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That’s the scenario Don Powell, president of the American Institute of Preventive Medicine, explained would be the case if food costs had risen as quickly and sharply as health care costs over the last several decades. At a Benefits Forum & Expo session on Monday, Powell made the case to attendees on the importance of wellness programs – although to be honest, I think he was preaching to the choir – by detailing the hellishly expensive…

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…

Being a millionaire is so nice that Dave Ramsey did it twice. The renowned personal finance guru, author and TV personality famously lost $4 million in personal wealth in his 20s, only to pick himself up, dust himself off and apply the hard lessons he learned to making money and keeping it this time. …

At a Monday morning general session at EBN’s Benefit Forum & Expo, former Health Secretary Michael Leavitt warned benefits pros of the dangers to their plans that lie underneath the legalese in H.R. 3200 (the working health care reform legislation in the House). Among the potential worrisome elements in the bill is the proposed health care advisory board, which Leavitt said, “would have one job, and that is to set the minimum federal standards for what…

I'll always remember where I was when the news first came in, and I know you will too. Nothing since has been the same, and in the 3,000 days since, I know you've taken steps to protect your employees, information and facilities that you likely never thought necessary or possible on Sept. 10, 2001. …

Those alliterative pearls of wisdom come from Melissa Hubler, group leader of payroll & benefits at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., and EBN’s 2009 VSP “GetFit” Benny Award winner. I recently sat down with Hubler and her four fellow Benny honorees to hear the valuable life lessons the recession has taught them — personally and professionally — and what items they would recommend for stocking a “recession survival kit.” …

To be fair, no one really said that – but I just couldn’t resist. It’s not every day you get to write a headline like that. Anyway, “You Have an Ugly Baby” actually is a book by Daniel Rickard that takes a new look at the health care quandary by focusing on prevention and wellness. …

Okay, so, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that, according to the latest data from Mercer, if employers make no changes to health benefits in 2010, they’ll see cost rise by nearly 9%. The good news is that most of you have no intention of doing nothing, and in fact plan to hold cost increases to about 5.9% next year. …

I’ll admit that if given the option, I prefer to release my stress on the treadmill rather than tree pose. But there’s no doubt that yoga is great for mind and body health, and much kinder on the knees. So, I’m happy to give a shout out to the Health and Human Services Department for designating September as National Yoga Month. …

When it comes to President Obama’s message on health care reform, I’d say things are a bit worse than “off track a little bit,” but I definitely credit Adam Bruckman, president and CEO of Digital Insurance, for his tact. Bruckman is one of the pros that EBA’s Elizabeth Galentine cornered for their input on what the president needs to tell the nation tonight in his televised address to Congress to get health care reform outta the…