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Health Insurance Reform

As much information as we can gather it regarding the new Healthcare Reform or Health Insurance Reform

 


 Business Insurance - Web News 
 On Our Radar Today Interactive 
  • Willis Helping To Push Healthcare Reform Over the Line!
  • AIG (AIG) Rips Higher; Unthinkable Thought Of Paying Back the US Becoming a Reality?
  • AIG (AIG) Rips Higher; Unthinkable Thought Of Paying Back the US Becoming a Reality? StreetInsider.com - 48 minutes ago Shares of AIG (NYSE: AIG) are ripping higher today on positive technicals and recent positive news about asset sales. Today, shares blew through the 200 day SMA of $30.48, now trading up 16.8% to ... more >>

  • Schwab Told To Pay $1.8M To Employee
  • damages under a Florida statute. The punitive-damages award was intended to compensate Leahy for conduct by Schwab's human-resources department that the panel said constituted "gross negligence." Leahy was also awarded $6,100 in costs. Paulino Nunez, a more >>

  • Immediate Benefits of the Senate and President's Health Reform ...
  • Access to Affordable Coverage for the Uninsured with Pre-existing Conditions. The President's proposal will provide $5 billion in immediate federal support for a new program to provide affordable coverage to uninsured Americans with ... more >>

  • If Your Actions Inspire People to Dream More, Learn More, Do More and Become More, Then You Are A Leader
  • Apparently, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States said that. I like that quote because, while so much writing, research, and advice focuses on what leaders say and do (which is right), sometimes people forget that the measure of a leader is found in how he or she affects others, and Adams makes the point so well.

    I encountered this quote in an "inspirational" slide deck with music called "Are You A Leader," which was apparently done by a company called Signature. A reader named Matt was kind enough to point me to it, suggesting I might like it.  I did like a lot of the quotes in it and it was well done, although it is a little too pretty and uncritical for my tastes, but that probably says more about my personality than the quality of the deck -- which was clearly done with much thought and care.


    more >>

  • NuView Systems Announces Successful 2009…from NuView Systems « HR ...
  • If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. We have unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and ... more >>

  • The Fourth Biggest Lie in HR: It's Our Parental Desire to Provide Great Benefits...
  • I’m here this week not to give you the normal PR spin about how strategic the HR function can be, but instead to call BS on the biggest lies in HR. It’s not that HR people want to lie. It’s just that we’ve created our own prison: the urban myths that have developed over the last 20 years as the HR function has matured. And so we’re trapped. We’ve spawned narratives that make the HR function seem like a cross between Mother Teresa and Stuart Smalley, while the team members—aka employees—we serve actually need more tough love, a cross between Jack Welch and Dennis Miller. They need that little thing called the truth, effectively washed down with a bit of leadership, personality and, at times, humor. Let's roll... The Fouth Biggest Lie in HR: It’s the company’s desire to provide strong benefits to all team members. How many shades of gray are there on the color wheel? While we like to take care of team members, if it wasn’t part of the American health care system and a competitive ...
    more >>

  • Marsh & McLennan Puts Kroll Unit Up for Sale for $1.3 Billion
  • Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc., the No 2. global insurance broker, has put up its security consulting business Kroll up for sale for $1.3 billion and received offers from several major private ... more >>

  • How engaged are your employees??
  • Last night I had the privilege  to see François-Frédéric Guy perform in his Sydney debut as part of the Sydney Symphony’s International Pianists in Recital Series. François-Frédéric performed three Chopin and three Beethoven pieces to a packed crowd of piano lovers. In particular he performed:

    CHOPIN 
    Nocturne in C minor, Op.48

    ...
    more >>

  • New RadarTweets List – Insurance Carriers
  • We also have created list of just insurance carrier related twitterers. Again let us know if you are not on here.

    Check it out:

    http://twitter.com/radartweets/insurers


    Filed under: Ancillary Carriers, brokers, ...
    more >>

  • RadarTweets list – Benefits Brokers on Twitter
  • We have created a Twitter list with just broker twitterers on it. 34 thus far. Let us know if you are not on here and we will add you!!

    Check it out:

    http://twitter.com/radartweets/benefits-brokers


    Filed under: Ancillary Carriers, brokers, ...
    more >>

  • The Fifth Biggest Lie in HR: We're Responsible for Work/Life Balance....
  • I’m here this week not to give you the normal PR spin about how strategic the HR function can be, but instead to call BS on the biggest lies in HR. It’s not that HR people want to lie. It’s just that we’ve created our own prison: the urban myths that have developed over the last 20 years as the HR function has matured. And so we’re trapped. We’ve spawned narratives that make the HR function seem like a cross between Mother Teresa and Stuart Smalley, while the team members—aka employees—we serve actually need more tough love, a cross between Jack Welch and Dennis Miller. They need that little thing called the truth, effectively washed down with a bit of leadership, personality and, at times, humor. Let's roll... The fifth biggest lie in HR: We’re responsible for the work/life balance of team members.I believe it was a man named Jack Welch who infuriated a bunch of HR pros at SHRM 2009 in New Orleans by daring to say that “there’s no such thing as work/life balance. There are ...
    more >>

  • The First HITECH “BOR” Scalp is Recorded!
  • I knew it wouldn’t take long for an enterprising broker who was compliant to take a major account away from a competitor!!

    Here is an excerpt of an email I received over the weekend from a broker in CA (not an Industry Radar client) :

    Dear Industry Radar:

    Your post a few weeks ago on BOR’s motivated me to make a number of phone calls

    ...
    more >>

  • How is that HITECH Risk Assessment Coming?
  • Two weeks after the HITECH law took affect if you are asking “What Risk Assessment?”, then you really are still asleep at the wheel on your obligations until HIPAA HITECH.

    Your business needs to comply with the the privacy and security provisions of HIPAA and HITECH.

    The way to determine the gaps you have with those laws is to do a full “risk assessment”.

    The Security rule has 3 components – the “administrative”, “physical” and “technical” that need a full assessment and gap analysis.

    Until you do the risk assessment you cannot even begin to put a plan into place for

    ...
    more >>

  • Insurers, Reaping Huge Profits, Hike Rates - CBS News
  • ©2010 Google FOXNews Insurers, Reaping Huge Profits, Hike Rates CBS News That company is Anthem Blue Cross , and Ilene Lisak is one of the unlucky customers. The company notified her by letter that her $525 a month premium is ... Sebelius Emphasizes Transparency of Costs to Health Insurance Providers Food Consumer Our Opinion: It's time for a vote on health -care reform The State Journal-Register If Reform Fails New York Times Appleton Post Crescent - Between The Lines all 1,147 news articles » more >>

  • What is “Dead Peasant” Insurance?
  • The insurance brokerage firm that placed the policies prepared two memos describing the deceased employees as “Dead Peasants.” These memos were part of the court's record in a lawsuit in which the United States Court of Appeals for the ... more >>

  • Managing stress at work: the 2010 IRS survey
  • IRS research finds that almost one-third of employers plan to increase their stress management measures in order to deal with rising levels of stress caused by the recession. more >>

  • Prices Force Westerners Overseas for Health Care « Health Articles ...
  • This entire area of medical “tourism” is one that requires a bit of getting used to and the information available on the Internet can be confusing at best. However, an extended conversation on this topic with an expert helped to bring ... more >>

  • The New Court of Public Opinion

  • There’s an interesting phenomenon that comes with the vastness of the online world.

    We can get opinions from anywhere.

    ...
    more >>

  • If Ron Paul abolishes the IRS how will we take those healthcare ...
  • Making every American eligible for a Health Savings Account (HSA), and removing the requirement that individuals must obtain a high-deductible insurance policy before opening an HSA. Reform licensure requirements so that pharmacists and ... more >>

  • How to grow old gracefully
  • Experts say old age need not be marked by disease and disability. Older adults can take action, even well into their 60s and 70s, to reduce the risk of developing chronic disease and avoid injury. more >>

  • White House Seizes On Goldman Sachs Report Of Health Premiums Rising (The Huffington Post)
  • What's Your Reaction? The Obama administration is making a late push for health reform by seizing on a report showing that market concentration for health insurance is so monopolized that insurance companies are willing to raise prices and lose customers in an effort to help their bottom line. more >>

  • 68% of American Public Supports Single Payer Healthcare Reform ...
  • Our grassroots organizing campaign to get an economic impact study to pass HB 1660, a Single Payer, guaranteed healthcare program for all. more >>

  • Mitt Romney: Obama Health Care Plan NOT Like Massachusetts Plan ...
  • "Federal funds had been applied to Massachusetts just like to the states for the care of the uninsured." UPDATE: DNC Press Secretary points out that Romney, during his Fox News Sunday appearance, praised the idea of an individual ... more >>

