|
|
|
Alpha e-News Update
March 2012 |
|
|
|
The Alpha Group Agency
4200 Rockside Road, Suite 300
Independence, Ohio 44131
216-520-3300 |
|
|
|
|
Cell Phone Use While Driving on the Rise
 According to research published by State Farm insurance company this past December; more drivers are accessing mobile web services while behind the wheel. They surveys nearly 900 motorists and found:
- Accessing the Internet on a cell phone while driving increased from 13 percent in 2009 to 18 percent in 2011.
- Reading social media networks while driving increased from 9 percent in 2009 to 14 percent in 2011.
- Updating social networks while driving increased from 9 percent in 2009 to 13 percent in 2011.
- Texting while driving increased from 31 percent in 2009 to 32 percent in 2011.
The irony of the study was that while drivers say they know cell phone use while driving is risky, they only feel that way when someone else is doing it. Read Article
|
|
U.S. Commercial Insurance Rates Expected to Rise in 2012
 Marsh, the insurance broking and risk management firm, published a new report warning that it is more than likely that U.S. commercial insurance rates will increase for many lines of business in 2012.
In Navigating the Risk and Insurance Landscape: U.S. Insurance Market Report 2012, Marsh says that it is likely the U.S. will see an acceleration of property insurance rates in 2012 particularly for those insureds with past loss histories or with significant catastrophe exposures. View Article |
|
|
|
From the Alpha Wellness Team
Eat Right. Get Your Plate in Shape!
Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate or in your bowl. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods contain the nutrients you need without too many calories. Over the day, include foods from all the food groups. Try the following tips to "Get Your Plate in Shape."
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange vegetables plus beans and peas. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables all count. Choose "reduced sodium" or "no-salt-added" canned vegetables. Add fruit to meals and snacks. Buy fruits that are dried, frozen or canned in water or 100% juice, as well as fresh fruits.
Download the March Wellness Issue for an employee handout |
Legal Disclosures Make for Crummy Communication
Legal disclosures come in many forms and throughout the year. From notices about benefits changes due to healthcare reform to the 401(k) disclosure fees, new legislation or legal jargon always seems to make it across your desk - needing to be deciphered. 
While it can be tempting to let your company's attorneys drive the communication process with notices written in legalese and other benefits jargon, you might be missing an opportunity to engage your employees in their benefits.
Don't let these legal notices overcomplicate and overshadow the rest of your communication. Instead, use these notices to help explain to employees what's happening, why, what they can expect and what actions they can take.
Use these tips to help you communicate your legal notices into something your employees can use. Read Article |
|
"A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better."
- Jim Rohn
|
|
 |  | |
|
12 Healthy (and Easy to Eat At Work) Snacks Under 200 Calories
"Eating regularly throughout the day (every three to four hours) prevents low blood sugar and hunger while helping to maintain energy levels, which is vital for mental and physical performance," said Cheryl Williams, a registered dietitian at the Emory Heart and Vascular Center in Atlanta.
A mid-afternoon snack can tame the temptation to overeat later because you won't feel famished by dinner time. However that doesn't give you a free pass to snack constantly on the job.
Read Article
|
|
Fully Insured vs. Self-Insured Plans Under PPACA
Who: All employers currently offering group plans or considering offering group plans in the future.
What: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) creates differences between fully insured and self-insured plans, which may have cost implications for employers. Self-insured employer plans are explicitly exempted from some PPACA requirements.
View Article |
| |  |
Rising costs, health care reform law create more interest in self-funding
Courtesy of Crain's Cleveland Business, 2/27/2012 |
As health care costs continue to climb, many midsize employers are turning to self-funding as a cost-effective way to provide health benefits to their employees.
Fifty-eight percent of employers with 200 to 999 employees self-funded their health care programs in 2010, up from 44% in 1999, according to the annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Education Trust Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits.
View Article
|
|
|
|
Alpha Benefits, Inc. / Alpha Financial Services, Inc. / Alpha Property & Casualty, Inc. / AlphaHR, LLC.
Your partner for stability, security & growth. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
