I like to put a greater emphasis on HSAs, commonly known as CDHPs (consumer driven health plans).
If these are offered in conjunction with proper education, employees can become wiser consumers which can save them and their employers money. Promoting employee health and wellness is essential, not only in the workplace, but as individuals. Healthier people are more productive employees. It’s a win-win for everybody.
I offer free employee/employer training sessions throughout the year for anybody that wants to invest the time. I like to create comprehensive wellness programs. Sometimes targeting specific diseases to improve our education awareness and treatment plans for those that are interested. Showing them at the same time how to use the benefits that both the employer and the employee are spending valuable dollars on every month. This in turn will help lower healthcare costs and increase productivity.
I started practicing what I preach and joined Aspen Athletic Club with the assistance and guidance of a dear and trusted friend, Jason Marshall. I purchased two things: a membership to the club and a personal trainer. The reason I did that was to maintain the health that I currently have so that 5 – 10 years down the road, I am not a b basket-case when indeed, I could have prevented it.
Healthcare costs have been increasing at an alarming rate for the past decade. I refer to the Kaiser Family Foundation for a lot of the information that I share and I encourage you to look at their site as well.
The average premium on an employer-sponsored health plan has taken a 20% jump since 2013 and if you look back as far as 2008, it’s had a 55% jump according to their statistics.
The question that a lot of employers ask me is, is there a way to manage what’s going on. The first thing I encourage people to do is understand what’s contributing to the rise. We have a lot of consolidation of managed care companies, we have political and regulatory environments that we all must comply with, new medical technologies and the sky-rocketing costs of prescription drugs.
In addition, two big drivers of premium increase are an aging population and poor health. Some of these are preventable factors such as obesity and high blood pressure. To manage these costs, I am trying to engage employers in a number of solutions. Please read my following blogs throughput the month of June as I will be sharing different angles that I feel are worth your consideration.
To support NAMI Iowa (National Alliance on Mental Illness), and particularly in commemoration of May being dedicated as Mental Illness Awareness Month, please read about their most recent event, “Beautiful Minds”.
This is their third year for this event, and it has grown every year by leaps and bounds. As a volunteer, I attended the reception hosted by Des Moines University and met the actors and actresses as well as local individuals and families that had messages to share. We have a lot of work to do. To help anyone with a mental illness with recognition, education, proper treatment and ongoing support.
After the reception, I volunteered at Governor Tom and Christie Vilsack’s home for a private dinner that they were hosting. They were one of twelve families that hosted each of the actors and actresses that you will find on the link above. The actress that was at the Vilsack home was Lisa Nicole Carson portrayed by Donna Scarfe. The collaboration of the guests and our various backgrounds in conjunction with Lisa’s story was very enriching. I encourage you to also note the sponsors at the bottom of the page.
When
is Memorial Day 2019? Learn more about the true meaning of Memorial
Day—and how it differs from Veterans Day. Plus, read a brief Memorial
Day history, facts about poppies, poetry, and picnic recipes!
When is Memorial Day 2019?
This U.S. federal holiday is celebrated on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military.
Year
Memorial Day
2018
Monday, May 28
2019
Monday, May 27
2020
Monday, May 25
Memorial Day History
The custom of honoring ancestors by cleaning cemeteries and
decorating graves is an ancient and worldwide tradition, but the
specific origin of Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was first
known, are unclear.
In early rural America, this duty was usually performed in late
summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics. After the
Civil War, America’s need for a secular, patriotic ceremony to honor its
military dead became prominent, as monuments to fallen soldiers were
erected and dedicated, and ceremonies centering on the decoration of
soldiers’ graves were held in towns and cities throughout the nation.
After World War I, the day expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars.
No less than 25 places have been named in connection with the origin
of Memorial Day, and states observed the holiday on different dates. In
1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress; it
is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.
Since it all started with the Civil War, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of this event by visiting the Library of Congress Civil War collection, which includes more than a thousand photographs.
