| Upcoming Events |
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Small Business Workshop - Sept. 9
Executive Committee Meeting - Sept. 10
Board of Directors Meeting- Sept. 10
Third M&M Session - Oct. 6
Executive Committee Meeting - Oct. 13
Fall Panel - Oct. 21
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College for Value Based Purchasing
September 14-17
Memphis, TN
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NBCH Annual Conference
November 8-10, Scottsdale, AZ
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| UV Safety Month |
 Skin cancer. Wrinkles. Premature aging. Now you can add cataracts and macular degeneration - eye conditions that can lead to blindness - to the list of dangers the sun can inflict.
July is UV Safety Month and eye doctors across the country are taking this opportunity to urge Americans to wear sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats whenever spending prolonged time in the sun.
Wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays. Don't be fooled by a cloudy day, the sun's rays can still burn through the haze and thin clouds. Also, try to stay out of the sun between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., when the sun's ultraviolet rays are the strongest.
For more information on UV Safety, please visit the following websites:
Source: American Academy of Opthalmology |
| Healthy Workforce Act |
Healthy Workforce Act Picks-Up Steam in Senate
Here is the latest update on the bill:
- The bill was introduced by Senators Harkin and Cornyn, and Representatives Blumenauer and Bono-Mack on April 2, 2009.
- Provides a tax credit to cover 50% of the cost of a comprehensive workplace health promotion programs offered by for-profit employers providing a direct tax benefit to employers.
- Expected to stimulate many more employers to implement effective health promotion programs and; therefore, improve the health of the workforce, and ultimately reduce medical costs.
- Under review in the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee as part of the larger health care reform legislation, and found within the workplace health promotion provisions.
- Finance Committee to release a "chairman's mark" of the larger bill on or around June 17, and be voted on by the Committee sometime between June 22 and 26. The House of Representatives has a similar schedule.
- The next step will be a vote in the full Senate and House in July, and a final health care reform bill on the President's desk for signature in October.
Full article
Source: NBCH |
| Full Cost of Depression |
 Employees who live with depression know its costs only too well. Employers, however, are likely to greatly underestimate depression's impact on their employees and the costs to their business.
IBI research shows that a full-cost view of depression's workforce effects presents unanticipated employer costs and significant challenges. To help employers use the research findings, IBI member experts suggest how to overcome challenges identified in the research.
View document
Source: Integrated Benefits Institute |
| Swine Flu Update |
 On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway.
More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.
Source: CDC |
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GlaxoSmithKline Vaccine Contract |
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Are you interested in buying vaccines (including flu vaccine)? NBCH has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to offer NBCH's coalitions and their employer members the chance to buy GSK vaccines at a preferential price.
Source: NBCH
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| Health Care Reform |
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A wide-range of policy options currently are being considered to replace, modify or supplement the current health care system resulting in potentially significant implications for US-based employers. President Obama has asked Congress to provide him with a comprehensive bill to sign into law by October 1, 2009.
The Kaiser Family Foundation has created a useful resource, the side-by-side comparison tool, on its health reform gateway page. This resource includes detailed summaries of various comprehensive health reform legislation proposals on a number of different subjects. View Comparison Tool
Source: NBCH | |
If you have any questions or comments about the newsletter or have suggestions on ideas for articles, please e-mail them to wsimmer@scbch.org
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