  • Patients And Doctors Benefit From Telemedicine « Health Articles ...
  • Often, medical tourism companies can offer lists or recommendations of providers in other countries who regularly utilize telemedicine. Because telemedicine is becoming an increasingly popular method of treatment in a variety of ... more >>

  • 25 Words or Less: Winner packs health reform polemic into 25 words (Press of Atlantic City)
  • I thought at least one 25 Words or Less contestant would say nothing should be salvaged from the health care reform efforts of the past year. But no. more >>

  • PCs Narrow Customer Experience Gap With Apple
  • Earlier this year I published the 2010 Customer Experience Index (CxPi) that ranked 133 companies across 14 industries. As a follow-on to that analysis, I recently published a research report focused on the six computer manufacturers on the list. The overall industry average improved two percentage points, going from 64% to 66% – crossing into the “okay” range. And, Apple was once again well out in front of the pack.

    Here are the results for the 2010 CxPi and

    ...
    more >>

  • Debate over Medicare in '60s not unlike health care fight today - Ocala
  • ©2010 Google CBC.ca Debate over Medicare in '60s not unlike health care fight today Ocala Back in 1964, I became a medical and financial auditor for Florida Blue Cross , and I suppose those reporters who criticize health care today were not even ... Terri Gerner column: Consumers need control of health care Appleton Post Crescent Editorial: Bay State shows pitfalls of health care reform Eagle Tribune Rippy: Let's take them one at a time Mt. Vernon Register-News Huffington Post (blog) - The San Marcos Mercury all 118 news articles » more >>

  • Cost Savings in Automating HR Management and Benefits | Human ...
  • Human Capital Management Solutions – Benefits of using UltiPro ultimatesoftware.com provider of strategic HR, payroll and talent management ... The Benefits of Human Resource Outsourcing If you own a business, regardless of their size,. ... more >>

  • Strategy to Keep Your Job?
  • No matter your job or your industry, this year is a challenge for employment. In 2008, 48% of employers laid people off, according to a Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) survey cited at CNNmoney.com.

    This number is anticipated to rise in 2009 and the job market is not expected to recover until 2011, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement firm.

    These odds are not in your favor, but you can

    ... more >>

  • Massachusetts Privacy Law
  • Law: MGLC.93H; Res. 201 CMR 17:00 et seq.

    Alfred B. Fowler, Attorney at Law

    Effective March 1, 2010 employers (with employees residing in Massachusetts) who own, license, store, or maintain personal information about an employee who is a Massachusetts resident, regardless of the employer’s business location must institute special security measures.  For purposes of the regulation, personal information includes first and last name (first initial plus last name) in combination with a social security number, driver’s license, or state I.D. number (?)  or a number to an account held in a financial institution (bank, brokerage, savings, etc.) or a credit/debit card number (with or without PIN number) which would allow someone access to the account. Employers with this kind of information in their records, whether on paper or held electronically, are subject to the following rules:

    1.    Encryption.

    ...
    more >>

  • Boris Groysberg's Research on Star Employees: Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth
  • I have written here fairly often about the research by Harvard Business School's Boris Groysberg on the virtues and limits of star employees.  I believe my last post described has delightful research that shows -- I especially love his research showing that firms should steal superstar women, not men.  It turns out that when star men move to another firm, they tend to a lot worse in the new setting.  In contrast, star woemn tend to sustain their performance when they go to another firm.  Groysberg suggests this difference is explained because women are more skilled at establishing new relationships and less likely to engage in dysfunctional internal competition in their new firms.

    Boris's new research is equally fascinating, a while back, he sent me an article

    ...
    more >>

  • The 5 Stages of Grief HIPAA HITECH Style
  • The five stages of grief is something all of us have experienced in our personal lives at one time or another.

    It is amazing how similar many conversations I have every day with brokers are to these stages.

    Denial is not a river and I have had some funny ones here often being accused of making up the rules that are required. In fact I had one women who did not believe my description of breaches and reporting and told me to “Prove it!”.

