Benefits Think Overheard: Offering worksite flu shots can backfire
In general, youd think that offering employees worksite access to seasonal flu shots or even the H1N1 vaccine would give employers a PR boost (unless youre Goldman Sachs).
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Benefits Think Tip of the Day: A how-to on performing dental triage
If you had a tooth knocked out, what would you do? I dont know about you, but after crying in pain and panicking, Id be pretty lost.
Benefits Think Overheard: Sick leave mandates will do more harm than good
As H1N1 spreads nationwide, some congressional lawmakers are making the pandemic political and advocating for a national paid sick leave policy.
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: Calibrate your contributions
I read a release today that made me feel a twinge (only a twinge, mind you) of guilt. Ive been hearing for years from single folks how us workers with families get unfair special treatment more flexible schedules, better pay, better benefits.
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: 9 hours a night keeps H1N1 out of sight?
Could this be the new catchphrase for fighting swine flu? As shortages of the H1N1 vaccine persist, a study finds that another prevention method bay be just as effective, although possibly just as rare.
Benefits Think Overheard: Reaction to House passage of health care reform
What an exciting weekend it was! I watched news coverage of the House’s health care reform debate as if it were Game 7 of the NBA Finals. And as we all now know, House Democrats won out a squeaker of a vote, passing H.R. 3962 220-215, just two votes more than the 218 needed for approval.
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: Get Professor Laibson to name names
My colleagues at Money Management Executive have sussed out some interesting stats from Harvard economist David Laibson. According to the professor, although most of us still are saving too little for retirement, some 10% actually are saving too much!
Benefits Think News You Can Use: LTC Insurance Month couldnt have come at a better time
As the workforce ages, it seems age is not always accompanied by wisdom, as research from Prudential Financial shows just a small number of employees understand the benefits of long-term care insurance.
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: Beware COBRA subsidy audits
As if the venomous beast known as the COBRA subsidy hasnt been a tough enough snake for employers to charm, now companies have to worry about getting bitten by the IRS.
Benefits Think News You Can Use: Whole Foods drama leaves bad taste behind
Depending on whom you ask, the nations largest retailer of natural and organic foods can be held up as a model for health care reform for other employers to emulate or dismissed as a notorious cost-shifter that forces employees to ration their care.
Benefits Think Overheard: The funded status of US defined benefit plans remains a concern
That overtly obvious statement comes courtesy of Arthur Noonan, a senior consultant and actuary in Mercer’s retirement, risk and finance business, in reference to new Mercer data that show the U.S. retirement income system ranks sixth among 11 countries in a global pension index comparing private and public pension systems based on adequacy, sustainability and integrity.
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: Add retirement plan counseling to your exit interview processes
A press release I received from Hewitt this morning seemed pretty ho-hum at first glance: the consulting firm finds that last year 46% of job changers/laid-off workers cashed out their 401(k)s.
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: Ask no QDRO questions, and pensioners will tell you no lies
I know I dont need to tell you that times are tough out there, pros. So tough, in fact, that if your company sponsors a defined benefit plan, your participants might actually stage a sham divorce just to gain access to their pension funds.
Benefits Think News You Can Use: Split bills seen as last hope for health care reform
Democrats can placate Republicans by passing a bill that focuses on baseline health insurance reforms and budget-neutral measures that eliminate preexisting conditions, promote portability and cap out-of-pocket costs.
Benefits Think News You Can Use: Debate rages over health-risk age bands
A significant disparity in health insurance costs between young and old tied to risk-based ratings has crippled the individual and small group markets with generally fewer than 50 lives.
Benefits Think Overheard: The insurance industry is being very unfairly characterized
AHIP President Karen Ignagni may send David St. Clair a thank you note this week. On his blog last week, St. Clair, founder and CEO of MEDecision, defended the health insurance industry against charges from the White House and other lawmakers that carriers were throwing up roadblocks in the health care reform debate, following an AHIP report that showed average premium increases of some 40% if the reform bill being considered by the Senate Finance
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: Check your CFO’s pressure
No, not his or her blood pressure likely already pretty elevated these days, understandably but rather, his or her pricing pressure. Survey numbers from Grant Thornton show that a sound majority (77%) are most concerned about the price of employee benefits.
Benefits Think Overheard: Hartfords Food for Thought campaign demonstrates the value of income protection
My favorite color is purple, but I love living green. I use reusable shopping bags, recycle everything I possibly can, conserve energy as if I were paid to do so and would take a Prius over a Porsche any day.
Benefits Think Tip of the Day: Remember to add GINA to your compliance to-do list
Every day, I receive something in my inbox about GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) compliance. Literally. Every day. So, I know that if I’m that inundated, two things are true: This is important and you’re just as inundated as I am. That said, I’ll pass along a little of what I’ve found out about how you can survive GINA.
Benefits Think Overheard: Young leadership has strong representation throughout our enterprise
It seems that Best Buy has identified the secret decoder ring for understanding and motivating Gen X and Y employees. (Rumor has it that said decoder ring will be on sale in Best Buy stores nationwide in time for holiday gift giving.)