R&R Insurance Blog

With more recent research being done on employee health and its effects on companies, it is now safe to conclude that the benefits from encouraging and implementing a wellness program are no longer disputable. Whether it is lower health care costs, greater productivity, lower absenteeism, or higher morale, healthy employees cost you less and have a noticeable impact on the company in both the short and long term.

Over time, you are able to drive down health care costs by positively influencing your employees’ health and well being. You can impact the healthy employees by maintaining their wellness, and even get some employees who are on the edge of being unhealthy back into good health. 

An example of this written in the Harvard Business Journal, explains that doctors who conducted a study, at a single employer, researched a random sample of 185 employees and their spouses. The participants were not heart patients, but they received cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training from an expert team. Of those participants classified as high risk at the beginning of the study (according to body fat, blood pressure, anxiety, and other measures), 57% were converted to low-risk status by the end of the six-month program. Furthermore, medical claim costs declined by $1,421 per participant, compared with those from the previous year. A control group showed no such improvements. The bottom line: every dollar invested in the intervention yielded $6 in health care savings for that company.

A wellness program is not only a strategy for cutting avoidable costs, but also functions as a commitment to your employees and the overall health of your organization.

Wellness initiatives provide opportunities to help brand the company and drive change to the organizational culture. Here are some outcomes that result from developing your company brand and culture that could emerge from the pursuit of a healthy company lifestyle:

• Increased leadership opportunities
• Educated and empowered employees
• Ability to build connections and make cross-department communication easier
• Positive perceptions of the company and the workplace
• New, unique company and employee needs can be identified and acted upon

For further reading on workplace wellness check out this article.

As I drive throughout the great state of Wisconsin, I have noticed more and more roundabouts popping up. I’m sure you’re likely familiar with what a roundabout is, yet for those who haven’t attempted to navigate the circular spiral of traffic, it’s simply a replacement for a standard four-way intersection meant to keep vehicles flowing with the elimination of stop signs and traffic lights.

Now, judging from how many cars I idle behind at roundabout yield signs, over-hesitant to push forward, you’ll probably think I’ve taken in an abundance of gas fumes when I say, “I love roundabouts.”

So, for those of you who do not share my same excitement for roundabouts, perhaps I can list a few of the many benefits they provide:

• Simplifies the pedestrian’s visual environment – this prevents pedestrians from getting hit – pretty good reason for me.
• Reduced driver confusion with perpendicular junctions – we all seem to forget who goes first when two or more cars get to a four-way stop sign at the same time.
• Reduced queuing associated with traffic lights – the American commuter spends 38 hours a year idling at traffic lights – enough said.
• Allows for U-turns within the normal traffic flow – there’s no telling how many times I miss my turn and can’t turn around anywhere.
• Due to less time idling than signaled intersections, they reduce pollution – we’re all breathing the benefits.
• They make less traffic noise with braking and start-up noise – especially those of you driving muscle cars and Harleys.
• They eliminate perpendicular/T-bone crashes – probably one of the biggest benefits of all.

So with all the positives, why are there so many who haven’t jumped into the acceptance lane?

My thought, no one has taught a course on how to navigate one properly. Thinks about it, when these circular patterns started appearing, did anyone host a class on how to best use?

The same, unfortunately, holds true for Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Healthcare rates are increasing at an uncontrollable rate and too many people are not reaping the multitude of benefits and cost savings by merging on to the HSA Highway.

A Health Savings Account is very similar to a roundabout in that there are a myriad of advantages:

• Used to meet your deductible – it’s inevitable, deductibles aren’t going anywhere, yet at least there’s more opportunity to help offset the cost.
• Portable, go with you wherever you go – Just in case a new career opportunity presents itself, your HSA funds never need to be part of the consideration process.
• Tax deductible off of gross income - Who doesn’t like keeping a little more for themselves?
• Grow tax-deferred - We’re on a roll.
• NEVER taxed when used for qualified medical expenses - This whole “keeping more of my money” just keeps getting better.
• Roll over year after year -- no "use it or lose it" – awesome – now who wants to buy the numerous, unopened heating pads I purchase every year to avoid losing money in a standard, use-it-or-lose-it, Flexible Spending Account.