    ...
    more >>

  • 5 surprising ways your TV is slowly killing you
  • AP file

    Recent research reveals the weirder ways television is ruining your life.



    more >>

  • HR, Influence and the Dollar Menu
  • So much discussion and passion around the recent "Best of" lists that have been floating around the HR Blogosphere.  HR Examiner's John Sumser has definitely touched on a hot topic within the HR Space with his lists: Top 100 HR Influencers,Top 25 Most Influential Online Recruiters, etc. Also, check out 25 Best HR Experts, Blogs and Influencers to Track in 2010 (seems Steve Levy didn't make this one either, must be a conspiracy...).  The FOT hosted the weekly HR Talk Show - The HR Happy Hour, this past week just to discuss this topic (check out the archive - here).  I tend to think of all of these lists as just that - lists.  You come up with something you want to measure - let's say Jessica Lee's Top 10 HR People She Wouldn't Mind Never Seeing Again - then you pick the 10.  Should I feel overly excited or sad that I made JLee's list - probably not - but then again, I'm not sure who might be reading the list and think of me differently because I'm on it. ...
    more >>

  • Chaos is not a strategy
  • imageTwo seemingly evergreen threads have converged in my mind: First, is social media measurable? And second, the notion that soon, there will be no use for social media directors (or managers or coordinators) in organizations.

    I have written several posts on what it means to be strategic in your approach to any communication effort, whether it’s social or traditional, internal or external. Others have taken up the cause, most recently Shannon Paul who elegantly reinforced my insistence that being strategic means you align your efforts with your organization’s (or client’s) business

    ...
    more >>

  • Insurance Agents Fined for not Having Security Plans
  • This is a great article from Insurance Journal on the need for brokers to get on top of security issues not just for HIPAA HITECH, ” Red Flag”, GLBA, state privacy laws et al.

    There is a great resource on the IIABA website on this and other technology issues specifically for agents,

    ...
    more >>

  • Your Healthcare is in the mail...
  • Last-chance prostate cancer med holds promise
  • A study suggests that an experimental drug may modestly extend the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer who are no longer responding to other treatments. more >>

  • We Will Move Forward on Health Insurance Reform, Including Best Ideas of Democrats and Republicans
  • WASHINGTON, March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on President Obama's remarks at the White House on health insurance reform legislation, which... more >>

  • Q&A: Should men be tested for prostate cancer?
  • The American Cancer Society revised its guidelines for prostate cancer screening on Wednesday. more >>

  • MetLife -- Are boomers in the middle...of self-delusion?
  • ...end. Okay, that doesn't mean that it should be sub-divided into three groups. But so it goes -- MetLife released its Boomers in the Middle... more >>

  • Seasonal affective disorder increasingly a workplace issue
  • say they are entitled to schedule changes, access to windows and other modifications. Recent legal rulings are prompting human-resources experts to warn about the need to take the depression seriously. 'Some people brush you off, saying you're just in a more >>

  • Continuous Screening May Create Issues for Employers - Workforce Management
  • Continuous Screening May Create Issues for Employers Workforce Management Mary Massad, director of recruiting for Administaff, a professional employer organization , does not advocate infinity screening for client companies. ... Special Report on Background Checking—Burden of Proof Workforce Management ... more >>

  • Sebelius, Aiming At Health Premiums, Well-Versed On Industry
  • Sebelius, who scuffled successfully with the industry years ago as a state insurance commissioner, is taking aim at rising premium rates as she joins President Barack Obama's push for an overhaul of... more >>

  • Limra Analyst: U.S. Sales of Life Insurance Won't Return to 2008 Levels for Two Years
  • A.M. Best Company Inc. Welcome to the A.M. Best Web Site. To browse our site you will need a frames capable browser. Please select one of the free download options below to get a frames capable browser. Download Internet Explorer 4.0 Download more >>

  • The Wellpoint Effect - Huffington Post (blog)
  • Health Courts Could Become Tort Reform Option
  • In his letter to congressional leadership on Tuesday, President Obama-under fire from the GOP for not better addressing tort reform in current healthcare legislation-called for funding alternative demonstration projects, such as health courts, for resolving medical malpractice disputes. Health courts, virtually unknown in the U.S. but used in other countries, could provide an alternative to jury trials in current medical malpractice cases. more >>

  • 7 Essential Online HR Resources for Your Small Business - Mashable (blog)
  • Mashable (blog) 7 Essential Online HR Resources for Your Small Business Mashable (blog) There are several well-written human resources blogs that offer pertinent, common-sense advice. Two of my favorites are Ask a Manager and Evil HR Lady. ... more >>

  • CIGNA International Introduces Health Assessments for Expatriates (Business Wire)
  • CLAYMONT, Del.----CIGNA International, a world leader in expatriate benefits, now offers employers an international health assessment for their globally mobile workforce. The health assessment is a preventive tool that helps identify expatriate employees’ health risks early before they can lead to illness and potentially jeopardize an employee’s assignment. more >>

