Employers Must Disclose Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage to CMS by March 1,2011

The Medicare Modernization Act requires group health plan sponsors that offer prescription coverage to notify Medicare-eligible plan participants (employees and dependents) as to whether their prescription drug coverage is “creditable coverage”-which means the coverage is expected to pay on average as least as much as the standard Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Plan sponsors are also required to notify the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) annually, via the CMS website. For calendar year plans, this notice must be provided to CMS no later than March 1, 2011.

Plan sponsors should go to the Online Disclosure to CMS Form at https://www.cms.gov/creditableCoverage/45_CCDisclosureForm.asp. Completing the online form is fairly simple. Employers must input the plan sponsor’s name, Federal ID number, address, phone number, type of coverage (a drop down box lists employer-sponsored GHP, Union GHP, government GHPs, church GHP, etc.), how many prescription drug options are offered under this coverage, and whether all or some of the options are creditable or non-creditable. Be sure to obtain a submission confirmation (step #3).

How to retain your best employees

The rules of employee retention have changed. No longer can loyalty be bought with big salaries, hefty bonuses, and rich benefits packages. Today it takes intangible, non-monetary rewards to create an atmosphere that makes your people feel valued, respected, and involved. It take a whole new way of thinking. This is the fourth edition of a 22-week special on ideas you could implement to keep those best employees:

4) Manage With Your Heart, Not Your Head

Employee retention is not a textbook, by-th-numbers exercise. There is no recipe to follow, no formula to guarantee your success. An employee’s decision to stay or leave often boils down to an emotional attachment that is forged, not with the cool logic of your head, but your heart.

Managing with your heart means treating people like investments, not expenses. It means acting less like a superior and more like an equal. And, when it comes to recognizing and motivating your employees, it means the difference between:

• Giving a pat on the back vs. a kick in the rump
• Offering a spontaneous show of appreciation vs. a plaque
• Taking an employee to lunch vs. buying a lunch gift certificate
• Writing a sincere, heartfelt thank-you note vs. a standard form letter

You know how you like to be treated. You know what makes you feel good and what doesn’t. Be sure to treat your staff with all of the concern, respect, and dignity you would like for yourself. Sounds a little like the Golden Rule, doesn’t it?

How to retain your best employees

The rules of employee retention have changed. No longer can loyalty be bought with big salaries, hefty bonuses, and rich benefits packages. Today it takes intangible, non-monetary rewards to create an atmosphere that makes your people feel valued, respected, and involved. It take a whole new way of thinking. This is the third edition of a 22-week special on ideas you could implement to keep those best employees:


3) Make new employees feel welcome

      First impressions are lasting impressions. Small gestures that make new employees feel like an important part of the team can go a long way toward keeping them on board for the long haul. Here are some ideas for making that first day special:

• Prepare for the employee’s arrival

      Make sure that the newcomer’s office or workspace is ready on Day One. Print business cards, hook up phones and computers, and have an email address ready and waiting.

• Take a walk around.

      Take some time to walk new employees through your workplace, introducing people and pointing out important areas and items like the lunch room, photocopier, restroom, emergency exits, and so on.

• Provide some memory aids

      The new person isn’t going to remember every single person’s name and position right away. Present him or her with an organizational chart, as well as a map of the workplace. You might also provide a list of nearby lunch spots and other neighborhood conveniences.

• Spend some time with the newcomer      
     
     Once the first-day paperwork is completed, spend a half hour or so talking with the employee about your organization and his or her role in it. This will send a strong message that the new person is valued and important.

How to retain your best employees

      The rules of employee retention have changed. No longer can loyalty be bought with big salaries, hefty bonuses, and rich benefits packages. Today it takes intangible, non-monetary rewards to create an atmosphere that makes your people feel valued, respected, and involved. It take a whole new way of thinking. This is the secondt edition of a 22-week special on ideas you could implement to keep those best employees:

2) Don’t wait for the Two-Week Notice

       One of your well-liked and productive employees who has bee there for 3 years, walks into your office on Monday morning, closes the door, and gives her two-week notice. If your company is like most, the following two weeks will go something like this: As word of Jane’s departure travels through the office, co-workers will approach her, expressing their sadness that she’s leaving and praising her many contributions to the company. A farewell lunch will be scheduled in her honor. She’ll receive cards and gifts from you and other colleagues. And on her last day, you’ll conduct your exit interview so that she can explain what went wrong and how to make the position better.

      What’s wrong with this picture? It’s often easy to take employees for granted- especially the good ones. If Jane had been treated during her first three years as she was during her final two weeks, she probably never would have left.

      Remember, the time to show your appreciation is when an employee is an active, vital member of your team. The time to identify and fix problems is before they become reasons to look for a new job. Promise yourself this: The next gift you give to an employee won’t be a farewell gift.

