On May 21, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), prohibiting employers from using genetic information for decisions on hiring, firing, promotions, or job assignments, and group health plans and health insurers from basing eligibility or premium determinations on genetic information.

Worldwide ERC, the association for workforce mobility, and Primacy Relocation announced Pittsburgh, PA as 2008's "Best City for Relocating Families" among large metropolitan areas. The study ranks the likelihood of a successful relocation. Among the factors used to determine this year's ranking were recent job growth for 2007, percentage of nearby top-ranked colleges, average in-state tuition for four-year public colleges, percentage of population growth since 2000, amount of pediatricians per 100,000 population, and separate sales and income tax categories. Conducted each spring, this is the fourth year Primacy and Worldwide ERC have conducted the study. Read more about the study.

SMB Human Resources interviews Cowden Associates' Executive Vice President, Vince Wolf. He discusses the results of the Cowden Associates 2007/2008 Tri-State Area Employee Benefit Survey, high deductible health plans and wellness.

Vince Wolfe of Pennsylvania-based Cowden Associates says that 84% of businesses responding to their 2007/2008 Employee Benefit Survey don't plan to adopt high deductible plans now or in the future. Wellness, he says, is the way to go.

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A survey commissioned by the AARP reports that the current downward shift in the economy is having a big effect on people age 45 and older, causing them to delay retirement and take premature withdrawals from their retirement savings. 27% of those over age 45 say they have postponed their retirement plans and over one quarter are struggling to pay mortgage or rent. The complete summary and the full survey can be found at the AARP website.

The U.S. Treasury Department updates health savings account (HSA) contribution limits:

The Treasury and IRS have released the 2009 inflation adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts under Code Sec. 223(g). For calendar year 2009, the annual limitation on deductions under Code Sec. 223(b)(2) for an individual with self-only coverage under a high-deductible plan is $3,000 ($5,950 for an individual with family coverage). A "high deductible health plan" is defined under Code Sec. 223(c)(2)(A) as a health plan with an annual deductible that is not less than $1,150 for self-only coverage or $2,300 for family coverage and annual out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, co-payments and other amounts, but not premiums) do not exceed $5,800 for self-only coverage or $11,600 for family coverage.

Treasury Department News Release, TDNR HP-975, 2008FED ¶46,431
Rev. Proc. 2008-29, 2008FED ¶46,432

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released additional clarification of the "QDIA regulation," the final regulations governing Qualified Default Investment Alternatives (QDIA). These regulations provide plan sponsors relief from certain fiduciary responsibilities under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) for investments made on behalf of participants or beneficiaries who fail to direct the investment of assets in their individual accounts. The guidance has been published in the form of a Q & A that can be found at the DOL website.

As reported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, from 2001 to 2005 health care premiums increased at a rate 10 times that of the median income. The disparity was even more acute in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia tri-state area, where incomes either fell or rose at a rate less than the national average. The tri-state breakdown:

Other of-note findings:

• The employer share of health insurance premium costs has increased by 28% nationally
• Americans with private health insurance fell about 6%

Read the full report for national totals and state-by-state breakdowns.