in Managed Care Plans and HMO's: Mary Munnings Lewandowski, S10128 [10OC]

Texts of

S. 1309, Church Plan Parity and Entanglement Prevention Act, H5100 [26JN]

S. 2918, Medicare Early Access and Tax Credit Act, S7546-S7552 [25JY]

S. 2922, Pension Reform and Simplification Commission Act, S7658-S7660 [26JY]

S. 2946, Employee Benefits Eligibility Fairness Act, S7844 [27JY]