Flexible Benefits Answer Book

Flexible Benefits Answer Book provides more than 500 answers to your questions on flexible benefits plans-including choice-only plans, premium conversion plans, flexible spending accounts, and full cafeteria plans. With this authoritative resource, you'll identify practical ways to control health care costs while giving employees the choice they want.

The Answer Book guides you safely through the maze of potential administrative pitfalls-including IRS rules, ERISA and COBRA regulations, discrimination testing, and federal requirements-that could negate the advantages and cost savings of a flexible benefits plan. You'll find reliable answers to such questions as:

* What are the key factors for an employer to consider in developing a plan?
* How is adverse selection managed in a flex plan?
* Which tax-favored benefits are not qualified under a flex plan?
* How do you develop a credit methodology?
* How does recent federal legislation, such as HIPAA and the proposed IRS regulations on FMLA leaves, affect flexible benefits?
* What will be the impact of Medical Savings Accounts and the new tax rules on your flex plan?
* What are the elements of successful flexible benefit communication strategies?

Plus, practical examples and case studies; planning hints, tips, and practice pointers; and samples of field-tested communication documents, plan schedules, price matrices, and enrollment forms simplify the administration process and help you to make the best decisions.