Review: Handbook of Employee Benefits, 7th Ed.

- New Edition of the Handbook of Employee Benefits Contains Critical Details About the New U.S. Health Care Reform Law. -

Over the years, the ubiquitous “Handbook of Employee Benefits” by Jerry Rosenbloom has been a staple on the bookshelves of HR managers across the U.S.  For over three decades it has provided reliable insight and answers on how to design and implement a sound employee benefits program. 

As of June 2011, the Handbook has gone through a major update and is now in its 7th edition.  Since the last update in 2005, the world of health and group benefits has gone through substantial change, and in response, the Handbook has kept pace.  Specifically, the Handbook now covers critical new information that every HR person in the U.S. needs to know regarding the recent Health Care Reform Law, through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The updated book is divided into the following topics:

The Environment of Employee Benefit Plans

Definitions, functional approach to designing, evaluating, and risk concepts.

Medical and Other Health Benefits

Evolution of health plans, cost containment, managing and measuring care management intervention programs, consumer-driven health care plans, behavioral health care benefits, quality of health care, pharmacy benefits, dental plan design, long-term care insurance, and disability income benefits.

Life Insurance Benefits

Group life insurance, and business uses of life insurance.

Work/Life Benefits

Time off benefits, family and medical leave programs, dependent care programs, educational assistance programs, group legal services plans, qualified transportation fringe benefits, voluntary benefits, and financial planning as an employee benefit.

Social Insurance Programs

Social Security and Medicare, disability benefits, survivor benefits, Medicare Part D prescription drug benefits, Workers’ Compensation, and unemployment compensation.

Employee Benefit Plan Administration

Strategic benefit plan management, cafeteria plan design and administration, fiduciary liability issues under ERISA, and employee benefits communications.

Group and Health Benefit Plan Financial Management

Federal tax law requirements for group welfare benefit plans, and funding health benefits – insured, self-funded, and captive arrangements.

Employee Benefit Plan Issues

Welfare benefits for retirees, employee benefit plans for small companies, multiemployer plans, and global employee benefits.

As you can see, the breadth and depth of knowledge of the employee benefit discipline that is covered in this volume is simply second to none.  Since individual chapters are written by some of the leading minds in the field, from academics to consultants to attorneys to human resources professionals, it provides a nice balance between reinforcing trusted theories and imparting wisdom gained through practical experience.

And now that it has been updated to include current information and real-world examples, the Handbook of Employee Benefits can serve HR and benefits professionals as the ultimate indespensible reference tool.

Read an excerpt at Amazon.com.

Other Resources on Employee Benefits

 Link to this page

 Link to this page

Related posts:

1. Review: Employer’s Legal Handbook
2. Review: Human Resource Management, 13th Ed.
3. Employee Manuals