Contact: David Carew
(615) 661-0249, ext. 8077
dcarew@mleesmith.com

Widespread Confusion About Employer-Offered Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to Be Cleared Up in Nationally Broadcast Audio Seminar

NASHVILLE, August 9, 2004 — Enacted by Congress in January 2004, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have been trumpeted as a significant new way to lower employer health care benefits costs and reduce employees’ taxes.

But there has been one major problem.

HSAs are very confusing to America’s HR professionals and benefits specialists. So confusing, in fact, that the IRS and Treasury Department have been FLOODED with questions about them from U.S. employers. And so confusing that those same federal agencies have been forced to issue clarifications about them, including one just last week.

Now—to answer the many lingering questions about HSAs—M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC is presenting a live, nationally-broadcast audio seminar entitled “HSA Update: Clearing Up Confusion About Health Savings Accounts” on Thursday, August 19 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Featuring Ashley Gillihan—one of America’s premier experts on corporate benefits—the audio seminar will provide clear answers to all the most-frequently-asked questions about HSAs, including:

• How do HSAs relate to an organization’s other benefits?
• Who, specifically, is eligible for HSAs?
• What are the smartest, most effective ways to set them up?
• What are some real-world tips for using HSAs to lower health care costs?
• What must employers do to be in legal compliance?

Then—moving into the more complex facets of Health Savings Accounts, Ashley Gillihan will answer these common questions:

• Do employee assistance programs ("EAPs"), disease management programs, and wellness programs adversely impact eligibility to make an HSA contribution?
• What is the effect of Medicare eligibility on "eligible individual" status?
• Is it permissible to have health coverage limitations (such as lifetime limits, caps on specific benefits, amounts in excess of usual and customary fees, pre-authorization penalties, and excluded services or treatments) in a health plan intended to qualify for high deductible health plan (HDHP) coverage?
• Can certain drugs qualify as "preventive care" for HSA purposes?
• To what extent do cafeteria plan rules (e.g., benefit election change rules, cafeteria plan non-discrimination rules, etc.) apply to HSA contributions made through a cafeteria plan?

Because “HSA Update” is an audio seminar, registrants do not leave their offices to attend. They simply tune in to the live 90-minute presentation via their office speakerphone or telephone and can train as many employees as they like for $167 per listening site. Companies register by calling KRM Information Services (which is handling registration for this event) at 800-775-7654.

More About The Featured Speaker
Ashley Gillihan is an attorney in the Atlanta offices of Alston & Bird LLP, in the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. Mr. Gillihan represents employers and third-party administrators in a variety of health and welfare benefit plan compliance matters, including, but not limited to, tax qualification and other Internal Revenue Code issues, ERISA, and HIPAA portability and privacy issues.

About M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC

Founded in 1975, M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC of Brentwood, Tennessee is the only company in America that produces a state-specific workplace law newsletter for all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. The newsletters are produced under the umbrella of The Employers Counsel Network, a nationwide network of law firms practicing employment law in each of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C. and Canada. The company also produces other newsletters, national workplace law audio seminars and conferences, and other information products for HR professionals, business people, and attorneys. For more information please visit HRHero.com or mleesmith.com.

Ashley Gillihan is now available for interviews and features. For additional information, or to schedule an interview, please call David Carew at (615) 661-0249, ext. 8077. E-mail: dcarew@mleesmith.com. For more information on M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC, please visit www.HRhero.com.

The company also offers full-service publishing and printing for other companies' newsletters.

Click here for more information about M. Lee Smith Publishers.