Sep 2000 Small employers can use self-funding as an alternative for providing health care benefits to employees. Self-funding is not appropriate for all small firms, but for those for which it is feasible, the arrangement offers the means to obtain some control over health care costs while provided benefits employees expect. To determine whether or not self-funding is feasible in their situations, employers should consider the average age of employees, level of benefits, cash flow, multiple plan options, and multistate locations. Employee Benefits Journal v25 no3 pp 48-51 Sep 2000 Private equity may not be appropriate for the investment portfolios of many multiemployer pension plans. Trustees who want to use private equity in such plans need to understand the practical considerations associated with this investment option.
Private equity involves investments for which there is no public market.
Because the private market is informationally inefficient, investment returns can be extremely high. Private equity, on average, has produced high returns with low correlations to public stocks, bonds, and real estate. Practical considerations for review include the return pattern, diversification, contract terms, fees, foreign investments, and economically targeted investments. Exclusions of Infertility Treatment in the Aftermath of Bragdon v. Abbott. In the case of Bragdon v. Abbott, the United States Supreme Court held that reproduction is a major life activity for purposes of the Americans with Disabilities Act.