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BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter
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Workplaces Feel Heavy Impact of Obesity
"Studies estimate the total cost of obesity to U.S. employers—including lost productivity—at $73 bil.lion a year. But that figure doesn't include some of the smaller ways the workplace is adapting."
(NPR)
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An Interview on EHRs and Health Care Reform
"President Obama's former national coordinator for health IT, Dr. David Blumenthal, shares his thoughts on progress with meaningful use of electronic health records, and what's next for healthcare reform."
(UBM TechWeb)
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Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, October 2011
"The October health tracking poll finds a more negative overall public mood about the health reform law, driven largely by changes in support for the law among Democrats."
(The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
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Medicare Part B Premium Increase to Be Less Than Expected
"For the quarter of seniors who did not fall under the 'hold harmless' protections, generally new enrollees and higher-income seniors, the new Medicare premiums will actually be a decrease in fees. Those seniors, who have seen increases in the past two years, will have premiums decrease, from $115.60 in 2011 to $99.90 in 2012."
(The Washington Post; free registration required)
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Medicare Part B 2012 Premiums Lower than Projected
"The Obama administration [on Thurs. Oct. 27] announced that premiums for Medicare Part B coverage in 2012 will be $99.90 a month for most beneficiaries, a smaller-than-expected increase over the $96.40 paid this year by a majority of elderly and disabled beneficiaries."
(The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
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Oregon Banks on Community Health Care
"Setting up so-called 'coordinated care organizations' as the front door for patients, the state aims to abandon the impersonal and fragmented way most people receive health services today."
(The Pew Charitable Trusts)
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Telework: The Impact on Health and Health Improvement Strategies
"This toolkit provides information about how employers can design a successful teleworking program while complying with important federal and state laws. With a special emphasis on employee health, the toolkit provides employers important considerations about the design of their communications strategy and wellness efforts to ensure equity across all employee populations."
(National Business Group on Health)
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Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Likely to Continue Current Course in the Near Term
"Large, private-sector employers in virtually all 12 communities [studied for the report] are likely to continue shifting costs to employees by adopting benefit designs that accommodate greater cost sharing. As part of this strategy, consumer-driven health plans are likely to become the only health benefit offered in more instances."
(Center for Studying Health System Change)
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Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
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Online Employee Benefits Enrollment Is the New Normal
"In the past year alone, the use of online benefits enrollment increased by 8 percentage points, which represents a significant shift in how employees learn about, evaluate and interact with their benefits programs."
(Employee Benefit News)
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OMB Employees Seek Work-Life Balance via Union Vote
"[The small OMB] staff works long hours. Although the employees know that comes with the territory, they also believe a better work-life balance can improve work productivity while enhancing their home life."
(The Washington Post; free registration required)
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Press Releases
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