As The Drum Turns…

Do you still use your phone while you drive?  Do you just have to read that last message?  Just a quick reply?  Are there any other distractions when you drive?  Recent studies have listed texting / emailing as more dangerous than drinking and driving.  Sometimes the result is not just a fender bender.  Here is a PSA on texting while driving from the UK.

Steve Jones received this YouTube.com video from Ken Waegerle.

Employees can make changes to their coverage (add/delete dependents or change their coverage) between now and the end of January which is considered to be the Open Enrollment period. Any change after that date will require a “Qualifying Event” as defined by the IRS. (typically such things as marriage, divorce, birth, death, loss of coverage that was in effect or becoming eligible for coverage not previously eligible for).

For more details please contact our HR Department.

We have started the annual review of our healthcare plan looking at our Plan performance as well as plan design and the cost to provide the benefit.

This year has been a reasonably “good” year for our plan as our paid claims have not exceeded the contributions from participants and the company which has allowed us to build our reserves for potential catastrophic losses.

While this is certainly good news, we also know that the cost of healthcare will continue to rise in 2010 as will the administrative costs to administer our Plan. Various surveys project costs to rise as much as 8% next year.

In addition, the continued debate over healthcare reform can potentially impact costs depending on the final bill and any additional requirements of private plans. We will continue to closely monitor this activity.

It is always important for all of us to do what we can to help control the cost of healthcare. Some actions that all of us can take to make this happen include;

• Making healthy lifestyle choices in diet and exercise

• Get an annual physical to make sure if there are any issues that they can be detected early

• Establish a relationship with a primary care doctor BEFORE you get ill. Having a regular physician who knows you and your health can mean earlier detection of disease/illness and often lower cost treatments.

• Consider requesting generic drugs whenever they are available

We will be announcing any plan changes as well as the cost for the Plan in the next few weeks.