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Overheard: Quotable quotes from BF&E '09

We're having a peachy time here in Atlanta at EBN's 22nd Benefits Forum & Expo! To give you a sense of the atmosphere of the conference, here's a list of some of the best quotes I've heard so far:

* "I think when the House passes its bill and the Senate passes its bill, the White House will attack the House bill as going too far and being too over the top." —Michael Leavitt, former Health Secretary, on his predictions for the future of health care reform.

* "I didn't want employees because, to me, employees are people who come late, leave early and steal while they're there. So, I don't have employees; I have team members. Because you have to manage employees. You can lead a team." —Dave Ramsey, personal finance expert, author and TV personality

* "I don't think we'll see carrots; I think we'll see sticks painted orange." —Don Powell, president and CEO of American Institute for Preventive Medicine, on the future of wellness incentives.

* "The credit card is the cigarette of the financial world." —Dave Ramsey, on the damage credit card debt can do to employees' financial health

* "We've been debating whether health care is a right or a privilege. I say it's neither. I say it's a need." —Michael Leavitt

* "Pour champagne on it and watch it grow." —Lesley Lieserson, director of benefits planning, design and communications for Home Depot, on the importance of celebrating wellness success.

* "Imagine if we set up the auto industry like we've set up the health care system. Imagine going to buy a car and the dealer saying to you, 'Pick one out and we'll send you the bills in a few weeks.' And then you get one bill from the chassis maker, one bill from the steering wheel maker, one bill from the dealer. We have to get out of this silo syndrome." —Michael Leavitt, on health care reform.

* "If food costs had risen as quickly as health care costs, we'd now be paying $80 for a dozen eggs." —Don Powell

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