Increases to premium for individual health insurance may be on the horizon for 2017. Insurers everywhere are citing financial losses under Obamacare or ACA. The rates of these increases vary from state to state. In North Carolina, for example, Aetna is requesting 24.5% increase and Blue Cross by 18.8% while United Healthcare has decided to withdraw from the exchange market entirely. Many should not feel the hit of these increases due to the numerous tax credits available on the exchange. Continue reading
Despite most workers reporting that safety is a priority at work, about one-third believe their employers value productivity over safety, according to a new survey by the National Safety Council.
Many workers, especially those in high-risk industries like construction, reported that “safety takes a back seat to completing job tasks,” according to a survey on employee perceptions of workplace safety released Monday by the Itasca, Illinois-based organization. Continue reading
Too many Americans graduate high school, earn their college degrees, and land a job, yet still lack basic education or experience in financial planning. Additionally, large numbers of Americans have accumulated massive debt for a variety of reasons, including education, car repairs, or medical bills. This combination of excessive debt and financial illiteracy creates stress and decreases an employee’s ability to properly focus on and engage in his or her work. Such stress also contributes to increased healthcare costs. Companies have the power to mitigate the consequences of this financial illiteracy by providing financial education and guidance – in addition to typical work benefits – to their employees. Continue reading
The Affordable Care Act gives small businesses the option to offer a group healthinsurance plan through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace. Certain small businesses participating in the Marketplace are eligible to receive a tax credit. This Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, which can be obtained solely through the SHOP Marketplace, is only available for two consecutive taxable years. While the use of the SHOP Marketplace has been attractive to some small businesses, it is possible that coverage procurement through the Marketplace will drop after the expiration of the two-year tax credit. Continue reading
Visa and MasterCard are using security measures prone to fraud, putting retailers and customers at risk of thieves, The Home Depot Inc. says in a new federal lawsuit.
It’s the latest giant retailer to raise the security concerns, with a lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. Last month, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. sued Visa Inc. over similar issues. Continue reading
Connecticut Bookmaker Gets Prison Time in Insurance Fraud Scheme
A bookmaker who pleaded guilty to charges he shot a gambler with a stun gun and tried to burn down a Middletown restaurant in an insurance fraud scheme is headed to prison.
The Hartford Courant reports 52-year-old John Barile of East Hartford was sentenced Tuesday to 71 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in February to charges of arson, insurance fraud, gambling and extortion. Continue reading
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in partnership with international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, said that it took action last week against 4,402 websites that illegally sell potentially dangerous, unapproved prescription drugs to U.S. consumers.
This effort was part of Operation Pangea IX, the Ninth Annual International Internet Week of Action, a global cooperative effort, led by INTERPOL, to combat the sale of illegal and potentially counterfeit medical products on the internet. Continue reading
June was supposed to have been a triumphant month for Walt Disney Co. theme parks, with the flashy opening of a long-planned resort in Shanghai and a new Florida attraction based on its wildly popular animated movie “Frozen.”
Instead, the company is facing a public relations crisis and the possibility of legal action after an alligator snatched and killed a toddler at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida, legal and communications experts said Continue reading
