National Employer Health Communications Summit  

Less than two weeks are left to register for the 2012 National Employer Health Communications Summit. Held in Washington, DC on May 16-17, this year's theme is Communicating for Optimal Engagement. We have a dynamic line up of speakers for this premier event, including:

• Diane Avellar, Vice President, Performance Development, Benefits and Global Health Resources, Raytheon Company
• Adam Wootton, Director, Social Media and Games, Towers Watson 
• Paurvi Bhatt, Senior Director, Strategic Health Initiatives, Levi Strauss & Co. 
• Tammy Jones, Vice President, Healthy Workforce, National Human Resources, Kaiser Permanente
• Jim Dwyer, Vice President, Global Benefits, American Express
• Kelly Haslun, Senior Manager, HR Communications, PepsiCo, Inc.
• Keisha Barrett, Benefits Programs, Lockheed Martin Corp.
• Theresa Rich, Manager of Health Promotion, Pearson  

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26th National Conference on Health, Productivity and Human Capital  

October 17-19, 2012 ~ Grand Hyatt Washington ~ Washington, DC

Special Address Speaker Confirmed

Dr. Nazneen Razi, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Health Care Service Corporation will deliver the Special Address for the 26th National Conference on Health, Productivity and Human Capital.

At Health Care Service Corporation, operator of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, she provides leadership and direction for Human Resources operations, programs and initiatives.

Dr. Razi's address will provide insight on how to improve organizational performance based on her vast experience in performance management and development, compensation and benefits, workforce relations and employee services.

The National Conference's complete agenda and open registration will be available on the conference website in June 2012.

Limited Exhibitor and Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available

Limited opportunities remain to participate in this year's National Conference at the exhibitor and sponsor level. Discounted early- bird exhibitor rates end Friday, May 18th.

• Exhibitor Opportunities
• Sponsorship Opportunities

Questions?

Contact Stacey Beacher at nationalconference@businessgrouphealth.org or (202) 558-3020.

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Annual Leadership Summit on Workforce Well-being  

June 27-28, 2012
The Park Hyatt Hotel
Washington, DC  

Register today for the 9th Annual Leadership Summit on Workforce Well-being and network with Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award winners and colleagues from: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Chesapeake Energy, Cummins, Inc., DaVita, Inc., Edward Jones, FedEx, Intel Corporation, Kellogg Company, Life Technologies Corporation, Paychex, Inc., State Farm Insurance Companies, TE Connectivity, The Boeing Company, The Hershey Company, The PNC Financial Services Group, Union Pacific Railroad Company and more!

At the Leadership Summit, you will hear from peer companies and experts on how to:

• Infuse fun, social influence and technology into programs;
• Drive and sustain engagement of wellness champions, corporate leaders and families;
• Improve workplace norms with innovative communications and incentive strategies;
• Implement cutting-edge strategies to manage stress and improve employees' emotional health; and
• Change individual habits into long-lasting healthy behaviors!

Attendees present for the closing keynote will receive a free copy of Charles Duhigg's new book, The Power of Habit.

Space is limited. Register today! 

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Health Care Legislation        

• Health Reform (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) Implementation and Communications Toolkit
  Updated April 27, 2012  

Washington Business Health Updates   

• Supreme Court Rules Generics Can Challenge Brands over Uses Not in Original Patents
  April 27, 2012
• House Ways and Means Oversight Committee Holds Hearing on Prescription Requirement to Use Health Accounts for Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medications
  April 27, 2012
• House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Medicare Voucher Plan
  April 27, 2012

Public Policy Alerts

• IRS Announces HDHP and HSA Amounts for 2013 

  April 27, 2012
• Federal Agencies Issue Guidance on Calculating and Reporting Value of Employer-Sponsored Coverage for Employer Penalties under ACA
  May 1, 2012

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• Fort Worth no-smoking proposal pits employers' healthcare costs vs. personal freedoms 

  Star-Telegram (Ft. Worth, TX) - May 1, 2012
• Pitting Employees against each other...for health
  The Wall Street Journal - May 1, 2012
• A tale of two cities
  Human Resource Executive Online - May 1, 2012
• Misdiagnosis: Millions of patients are being treated for the wrong conditions
  The Seattle Times - April 27, 2012
• Curbing substance abuse at work
  Human Resource Executive Online - April 26, 2012
• Carrot or stick?
  Human Resource Executive Online - April 25, 2012
• Mid-day lunch stroll set for Wednesday highlights efforts to improve health 
  Philadelphia Inquirer - April 25, 2012
• Consumer-directed U.S. health insurance surges
  Reuters - April 19, 2012

View more articles at the Business Group's Pressroom.

