Audio CD and written materials of AIS's audioconference on August 23, 2006

Treasury's July 28 HSA Comparability Guidance: Making the Most of These New Incentives

Fear of a 35% excise tax penalty for noncompliance with the HSA "comparability" rule kept many employers from rolling out an HSA-based health plan or making contributions to such a plan this year. Final Treasury Dept. guidance released July 28 removes that fear for most cafeteria plan-based HSA contributions and gives a monster boost to the growth of HSA-based plans. But along with its terrific new opportunities, this new guidance also includes some landmines that could blow up on employers that don't follow the rules. Learn how your organization can make the most of these new incentives from the Treasury Dept.

Sponsored by Atlantic Information Services, Inc., publisher of Inside Consumer-Directed Care, Managed Care Week and Consumer-Directed Health Care Facts, Trends and Data.

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The Treasury Dept.'s new rules on HSA comparability offer employers much-needed plan-design flexibility — especially when it comes to setting HSA contributions for employees when the arrangement is offered through a cafeteria plan. The flexibility in this new guidance makes HSAs significantly more attractive because it (a) clarifies how employers can use additional HSA contributions to motivate employees to participate in health risk assessments and disease management programs, and (b) clears the way for employers to make different HSA contributions for certain coverage categories and for employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

This information-packed audioconference is designed to help you take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the new Treasury guidance ... and boost enrollment in HSA-based plans.

We've tapped John Hickman, an employee benefits attorney with Alston & Bird and one of the nation's top authorities on HSAs, to explain the Treasury Dept.'s July 28 guidance and identify the best opportunities for your organization ... and hidden landmines to sidestep.

Next up, Jay Garriss, a principal with Buck Consultants, details innovative HSA contribution strategies — that comply with the final Treasury Dept. guidance. He'll explain new strategies employers can now use to offer employees financial incentives (in the form of HSA dollars) to take greater responsibility for their own health.

You'll get all the details on topics such as:

Speakers

JOHN HICKMAN, Esq. is head of Health & Welfare Benefits in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group at the law firm Alston & Bird, LLP, in Atlanta. Mr. Hickman also chairs the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation's technical advisory committee and is an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law. He is identified in "The Best Lawyers in America" for his health and welfare expertise.

JAY GARRISS is head of the Atlanta office of Buck Consultants, an ACS company and one of the world's leading human resource and benefits consulting firms. Garriss is a member of the product development team responsible for Mellon Financial Corp.'s HSA business, and is a published author on HSA issues. He also is a charter Certified Employee Benefit Specialist and a fellow of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists.

Moderator: Steve Davis, managing editor of AIS's industry-leading biweekly newsletter, Inside Consumer-Directed Care.

 

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