  • Stockholm Syndrome and Ye 'Old Manager "Pass-Through"...
  • I'm here today on a mission of mercy.  From Downtown.  From Mitch and Murray. I'm here to talk about the Manager Pass-Through. Don't know what the Manager Pass-Through is?  Put that coffee down, you'll recognize it soon enough. The Manager Pass-Through is what managers of people do when they don't want to own tough or difficult news with employees.  It's been alive and well in every organization I've ever been a part of, and it's alive and well in your company.  Rather than owning bad news or a difficult conversation with an employee, managers look for an easier out.  You explain deflective reasons why the action you're requesting is necessary.  God forbid, you end up using terms like "them" and "we" to describe what's going on. "Them" and "we" (and words that mean the same thing) are at the core of the manager pass-through.  Rather than explaining to your team member why a particular course of ...
    more >>

  • The (recent) History of the World (one tag at a time)
  • In about a month, we’ll be celebrating the third anniversary of this blog.  We’ll save the cake, funny hats and weepy speeching for then, but today I would like to take the opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: consider our tags.

    Below you will see a total catalog of every single tag that has been generated in good times and bad, scandal, recession, recovery, slow days, crazy days, the

    ...
    more >>

  • Cheating: The Great Equalizer in a Bad Economy. Even in HR?
  • I read an article that highlighted the correlation between unemployment and cheating men.  As unemployment numbers rise so do the percentage of men who cheat on their significant other.   I know you are shocked.  Too be fair, stats on women are the same.  If you don’t believe me, check out exhibits A and B.  So this got me wondering about the entire concept of cheating during this economic slump, especially in the workplace.  Then I have to ask, is it bad or even wrong?  OK--Cheating on your Wife/Husband...whole 'nuther league. I'm not a fan of it and don't endorse it (it makes me quite sad actually).  But before you say, “I have never nor will I ever cheat my company”, as an HR pro ask yourself these questions:   Have I helped a coworker with a resume?  Have I ever not told supervisors when their employees came to me asking to review their non-compete? Have I encouraged coworkers to join professional networking organizations? Have I advised employees who have topped ...
    more >>

  • Now that you've passed out, dream about scaling a cliff without a rope.
  • "I didn't want to go to a big company and I didn't want to go to a startup. Scaling a company: that's the most enjoyable phase. That's what I like doing."

    That's a quote from Bill Watkins, Ex-Seagate CEO, in a recent San Jose Mercury News article about him becoming the CEO of a clean-tech company.

    Scaling a company. The most enjoyable phase. It

    ...
    more >>

  • Boss tweeting a no-no, many women say - Boston Globe
  • Earthtimes (press release) Boss tweeting a no-no, many women say Boston Globe That's one finding from a new national survey released today by Liberty Mutual Group, a Boston-based global insurance company. Specifically, the survey is ... Liberty Mutual Releases First-Ever Comprehensive Survey of Online Behaviors ... Business Wire (press release) all 7 news articles » more >>

  • Social Capital: The Currency of the Social Economy
  • The convention for creating financial opportunities is evolving and changing the way we seed prospects, promote our expertise and prowess, and connect with those who can help us learn and advance through the facilitation of strategic and mutually beneficial alliances.

    Digital capitalization is laying a foundation for expanding the need to cultivate and participate, not only in the real world, but also in the online networks and communities that can benefit us personally and professionally.

    In an era of democratized publishing and equalized influence, it can be said that engagement and participation are a new, powerful and effective form of “un” marketing. At the very least, this is an epoch of empathy.

    Social capital is a strong ally, an elite catalyst

    ...
    more >>

  • How to Understand Medical Tourism (Real Examples) | How To Guide
  • Sally Johnstone Sally Johnstone of the US is a big fan of medical tourism. She feels that prices for many procedures in the US are prohibitively expensive. more >>

  • SEC v. Assurant: A $3.5 Million Accounting Lesson
  • 21, 2010, the SEC asserts Assurant used improper accounting methods to record payments that the company received. The SEC charges Assurant with... more >>

  • Putting the 'resource' in human resource management - CivSource
  • Twitter Alternatives That Are All Business
  • improve the time it took to respond to customers, Beavers says. Additionally, the tool has been useful for onboarding new associates, helping them make contacts more quickly and catch up on company news by searching through past conversations, Beaver more >>

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