Employee Benefits:
Company Actions to Limit Retiree Health Costs
HRD-89-31BR: Published: Feb 1, 1989. Publicly Released: Feb 1, 1989.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on non-government enterprises' retiree health plans and benefits, focusing on the companies' ability to change plans and benefits.
GAO found that, of the 29 companies it surveyed: (1) all could change their health care plans to help contain costs by restricting coverage to certain participants, limiting service coverage, and requiring participants to pay more of the coverage and service costs; (2) all perceived that they had the right to modify or terminate plans, with 27 companies having explicit language in their plans reserving their rights to modify or terminate plans; (3) all changed their plans in the 4-year period ended January 1988 by adding cost-containment measures or raising participants' copayments for coverage and services; (4) all cited concerns about the necessity of more drastic measures, due to rising health care costs and the Financial Accounting Standards Board's announced intention to require companies to disclose retiree health care costs in their financial statements; and (5) 26 companies remained committed to continuing retiree health benefits, but expressed uncertainty about their ability to do so. GAO believes that options Congress could consider to increase the security of retiree health benefits include: (1) applying pension policies to retiree health benefits; and (2) requiring companies with health plans to allow retirees to purchase coverage at group rates.
Oct 30, 2020
Retirement Security:
Other Countries' Experiences with Caregiver PoliciesGAO-20-623: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 30, 2020.
Sep 24, 2020
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Retirement Security:
Older Women Report Facing a Financially Uncertain FutureGAO-20-718T: Published: Sep 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 24, 2020.
Aug 28, 2020
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Retirement Security:
DOL Could Better Inform Divorcing Parties About Dividing SavingsGAO-20-541: Published: Jul 31, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 28, 2020.
Aug 13, 2020
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Retirement Security:
Older Women Report Facing a Financially Uncertain FutureGAO-20-435: Published: Jul 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 13, 2020.
Jun 16, 2020
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Retirement Security:
BLS Should Explore Ways to Improve the Accuracy, Timeliness, and Relevance of Its Cost-of-Living MeasurementsGAO-20-422: Published: Jun 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2020.
Feb 27, 2020
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Private Pensions:
IRS and DOL Should Strengthen Oversight of Executive Retirement PlansGAO-20-70: Published: Jan 28, 2020. Publicly Released: Feb 27, 2020.
Jan 9, 2020
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Social Security Disability:
Action Needed to Help Agency Staff Understand and Follow Policies Related to Prescription Opioid MisuseGAO-20-120: Published: Jan 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 9, 2020.
Dec 18, 2019
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Capitol Police:
Potential Effects of Raising the Mandatory Retirement AgeGAO-20-137R: Published: Dec 18, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2019. -
Millennial Generation:
Information on the Economic Status of Millennial Households Compared to Previous GenerationsGAO-20-194: Published: Dec 13, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2019.
Oct 21, 2019
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Military Pensions:
Servicemembers Need Better Information to Support Retirement Savings DecisionsGAO-19-631: Published: Sep 19, 2019. Publicly Released: Oct 21, 2019.
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