Lean & Green
By Elva Perez, Account Specialist
If you can’t tell already from my last Blog post about plants, and this one about plants, then I’ll just come out and say it. I’m clearly the “crazy plant lady” in the office. This is the first career that I’ve gotten my own working space to make my own. Of course, as the crazy plant lady, the first thing I did was bring in plants to put on my desk. I function better if my area closely resembles a mini growing jungle. My colleagues who walk by really appreciate the beauty and let me know that it’s pure joy seeing the greenery. It brings them peace (and more oxygen) to their day!
I’ve been with RISQ Consulting for about 6 months now, and one of the many things I am learning about is the concept of being “Lean”. While Lean has nothing to do with plants directly, I definitely believe that plants have everything to do with helping you BE Lean. Here is a great read I found about being “lean and green” in your work environment.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140901090735.htm
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Another Serving of YUM, Anyone?
By Bailey Penrose, Employer Services Account Manager
It’s that time of year again, Alaska’s small window of Fall as we gear up for the snowy winter months. As hot drinks become appealing, sweaters are lovingly taken out of storage, and the season’s chill starts to bite, the kitchen calls with its siren song as we all head inside.
For some delicious recipe inspiration, please consider some of the online resources below:
If a cook-book is more your speed, have you tried Chrissy Teigan? These recipes may not be what one might call “health conscious” but they are more than worth it in flavor!
Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy Teigan 2016
Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigan 2018
And lastly, while Alaska may not yet have access to a full meal-prep service like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, eMeals is an online service that offers meal planning (recipe options for each day of the week) and is available wherever you’re located.
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Skating into Winter
By Madasin Jennings, Account Specialist
It has begun. The leaves have changed, the temperature has dropped, and the days are getting darker. Winter is here and for me, this means it’s time to start thinking about winter activities.
In the past, I have always preferred to spend my summers outdoors while spending my winters indoors. So, winter activities aren’t something I am too familiar with. My boyfriend, however, is a fan of all weather, especially winter. Skiing and playing hockey are among two of his favorite things to do in winter. Last season, I hit the slopes a grand total of one time. I did, however, take to ice skating like a duck on (frozen) water.
Like most people in my generation, when I want to know more about something, I google it. For anyone wanting to learn how to ice skate, this article would be a great start. It starts off at the basics: clothing dos and don’ts, choosing the right ice skates for you, and how to properly lace up. Start slowly and it’s ok to stick close to the barrier! This will help you get a feel for the ice and how your body reacts to movements on the ice until you can find your balance. There are tips on proper skating stance and a few things to think about as you start gaining momentum, like learning how to stand and stop. These are all important steppingstones that will help glide you toward success.
For me, the most important thing to take away from this article is to be patient with yourself. Take it one glide at a time and learn as you go, while also remembering to have fun. Don’t waste away indoors while a winter wonderland sits right outside your window. Get out there and try something new!
10 Tips for Ice Skating Beginners:
https://iceskatingpassion.com/first-time-ice-skating-tips-beginners/
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What You Need to Know About the Biden-Harris Administration’s Actions to Prevent Surprise Billing
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
On July 1, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury, as well as the Office of Personnel Management, issued “Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part I,” an interim final rule with comment period that will restrict surprise billing for patients in job-based and individual health plans and who get emergency care, non-emergency care from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers.
This first rule implements several important requirements for group health plans, group and individual health insurance issuers, carriers under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, health care providers and facilities, and providers of air ambulance services.
What is a surprise medical bill?
When a person with a group health plan or health insurance coverage gets care from an out-of-network provider, their health plan or issuer usually does not cover the entire out-of-network cost, leaving them with higher costs than if they had been seen by an in-network provider. In many cases, the out-of-network provider can bill the person for the difference between the billed charge and the amount paid by their plan or insurance, unless prohibited by state law. This is known as “balance billing.” An unexpected balance bill is called a surprise bill.
This rule protects patients from surprise bills under certain circumstances.
Who will benefit from this rule?
These surprise billing protections apply to you if you get your coverage through your employer (including a federal, state or local government) or through the federal Marketplaces, state-based Marketplaces or directly through an individual market health insurance issuer.
The rule does not apply to people with coverage through programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Indian Health Services, Veterans Affairs Health Care or TRICARE. These programs already prohibit balance billing.
Who is affected by surprise bills?
Surprise medical bills and balance bills affect many Americans, particularly when people with health insurance unknowingly get medical care from a provider or facility outside their health plan’s network. This can be very common in emergency situations, where people usually go (or are taken) to the nearest emergency department without considering their health plan’s network.
An in-network hospital still might have out-of-network providers, and patients in emergency situations may have little or no choice when it comes to who provides their care.
For non-emergency care, an individual might choose an in-network facility or an in-network provider but not know that a provider involved in their care (for example, an anesthesiologist or radiologist) is an out-of-network provider.
How does this rule help?
If your health plan provides or covers any benefits for emergency services, this rule requires emergency services to be covered:
- Without any prior authorization (meaning you do not need to get approval beforehand)
- Regardless of whether a provider or facility is in-network
This rule also protects people from excessive out-of-pocket costs by limiting cost sharing for out-of-network services to in-network levels, requiring cost sharing for these services to count toward any in-network deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, and prohibiting balance billing under certain circumstances. Cost sharing is what you pay out of your own pocket when you have insurance, such as deductibles, coinsurance and copayments when you get medical care.
The protections in this rule apply to most emergency services, air ambulance services from out-of-network providers and non-emergency care from out-of-network providers at certain in-network facilities, including in-network hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers.
Additionally, this rule requires certain health care providers and facilities to furnish patients with a one-page notice on:
- The requirements and prohibitions applicable to the provider or facility regarding balance billing
- Any applicable state balance billing prohibitions or limitations
- How to contact appropriate state and federal agencies if the patient believes the provider or facility has violated the requirements described in the notice
This information must be publicly available from the provider or facility, too.
When does the rule take effect?
Consumer protections in the rule will take effect beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.
The regulations are generally applicable to group health plans and health insurance issuers for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2022, and to FEHB program carriers for contract years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2022. They are applicable to providers and facilities beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.
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Mental Health in the Workplace
By Alison Nelson, Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Last week, Naomi Osaka, a world-renowned tennis player, withdrew from the French Open. