Sobering Statistics - We Face a Wellness Crisis

Let's face it. Certain health conditions happen with every company, no matter how big or how small your organization is. There is little that can be done to prevent a Premature Baby or a hereditary bone disorder, but many of the large claims that we see are preventable.

Let's explore some of the staggering statistics on just two of the major contributors of health insurance claims - Obesity and Smoking:

General:

• More than half of all Americans live with one or more chronic condition. {1}

• Most adults will be overweight or obese by 2030, costing $950+ billion. {2}

• Productivity losses related to personal and family health problems cost US Employers $1,685 per employee per year, or $225.8 billion annually. {3}

• This loss in productivity represents roughly 20% of the payroll. {3}

Obesity:

• Obese workers files twice as many workers compensation claims as non-obese employees. {4)

• Obese employees had seven times the medical costs for these claims, averaging $51,019 per 100 workers compared to $7,504 per 100 workers for people with normal BMI. {4)

• Obese employees lost 13 times as many days per 100 workers compared to 14 days per 100 workers for people with normal BMI. {4)

Smoking:

• Businesses pay an average of $2,189 in workers compensation costs for smokers, compared to $176 for nonsmokers. {5}

• Each employee who smokes costs employers $1,897 in lost productivity each year. {6}

• On average, smokers miss 6.16 days of work per year due to sickness (including smoking related acute and chronic conditions), compared to nonsmokers, who miss 3.86 days of work per year. {7}

• Employees who take four 10-minute smoking breaks per day actually work one month less per year than workers who don't take smoking breaks. {8}

• Construction and maintenance costs are 7% higher in buildings that allow smoking than in buildings that are smoke-free. {9}

As you can see, not only are the bottom-line health insurance costs increase dramatically, but ancillary effects are felt as well. Workers Compensation costs, lost productivity and absenteeism all affect the bottom line.

The good news is that these are two of the easiest "problems" to fix.

Offering your employees the "opportunity" to lose weight and/or quit smoking are relatively easy steps to pursue. Many programs are available via the Group Insurance Carrier and also local resources, such as the American Cancer Society and Weight Watchers. In fact, some Insurance Carriers offer incentives to companies and employees, such as reduced premiums for non-smokers and free Prescription drugs to help quit tobacco products.

Having a robust Workplace Wellness Program with a combination of incentives and disincentives is obviously an important step to creating and sustaining a culture of health.

Footnotes: 1. Trust for America's Health, A Healthier America: 10 Top Priorities for Prevention, March 2008 2. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health 3. Watson Wyatt 4. Ostbye, Truls, Archives of Internal Medicine, April 23, 2007 5. Musich S, Napier D, Edington D. The association of health risks with workers' compensation costs. JOEM. 2001;43(6):534-541. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and productivity losses - United States, 1997-2001. MMWR. 2005;54(25):625-628. 7. Halpern M, Shikiar R, Rentz A, Khan Z. Impact of smoking status on workplace absenteeism and productivity. Tob Control. 2001;10(3):233-238. 8. Americans for NonSmokers' Rights. Business costs in smoke-filled environments. 9. Americans for NonSmokers' Rights. Business costs in smoke-filled environments

Australians Should Compare Health Insurance Policies for Pre-Existing Condition Coverage   

Medical Billing - Achieving Better Collection Rates Earlier

Are you missing out on revenue? Studies from analyst firms that focus on the state of American medicine today show that many doctors are simply letting money flood through the cracks in the form of unpaid patient bills. This has to do with many different factors, but in many cases, a considerable part of the problem is how patients are billed, how they pay for medical services, and the healthcare provider's financial policy and follow through.

Health care, unlike other services, is not something that recipients usually pay for "up front" - that's because providers have to submit most bills to insurance companies first, to see how they pay. But more and more doctors are realizing that just because insurers are the first payers, that's no reason that money has to get "lost in the mix." Sure, some patients will always be unwilling or unable to pay, but better revenue collection processes will make it much easier for your patients to give you the money you deserve for provided services, and when many doctors actually look at what currently exists in their financial offices, they realize that, for many patients, barriers to payment are driving these high rates of default on medical bills.

Tips to Enhance Revenue Results

Analysts who have identified these problems often provide a range of solutions. Some of these have to do with how patients perceive their bills, and other have to do with staff motivation. Here are some of the common pieces of advice to maximize revenue.