If you’ve been hesitant to jump onto the HSA Highway or currently have a High-Deductible HSA plan, yet don’t feel the benefits are being noticed, I would be happy to introduce you to R&R Insurance’s HSA strategy. With our turbo-drive approach, we’re putting the brakes on rising healthcare costs, pushing the pedal with employee engagement, moving the speedometer on consumerism, and putting both employers and employees back in the driver’s seat and in control of their health spend.

Now, my wife will not recommend you take roundabout driving lessons from me, yet I’m happy to help with roundabout navigation, or, what I am better suited for, benefiting from a HSA.

Knowledge starts with the knowing – I invite you to come know HSA’s with us.

Contact a KnowledgeBroker for additional information.

Although Halloween has come and gone, we believe it's never too late to discuss sweets.

As a child, I absolutely loved Halloween. I would run rapid through my neighborhood filling my bag with goodies. After visiting every house, I would rush home and change into a new costume and go revisit those houses who gave out the best candy.

I know what you’re thinking – Yes, I was one of those kids. Yet, I guess I never looked at it that way, rather that I was complimenting those who enhanced my experience of trick-or-treating.

At R&R, we pride ourselves on being all about enhancing your experience and we strive to be that one house on the block that exceeds everyone’s expectations with Health Benefits.

When it comes to partnering with an organization as their Health Benefit Broker, we are truly handing out the oversized candy bars with resources and services like:

• A Financial Analyst on staff and an investment in Financial Analytic Software. When you combine the two, you get a Count Dracula understanding of your best plan design options all in real-time, giving you the power and confidence to make the best decisions for you and your employees.

• ACA Assurance. With an on staff, ACA compliance guru, we ensure our clients are proactively informed about all things compliance related so that even if a black cat crosses your path, we’ve got you covered.

• A commitment to wellness. With R&R, you don’t have to go bobbing for apples to try and construct a wellness program. With a staffed and certified wellness specialist we’ll hand deliver the apples and design/build a wellness program that’s geared toward cost reduction, consumerism, and engagement.

• A dedicated customer service team. To us, we think great service is expected, so to be that one house on the block who exceeds your expectations, we personalize each client’s service package and deliver accountable service metrics to ensure you’ll never have a horrific experience.

• An employee communication/education plan like no other. If you feel like your employees are zombies after you talk to them about benefits or you have to dust the cobwebs off your health plan materials, you’re not alone. Now, we’re not going to give away all the beetlejuice about what makes us so unique and different, but we can assure you that we have a “ballroom blitz” communication strategy that seals the coffin on everyone else.

Some employers have been getting mini-bars for years and have not realized they may be missing out on some incredible enhancements. Don’t be scared by the thought that there isn’t a better house on the block. We’re confident, you’ll be haunted to know what has been absent when you learn how if a different kind of Broker, takes a different kind of approach, you and your employees get a much different kind of result.

I appreciate you carving out a few minutes to read this and welcome the opportunity to further connect and illustrate the endless advantages R&R brings to our clients.

Let me start by asking, do you know how to do a somersault?

Without seeing if you raised your hand, I am willing to bet, you confirmed that you know how to do a somersault.

Now I’ll ask you – Do you really remember how to do a somersault?

Seems pretty simple – right? But when was the last time you actually got down on all fours and attempted to muddle your body into a ball and project your feet over your head? Chances are, it’s been quite some time since you last attempted this feat. And probably with good reason – why do a somersault as an adult (unless you’re a gymnast, in the military training to dodge enemies, or a ninja)?

The other day, when I got home from work, my wife asked me if I could do a somersault. Naturally, and with my male self-assurance, I replied, “Yes, certainly.” Now, my wife wasn’t asking because she had any interest in seeing me do one, she was asking because she had resided in her own self-assurance and thought, “It’s just like riding a bike.”

See, a few hours earlier, our 5 older children (ages 10 through 13) were trying to teach oops child #6 (2 ½) how to do a somersault. Yet, as my wife looked on, she noticed that the older kids forgot how to do a somersault. She chuckled and giggled as they rolled their bodies from side to side in an attempt to relearn something that seemed so simple.

So, as expected, my children, who are motivated by the grief they can instill in their mother, threw out the challenge to my wife, “Let’s see you do it, Mom!”

I wasn’t there to see it, yet my wife’s explanation was visual enough that I laughed pretty loud at the thought of her trying to outdo the kids. She explained how she got into a jumbled ball and stayed locked there for what seemed like an eternity. She was perplexed at how to make the transition of, tuck, roll your neck, arch your back, push off with the balls of your feet, brace with your hands, and let your hands and shoulders fall through after your feet and legs project end over end.

