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How the New Medicare Rules Will Affect Retiree Health Plans: What You Need to Know

The new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit rules finalized on January 28, 2005 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will create major opportunities and challenges for sponsors of retiree health plans. Youll need to have a thorough understanding of the rules as they pertain to qualifying for the new laws retiree drug subsidies or implementing one of the other options available. Do you think you do? On March 24, learn how the rules will affect the delivery and design of retiree health plans from Mark Lutes, a 20year veteran in the National Health Law Practice of the law firm Epstein, Becker & Green, and Kaye Pestaina, a senior health care compliance attorney with The Segal Company, a benefits, compensation and HR consulting firm. During this 90minute, interactive audio conference, Ms. Pestaina and Mr. Lutes will also discuss plan structure options for the new regulatory landscape. During this audio conference, Ms. Pestaina and Mr. Lutes will address and answer the following questions and more: 1. What must be done by an employer to qualify for and obtain the retiree drug plan subsidy? What makes a retiree health plan "actuarially equivalent" to Medicare Part D? 2. What are the opportunities for contracting with a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) to provide Medicare drug benefits to retirees? Can an employer contract with a PDP to provide retiree drug benefits for retirees who live in different parts of the country? 3. How can an employer sponsor its own Medicare drug benefit? 4. What benefits can a plan sponsor provide to wrap around the Part D program? 5. How should an employer go about choosing among these options for 2006? Plus, 30 minutes after the presentation will be set aside for an interactive Q&A session. Listen in and get the chance to ask the speakers your specific questions! Who should register?: Health Benefits Plan Administrators Employee Benefits Professionals Employment and Benefits Law Attorneys Human Resource Professionals

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