With coming anniversary of the passage of the Patient Portability and Affordable Care Act “PPACA” on March 23, 2010, we at Your Wellness N Health, thought a new series of posts, Did You Know this about Healthcare Reform, would be a valuable service to our clients and readers.

If PPACA is not repealed, amended or found unconstitutional in Court, in 2014:

• Individuals without Government approved coverage are subject to a “tax” of the greater of $695 or 2.5% of their income.
• Employers who fail to offer “affordable” coverage would be required to pay a $3,000 penalty for every employee that receives a subsidy through the Exchange.
• Employers who do not offer insurance must pay a tax penalty of $2,000 for every full-time employee.

And although we are not providing tax advise, we hear that this penalty is not a “tax deductible” expense.

Some say these penalties are not high enough to force individuals to purchase insurance that may cost more than the penalty and others say the federal government has no constitutional authority to mandate this purchase. You can get an free estimate on the cost you may be required to pay for a policy now => CLICKING HERE <=

Promoters of PPACA,  say that we need everyone to purchase a policy to avoid adverse selection. That makes “actuarial” sense but carries other significant impacts to the entire social and healthcare community. Although I would recommend that every American should get a personal medical policy as part of there financial security, I don’t like the government mandate portion of the healthcare reform law.  But the courts will decide this, not me.

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I saw a recent headline asking, “Is the tooth fairy getting laid off?“, that made me think about the dental plan options available to employers that they may not have heard of before.

First off, yes voluntary dental plans are gaining greater acceptance and becoming more common. But my solution goes beyond just reducing benefits by making employees better consumers of dental care. Just as in healthcare, dental consumers are learning that the cost to keep their teeth may be more than to lose a tooth but prevention is critical to long term cost control. So healthcare “consumerism” has begun to focus on dental benefits as costs squeeze budgets.

According to new research, “dental is the third most requested benefit after major medical insurance and retirement benefits.” No surprise there. What is changing is the variety of options on the market. Plan designs under voluntary dental insurance come in all shapes and sizes because dental benefits are flexible.

The market as explained by,  Evelyn F. Ireland, executive director of the National Association of Dental Plans (“NADP”), “there are basic requirements for voluntary coverage that vary by employer size.” For example, “participation of both a minimum percentage of employees and a minimum number of employees is generally required, although what that minimum is varies from carrier to carrier,” she says. “Waiting periods may be required for some procedures covered under the dental program, particularly for groups that have never had dental benefit.”

Next let’s look at funding. The NADP found that the funding of benefits on a voluntary basis increased from 14% to 17% from 2009 to 2010.  By comparison, 100% employer-paid funding dropped by nine percent during the same period.

The NADP study in 2008, found that many employers were considering shifting funding for dental benefits to employees.

• 28% by changing the level,  and
• 15% by moving to voluntary plans.

Even worse, a “2010 Dental Benefits Enrollment Report,” issued by NADP, revealed that 166 million Americans (54%) were covered by some form of dental benefit through group or individual plans in 2009. This was a 5.7% dip resulting in about 10 million fewer Americans having dental coverage, compared to 2008. It appears the recession and a weak economy contributed, in part, to decreased enrollment.

Not a very Positive finding for Employees, and general wellness

Is a switch from employer sponsored plans to “voluntary dental insurance”  a great way to turn a negative into a positive? Maybe if employer contributions to the dental plan is reduced, leaving employees to pick up a majority of the tab. This may be better than eliminating a traditional dental plan altogether. This doesn’t work for me. Sounds like a reduction in benefits hidden by a “new” offering that is voluntary.

It seems to me a better goals is to improve the coverage, while reducing the cost to the employer. How about you? Want to learn how…. Read the rest of this entry »

As we fight our way through the last winter month and this years cold and flu season, here is some information that could help you avoid the common cold or flu next year.

Did you know it takes about 48 hours for the cold and flu to infect you and make you sick?

Most people first know we are sick when you get that scratchy throat and runny nose feeling. By then, you are infected. Think back to where you were 48 hours ago. The chances are, that is where you were exposed and picked up your cold bug. The experts say, that it takes about two days for a cold to embed into the lining of your cells and present symptoms.

Have you ever asked this? How do I know if you’ve come down with the flu or with a cold? While no one can predict how an infection will progress, even experts are fooled by colds presenting like the flu. You can use this rule of thumb,“Cold viruses do not usually cause fever in adults.”  Look for a “Sudden onset, fever and cough” to predict influenza. So, once you know you sick, what can be done to fight it?

One theory suggest the best cold-fighting weapon may be your tennis shoes.

If you are like me, your medicine cabinet was stocked full with the latest over-the-counter cold-fighting medicines. However, the experts say the best treatment for the cold is not found in a pill or spray. They suggest we break a sweat. That right, this study was conducted by the Appalachian State University researchers. They studied how the immune system and viruses are affected by exercise, and the findings are surprised me. They suggested any exercise, however limited, is good for you. The researchers say that if you really want to ward off colds next winter, you should work out at least 5 days per week. No marathon training is required. Just a brisk thirty-minute walk 5 times per week is all you need to cold-proof your immune system

Read the rest of this entry »

Like most things in life, sometimes, simple is all you need.

Sharing meals together is a simple way to stay healthy

Family Dinner Time

Sharing a meal with your family gives you a chance to strengthen bonds and creates long lasting memories. It’s a time to reconnect and share what is going on in our busy lives. In addition to building a stronger family, time spent around the dinner table has big health payoffs for children and teens. It can:

• Increase their intake of fruits and vegetables so that they get the whole food nutrients their growing bodies need
• Reduces the risk of eating disorders, especially among adolescent girls
• Lead to better grades in school
• Makes them less likely to smoke, drink, use drugs or get into trouble

Post your family meal story below.

Source: National Institute of Health. For more information go to their website at

http://www.nih.gov

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