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April 2013 Health Care Reform
Posted on: April 2, 2013Categories: HR & ComplianceOn March 21, 2013, the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury issued a proposed rule on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) 90 day waiting period limit. For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, the ACA prohibits group health plans and group health insurance issuers from applying and waiting period that is any longer than 90 days. The 90 day waiting period limit will apply to both non-grandfathered and grandfathered health plans. The 90 day waiting period li ...
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March Health Care Reform Update
Posted on: March 27, 2013Categories: HR & Compliance(March 26, 2013) We are six months away from enrollment on the marketplaces (exchanges) that will be opening up to individuals on Oct. 1. Clarke & Company is bringing information and guidance that was issued in March that have implications for plan sponsors. We have included two links below for the most important March information as it relates to our clients and market. First, on March 7th, the DOL released a self-compliance tool and we have provided a link to the tool below. O ...
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Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight
Posted on: March 26, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7What is a healthy eating plan? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy eating plan: Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars Stays within your daily calorie needs A healthy eating plan that helps you manage your weight includes a wide variety of foods. Some of these foods you may have ...
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National Poison Prevention Week: March 17-23
Posted on: March 19, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7Poisoning is now the number one cause of injury death, killing even more people than car accidents. Poisoning are more common- and more deadly- than most of us realize. The good news is that poisonings are preventable and treatable. The Poison Help line 1-800-222-1222 will connect you to your local poison center. There are nurses, pharmacists, doctors, and poison experts that are available to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are there to give you free advice from how to handle an ...
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Diabetes, High Blood Pressure Raise Kidney Disease Risk
Posted on: March 8, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7Kidney disease damages your kidneys, preventing them from cleaning your blood as well as they should. This damage can cause wastes to build up in your body and lead to other health problems, including heart disease, anemia, and bone disease. Chronic kidney disease eventually can cause kidney failure if it is not treated. If you do have the disease, it's important to be diagnosed early. Treatment can slow down the disease, and prevent or delay kidney failure. Because chronic kidney disease ofte ...
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Health Care Reform Update: Special Rules for HRA’s
Posted on: March 8, 2013Categories: HR & ComplianceThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) made several changes affecting Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). There are special rules for HRAs and some the fees that are subject to be paid by health plans. These fees include: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute fees (PCORI fees) Reinsurance fees Both of these fees are calculated based on the average numbers of lives covered under the plan. For plan sponsors that maintain multiple self-insured arrangements (an HRA in addition to a major med ...
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March 2013 Health Care Reform
Posted on: March 5, 2013Categories: HR & ComplianceThis month’s post covers Essential Health Benefits (EHB). The final rule confirms prior guidance defining EHB based on a state-specific benchmark plan and requiring all plans that cover EHB to offer benefits that are substantially equal to those offered by the benchmark plan. ACA’s essential health benefits requirement applies to non-grandfathered plans offered in the individual and small group markets, both inside and outside of the Exchanges. Self-insured group health plans, health insu ...
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Mediterranean Diet Shown to Ward Off Heart Attack
Posted on: March 1, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7A new study released Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil and nuts beat out a conventional low fat diet in reducing cardiovascular risk. The health benefits of a Mediterranean diet have been discussed and lauded for decades, but this is the first major study that specifically links diet with reduction in heart disease. With the participation of over 7,400 people randomly assigned to either a Mediterranean diet suppleme ...
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The Dangers of Antibiotic Resistance
Posted on: February 28, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses like colds, most sore throats and bronchitis, and some ear infections. Unneeded antibiotics may lead to future antibiotic-resistant infections. Symptom relief might be the best treatment option. Colds and many other upper respiratory infections, as well as some ear infections, are caused by viruses, not bacteria. If antibiotics are used too often for things they can't treat—like colds or other viral infections—they can stop workin ...
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20 Anti-Aging Foods
Posted on: February 21, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7Exercise and a healthy diet are the best (non-surgical) ways to keep you looking younger. But certain foods contain qualities that will improve your skin, boost your energy, and even fight of disease. Add these options to your diet and experience their multiple benefits. 1. Blueberries: Blueberries are high in fiber, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and a great source of antioxidants that may help protect the brain and skin 2.Wild Salmon: Wild Salmon is full of Omega-3 fats that can prot ...
