From the monthly archives: October 2016
A new study from the University of Iowa College of Public Health has found that traffic accidents involving farm vehicles in the Midwest would decrease by more than 50 percent if state policies required more lighting and reflection on those vehicles.
The study by the college’s Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH) compared rates of farm equipment–related crashes in nine Midwestern states in the context of the states’ policies on lighting and marking vehicles. Those states report an average of more than 1,100 farm vehicle-related crashes each year, often causing severe or fatal injuries. Continue reading
Once you’re in your 20s, it’s time to look around for a primary care doctor who knows how to take care of adults. Because most young adults are essentially healthy, they may not feel any sense of urgency, but part of growing up is taking control of your health and your health care. Getting sudden problems like sore throats and sprained ankles seen to in an emergency room or a walk-in clinic is convenient, but you should have an ongoing relationship with a health care provider who can think about all the different aspects of your health. You need a medical home, and you want to establish it before you have a major problem. Continue reading
U.S. bank regulators on Wednesday outlined cyber security standards meant to protect financial markets and consumers from online attacks against the nation’s leading financial firms.
Leading banks will be expected to use the most sophisticated anti-hacking tools on the market and to be able to recover from any attack within two hours, said officials briefing reporters on the plan. Continue reading
The century old state workers’ compensation system is outdated, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The system needs to be reset and reshaped to address the needs of today’s employees, according to David Michaels, the assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Stakeholders, including workers, employers, insurance carriers, unions and government agencies will all need to take part in the conversation. Continue reading
Buying health insurance for the first time can be a daunting task. The good news is that there is more financial assistance for health care coverage than ever before, and you can’t be denied coverage. The answers to some frequently asked questions can help you understand the real costs of a health care plan and choose a policy that suits your needs. Continue reading
Among all the safety problems an employee can encounter, fire can be the most frightening. Every year office fires cause millions of dollars in damage and result in hundreds of employee injuries. Yet many employees do not realize how their own actions can contribute to the risk of fire. Continue reading
WASHINGTON — Cara Suzannah Latil is living proof that the Affordable Care Act works — but also of why a central piece of the law is in turmoil.
Ms. Latil, 49, who works at a homeless shelter in Santa Fe, N.M., is one of millions of Americans who once found it difficult or impossible to get health insurance because they already had serious illnesses. Hepatitis C was ravaging her liver when she learned in 2014 that she also had breast cancer. Through the health care law, she was able to buy subsidized insurance that paid for all but $800 of her cancer surgery and radiation, she said, as well as tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of medications that cured her hepatitis. Continue reading
The required notices may be provided in several ways. Employers can provide them with their annual enrollment materials, mailings or electronically (with the employee’s permission). Employers can use the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) model notices or other notices that meet prescribed standards; however, the notices are required to be distributed no later than Oct. 14, 2016. Continue reading
