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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
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Business communicators sometimes become the victim of their own success and insularity.It’s called "the curse of knowledge." Once people have known something for a long time, they can’t imagine what it’s like not to know this, so use jargon automatically without thinking.
10:15:25 AM 
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Companies wanting to check on the immigration status of employees have a little known but effective program available at no cost that is being provided as part of the federal government’s homeland security agency.
10:14:19 AM
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Small and family businesses are facing tough challenges from the economy’s slowdown, but they can weather the downturn by considering 10 business-boosting strategies, according to the small business unit of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual).
10:13:36 AM
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Business managers are faced with a requirement that they resolve social security number discrepancies within 93 days or face penalties if they have not discharged the employee involved.
10:12:59 AM
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Whether contacting someone to submit a resume to or as a source of sales lead generation, it can be extremely difficult to locate the right person within a company. However, it is critical for success that the information gets to the person who has the power to make the decision.
10:08:43 AM
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An interesting new approach for obtaining sales leads has been launched out of beta testing is now available to all users. An exchange where sales leads can be bought and sold has been launched by Salesconx.com, an online business referral marketplace.
10:07:42 AM
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More owners and managers of manufacturing businesses plan to grow their operations during the course of the next 12 to 24 months, but they will be doing so more through investments in human resources and customer needs rather than in facilities and processes, according to the latest Small Business Research Board (SBRB) study.
10:06:48 AM
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Over half of U.S. workers are dissatisfied with their jobs, and problems have persisted unresolved for at least two decades without improvements on the horizon, says one respected non-profit business group.
10:05:51 AM
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Many business leaders have wondered if they can use television “infomercials” as a way of jump starting their products. One of the leading proponents of marketing through infomercials is A.J. Khubani.
10:04:48 AM
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In today's business world, much of the work is focused on cost management. What many businesspeople have failed to realize, however, is that almost any company has the potential to geometrically increase their revenue stream and profitability.
10:04:00 AM
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Thursday, May 01, 2008
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Another sign of the continuing need for communications, particularly amongst providers of Consumer Directed Healthcare and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) is shown in the latest J.D. Powers surveys. The report says that health plan performance varies widely among some insurers across the U.S.
2:40:17 PM
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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When thinking about starting or using a Health Savings Account (HSA), there are several important things to remember and consider. The following advice will help you stay organized and gain the best use from your HSA. |
3:19:28 PM
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
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One of the biggest concerns people often have about switching to a health savings account (HSA) is being able to cover the high deductible before the insurance plan starts paying for expenses. However, there are ways that people can fund their savings in order to handle that deductible.
12:17:30 PM
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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Many individuals are now using health savings accounts (HSAs) as a way to supplement their traditional retirement accounts, such as 401ks. An HSA allows users to pay for health related expenses, such as office visit copays, deductibles, and medication.
11:47:29 AM
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Sunday, March 16, 2008
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The risks for achieving successful business ownership are great.According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), fifty percent of all new businesses fail in their first year, and ninety-five percent fail in their first five years. Running a business demands commitment, unwavering tenacity, and passion in order to provide the energy and focus required to be successful.
8:49:44 PM
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Sunday, February 24, 2008
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Marketing products and services to the most senior level of corporations requires staff members with skills and talents that often need to be drawn out.
1:57:45 PM
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Individuals and families can make better decisions about their health care spending if they compare re prices for routine health care services.
1:31:44 PM
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As millions of Americans resolve to be healthier in the new year, a new survey suggests consumers should add "understand my insurance" to the list of health-oriented goals for 2008.
1:30:07 PM
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With the new year, healthcare stakeholders face a plethora of challenges. Predictions of what will happen are beginning to come in and are worth noting for planning purposes.
1:28:56 PM
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Millions of Americans will start using their Health Savings Accounts begining this January.
1:27:54 PM
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Many home-office users are afraid to take the tax deduction due them under the IRS code. The main reason, experts suggest, is because they are afraid of being audited by the IRS if they do.