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Aspirin Regimen Risks May Outweigh Benefits
Posted on: February 20, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7It sounds like a simple prescription. And with the recent news that aspirin may help prevent a variety of cancers — in addition to heart attacks and strokes — it probably sounds like a good idea to many. But hold on. Aspirin may be a cheap, century-old drug made from plants known for many centuries to have medicinal properties, including pain and fever relief. Yet in 2012, doctors are still figuring out how to best use it, and how to offer patients its benefits without exposing them to unac ...
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HCR Webinar Materials
Posted on: February 19, 2013Categories: HR & ComplianceIf you were an attendee at the February 19th, 2013 HCR webinar "What Employers Need to Know" you can access the page with the Webinar recording, PowerPoint, and calculator examples now. You were furnished a password to access the page, click on the link below and enter the password and all the information will be available. Thank you for your attendance at the webinar and if you have any question on HCR and/or the material today email them to Norman Clarke. Click here to go the Webinar page. ...
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Enjoy a Healthy Valentine’s Day with Your Sweetheart
Posted on: February 12, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7From intimate meals to decadent desserts, couples across the globe will be celebrating romance this February 14th. Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day remains one of the biggest restaurant nights of the year - one that often involves heavy dinners. But with a few tips and some planning, you can get through the big night without adding inches to your waistline. Ignore the Bread Basket: The tempting bread basket can add hundreds of calories to your night before your meal arrives. Grab one roll a ...
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Health Care Reform Webinar: Employer Mandate “Pay or Play”
Posted on: February 11, 2013Categories: News & EventsOn February 19th at 10:00 am, Clarke & Company Benefits and McLaughlin Smoak & Clarke Benefits will sponsor a seminar on Health Care Reform. This seminar will cover the recently issued guidelines for the employer mandate to “Pay or Play”. We will discuss who “Pay or Play” applies to, counting employees for the mandate, determining full time employee's status, measurement periods, transition relief for fiscal year plans (non-January 1 renewals) and safe harbors for employers to ...
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10 Foods to Eat for a Healthy Heart
Posted on: February 11, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7February is American Heart Month, and a time to raise awareness about heart disease and to educate the public on ways we can live heart-healthier lives. Here are several foods to include in your diet this month in honor of American Heart Month. 1. Oatmeal is a good source of soluble fiber and contains beta-glucans, which help lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels. One half-cup serving provides about 4.5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. 2. Salmon is an excellent source ...
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Staying Active in the Workplace
Posted on: February 7, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7You don't need to change clothes or look silly doing office exercises to stay active throughout your day at work. Even if you spend most of your time behind a desk, there are ways you can incorporate some physical activity into your daily office routine. The following are a few ideas: 1. Don't Spend Your Entire Lunch Break Sitting Down: Use half of your allotted time to eat and use the other half to squeeze in some active time. Walking outside around your building or climbing the stairs wil ...
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February 2013 Health Care Reform
Posted on: February 6, 2013Categories: HR & CompliancePay or Play: Identifying Full Time Employees On Jan. 2, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released long-awaited proposed regulations on ACA's employer penalty provisions. Although the proposed regulations are not final, employers may rely on them until further guidance is issued. The proposed regulations provide guidance on an optional method for identifying full-time employees for purposes of determining and calculating an employer's potential liability for a shared responsibility paymen ...
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February is American Heart Month
Posted on: February 5, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but heart disease is preventable and controllable. Heart disease is a major problem in our country. Every year, about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack. About 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year—that’s 1 out of every 4 deaths. The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type in the United States is coronary heart disease (also called coronar ...
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World Cancer Day
Posted on: February 4, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7On February 4, join people around the world in supporting World Cancer Day to promote ways to reduce the burden of cancer. Each year globally, 12.7 million people learn they have cancer, and 7.6 million people die from the disease. A Global Concern More people die from cancer than from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. The World Health Organization projects that without immediate action, the global number of deaths from cancer will increase by nearly 80% by 2030, with most occurring in l ...
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Go Red for Women!
Posted on: February 1, 2013Categories: LiveWell 24/7In 2003, the American Heart Association faced a challenge; Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an “older man's disease.” To dispel these myths of heart disease as the No. 1 killer of women, the American Heart Association, along with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute created National Wear Red Day® to raise awareness of this critical issue. Each year, on the firs ...
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