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New Cancer Resources for Employers: RFP and Contracting Tools 

The National Business Group on Health is pleased to release the latest tools designed to address cancer in the workplace through medical, pharmacy, and behavioral health benefits. The new tools added to An Employer's Guide to Cancer Treatment & Prevention focus on the request for proposal (RFP), contracting, and evaluation process, using the original 24 Practice Recommendations.

The Guide currently contains six actionable tools, each covering a different stage of the benefit lifecycle. These tools include:

Tool 1: Quick Reference Guide & Assessment

Tool 2: Benefit Design & Assessment Tool

NEW! Tool 3, Part I: Request for Proposal (RFP) Questions and Requested Evidence for Vendors

NEW! Tool 3, Part II: Request for Proposal (RFP) and Response Evaluation for Employers

NEW! Tool 3, Part III: Request for Proposal (RFP) and Vendor Scoring

NEW! Tool 4: Summary Plan Description (SPD) Guidance

NEW! Tool 5: Vendor Contracting and Administration Tool

NEW! Tool 6: Evaluation and Plan Reporting

The completed Guide will address the medical and pharmacy plans; short- and long-term disability; Family Medical Leave; employee assistance programs (EAPs); and wellness, prevention and health promotion programs.   

If you have questions or comments about An Employer's Guide to Cancer Treatment & Prevention, please contact Brenna Shebel at shebel@businessgrouphealth.org or (202) 558-3024.

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Maternal and Child Health: New Tools

The National Business Group on Health, in partnership with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, has recently released three new resources for employers as part of its initiative to address child and dependent care. These new tools include: 

• Childhood Cancer: How Employers Can Help Meet the Needs of Parents and Children
  Outlines the impact of childhood cancer on the workplace and provides employers with solutions and ways they can support families through the stress and hardship of a pediatric cancer diagnosis 
• Employers Addressing Anxiety in Child and Adolescent Dependent Populations
  Recommends ways employers can assist in managing childhood anxiety and addressing some of the direct and indirect productivity, absenteeism, and presenteeism costs due to anxiety.
• Incorporating Children in the Corporate Culture of Health
  Spells out the business case for treating child and adolescent health with the same importance as adult health. Using illustrative examples from large employers, it also provides meaningful ways to address the well-being of children and adolescents as part of the corporate culture.  

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Global Leadership in Corporate Health Award

Global Leadership in Corporate Health Award

Deadline for Nominations: May 18, 2012, 5 pm ET

The National Business Group on Health and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) are now accepting nominations for the Annual Award for Excellence in Corporate Health and Productivity - Global Leadership in Corporate Health Award.

To be named a Global Leader in Corporate Health is a highly selective honor that recognizes achievements in promoting health and productivity among workers and leading organizations toward a culture of health.

Award recipients display medical leadership in developing data driven health innovations in the workplace, providing leadership and vision, and/or publishing outstanding research in the field of health and productivity management (HPM).

Past Recipients include:

2011 - Pamela Hymel, MD

2010 - Martín- J. Sepúlveda, MD

2009 - Wayne Burton, MD

Submitting Nominations

Click here for additional award criteria and to complete a nomination form on the Global Leadership in Corporate Health website. Nominations must be received by 5 pm ET on Friday, May 18, 2012.   

Questions?
Inquiries should be directed to Stacey Beacher at beacher@businessgrouphealth.org

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Buck Consultants Global Wellness Survey Now Open

Buck Consultants 5th Annual Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies is now open. This survey is designed to gain insight into how employers around the world implement and evaluate strategic wellness and health promotion initiatives. Last year's survey included responses from 1,200 employers in 45 countries. We invite you to participate in this survey if you are responsible for wellness or health promotion strategy at your company, either globally or at a regional level. The survey is open to employers in all industries and regions of the world, and is available in multiple languages.

To access the survey, click here. Completed questionnaires are due by July 30, 2012. All participants will receive a complimentary copy of the survey results. If you have questions, please contact hrsurveys@buckconsultants.com.

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