 Seasonal flu is not just a runny nose or upset stomach. On the contrary, it's a serious illness that can lead to pneumonia or even death. The good news is that most insurance companies are helping to reduce the cost of seasonal flu shots to their members. If you do not know if your carrier is helping with the cost, contact your agent or the customer service number on the back of your ID Card. Most carriers are letting you get your flu shot with a tier 1 co-pay on your Rx coverage.
Please note that the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect from the H1N1 flu virus. The government is covering the cost of the vaccine itself. Authorized providers may bill for administration charges. Again, check with your carrier for more details.
Click here for more information including websites with more information and list of groups recommended to receive each of the flu vaccines.
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Like a bad habit, the COBRA subsidy is back in the newsletter. The IRS has created a new webpage with questions and answers (Q&As) for employees and former employees relating to the COBRA premium subsidy created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). As background, under ARRA, COBRA premium assistance is available for certain employees who are involuntarily terminated and become eligible for COBRA between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009.
You can access that webpage here
Side Note: We have a few inquiries as to whether the subsidy will be extended. Your guess is as good as ours at this point. It is set to expire at the end of December and there has been no substantial talk of extending it. But it is only October 1. In their usual fashion, Congress will probably not address it until mid-December. |
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COBRA Subsidy (again) - Part II |
The IRS website has a post on it that is a reminder that COBRA subsidy recipients who later become eligible for other group health plan coverage or Medicare should notify their plan in writing that they are no longer eligible for the subsidy. Failure to do so could result in a penalty.
They give those who are breaking the law a chance to redeem themselves. In case not everyone is as honest as the IRS hopes, they give people an opportunity to tattle on someone they suspect is taking advantage of the system. Click here for more details.
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 In the style of Paul Harvey, and at the risk of reminding UVA football fans of their loss to my alma mater, we wanted to share with you a great story that played out behind the scenes of the William & Mary win over UVA several weeks ago.
If you never read another link in this newsletter again, read this one. I promise you - you will be glad you did. It is a feel good story that put sports in perspective and shows that a lot of what you get out of life is all about your perspective.
In 1986, "Gantt had landed on his neck and bruised between the sixth and seventh region of the vertebra. The team doctor rode with him to the ER, then huddled with him in his hospital room. Coaches and staff visited. The prognosis was grim: Gantt was paralyzed from the chest down. He'd need a wheelchair for the rest of his life."
Read the rest of the story...
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 I am a geek in some ways, I admit it. There, I feel better already. This video demonstrates high speed robotics. Robtics? What's the big deal, Alan? Well, they combine 'fingers', a high speed vision sensor (please don't call it a camera), and tactile sensors to create a reaction time of 1 millisecond (1/1000 of a second)! I admit, some of the stuff is pretty ho-hum. I mean, dribbling a ball until it bounces away? Pen spinning? Knotting a rope? Please. That is child's play. But what about throwing a ball (1:40 into the video)? Or tossing and THEN catching a cell phone (2:39 into the video)? Now that is impressive... in a geeky kind of way.
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