Options at the Desk - present patients with payment options prior to billing the insurer. One option is a card on file that's already set up to pay patient responsibility amounts. Some patients may also need to utilize a deposit type of system if the office can see that patient responsibility will exceed a reasonable amount, for example, if the patient is pursuing high-dollar care services without an insurer.

Good Clear Communications - Let patients know what their deductible, co-pay and co-insurance amounts will be, not after the fact, but at sign-in, and ask for payment each and every time. Post highly visible customer friendly, easy to understand reminders.

Handling Objections - Give staff the tools to make these issues clear to patients.

Staff Incentives - Develop motivating programs that will reward those staffers who work proactively to help your office make more money by collecting outstanding dollars.

Front and Back Office - Ensure that your front and back office teams collaborate and create solutions together to gain additional revenue. All too often, these areas work independently of each other without concern for cause and effect.

All of this can help make your office a more profitable enterprise and pad the incomes of everyone who is working together to make a practice or clinic a responsible, caring part of a local community. If you think there's a chance that your office could be working smarter, it's critical to take a close look and do some long-term planning, so that you can successfully navigate tomorrow's health care industry and keep providing quality care to your patients.

Teaching Values to Kids

Teaching values to children is an important part of a parent's responsibility.

Setting aside one evening each week is one way that families can teach values.

Following are ideas for preparing a family value lesson. A sample lesson using the value of empathy is also included.

Preparing for a Family Value Lesson

1. Set the evening aside well ahead of time. This allows everyone to clear his or her schedule. You may want to pick one night a week or a month and permanently plan it in your schedule.

2. Choose a value to teach. You can choose the value or let your children suggest ideas.

3. Find materials that correspond with the value such as stories and games. Places to search for resources might be:

· Theological lesson manual · Faith based stories for children · The Internet · Children's magazines · Educational stores for children · Bookstores · Libraries

4. Find pictures or coloring pages that illustrate the value and stories you've chosen.

5. Make or buy a treat to enjoy at the end.

Family Value Lesson Example

Focusing on one value a week helps you to identify teaching moments throughout the week so you can reinforce that value.

Following is a sample family value lesson using empathy.

Value Empathy

Objective Learn how to positively reach out to others (this is covered in the "activities" below)

Materials Whiteboard & markers

Role-playing situations

Kindness award

Treat

Activities Discussion and brainstorm

Role-playing

Kindness award

Eating!

Procedures 1. Discuss/brainstorm the words Empathy and Kindness

· What does "empathy" mean? · What does empathy have to do with kindness? · Why should we have empathy? · What are some ways you can show empathy to another person? · Have you ever hurt another person's feelings? How did that make you feel? How did it make the other person feel?

2. Divide the family into groups. Ask each group to come up with a specific situation that illustrates empathy. Then, have the group use the same situation but not show empathy. You can role-play these situations in front of each other. As a family, discuss which one was more positive and why. How would they feel if they were the person(s) in this situation?

3. Show or make kindness awards. Tell everyone that during the week or this evening they will be choosing someone in the family to give this award to. The award can have a place to write the name of their nominee. Next, write or tell that person how they showed empathy/kindness and what they learned about empathy/kindness from their nominee.

Teaching values to kids is fun and rewarding. It not only improves your own family but also makes a positive difference in your community and the world.

Disability Insurance and Fraud Prevention

It is a bit easier for less than honest people to commit disability insurance fraud than other types of crimes. As a result, insurance companies are typically more wary of disability claims. With a life insurance claim, it is quite evident when someone becomes deceased.

Disability insurance is a little more open to fraudulent claims. Most insurance companies assign a caseworker and conduct annual reviews to limit the amount of exposure to fraud that may take place. Without these regular reviews, it is easier for a person to take advantage of this particular type of insurance than most other types of personal insurance.

It is the responsibility of the policyholder to prove that their injury or illness is the reason they are unable to earn a living. Many people claim the privileges of disability insurance but conveniently forget they have responsibilities as well. The most common cause of disability claim delays or denials is not with the insurance company; it is with the insured not giving them the proof required.

Be Ready to Provide Proof of Disability

Before any disability insurance plan will start paying a claim they require proof that there exists an injury or illness that is severe enough to prevent that person from earning an income. Insurance companies will never tell a person that they don't believe that such a condition exists, but they will, however, require a statement from a doctor.

The definition of disability is not purely on how a person feels. They may very well feel rotten but unless they are able to get a licensed physician to certify that they are unable to work, they are not likely to receive any disability insurance money.

