Market Areas > Human Resources > Healthcare Costs

The Big Stink: Managing Smoker Healthcare Costs Legally and Effectively

Course Description:

Pressure to reduce health care and workers’ compensation premiums has employers focusing on lifestyle choices and at-risk employees.  One of the easiest assailed groups is smokers.

Some companies have no-tobacco policies requiring employees to verify that they do not use tobacco products.  Providing false information when signing any insurance plan is considered fraud.  In fact, Whirlpool recently suspended 39 employees for lying on their benefit enrollment form about their smoking status.      

Companies like Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance have raised premium contributions for smokers, and more aggressive organizations like Alaska Airlines and Union Pacific have ceased hiring tobacco users all together.

But before you take action based on your employees’ smoking/non-smoking status you need to carefully consider the legal issues associated with HIPAA, ERISA, the ADA, Title VII and other federal and state laws.

Join CCM and our expert faculty in this critical audio program to learn: 

• How smoking directly affects not only the bottom line, but also production and efficiency
• How HIPAA's Non-Discrimination Rules affect Wellness Programs
• Why you need to take health factors into consideration under ERISA
• What obstacles you might face from the ADA
• What states have laws protecting off-duty conduct and how to determine if there is a violation
• What information is legally required to remain private and confidential and what isn’t
  

Featured Faculty:

Steven Friedman, Chair, Firm's Employee Benefits Practice Group

Mr. Friedman is Chair of the Firm's Employee Benefits Practice Group. He advises employers on a variety of aspects of employee benefits law, including the structuring and implementation of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, welfare and fringe benefit programs, earlyretirement programs and severance plans. He has extensive experience in counseling employers in ERISA and tax compliance issues related to employee benefit plans, dealing with governmental agencies which regulate such plans, and construing employee benefits laws such as COBRA and FMLA. Mr. Friedman also advises clients on the manner in which employee benefit plans may be terminated, modified or restructured and has proficiency in plan conversion issues.

Mr. Friedman has broad experience in dealing with the legal, financial and administrative issues arising under executive compensation arrangements, including deferred compensation, supplemental executive retirement arrangements and stock-related compensation (stock appreciation rights, phantom stock plans and stock option plans).  He has extensive experience in analyzing issues related to section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. His expertise extends to employee benefits issues in connection with corporate transactions. Prior to joining Littler Mendelson, Mr. Friedman spent almost ten years as Benefits Counsel for a major multinational electronics and entertainment company.  Mr. Friedman has appeared on CNN, and has been quoted in U.S. News and World Report, USA Today, The National Law Journal and many legal and business publications on employee benefits topics.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:

We're so confident you'll get what you want out of this conference that we'll refund every penny if you're not completely satisfied. No questions asked! It's 100% risk-free!

Pricing:

Unable to Attend?  Order the CD!
Your CD recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

APPROVED FOR RECERTIFICATION CREDIT:

HRCI - Receive 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

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