Denying a petition to loosen marijuana restrictions, U.S. officials said regulations on the drug’s use will remain in place, although more of it may be available for research into potential medical therapies. Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a sample employer notice that the federally-facilitated Marketplace and some state-based Health Insurance Marketplaces (Exchanges) will be using as part of the employer notice program. This program requires the Marketplaces to notify employers that one of their employees has been determined eligible to receive advance payments of the Premium Tax Credit, and/or cost-sharing reductions by enrolling in a Marketplace plan. Because these actions may trigger employer penalties under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) “pay or play” provisions, an employer appeal request form has been provided by HHS. Continue reading
Heat safety issues in bounce houses can put children in danger, according to a new University of Georgia study.
Expanding on the concept of microclimates like those in parked vehicles that cause serious injuries to children, the study investigated potential heat-related risks associated with bounce houses, which create a microclimate environment similar to automobiles but one that had not been previously examined. Continue reading
Six of the 10 ports at greatest risk for catastrophe loss in the world are in the United States, Newark, California-based catastrophe modeler Risk Management Solutions Inc. said Monday, and warned that the risk extends to smaller ports.
RMS said the two riskiest ports are in Nagoya, Japan, with an estimated catastrophe loss of $2.3 billion and Guangzhou, China, with an estimated cat loss of $2 billion. Continue reading
Obamacare has provided health insurance to some 20 million people. But are they any better off?
This has been the central question as we’ve been watching the complex and expensive health law unfurl. We knew the law was giving people coverage, but information about whether it’s protecting people from debt or helping them become more healthy has been slower to emerge. Continue reading
Self-driving trucking start-up Otto is poised to put its software in the hands of long-haul truckers by the end of this year for testing, its co-founders said on Thursday.
Otto, co-founded by Google car and map project veterans Anthony Levandowski and Lior Ron, will also begin testing five retrofitted Volvo trucks at Northern California’s autonomous vehicle testing grounds, GoMentum Station, in coming weeks. Continue reading
Some workers who are at risk for heat exhaustion are landscapers, firefighters, bakery workers, farmers, construction workers, miners, boiler room workers, lifeguards, security guards, or any one exposed to extreme heat, humidity and sun conditions during the work hours. Under OSHA law, employers are responsible for providing work places free of known safety hazards which include protecting workers from extreme heat. Continue reading
Advisers are finding more and more employers interested in cost saving options for medical plan offerings with the new ACA mandates. Many brokers are advising high deductible health plans because of the lower monthly cost. Is there a gap in coverage from offering these seemingly inexpensive options? Many employees are satisfied with the monthly savings at first until they have a trip to the emergency room or find out they need surgery. Continue reading
