2006 Issue Briefs

This Issue Brief explores whether an old concept (benefit design) and a newer concept (evidence-based clinical information) can be more explicitly linked in order to better focus care on health improvement, and to discourage services and costs that do not result in improved health. EBRI Issue Brief Feb 16, 2006 16 pages

Four issues dominated the most recent Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) policy forum, which was devoted to the release of a ground-breaking nationwide survey of consumer-driven health plans and a discussion of the results. Press release. EBRI Notes Feb 2, 2006 12 pages

These two articles report current data on assets and trends in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and Keoghs (for the self-employed), and on the sources of income of the elderly (age 65 and Over). IRA press release. EBRI Notes Jan 16, 2006 16 pages

A new EBRI study shows the value of preserving lump-sum distributions from 401(k) and assets from other retirement plans when you switch jobs: “A significantly higher percentage of those who spent their lump-sum distributions entirely reported their standard of living (in retirement) as being somewhat or much worse than was reported by those who rolled over their entire distribution (24.5 percent compared with 16.2 percent),” the study says. EBRI Issue Brief Jan 10, 2006 44 pages