The Poppy, A Symbol of Memorial Day
The wearing of poppies in honor of America’s war dead is
traditionally done on Memorial Day (not Veterans Day). The origin of the
red poppy as a modern-day symbol of this day was actually the idea of
an American woman, Miss Moina Michael. Read more about the inspiration for the poppy.
In war-torn battlefields, the red field poppy (papaver rhoeas)
was one of the first plants to grow. Its seeds scattered in the wind
and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground is
disturbed—as it was by the very brutal fighting during World War 1.
The practice of wearing of poppies was further inspired by the poem
“In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by Canadian soldier John
McCrae. He saw the poppies in burials around his artillery position
in Belgium.
Today, poppies are both the symbol of loss of life as a symbol of
recovery and new life, especially in support of those servicemen who
were damaged physically or emotionally.
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Difference Between Memorial Day and Veterans Day
Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a
day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the
service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a
result of wounds sustained in battle.
While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL
who served—in wartime or peacetime—and whether they died or
survived. Veterans Day is always observed officially on November 11,
regardless of the day of the week on which it falls.
Disability income protection is another overlooked necessity as far as your personal insurance is concerned.
We insure things that can be replaced: our home, cars and our toys, but without our lifeline (our income), none of the rest of these things would be possible. Yet, what have we done to protect that in the event of an illness or accidental disruption.
This affects our lifestyle and any and all persons that depend on our income, however small or however great, it’s like putting a crimp in the garden hose.
Income protection is relatively simple and easy to attain and again, proportionate to occupation and income, it is extremely low-priced. Easter Seals Iowa is a fabulous resource to enrich your own knowledge on how broad the span is of needs. I’m providing a couple of their marketing videos that really show how bridging this income gap, until one has ample time to recuperate, changes the mind body and spirit necessary to become whole again. Please call me, our consultations are free. You will be pleasantly surprised.
If we looked at all of the different types of insurance that we should carry to protect ourselves (think of this as a spare tire or a tank full), one would say to themselves, “How am I going to do that AND pay the bills”.
If that thought crosses your mind on a good day, how do you think you’d pay the bills if you were involved in a situation unexpectedly or too late to successfully go through an underwriting process.
My point is, any and all insurance that you need, if it’s proportionate to your income and your cash flow, is doable. I cannot tell you how many times I see someone over-insured on one area, under-insured or not insured at all in another area.
This is like building a house and putting a foundation in one corner and no foundation in the other three. This is why I ask you to please make time for the people you love, and the lifestyles that they’re accustomed to, to take a moment for a free consultation.
Outside of the given health insurance that we all need and carry, we need to prepare for two life events that seem to be overlooked. Disability income protection and appropriate life insurance. The application of these types of insurance can be for personal needs, buy/sell agreements with business partners/ventures or succession planning with a business, a farm operation or our personal assets being transferred to the next generation. Please call me, our consultations are free.
I learned a lot and I found the results appalling, heartbreaking and unacceptable. I feel like we are sitting in the richest country on the planet. We are in a top agricultural State and are home to the World Food Prize, yet we still have children going hungry.
In memory of my husband, Dan Sears, I decided to make my small attempt to help the situation. I cannot do this alone. You will notice that we have an unprecedented collaboration of five well-known restaurateurs plus Frances Graziano and the Italian American Cultural Center of Iowa providing a fabulous dinner to accompany our presentation for the event.
Here’s what I need and want from you. Please share this on every personal and professional level including your Facebook page, website, newsletters, blogs, fraternal organizations and your children’s/grandchildren’s schools. We need to fill seats at the event and we need cash donations.
This can all be done on Food Bank of Iowa’s website, either personally or your company and the tax letters will be sent from the Food Bank of Iowa directly do you. If I can knock this one out of the park, it is my intention to make this an annual event. Hunger and kids deserve our attention.
Through this Lenten Season, please keep these children in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your support.
Whether you are an individual concerned about your personal assets being passed on to beneficiaries of your choice or a business owner wanting to do succession planning for whoever is next up in your business, you need to factor in to your estate planning or buy/sell agreements life insurance.