Cable Maintenance

For boat dock owners, there isn’t anything more critical for dock safety and security than keeping attach cables maintained. All insurance policies that protect boat docks have a clause requiring that cables be maintained and not allowed to deteriorate beyond their serviceable life. What does that mean? If a dock is damaged in a storm event, and an adjuster inspects the cables and finds they are half eaten thru or very brittle due to rust, the adjuster can deny a claim based on the policy clause mentioned above. The way to avoid this type of claim denial is to develop and implement a cable service schedule including annual inspections, periodic and regular cable replacement with documentation of when each cable was replaced.

A rule of thumb should be that scuba divers inspect all galvanized steel cabling annually. Special attention should be given to areas where cable is attached to anchors. This is usually where breaks occur. Galvanized cabling has a limited serviceable life depending on the location of the dock and this fact should be taken into account with your cable service schedule.

Of course, stainless steel cabling is available and should be considered for all boat docks. It is more expensive than galvanized steel cabling, but will not deteriorate over time and will limit the replacement requirements over time. Stainless steel cabling does have a slightly lower tensile strength than galvanized cabling and that should be taken into account when using stainless steel cabling.

If the cost of stainless steel cabling is too high, then implementing a cable service schedule and documenting that over time is critical to avoid costly claims and potential claim denials due to cable deterioration.

If you do not currently have a cable service schedule, there is no better time than now to develop one. Please include the following information on a “per dock” basis:

1. Cable location/identifier on dock.

2. Annual date of inspection.

3. Last replacement date.

4. Cable material (stainless or galvanized) on a “per cable” basis.

5. Dock drawings are helpful.

Keep a copy safe away from the marina premises to avoid loss of this information due to a storm event. Please make sure that I know about the existence of this cable service schedule so that I can make the insurance company underwriters aware of your schedule.


Doug Timmons, CIC, CMIP

Marina Insurance Specialist

Commercial Risk Service

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Basics

IN an ideal world, employees would come to work with a clear mind, and function to the best of their ability to get their tasks done. But in the real world, there are problems, and you employees are bound to bring their problems to work with them. While you cannot prevent their problems, you can help them through an employee assistance program (EAP).

An EAP is a for-fee service, either offered through a third part administrator, health insurer or ancillary insurer, that helps employees maintain a balance between life and work. The focus for employees is on their mental and emotional health and well-being. EAPs focus on helping employees when they experience major problems n their lives. Some of these problems include:

* Major life events such as births, accidents and death

* Alcohol and substance abuse

* Financial difficulties

* Legal concerns

* Family and personal relationship problems

* Work and career issues

* Psychological disorders

EAPs offer services to employees through several means:

*Face-to-face meetings with counselors (usually a set amount of meetings per individual)

* Phone call to counselors (may or may not be limited amount, depending on plan)

* Access to online tools, with educational materials and programs to help through hard times.

Even if you company pays for an EAP program, confidentiality is still key. EAPs are supposed maintain a strict policy in accordance with privacy laws and professional ethics. A manager may refer an employee to the EAP, if they feel there is an issue that needs to be addressed in order to function at the necessary level of that job. If an employee uses the EAP, you may not know of that usage, nor, what issues may be involved. The use of an EAP is to maintain the proper balance of work and personal life for each individual employee.

By offering an EAP to your employees, you may benefit in several ways. Besides higher employee productivity and morale, employees who partake in EAPs may also result in lower medical costs, reduced turnover and less absenteeism.

How to retain your best employees

The rules of employee retention have changed. No longer can loyalty be bought with big salaries, hefty bonuses, and rich benefits packages. Today it takes intangible, non-monetary rewards to create an atmosphere that makes your people feel valued, respected, and involved. It take a whole new way of thinking. This is the first edition of a 22-week special on ideas you could implement to keep those best employees:

1) Review for Rapport

     Somewhere along the line, the annual performance review has lost its way. For employees, the question is no longer “How am I doing” but “How much am I getting?” And for too many managers, the process has become just another administrative hassle, another set of forms to fill out.

     Studies show that employees value appreciation and involvement over money. So why does the annual performance appraisal revolve around the size of the pay raise? It’s time to rethink our annual evaluations.

Here are some suggestions:

             ---An employee evaluation should involve more than a “report card” in which you grade people on their punctuality and teamwork. It should be an interactive dialogue, and opportunity to recognize accomplishments, refine responsibilities.

             ---Conduct your reviews over lunch or a cup of coffee, instead of across your desk. The setting will feel more like a casual conversation between colleagues, as opposed to a boss reviewing a subordinate.

             ---Appraisals should give employees a chance to review your performance as a supervisor. Give them plenty of opportunities to share their opinions and concerns.

             ---You don’t have to wait 12 months to establish this type of rapport with your staff. Instead, schedule your reviews every six months or, even better, quarterly. That way, their evaluation is not scheduled around a pay raise.