While there may be other reasons why a claim is delayed or denied, most of the time, the adverse actions were caused by the insured not being able to get a doctor to verify the injury or illness that is preventing them from working.

DISABILITY TO-DO LIST: Read the Policy

Before something bad happens, read the disability policy. It is important to know, in the event that a person suddenly becomes seriously ill, or worse, disabled and unable to work, that the benefits offered are sufficient and there is an understanding of the required procedures in order to move forward.

Certification of the Illness or Injury

Secondly, anyone that is involved in an accident or becomes ill needs to contact a doctor who can certify that this person is medically unable to work. Otherwise the disability claim will most likely be denied.

Different Forms Of Medical Malpractice Cases

There exists several forms of medicinal negligence and no any two cases are always similar. Medical malpractice cases usually involve very many medicinal areas. As opposed to the common perception that medicinal negligence only relates to surgical errors, there are numerous other interactions with the doctors, hospitals or other health care practitioners that may result into negligence. Some of these situations are below.

One of most common situations of negligence is wrong diagnosis of diseases. Before a doctor can be able to take the most appropriate action in trying to treat the patient, they must always first recognize the cause of the disease. Wrong diagnosis is likely to lead into wrong medication. This will cause further injuries to the patient. Such patients are always entitled for compensation by those responsible.

Delayed diagnosis is another form of negligence. When a patient arrives at the health facility, they are always entitled for timely diagnosis so that they can be treated in time. Delayed diagnosis is likely to make the condition of the patient deteriorate. The common cause of such delays is always lack of adequate personnel at the health facility.

Errors during surgery may be another case of negligence. This may occur in many different forms. Some of these forms include wrong site surgery, this is error in communication of hospital records leading the surgeon to operate wrong site. Another surgery error is foreign objects being forgotten by the surgeon in the body of their patient.

During new born births, there may also be negligence by the doctor or hospital staff that may lead to injury or death of a child. Some of the common birth negligence includes mistreatment of difficult child, error during cesarean and complications in induced labor. These may lead to still births or even permanent brain damage of the unborn.

Anesthesia treatments should always be administered with a lot of care. This means that a qualified anesthesiologist must always review the patient health history before prescribing drugs to them. If the doctor fails to properly review the health records of these patients, they may prescribe wrong drugs that may have negative effect on the patients health.

As opposed to the belief by majority of people that medical malpractice cases are always caused by surgical errors, there are several other medicinal errors that are likely to lead to these. If the victim can prove that they suffered injury due to negligence of the practitioner or health facility, then they can be compensated. All they have to do is hire competent attorneys to represent them.

Defensive Domain Name Registration

As new generic top level domains (gTLDs) are added; those behind the latest registries may urge defensive domain name registration. So what is it - and should small businesses really care?

Defensive domain name registration is the practice of registering the name of your primary domain in different extensions and other variations.

For example, the registrant of example.com.au may decide to also register the.com version as well to prevent a competitor from doing so, or perhaps even exampel.com (known as a "typo" domain).

While this can be an expensive undertaking, corporations often do this to protect their brands from cybersquatting and to avoid having to take costly and time-consuming legal action should another party infringe on their brand - action that may or may not be successful.

Even a self-prepared submission under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) will cost a minimum of $1,500 for a single domain name; regardless of the outcome.

While large companies may register hundreds, sometimes thousands of names in an attempt to protect their brands, defensive domain registration can get a little overwhelming for small business; especially when those registrations start covering "typo" variations of their brand as well.

With so many extensions now available and more to come in the not too distant future; defensive registration can potentially become an expensive and time consuming exercise.

Regardless, should a small business snap up every extension it can to protect its brand?

Some believe most small businesses would be better served in investing money they might throw at dozens of defensive domain registrations in ensuring people can easily find them at their primary address. This includes shoring up search engine rankings on business name searches.

However, for non-US businesses, it makes sense to not only register their country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), but also the.com version as the.com extension will often have a high level of awareness among people in their own country.

If a company has a particularly strong interest base in specific countries, registering an equivalent extension may also be of benefit in those scenarios.

Businesses registering multiple names should also ensure that those names resolve to some sort of content; even if it's just a page providing a link to the main domain. Automatic redirects can also be used, but these should be implemented carefully so as to not trigger problems with search engines that may misinterpret the redirect as an attempt at gaming search engines in order to get better rankings.