How great are you?
Gloomier-Than-Expected Forecast For Medicare
Kaiser Health News, May 16, 2011
Kaiser Health News staff writers Phil Galewitz and Mary Agnes Carey report: “Medicare will start running out of money in 2024 – five years earlier than projected last year – as a result of the sluggish economic recovery, the program’s trustees reported…. The outlook for the federal health insurance program that covers 47.5 million elderly and disabled Americans is a dramatic shift from last summer. That’s when the trustees, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, proudly projected that the new health law had extended the solvency of the program by 12 years from 2017 to 2029” (Galewitz and Carey, 5/13). Read the story.
The New York Times: Nursing Homes Seek Exemptions From Health Law
Kaiser Health News, May 16, 2011
It is an oddity of American health care: Many nursing homes and home care agencies do not provide health insurance to their workers, or they pay wages so low that employees cannot afford coverage that is offered (Pear, 5/15).
The “100 Best Corporate Citizens List”
http://www.thecro.com/, March/April 2011
The list includes IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Target, Wal-Mart, Coke and Pepsi. Even Citigroup.
NO HEALTH CARE COMPANY IS LISTED. Isn’t that a shame?
Quote of the Day
AIS’s Health Business Daily, May 16, 2011
“People are curious. They’ll plug anything [into their computers], especially if it’s enticing. Take a CD and write ‘Fourth Quarter Bonuses’ on it and leave it sitting in the lunch room. Somebody will put it in.”
– Randy Romes, with LarsonAllen LLP, speaking at the recent HCCA Compliance Institute about the increasing threats to health care entities from cyber criminals.
Fraud Examiner Newsletter May 2011(excerpt)
Employee Benefits Can Help Prevent Fraud
In today’s technological society, we have many options available to us to improve the quality of life and work environment for employees. A few examples include:
Working from remote locations
Flexible work schedules
Employee assistance programs
On-site gym or free gym membership
401(k) and pension programs
Competitive compensation
16 Consistent Characteristics of Greatness
HOW THEY THINK
1. It’s Personal – They hate to lose more than they love to win.
2. Rubbing Elbows – They understand the value of association.
3. Believe – They have faith in a higher power.
4. Contagious Enthusiasm – They are positive thinkers… They are enthusiastic… and that enthusiasm rubs off.
HOW THEY PREPARE
5. Hope For the Best, But… – They prepare for all possibilities before they step on the field.
6. What Off-Season? – They are always working towards the next game… The goal is what’s ahead, and there’s always something ahead.
7. Visualize Victory – They see victory before the game begins.
8. Inner Fire – They use adversity as fuel.
HOW THEY WORK
9. Ice In Their Veins – They are risk-takers and don’t fear making a mistake.
10. When All Else Fails – They know how – and when – to adjust their game plan.
11. Ultimate Teammate – They will assume whatever role is necessary for the team to win.
12. Not Just About the Benjamins – They don’t play just for the money.
HOW THEY LIVE
13. Do Unto Others – They know character is defined by how they treat those who cannot help them.
14. When No One is Watching – They are comfortable in the mirror… They live their life with integrity.
15. When Everyone Is Watching – They embrace the idea of being a role model.
16. Records Are Made to Be Broken – They know their legacy isn’t what they did on the field. They are well-rounded.