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President Obama last night hosted a townhall meeting at the White House that aired as a one-hour special on ABC's news show 'Primetime Live.' Taking on questions from everything from how to pay doctors to how to pay for reform overall, the president offered few specifics to add to the ongoing debate on overhauling the nation's health care system.
At the peak of the economic collapse, it wasn't so far-fetched to predict that panicked consumers would make a run on banks, pulling all their money and stuffing it in their mattresses. Although fears of grand-scale bank collapes largely have faded, as the recession drags on, a new financial fear appears to have quietly taken hold. In a report in this month's EBN, Managing Editor Leah Carlson Shepherd details the rising number of consumers
The retirement outlook for employees age 50 and older is well, it's pretty bleak. But the stock market collapse from last fall and earlier this year isn't all to blame. New research shows that near-retirees aren't taking advantage of open opportunities to claw back their retirement savings, and instead are slumping their shoulders and resigning themselves to working longer.
In an impromptu appearance at today's White House press briefing, President Obama said he knows reforming the nation's health care system will be "complicated," but that he's "optimistic" about the chances for a bill succeeding. I'm generally a "can-do" sort of person, but I definitely would feel more likely to share his optimism if the cost projections — all of which are $1 trillion and upward — weren't so prominent and payment proposals weren't
It's a five-in-one tip today, from EBN Contributing Editor Jill Hudgins, benefits communication director for The Home Depot. This month, Hudgins offers her five tips for engaging employees in wellness and moving the needle on health care costs. She knows of what she speaks, as she leads communication for the thousands of employees at Home Depot's more than 1,500 stores across North America.
A new issue brief from Employee Benefit Research Institute has shined a new light on the pitfalls that may await if lawmakers move forward with the idea of a health insurance exchange. When I asked EBRI's Paul Fronstin, who co-authored the brief with Murray Ross of the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy, what must-haves a successful exchange should contain, he said, 'I think in order to have a successful exchange, you need to
EBN has an intern for the summer, and although I'm tempted occasionally to ask her to take down my Starbucks order and forward my constantly ringing phone to her desk, I don't — for two reasons. One, I've had that kind of internship experience and would never wish it on anyone — let alone someone as nice and talented as our dear intern. I genuinely want her to have a rewarding and educational experience
EBN's sister title Money Management Executive reports that as Americans see their pay cut and 401(k) matches suspended, they are worried about their preparedness for retirement, according to a Hartford survey. Thirty-four percent are either 'extremely' or 'very' worried about their ability to save for retirement, and 56% fear they'llhave to cut back on their contributions. Tom Foster, Jr., retirement spokesman for The Hartford, says companies should do what they can to encourage workers
A sweet summer treat and helping a wonderful cause? Sounds like a great way to spend a weekend to me! This Father's Day weekend (June 20-21), Wendy's will donate 50 cents from the sale of every Frosty product to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public dedicated to increasing adoptions in North America. Also customers can stop by Wendy's and donate by purchasing a Frosty pin-up for $1 each.
Strength in numbers tends to be true of most pursuits, but according to new research from Fidelity, couples are, well … awful at joint financial planning. So pros, you're definitely on the right track with offering financial education and retirement planning resources to spouses as well as employees. Among the somewhat startling findings:* Less than half of couples (45%) make decisions jointly regarding day-to-day financial decisions such as budgeting and bill payment.* Even fewer couples
Couple rising health care costs with the increased emphasis on consumerism and you've got more than enough reason to get familiar with Magnet Recognition facilities — a distinction given to hospitals and other health care organizations providing high-quality nursing care. Although most quality data available — what little there is, granted — addresses physician quality, EBN Contributing Editor Betty Long (an RN herself) points out that "nurses render 95% of the care that a patient
Just under an hour ago, the DOL-SEC hearing on target-date funds got underway. (No need to miss out on the events! Click here for a list of today's speakers and link to the live webcast.) Scheduled to testify today is Jeff Coons, co-director of research at Manning & Napier Advisors. The firm's primary gig is managing lifecycle investments for employer clients to the tune of about $16 billion. I spoke with Coons yesterday to get
With barely one generation of retirees under its belt, I think it's premature to say this, but here's a report (and accompanying video) from Fortune allt he same with a screaming headline: 'Has the 401(k) failed?' Granted, the economic collapse of last fall showed the biggest flaw of the 401(k) is that it has fast become workers' last best chance at securing their retirement, yet is vulnerable to the swings of the stock market. No,
We're entering the thick of baseball season; you can tell because the fastballs flying at you from Capitol Hill are coming fast and furious. From COBRA to HIPAA to health care reform, you need to keep your eye on the fastballs. Otherwise, as EBN Contributing Editor Nancy L. Bolton says, "they'll pop us on the head."
According to new research from investment advisory firm Financial Engines, although most 401(k) plan participants suffered significant losses in last year's economic collapse, with the right planning 'most people can recover, if they don't panic and were on a good track to start,' says Wei-Yin Hu, the firm's director of investment analysis and research.
Claims recovery services are supposed to work for you, but does it at times feel a bit more like a game of three-card monty? If so, this month's 'View from the Andes' column might help. Contributing Editor Karrie Andes voices her frustration with such vendors and offers her first-hand experience on how to beat them at their own game, so to speak. Click here to read how to beat the bamboozler.
Although I'm pleased as punch that you're reading the Daily Diversion today and sincerely hope you're also following EBN's updates on Facebook and Twitter, your manager might be much less thrilled. In a recent report on BenefitNews.com, Associate Editor Lydell C. Bridgeford relays details from a recent Deloitte survey that finds 60% of employers say they're will within their rights to monitor your social media interactions, and 17% in fact have programs in place to
Speaking today before attendees at the American Medical Association's annual meeting, President Obama called the current state of the nation's health care system a "ticking time bomb," saying, "If we don't fix health care, America may go the way of GM: Paying more, getting less and going broke."Reminding the physicians in attendance that to most Americans — including the first family — "you are the health care system; we just do what you tell us
We've all done it: Sent out an RFP for a new vendor/service provider and been rewarded with reams of paper that takes weeks to read through and in the end, may or may not contain the information we need to make an informed decision. If you've thought, 'There's gotta be a better way,' EBN contributor Patrick Haraden agrees, and offers his 10 tips on streamlining the RFP process to save you both time and
If there's a silver lining to this year's swine flu outbreak, it's that more attention is being paid to the issue of mandatory paid sick leave, say the powers that be at the National Partnership of Women and Families. The org's president Debra Ness said recently: 'The recent scare over swine flu should have taught us that urging workers to stay home when they are sick is not effective if workers have to forfeit