Employee Benefits

The Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (PWBA) adds a series of questions and answers to its Web site to help employee-benefit-plan administrators comply with pension, health and disability claims regulations it published last year. The new rules establish shorter claims-processing time frames, additional disclosure requirements and new standards for adjudicating claims. They apply to new pension and disability claims filed after December 31, 2001, and to new group health claims only for plan years beginning after June 30, 2002. Free copies of the document are available from the PWBA at 800-998-7542. http://askpwba.dol.gov/faq-claims-proc-reg.html )