1:23:38 PM
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Salesconx (http://www.salesconx.com) is a business referral marketplace that is offering profitable online networking to its users, through Salesconx. More than 1,000 active users have already signed up for the free service and 400 business transactions have been completed. The beta launch is accessible via webcast at the company's website http://www.salesconx.com.
1:22:40 PM
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Not only do home-based business leaders and consultants need to sell their products and services, they need to manage their firms as well.
1:21:50 PM
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Why is it that some businesspeople lead so effortlessly, while others struggle trying to find the right ways to create strategy, solve problems, motivate, and manage? In Executive Intelligence: What All Great Leaders Have (Collins, 2006), Justin Menkes, Ph.D., identifies the specific aptitudes that make leaders great.
1:20:44 PM
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The most successful business today isn’t part of the Fortune 500. With more than four billion customers, many people don’t realize that it’s a business at all, says bestselling author and business maverick Mark Stevens.
1:19:54 PM
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Even with advances and awareness of computer security, viruses and spyware continue to infiltrate computers, leaving consumers frustrated and unable to protect their computers properly.
1:19:17 PM
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Wise executives recognize that while employees are most definitely human beings, they also are machines of production that require maintenance. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, preventable illnesses and medical conditions comprise approximately 90% of United States $1.4 trillion medical care costs.
1:16:35 PM
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One of America's top futurists and trend-spotters has some thought provoking ideas about what is happening in today's consumer world.
1:15:38 PM
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To know where companies are headed in 2008, they must understand how Americans adapt to the latest information and communications technology. According to May 2007 research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, roughly half of Americans actively use online communications devices.
1:14:59 PM
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The relationship between sales and marketing departments has traditionally been a fragmented one.
1:14:26 PM
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Monday, December 10, 2007
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Over the past year, this newsletter’s parent has been talking to thousands of small business leaders in a variety of venues and reports.
10:52:26 AM
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By focusing on a specific group of customers, business leaders can add to revenue and profits. An nationally-known business strategist argues that this approach can focus an organization and build sales while reducing costs associated with the marketing effort.
10:47:29 AM
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According to a recent study conducted by J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., the nation's leading provider of risk and regulatory management solutions, 55% of 161 HR professionals surveyed said they have discovered outright lies on resumes or applications when conducting pre-employment background or reference checks.
10:46:39 AM
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By combining direct mail and customized marketing techniques even small firm marketers can reach a new level of customization and data mining. Kodak has launched a new arrangement between their company and EasyPurl. This new arrangement is an integration that will enable users of Kodak Darwin VI Authoring Tool for the creation of variable data communications to add personalized URLs to their direct mail campaigns using EasyPurl. Personalized URLs allow prospects to respond to direct mail by visiting a web page created expressly for each individual respondent.
10:19:45 AM
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Leaders in large organizations don't like to admit it, but they often look to small business to learn best practices in organizational change. Most corporate CEOs would trade their annual bonus to have the agility of a small business. Why? Because small businesses are in many ways better equipped to respond to adaptive challenge. When leaders of small business play to their inherent strengths, they can lead change with astonishing speed and effectiveness.
10:18:44 AM
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The best word in the English language has to be “yes.” In negotiations, however, “yes” is the worst word. It primes a person to please the other side, to rush ahead, to compromise early and often, to come to a deal – any deal. In negotiation, the best word to say – and to invite the other side to say – is “no.”
10:17:17 AM
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There are two distinct ways to use employee communication; one is to inform employees about what is happening in an organization, the other is to engage employees in the process of change. This article highlights 3 case studies that demonstrate the different techniques and approaches to ensure that employee communication strategies bring about transformation in an organization.
10:13:56 AM
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Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) do for a website what newspaper and radio advertising, posting flyers and releasing press releases do for announcing the opening of a new store. SEO and SEM are two different things.
