ASHHRA Health and Wellness Pulse
BENEFITS
By Amber May The launch of HealthCare.gov—the federal health insurance exchange website mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—went live Oct. 1. So many problems plagued the site that it prompted Congress to hold hearings about it in late October, with House GOP members demanding answers from involved parties that ranged from site contractors to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2013/11/20/what-went-wrong-with-healthcaregov-and-what-now?ref=hp to view the full article online.
By Brad Wolfsen The pendulum in health care continues to swing from paternalism to consumerism. Consumer-driven health plans have all but replaced HMOs. Health incentives programs are as ubiquitous as grocery store weekly circulars. And now employees and individuals will start shopping for their health benefits in public and private health marketplaces. SOURCE: EMPLOYEE BENEFIT NEWS
Visit http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/5-lessons-benefits-administrators-learn-retail-marketing-2737639-1.html to view the full article online.
By Arthur D. Postal States will be the ultimate determinant as to whether they will allow insurers to renew existing health insurances plans in 2014 even though these policies may not comply with the new Affordable Care Act, President Obama and state insurance regulators agreed at a White House meeting last night. SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2013/11/21/states-to-decide-which-plans-are-ppaca-compliant to view the full article online.
By Dan Cook Older workers are finding out that a true work-life balance is available to those seeking it. Many recent studies have determined that the happiest workers in America are those nearing retirement age—and it’s not the prospect of retirement that makes them happy. SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2013/11/18/more-americans-opting-for-partial-retirement to view the full article online.
By Danielle Andrus A new study by the Spectrem Group’s Millionaire Corner found that half of 401(k) plan participants between 50 and 64 aren’t using a financial advisor as they prepare for retirement. Among those who do, just 40 percent say they rely on their advisor’s guidance for the majority of their financial needs. SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2013/11/15/half-of-near-retirees-dont-have-an-advisor to view the full article online.
WELLNESS
Stress is the number one workforce risk issue, ranking above physical inactivity and obesity, according to the 2013/2014 Towers Watson Staying@Work Survey. However, only 15 percent of employers identify improving the emotional/mental health (i.e., lessening the stress and anxiety) of employees as a top priority of their health and productivity programs. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=74133&from=Work-Life%20News%20All to view the full article online.
By Kathleen Koster Social networks kept the 41,000 participants in the Sprint Get Fit Challenge engaged and motivated throughout the 12-week challenge. Collectively, participants (who made up 35 percent of the telecom company’s population) lost more than 41,000 pounds, took almost 4.8 billion steps, and logged nearly 22 million exercise minutes. By building excitement and supportive competition through social media, Sprint’s wellness leaders engaged participants over the long-term. SOURCE: EMPLOYEE BENEFIT NEWS
Visit http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/sprints-secret-to-wellness-challenge-success-social-media-2737743-1.html to view the full article online.
By Merel Bakker I love the holiday season. It's the perfect time to give some extra love and attention to the people we care about. It's the time when kind wishes are abundantly flying around and homes are being warmed by families and friends who gather for meaningful conversations and good food. Interestingly enough, there always seems to be some tension between "spending good times" and staying healthy and happy. SOURCE: HUFF POST PARENTS
Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/merel-bakker/7-ways-to-keep-your-fit-through-the-holidays-_b_4265444.html to view the full article online.
By Ankita Rao When Michelle Kuecker was looking to shed some weight two years ago, she turned to a website her friend had suggested: MyFitnessPal. The 26-year-old counselor started logging in her diet and exercise on a personal online account. She also shared the daily ups-and-downs with her sister and roommate, who were using the site. Six months later Kuecker reached her goal of losing 25 pounds. SOURCE: KAISER HEALTH NEWS
Visit http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2013/october/30/wellness-apps-smartphone-tablet.aspx?referrer=search to view the full article online.
By Rick Bell In late 2012, after committing to my first marathon, I saw an ad on my commuter train. It was touting a 5-kilometer race to raise awareness for a worthy cause. Being in a running state of mind at that particular moment and seeking any shred of motivation to convince myself that, yes, propelling my body 26.2 miles in one morning is indeed a good idea, the language has stuck with me like gum to the bottom of my Nikes: "I run ... because I can." SOURCE: WORKFORCE.COM
Visit http://www.workforce.com/articles/20033-the-last-word-a-marathon-lesson to view the full article online.
By Dan Wisniewski Sometimes it seems like an impossible task: keeping so many different types of employees happy and working hard. So what actually works for most companies? SOURCE: HRMORNING.COM
Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/what-makes-employees-happy/ to view the full article online.
Job flexibility results in increased loyalty, reduced employee turnover, and cost savings for employers, according to a new survey from FlexJobs. The survey shows that 83 percent of respondents said that they would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options. Another 46 percent said they have given up or quit a job due to a lack of work-life balance schedules, and an additional 53 percent know someone who has. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=74059&from=Work-Life%20News%20All to view the full article online.
By Elizabeth Smith, EMT-B The average person will spend 90,000 hours working during their lifetime.1 That equates to more than 10 entire years spent on the job. For EMTs and paramedics who often work 48-hour weeks and frequently have more than one employer, these numbers may be even higher. Considering work takes up such an impressive chunk of time, when beginning to make healthy changes, it only makes sense to look to the workplace as one of the first sources of support on the journey to health. SOURCE: JEMS.COM
Visit http://www.jems.com/article/health-and-safety/how-why-improve-employee-wellness to view the full article online.
By Elise Oberliesen For decades, corporations have experimented with wellness programs in an attempt to improve their employees’ health and reduce the cost of health insurance. Lunch-hour yoga classes, free flu shots, smoking cessation programs and other offerings have often been provided, occasionally with incentives for participants. SOURCE: HEALTH POLICY SOLUTIONS
Visit http://www.healthpolicysolutions.org/2013/10/29/under-aca-wellness-dropouts-could-feel-the-burn/ to view the full article online.
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