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Financial Matters
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Department of Labor Unveils Disability.gov
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| The U.S. Department of Labor today launched Disability.gov, the federal government’s Web site for people with disabilities, their family members, veterans, caregivers, employers and others. The new site, previously called DisabilityInfo.gov, features comprehensive information about disability-related programs and services, as well as social media tools to better serve the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities. |
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Retirement? Fuhgeddaboudit
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| What with car, mortgage, child-care and college costs, middle-class workers are finding they may never have enough money to quit the daily grind. To read more about this story click here. |
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12 Great Tips Everyone Should Know to Help Prevent ID Theft
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| For information to help consumers and businesses deal with privacy and identity theft issues. To get started, you may want to read Tips for Identity Theft/Privacy. |
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Retirement Plan Challenge
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Did you know that you could retire with more money and reduce your current taxable income! Challenge yourself to increase the amount you’re putting into your employer’s retirement plan by one percent or more each year and you could potentially boost your retirement savings by thousands of dollars! See for yourself with this example. |
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Are You Ready for Retirement?
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| Retirement planning is something most people put off for as long as possible -- and for good reason. It's terrifying! Read more about the 4 Common Retirement Blind Spots. |
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Retirement Resource Center
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| Is retirement creeping up on you too soon? Social Security, Pension Benefits, Medicare, and Estate Planning are just a few of the things that you will need to have in order before you retire. Check out Fidelity’s Retirement Resource Center to see what you have left to do to be ready for retirement. |
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Pre-approved Credit Offers
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| The credit bureau offers a toll-free number that lets you “opt-out” of having pre-approved credit offers sent to you. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688) for more information. Good for two years. |
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Individual/Medicare
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CMS Unveils New Website With Hospital Quality Data
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| The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a new program to help consumers compare hospitals based on quality. The agency launched a new website that allows one-stop shopping for consumers looking for information on quality or the type of services provided by hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, home care or dialysis providers. Click here to learn more. |
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Uninsured Health Coverage Eligibility Quiz
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| Are you currently uninsured and ready to learn your health coverage options? With just a few simple steps, you will learn your options and be given all the resources you need to sign up for your best health coverage plan! Click here to learn more. |
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Individual Health Insurance for People Under Age 19
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| New individual health insurance for people under age 19 is no longer available except during certain “open enrollment” windows. This means families with children under the age of 19 can no longer decide tomorrow that now is a good time to buy health insurance and go out and buy it for their children. Family members over the age of 19 will be subject to current health underwriting provisions and, if accepted, buy coverage immediately. But all applicants under the age of 19 must wait until the designated “special enrollment window,” except under special conditions – click here to read more. |
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Paying for Long-Term Care
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| There is much confusion and misunderstanding regarding how the average individual will pay for long-term care. Click here to find out more. |
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Time to Review your Life Insurance Coverage?
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Universal Life insurance offers an inexpensive alternative for providing permanent protection. Many carriers offer this type of policy with a guaranteed death benefit up to age 120.
Is it time to review your life insurance coverage? Contact Brent Price at Albers & Company for information or to review your policy. |
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Medicare Beneficiaries Urged to be on the Look-out for Phone Scams
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| The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) warns seniors and people with disabilities to be aware of a scheme that asks Medicare beneficiaries for money and checking account information to help them enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Click here to find out more about this scheme. |
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Prescription Drugs
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Free drug cards are now available
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The Washington Drug Card program is now available to all Washington residents. The program, which is free to all Washingtonians and provides savings of up to 75 percent on prescription drugs, can now be accessed by visiting any Safeway pharmacy location in Washington. Safeway has been named the preferred pharmacy for the statewide program, while the benefits are accepted at more than 50,000 national and regional pharmacies around the country. To find out more about this program click here. |
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Regulatory Updates
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Feds Post Dependent Coverage Regs
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| Federal agencies are rushing young adult dependent coverage interim final rules into effect without going through the usual comment period. Click here to read more. |
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IRS Clarifies Rules Regarding Adult Dependents
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On April 27, 2010, the IRS issued Notice 2010-38, relating to the tax exclusion for medical care reimbursement of adult children. Click here to read more. |
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Online Help Available for Federal Employment Laws
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U.S. Department of Labor has launched a series of online advisers to help employees and employers understand their rights and responsibilities under federal employment laws.
Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses - elaws - interactive tools that help users determine if they are in compliance with federal employment laws by asking questions, providing information and directing the individual to appropriate resolutions. Information is available about topics such as pay and overtime, workplace poster requirements, health benefits, re-employment rights for uniformed service members, and federal contractor compliance. |
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DOL Webpage on Healthcare Reform Provides Resources
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| The DOL has created a new webpage that contains links to a variety of resources relating to the major health care reform legislation...Click here to learn more. |
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IRS Offers Guidance on Tax Credits in Health Reform Law
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The Internal Revenue Service recently launched a new web page that provides guidance on tax credits in the new health reform law for small employers and tax-exempt organizations that provide health insurance coverage. Click here to read more... |
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DOL Releases Interactive ELaws Advisor to Help Employers Comply with Recordkeeping, Reporting, and Notice Requirements
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The DOL recently unveiled a new elaws Employment Law Advisor to help employers determine which federal employment laws apply to them, what recordkeeping and reporting requirements they must comply with, and what posters they need to post. The website guidance addresses issues related to ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA portability, the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act, the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act, FMLA, and USERRA, among other laws.
The Employment Law Advisor consists of three separate advisors which, by asking a series of questions, simulate an interactive conversation with a DOL expert and guide users to customized information for each law. The Employment Law Overview Advisor provides a short primer on each law's basic provisions and any related recordkeeping, reporting, and notice requirements. Through a series of questions about an employer's size of business, location, and type of industry, this advisor determines which federal employment laws apply to the employer. The Recordkeeping, Reporting, and Notices Advisor summarizes each law's recordkeeping, reporting, and notice requirements. The Poster Advisor provides access to short descriptions of DOL poster requirements and links to printable posters. It also provides information on where the posters must be displayed in the workplace, and applicable size and language requirements. Click here to access this tool. |
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Trends
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Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) Hospital Pricing Website
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| The hospital association and its members believe patients have a right to know more about the prices hospitals charge for services as well as information about how well hospitals are reimbursed for the care they deliver and how much of the care delivered is not reimbursed. In response, WSHA has produced WSHA Hospital Pricing, a database of hospital charges, utilization and payer mix. |
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Website Offers Hospital Cost and Quality Info
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Washington State Hospital Association has unveiled a Web site that will give consumers and competitors information about cost of services and quality information. All 97 hospitals in Washington are members, and offer data by clicking the "Hospital Transparency" window icon at www.wsha.org.
"Reliable information allows patients and purchasers to make informed decisions about where they choose to seek care. It also helps policy makers and the public measure the cost and quality of hospital care," said Leo Greenawalt, president of the Washington State Hospital Association.
The site will offer: pricing information, including hospital-specific charges for more than 500 types of hospital treatments; quality data, including hospital-specific performance on quality indicators relating to treatment various ailments; and billing information, including common questions about hospital bills and information about the availability of charity care and financial assistance. |
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Wellness
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Healthy Dining Finder
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Afraid you will not be able to find anything diet friendly on the menu at your favorite dining spot? Plug in your zip code at HealthyDiningFinder.com to find restaurants in your area with healthy options. |
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Connect Your Family to Food and Health Resources Anywhere in Washington State
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| ParentHelp123.org helps families to apply for state-sponsored health insurance and food stamps, and to find services in their community. Click here to find out how you can connect your family to food and health resources in Washington State. |
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Microsoft Healthvault
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| Microsoft® HealthVault™ is designed to put you in control of your health information. A free HealthVault account helps you collect, store and share information with family members and gives you a choice of applications and devices to help manage your fitness, diet and health. Click on HealthVault to learn more about the program. |
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