July 22, 2011|By Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press

The top two US companies managing prescription drug benefits are uniting in a $29.1 billion deal they say will help achieve key goals of the health care overhaul: reining in costs and improving patients' health.

Express Scripts Inc. announced an agreement yesterday to buy larger rival Medco Health Solutions Inc., a combination that would handle the prescriptions of about 135 million people, more than one in three Americans.

That will give them even more clout in demanding discounts from drugmakers, who are dealing with falling or stagnant revenue as blockbuster drugs taken daily by millions are getting cheaper generic competition.

Cyber Liability Insurance: 

Don't run a business without it

You wouldn't go into a blizzard without a coat, scuba dive with a hungry shark or bungee jump without measuring the cord. Yet, according to the 2009 FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, 71% of American companies endanger their financial stability by not having insurance that will cover Internet liability.

From the Desk of Renee Kral, Alpha Wellness Department

How is Your Cholesterol?

Nearly half of all American's have elevated cholesterol. There are no symptoms for elevated cholesterol so many people may have high cholesterol and not even know it. The body needs           cholesterol to build healthy cells, but too much of it can cause fatty deposits in the blood vessels, leading to heart disease and stroke.

Certain causes of high cholesterol may be beyond our control but take heart, high cholesterol is often preventable or at least     treatable with some easy lifestyle choices.

Diet can play a huge role in controlling cholesterol numbers. Here are some foods to eat on a regular basis to help keep cholesterol in check-

1) Whole Oat or Steel-Cut Oatmeal

2) Oat bran

3) Salmon

4) Walnuts

5) Olive oil

Here are some food to stay away from  more ... 

Storytelling: A Tool to Engage and Align Employees

by Bill Baker, ChiefExecutive.net

Corporate vision, brand positioning and employee engagement are standard objectives of any company undertaking a large-scale strategic planning effort. Too often, however, the bulk of energy is spent on the vision and brand positioning, with employee engagement as an afterthought. But employee engagement is critical to strategic planning's ultimate success as they are the ones who will ultimately bring that vision and brand positioning to life.

 

Storytelling, when used strategically, can focus, align and inspire the human energy needed to realize the vision you have for your company and the positioning you want to create for your brand. It infuses your strategic planning work with meaning, making real for your employees the ideas and more ...

 

You may have heard references to EQ in articles and wondered "what the heck are they talking about?"  EQ stands for Emotional Quotient, or Emotional Intelligence as it is more commonly called.  There are two basic aspects of EQ:   1) understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, and behavior; and 2) understanding others, and their feelings.

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Functionality at this time includes:

• - Check account balance
• - View final filing date
• - View final service date
• - Contact customer service

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About 529 Plans

529 plan history

A 529 Plan is an education savings plan operated by a state or educational institution designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs. It is named after Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code which created these types of savings plans in 1996.

529 Plans can be used to meet costs of qualified colleges nationwide. In most plans, your choice of school is not affected by the state your 529 savings plan is from. You can be a CA resident, invest in a VT plan and send your student to college in NC. Check to see if your institution is eligible under 529 rules.