10:13:33 AM
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Over the years, Mark Amtower has advised thousands of clients about how to successfully win government contracts. In his new book, Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes, he has identified the traits that make someone successful in business and life. He calls these "Amtower's Laws of Business- and Life-Survival - and Success."
10:12:54 AM
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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Employees are better managing their usage of healthcare benefits when involved in the decision making process and spending their own funds, a new two-year study of 430,000 CIGNA accounts indicates. At the same time, the study indicated that participants did not cut back on drug usage or preventative care when they swithced to plans that required them better manage how they spent their healthcare benefits.
12:59:30 PM
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Friday, September 14, 2007
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Two separate HSAs from different banks instead of one single all-purpose HSA account with the same bank is a convenient way to be both a saver and spender, Consumer Driven Market Report discovered in our new ongoing study of online HSA enrollment.
9:56:12 PM
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Most health insurance will suit people just fine--until they get sick and really need it. Then health plans are put under the microscope and complaints from consumers begin to pile up.
9:55:31 PM
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Monday, July 02, 2007
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Key4Women, a program dedicated to providing access for women entrepreneurs to financial solutions, networking opportunities and ongoing education is more than two years old.
11:32:09 AM
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It’s 9 a.m. on Monday morning. A small business owner arrives at work after a relaxing weekend with family, refreshed and ready for the week ahead. That is, at least, until after the computer is turned on. There it is, the number that has been dreaded since late Friday afternoon; the number that seems to kill the week before it has even begun: 800. No, it’s not the number of hits the website received, nor the number of products the company has sold. The computer displays 800…new emails.
11:31:23 AM
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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By merging ordinary technology such as cell phones and personal computers with sophisticated web-based applications, Mosaic Health Solutions has created a new online health tracking system that allows users to more effectively and efficiently manage their personal health.
1:18:21 PM
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There is industry-wide concern regarding the collective impact of waste, fraud and abuse upon the overall cost of care, as well as patient exposure to radiation, after sobering reports found that almost half a billion radiological procedures will be performed annually by 2008.
1:00:47 PM
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In the clamor on healthcare from the nation’s lawmakers, elites and media “gurus,” one fact is being ignored—Health Savings Accounts are a grass roots phenomenon.
1:00:13 PM
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Some long-awaited Health Savings Account guidance for employers is expected from the IRS. They will make it easier to offer the plans and make voluntary contributions to encourage participation.
12:59:30 PM
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Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have had varying levels of adoption when taken on a state-by-state but are approaching 5% of all healthcare insurance users on a nation-wide basis, according to an analysis by Information Strategies, Inc. (ISI).
12:57:57 PM
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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
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Americans take the fewest vacation days (14) on average than any other country. Entrepreneurs take even less time off. Just 5.5 days according to a recent survey by Information Strategies, Inc., the parent of this newsletter.
11:03:34 AM
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Wednesday, May 02, 2007
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As a company makes the decision to add or switch entirely to a health savings account (HSA) combined with a high deductible health plan (HDHP) from a more traditional plan (HMO/PPO), there are several steps that they can take to ease the transition and help their employees become excited, rather than fearful.
5:40:34 PM
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Tuesday, May 01, 2007
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Exante Financial Services has launched three new Health Savings Account (HSA) designs tailored to meet consumers’ individual health care financial needs.
10:19:29 AM
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Monday, April 30, 2007
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A new approach to reaching buyers and sellers of luxury items and services has been launched. The group has a website and hopes to build a cadre of information providers from both luxury consumers and providers. |
11:23:49 AM
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Many states such as New Jersey now mandate that healthcare insurance can only be provided to workers who are fully integrated into the company.
11:22:49 AM
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Companies are missing opportunities and wasting resources because their managers are not focusing upon critical success factors for key corporate activities, according to new research by Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas.
11:21:51 AM
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Employees using company computers to access social networking sites pose a real danger to the integrity of the firms IT defenses. As the fad for going online with social network chat rooms and other services grows, the process is beginning to worry IT managers and to represent a serious challenge to company discipline.
