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Special Section on Health Care Benefits/Cost Management
The Searchers: How Consumers Can Find Cost-Effective, Quality Health Care 
by Oren Renick, Krista Chamberlain, Timothy W. Marlow and Brian J. Schade
There has been an increase in the cost of health care and limited information to substantiate patient satisfaction and perceptions of quality care, and there have also been barriers to information on patient satisfaction and quality. The Insurance Committee at Southwest Texas State University (SWT) began a patient satisfaction survey to monitor factors related to cost-effective and quality health care, including the performance of both providers and managed care organizations.
Workplace Strategies for Removing Obstacles to Employee Health
by Terese Steinbach
A number of workplace barriers may discourage employees from engaging in healthful behavior. Health management programs can help remove these barriers. Although it may be difficult to measure the exact return on investment of these programs, they definitely improve the likelihood that employees will pursue healthy behaviors and miss fewer workdays because of illness. The end result is improved morale and productivity.
General Articles
Examining and Embracing the Value of Coalition Participation
by J. Sean Kenney
Purchasers such as corporate employers, public sector groups and multiemployer trust funds are increasingly working together to save on health care costs and to influence the value of the health care system. Such efforts return significant savings and provide relatively small purchasers with leverage to manage health funds for better return to employees and members. The health care delivery system is consolidating rapidly. This trend increases the importance of working in a local coalition approach.
Health Care Cost Trends . . . and Implications for Employer Benefit Strategies
by John P. Cookson
Current increases in health care cost trends were actually predictable four or five years ago and are likely to continue over the next few years. By closely watching economic forces and utilizing technology that is almost certain to continue to improve, employers should be able to gain a better understanding of health care costs in the future and exercise more control over them.
In Defense of Social Security
by Steven E. Schanes
Many of the current proposals for Social Security reform would substitute individual accounts for the program as it now exists and are based on a misunderstanding of the role Social Security is designed to play in providing retirement income. This article examines and answers some of the attacks leveled at the present Social Security system.
The Role of an Independent Counsel in ERISA Fiduciary Liability Litigation
by Marc Gertner and Michael M. Briley
This case study provides an example of an effective approach to ERISA fiduciary liability litigation. By utilizing independent counsel to represent the fund involved and entrusting an independent fiduciary to oversee and implement the settlement, the case was completely settled in less than 18 months.
Pension Fund Real Estate Investments: The Role of the Qualified Professional Asset Manager (QPAM): A Primer for Trustees
by Stanley L. Iezman and Scott W. Darling
Trustees of pension plans that are governed by ERISA should make certain that their real estate investment managers qualify as a qualified professional asset manager (QPAM) under ERISA. In addition, trustees must be mindful of provisions of errors and omissions insurance policies.
COBRA: Managing the New Problems
by John G. Kilgour
For the first decade of COBRA's existence, there was relatively little administrative enforcement. Recently COBRA has become a complex and potentially costly area for employers. Since there is no statute of limitations in COBRA, employers may face particularly vexing problems.