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Private Industry Paid $6.43/Hour In Average Benefits The average cost for employee compensation in private industry and state and local governments averaged $24.59 per hour during the final month of 2003, according to a report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Health Insurers Told To Be More Informative Health insurance companies are being encouraged by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to reveal to their policyholders which medical procedures are considered to be medically necessary. In anonymously surveying some of the nation's largest insurance companies, Attorney General Spitzer discovered that they had been withholding such information from patients. LTD Benefits Denied Due To 'Substantial Evidence' Based on "substantial evidence" and its discretionary authority to determine a participant's eligibility, an insurance company's decision to terminate a beneficiary's long-term disability (LTD) benefits was reasonable, according to a ruling by the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. High Court Ruling Expected On HMO Courtroom Venue The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments as to whether suits brought against a health maintenance organization (HMO) can be brought in a state court system or a federal one. Which courtroom venue is selected can have major financial consequences because a state court can award high amounts of punitive damages, whereas, in a federal court, participants would be limited to the value of the benefit denied by an HMO. Disproportionate Impact Ruling Is Expected A case to determine if the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) permits lawsuits on the grounds that an employer's action had a "disproportionate impact" on its older workers, will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court next fall. A similar suit has already been settled by the high court, allowing "disproportionate impact" under the Civil Rights Act. Legislative Action Get informed with the latest in legislative action. Topics include:
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