I am not going to age my wife, yet let’s just say it’s been 20 plus years since she made the attempt. Did she do it? Yes. Was it as easy as she thought? Heck no. Does her back and neck now hurt? You bet.

So, why does a guy who’s a Healthcare Broker for a living think there is a correlation between doing a somersault and managing your healthcare benefits? Well, it’s simple. When was the last time you truly went through the process of evaluating what your Healthcare Broker is offering for you? See, in sales, we’ll do flips, cartwheels, jump through hoops, and even somersault at the chance to earn your business. Yet once you say yes, are you circling back, taking note of why you said yes, and holding your Broker accountable to the somersault they promised?

Being a Healthcare Broker is not just saying I know how to do a somersault, it’s being an expert at it and performing the aerial feats that landed us your business in the first place. A quality, high-flying Broker relationship should include a plan that illustrates how they’ll be doing airborne bouts for you on a continual basis throughout the year.

At R&R, we’re poised to exceed your expectations and deliver a 12-month, somersault of a plan to provide you with the confidence that the flips and cartwheels continue long after you award us a, “Yes.”

If you’d like to learn how we’ll transcend your expectations, please contact me.

Now, if you’re wondering if I attempted the feat of the somersault, well, the answer is yes, and the outcome was even worse than my lovely wife’s.

A different kind of Broker truly equals a different kind of result. Knowledge is in the Knowing – Come Know With Us.

Take control of the health and productivity of your employees - and increase profit. WellCompForLife is R&R Insurance Services’ total solutions approach to that will provide your company with the tools to increase the life span and productivity of your employees - and ultimately your bottom line!

The top three driving trends impacting an employer’s bottom line are Obesity, Workplace Injuries and the Aging Workforce.

Addressing These 3 Corporate Burdens to Increase Your Profit

1. Obesity - Yes, That Means Lose The Weight
Findings show that obese workers were more likely to report occupational injuries, with a great frequency of strains and sprains, along with falls and overexertion injuries. Consider these statistics: A comparison of obese employees to normal weight employees: 50% more workers’ compensation claims, 13x more lost work days, 7x higher medical costs, 11x indemnity claim costs. And this is just the workers compensation part. The negative effects of obese employees on your health insurance costs are overwhelming. Diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain - can all be attributed in part to being overweight. That means you have to do something about it - employee wellness programs, fitness, healthy eating, lifestyle changes for your employees and their families.

2. Reduce Workplace Injuries: Reduce the injuries to reduce the work comp claims!

• Slip-and-fall injury prevention: ensure a safe working environment by maintaining parking lots and sidewalks; encourage employees to wear appropriate footwear for wet or slippery conditions. Make sure you have handrails at all stairwells and inclines/declines - special attention to this for your aging workforce.
• Ensure employees can meet the physical requirements of the job: consider a post-offer, pre-employment physical for new employees – be sure the physician covers medical history as it may reveal something not seen during the physical (the cost of the test would pay for itself when preventing a back or shoulder claim!) Pay special attention to your aging workforce for their physical requirements.
• Ergonomics enhancement: ask employees for suggestions on how their job can be tweaked to avoid fatigue or soreness; consider job rotation for repetitive tasks (also promotes cross-training!)
• Wellness programs to aid injury prevention: help prevent strains, sprains, and falls by improving flexibility, strength, and balance. Great examples is starting a flex and stretch program, cover part of a gym membership, or hold exercise classes like yoga, Pilates, or Tai Chi.Also, having a structured return-to-work program has several benefits, the most important of which is the reduction of lost-time (lost-time has 3 times greater impact on your workers compensation premium dollars than a no-lost-time claim).

There are literally dozens of ways to increase safety and reduce injuries at your place of work. If they aren't apparent to you, bring a knowledgebroker in - we'll take a look around and give you some pointers.

3. Address the Aging Workforce
Experts predict that by the year 2020, 25% of the US workforce will be 55 years or older. Couple this statistic with the fact that most people are working past the traditional retirement age of 65 and organizations need to pay special attention to this sector of the workforce.

On average, older workers are injured less frequently than younger workers. However when older workers are injured, it will be more severe and have a longer recovery time. See Preventing Injuries in an Aging Workplace.