11:19:56 AM
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Friday, April 27, 2007
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Owning a business is a cornerstone of the American Dream, and often an all-consuming one. In the feverish effort to start, manage and expand an enterprise, an owner risks missing the other elements of the success story.
12:30:05 PM
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For those considering retirement, before or after age 65, there are a number of important healthcare considerations. What happens with your employer health benefits when you retire? If you retire early, will you have health insurance to cover you until age 65 when Medicare takes over? Will you need Medicare supplement insurance to cover any gaps in Medicare coverage after age 65? What healthcare needs might not be covered by Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance or your retiree health insurance?
11:56:16 AM
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Looking for another way to benefit from tax breaks on saving for retirement? Recent changes to HSAs are now making them an even better way to save for later in life.
10:43:51 AM
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Proponents of health savings accounts and their mandatory high-deductible health insurance plans have come out swinging against a study concluding that the plans cost women about $1,000 more per year than men.
10:36:07 AM
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Thursday, April 26, 2007
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In a clear challenge to Health Savings Accounts and private insurance measures, a bill has been introduced in the Senate and House to extend healthcare coverage to all Americans from birth to death.
5:04:57 PM
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Monday, April 09, 2007
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Basically, Professor Robert I. Sutton seeks to weed out the bosses in an organization who are either jerks or bullies. Sutton says often the two are combined in the same person.
11:29:54 AM
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Not surprisingly, a new study indicates that many small businesses are not fully prepared for the evolving technology available and expected in coming years.
11:29:20 AM
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The changing fortunes of two computer equipment and service stores in New Jersey points up the importance of customer service when David meets Goliath in business.
11:28:51 AM
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In the growing trend for more wellness options, the North Carolina Blues group has started a new program that may well be emulated in other parts of the country. Traditionally, the Blues use one state to test out concepts, which gradually move to other states. This new offering is specifically targeted at smaller companies and bodes well for the future.
11:28:15 AM
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Monday, April 02, 2007
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More than a quarter of Americans say they have left a drug prescription unfilled because they felt it was unneeded and a fifth have obtained a second opinion because they felt their doctors' recommendations were too aggressive.
11:58:37 AM
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Calls made on cell phones do not affect hospital medical devices, U.S. researchers said last week, but store anti-theft alarms might make implanted heart devices misfire. Tests at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., showed normal use of cell phones caused no noticeable interference with patient care equipment, they said.
11:58:11 AM
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Thursday, March 29, 2007
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Democrats have vowed to repeal laws enacted to make health savings accounts better investment vehicles for consumers, but in lieu of a unified front, the Bush administration is moving ahead with plans to expand the role of HSAs to benefit consumers.
12:31:24 PM
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Wednesday, March 28, 2007
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Amid growing Congressional pressure to make some changes in the Health Savings Account (HSAs) regulations, a new forecast on their expanding usage and popularity may give some political leaders pause. Information Strategies, Inc. (ISI) has issued a new estimate on year-end and future growth based on interviews with HSA, CDH and more traditional plan users as well as corporate and custodial managers.
12:01:24 PM
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Sunday, March 18, 2007
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Making sure your corporate or individual tax return is letter perfect is one of the keys to avoiding an audit. So says former IRS attorney and best-selling author Sandy Botkin, CPA, Esq. The author and tax advisor reports that contrary to popular belief, human eyes do look at most IRS returns and they are seeking little flaws that often lead to bigger misstatements.
1:50:23 PM
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Buying or selling a business is always fraught with more problems than anyone, buyer or seller, thought possible. For the buyer, it is plunging money and resources into a new venture with sometimes hidden problems.
1:49:52 PM
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Friday, March 16, 2007
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Creenaght Health Plans is partnering with employers to offer an outcome driven plan that actually rewards people for going to the doctor when they should, and provides incentives to make people want to stay healthy. This is an effort to infuse personal responsibility and healthy choices at the member level and as a result, lower the demand for healthcare services, which in turn will lower healthcare costs.