Going to the bother and expense of setting up wills, trusts and buy/sell agreements with the idea that your wishes will be honored is great, but there is a problem if the expenses involved in this transaction are not provided for via life insurance.
The net or bottom line if a person does not fund these agreements looks very different than what you think your assets are worth. Calculating your needs is key to handling this in a proper manner.
Call me. We can do the calculations and quotes free of charge and I’d be happy to work with your other professionals in place, such as your property casualty agent, attorney, CPA, banker and anyone else that you desire to be a part of this conversation. This is important stuff and after the fact, it’s too late. Please give me a call.
Group health insurance benefits are essential, whether you are a small business or a large business. A job has a pay range from high to low based on many factors; such as location, industry, expertise, etc. but another factor is the benefits that the company offers. If I were looking at a position with a median income and rich in benefits, as opposed to a higher pay scale and no benefits, I would be much better off with the benefits.
Employers that are looking to attract and retain top talent must be attentive to these benefits. The benefits could be health, dental, vision, disability income, life insurance, flex plans, etc. The option could be voluntary or not, depending on the size of your group and how generous you would want your offering to be. I have said for years that if all of the insurances that we should carry are proportionate to your needs and your budget, they can be a reality. I oftentimes see a company or an individual over-insured in one area and underinsured (to not at all) in another area. In some cases, this has been because they have done business with multiple agents over a period of time and there is just not the cohesiveness to ensure a good plan. This is not good business. I strongly recommend a comprehensive overview of your entire package.
I recommend employer/employee meetings. It is great to have all of this in place, but then teaching the employees how to use their coverage is essential. They/we all know what we know; we don’t know what we don’t know. There is never such a thing as a silly question; and yet, you can ask the same question more than once… we get it. Insurance can be difficult unless you are actually in the business. There is nothing scarier than an individual that thinks he knows it all that has not been in the business. The information and the facts are easy… Google has you covered. Applying the information and the facts (believe it or not) requires an expert. I can paint my own house, too… and it would look like it! Don’t be silly – this is expensive and serious stuff. Your family depends on it!
The health of your employee workplace directly affects your profitability. The amount of dollars that mental health takes from the workplace is in the billions nationwide and is increasing rapidly. Let’s get to the bottom of the issues; educate, get proper diagnosis, treatment plans and cope productively. Mental health is a mandated benefit. Instilling healthy habits and creating incentives at local athletic clubs is essential. I practiced what I preach – I did this myself and I feel different. I never felt bad, but now I feel great. I’m happy to share if you are interested in some good referrals. This nets less time off, more energy, positive attitudes and the elixir of a good life… laughter!
An added convenience that Wellmark plans have is a benefit called Virtual Visit Benefit. This gives your busy employees 24/7 access to care at a lower overall cost. With the Virtual Visit benefit, your employees can connect face-to-face with a doctor from virtually anywhere using a smartphone, tablet or computer. Virtual visits are less expensive than traditional office visits. The doctors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! This means that your employees can schedule their visits before or after working hours or on holidays if necessary. This has proven to save expensive trips to the emergency room. This helps even more so if you have tight schedules or short lunch breaks; work or live in rural locations with limited access to healthcare; busy caring for children or aging parents; high deductible plans or those that have to travel for their jobs. Doctor On Demand is easy – call me and I will happy to help you.
If you are a Wellmark insured, please take time to download the Go Mobile app. It’s great! You can manage your health on the go with helpful tools such as claims, flex, benefits, ask a question, wellness services, mobile ID card, view doctors and hospitals in a plan network, share information, find the nearest doctor or facility and view a map. Call me and I will help you install the app – you will like it!
We are here to help you take a look at the big picture and create a comprehensive plan geared to your needs and your budget. My consultations are FREE!
The contribution limit for self-only HDHP coverage remains at $3,450. If you have a family plan on a HDHP you can contribute up to $6,900. It’s not too late to get this in if you haven’t filed your taxes yet for 2018. I encourage you to talk to your accountant/CPA to see what your tax savings might net you, but it’s worth the conversation.