R&R Insurance has found that if businesses address the health of their employees, reduce their number of injuries and keep a close eye on ways to accommodate the aging workforce, you will see a significant positive effect on your bottom line! WellCompForLife processes will increase the health and longevity of your employees and their families giving you a lot more control over your health and work comp insurance costs, all while improving the productivity of their employees. This is control business owners don't realize they have. At R&R Insurance, we call this program WellCompForLife!

Join the WellCompForLife discussion on LinkedIn!

For more information about WellCompForLife, contact a knowledgebroker today!

Growing up, my mother would test the patience of my father with a common statement, “If there’s checks in the checkbook, there’s money in the bank.” While I’m not certain if my mother ever bounced any checks, I am certain that my father didn’t find humor in my mom’s lack of ownership with managing money.

This same notion of, “If there’s checks in the checkbook, there’s money in the bank,” is one that my wife had with healthcare spend. Now I do need to make a disclaimer, my wife is a very intelligent woman who manages our finances extremely well and is a disciplined, frugal spender, yet when it comes to the money we spend on healthcare, her keen sense to where each dollar is spent goes right out the window.

The blame here, though, isn’t on my wife; it lies solely, square on my shoulders. As an Employee Benefits Consultant, it’s my job to understand healthcare spend. It’s my job to teach other people where their dollars are going. And it’s my job to promote consumerism in healthcare. There’s an adage that you should leave work at work, yet I don’t think the meaning was intended to ignore the realism in exerting your strengths when they support your home life.

For years, I have made our family’s annual benefit elections and just told my wife if there was a change. For years, I let her take the kids to the doctor and I managed the EOB’s (explanation of benefits) and doctor bills. And for years, my wife and I never talked about our healthcare spend. True ignorance on my part and a disservice to our family, my wife, and the notion of practicing what I preach.

Acknowledging that I missed the mark, this open enrollment, we tried something different – I didn’t make the decisions regarding the healthcare for our family, rather, my wife did. Sure, I had done the math, examined whether our company funded HSA or HRA would best suit our needs, and I came up with a suitable selection for our family, yet if I am truly going to get my wife engaged into where our healthcare dollars are going, it starts with the ownership of making our benefits selection.

As expected, my wife put on her “frugal spender” hat and dove right in. She forecasted our Brady Bunch like family (3 boys + 3 girls + My wife and I – the Alice) expenses and calculated estimated costs for what for sure needs to be medically accounted for and the “what if’s” of healthcare spend. Once her due-diligence was completed, we regrouped and had a really good conversation about, of all things, healthcare. Our decision was made together and started additional discussions about our healthcare spend and maximizing our consumerism.

So what did this teach me, to enhance what I excel at, communication. Having the support of my company, R&R Insurance, behind me, we developed a 12-step progressive communication process (12-PCP) which gets families talking about healthcare spend with a true focus on consumerism and maximizing both employer and employee dollars disbursed on healthcare.

I invite you to share in our 12-PCP. It’s worked so well for my family that now my wife says, “So, now that we’re interlocked with our healthcare spend and committed to understanding where our dollars are truly going, maybe we can look into completing the Brady Bunch and add an Alice.”

“Sorry, Honey, I didn’t hear you, guess I need to fine-tune my listening skills, too.”

For more information on R&R's Employee Benefits Practice, contact Jeff Sewell or visit www.myknowledgebroker.com/health-insurance.

As the cost of providing health care benefits continues to skyrocket, analyzing your benefits program is a great opportunity to see how you stack up against others in your industry. An attractive benefits program is vital for your recruiting and retention efforts, and is also a significant expense. To ensure you are providing a package that is both competitive and economical, you need to know how your offerings compare to those of other employees in your industry.

The first step to successful benchmarking is to identify different aspects of your benefits and choose which are most costly and which are most important to your business's success. There is information available for almost any aspect of a benefits program, from total costs and plan design, to paid leave and workers' compensation.

Click here for a free download on the importance of benchmarking, or contact a knowledge broker at R&R to see how you measure up against the competition.

It's Madness...we know. There's a lot of talk about whether employers should let employees check their brackets while at work. We did some hunting and found these great tips for business owners and HR managers to rally around the issue. It looks like the winning answer is YES!