1:34:12 PM
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A survey by Harris Interactive was recently done to examine issues around prescription medications and other medical treatments. The study was conducted as an online survey in the United States from March 5-7, 2007 and included a cross section of 2,673 adults.
1:33:38 PM
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According to the results of a survey released today by the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO), 95% of health savings account (HSA) enrollees receive health care through preferred provider organizations (PPOs).
1:00:43 PM
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In the nation with the most intensive Consumer Directed Healthcare program, Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal for a single health insurer. Pushing back an initiative pushed by left-leaning parties, 71% of voters were against the proposal to establish one state-run insurer to replace the 87 that now write the coverage.
1:00:12 PM
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Friday, March 09, 2007
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Getting consumers more involved in their healthcare is a growing focus in today’s world and a new website has been launched to assist in this process.
4:17:07 PM
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Employers do not expect a decline in the rate of health benefit cost increases any time soon. Meanwhile, they continue to invest in on-site medical clinics, call-in medical help lines and employee health appraisals to control those costs. These are among the major findings of a forthcoming survey conducted by Watson Wyatt Worldwide and the National Business Group on Health.
4:16:39 PM
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Wednesday, March 07, 2007
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A survey of 60,000 Americans indicates that men are perceived as better business leaders than women. According to the survey by Elle magazine and MSNBC.com, many respondents viewed women as "moody," "bitchy," "gossipy" and "emotional."
11:21:44 AM
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Large corporations are spending millions of dollars protecting their employers from spam messages. It is a constant battle which many experts say companies are losing. For smaller companies with less sophisticated anti-spam programs, the problem is becoming particularly acute. While not only a time-consuming burden, spam email messages contain the seeds of financial fraud that is increasingly becoming a burden and threat to small firms.
11:20:49 AM
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Tuesday, March 06, 2007
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Transparency offerings within the healthcare sector are growing as consumer directed healthcare (CDHC) is becoming a focus in the U.S. CDHC often involves a high-deductible plan, often combined with health savings accounts (HSAs), which require people to pay more out of pocket.
5:48:52 PM
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Just a few more days are left to make contributions to HSA custodial accounts from 2006 FSA leftover monies. The Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Treasury recently issued guidance regarding how employers can rollover their health Flexible Spending Arrangements (health FSAs) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for their employees.
12:23:41 PM
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Friday, March 02, 2007
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Small and medium businesses (SMBs) have similar broad needs when it comes to IT and growth, but the specifics are not so close; considering them one group may be a mistake. Security, disaster recovery, and bandwidth are the top IT concerns facing SMBs, but they aren't the ones hindering business growth. According to "2006-2007 U.S. SMB Applications & Solutions Market Overview and Assessment," a new AMI-Partners report for the business applications and solutions sector, the causes of slow growth are different for small businesses and medium ones, creating opportunities for software and service providers to fill important gaps and differentiate themselves.
5:13:59 PM
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Economists and health insurance industry experts say future health care costs will skyrocket despite a trend of slowing cost growth since 2002. Costs for employers shot up more than 15 percent in 2002, but increases then steadily dropped to less than 8 percent last year, according to Illinois-based Hewitt Associates, a human resources consulting company.
5:13:18 PM
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Farmers and other agriculture workers are now beginning to adopt HSAs. In an effort to meet this need and to strengthen Wisconsin’s agriculture industry, the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives (WFC) is leading the creation of a new statewide, health insurance purchasing cooperative.
4:21:44 PM
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Tuesday, February 27, 2007
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Here are some things to consider when searching for the right HSA. There are a number of HSA providers and many have different costs and fees associated with their programs.
6:07:04 PM
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© Copyright 2008 Information Strategies, Inc..
Last update: 5/7/2008; 12:17:47 PM.
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