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TPA Benefits Hits The Big Time! (sort of)
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 MainStreet.com is a sister website of The Street.com, and they recently did a story on the high cost of skipping insurance. MainStreet.com interviewed several brokers from around the country for the article. We were quoted in the article and contributed some background information as well. You can read the article here.
Who knows where this could lead. The next thing you know, I could be hanging with Mad Money's Jim Cramer.... That's a bad dream.
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Let The Public Flogging Begin
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 We saw an article about a report that said how the insurance companies made $1.3 billion more than they expected on their Medicare business. The article referred to a bureaucrat who said "if the
companies had been more accurate, they could have...enhanced health benefits or lower monthly premiums, and
they still would have maintained their expected profit margin."
We took issue with the article and tried to bring the numbers down to something we could get our mind around. With a little perspective, the $1.3 billion "miss" does not seem that bad to us. Read more here.
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Americans spend $1.9 trillion each year on health care and... - 50 percent of health care costs, and ultimately health insurance, is related to lifestyle choices
- 60 percent of Americans are overweight and companies pay more than $13 billion in related costs
- 15 percent of our children are obese
- 20 percent of our workers smoke
- 50 percent of adults have no idea what their blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels are
And we wonder why employers receive double digit rate increases on medical insurance.
Source: Alt Benefits Consultants |
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The Lighter Side - Calvin Explains Detroit
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 One of my favorite cartoons is Calvin & Hobbes. Even though it is no longer being made, you can find it on line. In fact, I get an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon sent to me each day in my email (one of the better uses of technology).
Recently one came to my attention where Calvin unknowingly explained, with extraordinary clarity, why the automakers needed a bailout. Click here to see the cartoon. |
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Got Some Free Time? Help Some Kids
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 Last year I volunteered some time for Junior Achievement, and I had a blast. They are looking for volunteers again this year. They ALWAYS have more opportunities than volunteers which means lots of classes do not get to participate in the Junior Achievement program. To spin that on a positive note, that means there is room for you. Please consider volunteering with them. Their volunteer opportunities range from one-day activities to helping out over a number of weeks. And the best part is they provide everything - you just need to give them your time.
Here is their official blurb:
Junior Achievement Seeks Volunteers
Junior Achievement of Central Virginia (JA) promotes financial and economic literacy in area schools by providing kindergarten through 12th grade programs. Each year, more than 1,000 teachers request a JA volunteer to work with their students. During the 2007 - 2008 school year, JA filled 909 class requests and reached more than 19,000 students in the greater Richmond area. This year, we are headed to break all records! JA has received nearly 1,300 class requests and has placed 772 volunteers in the classroom. And we are only half way through the school year! With your help, we can fill all of these requests.
Junior Achievement provides both training and classroom materials. As a volunteer, you bring your life experience and eagerness to work with students to the classroom. To learn more about volunteering, please visit www.jatoday.org or call JA at 804-217-8855.
Please consider this worthwhile activity. |
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I Wish I Had Said That... |
"Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words."
Calvin
"Who was the first guy that looked at a cow and said,"
I think that I'll drink whatever comes out of those things when I
squeeze them?"
Calvin
"What's the point of
wearing your favorite rocketship underpants if nobody ever asks to see
'em?"
Calvin
"Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in
the lottery."
Calvin
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