Set a Game Plan
While an employer shouldn’t be expected to set up flat panel televisions and hand out remote controls, it can embrace the team spirit the tournament creates. Options can include letting workers:

• Show their colors. Employees might rally around a casual day that allows them to wear the colors of their favorite team.
• Flex some muscle. Workers may appreciate flexible hours that allow them to catch a big game.
• Pool resources. A company-wide pool that allows employees to fill out the brackets for fun — and does not involve cash prizes or an entry fee — could be an ice-breaker, and chatter about last-second victories and upsets offers an opportunity for employee bonding.
• Take a break. An organization that does not allow employees to bring their cell phones, iPads, or other portable electronics into the office may let workers check scores online while on break. Also, make sure the games are on in the lunchroom so workers can do some scoreboard watching during lunch or break time.

Here are some of the highlights of what we found and the links to the full articles:

March Madness at Work: Can it Be a Slam Dunk?

Morale vs. productivity Staffing company OfficeTeam recently surveyed more than 1,000 managers on the effects of the NCAA tournament in their workplaces. Twenty percent of the managers felt office activities related to the tournament improved employee morale at least somewhat. Just four percent viewed them negatively. The majority—75 percent—said March Madness events at work have no effect on morale or productivity.

This year’s survey differs from OfficeTeam’s 2010 survey, in which 41 percent of executives felt office tournament celebrations helped morale while 22 percent thought those activities hurt productivity.

Managers were asked, "Do you feel March Madness (NCAA basketball tournament) activities in the workplace, such as watching games or participating in pools that don't involve money, have a positive or negative impact on employee morale?"

Managers also were asked, "Do you feel March Madness activities in the workplace have a positive or negative impact on employee productivity?"

March Madness: Three Point Plays for HR Victories or Catastrophes at Work:

Wide-ranging research suggests that March Madness participation can actually improve productivity in three ways:

1. Morale: As people come out of the dark corners of their cubes and begin interacting with each other, it creates a happy environment to share creative ideas. And, we all know, happier employees work more productively.
2. Inclusiveness: When employees feel as if they are included in something, they unknowingly create an equalizer that has the power to transcend title and position. So, everyone feels like they belong and have something fun to which they can look forward.
3. Engagement: Employees are not only engaged with each other, but they’re more engaged with their work. The fact is: March Madness brings out the best in most of us.

The most important thing to remember is that people will continue to play brackets ...and will do it at work. It is incumbent upon management and HR to find ways to keep employees engaged and to let them have some fun. But it’s also important to develop guidelines to avoid that possible HR catastrophe.

For more information on HR consulting, employee benefits, employee welfare and well-being, or any risk management concerns, contact a knowledgebroker today.

In an article by SFM (full article), the New England Healthcare Institute reports the national overuse of hospital emergency rooms results in $38 billion in annual wasteful spending. And that an estimated 56% of ER visits could be avoided! Not only is it costing the individual more money, but it is also costing the employer more money in terms of their health benefits and/or work comp costs.

Aside from the dollar figures associated with visiting an ER instead of primary care provider, the quality of care varies as well. An ER is equipped for the doctor to do the initial triage treatment and delegate any follow-up care. There tends to be lack of long-term treatment for the patient. Which could ultimately cost more money for additional treatments if a long-term treatment plan is not discussed at time of injury.

However if a patient is able to visit their primary care provider, an urgent care facility, or a specialty clinic, it typically has a more ideal outcome as the individual is treated by a specialist who is able to guide the treatment. Ultimately, staying out of the ER when possible will lead to better medical outcomes, less frustration, and reduced costs.

WellCompForLife can reduce costs for your health benefits AND work comp to positively impact your bottom line.

With the onset of The Affordable Care Act (PPACA), many small employers will see their costs rise, despite successful efforts to encourage healthy habits and smart consumer choices - just another reason why smaller employers are taking matters into their own hands and self-funding. (Actually the healthier your employees, the better off your plan will be if you self-insure...here's why.)

At R&R Insurance, we get weekly inquiries about self-funding or self-insuring health insurance for their employees. This is a very hot topic right now, and we are here to help. This Self-Insurance Guide covers the basics of self insuring your company's health insurance. Download your Self-Insurance Guide here.

Recent articles about self-funding:

3 Guidelines driving small employers to self-funding
Health Benefits Continue to Be Key for Employers Despite Obamacare
How to Get, or Keep, Health Insurance if You Are Self Employed
Self-Insurance is a Loophole for Small Businesses

R&R is well versed in the self funded options available to small groups and has first hand experience transitioning small employers to partially self funded and self funded options. For more information about self funding your health insurance, contact a knowledgebroker today!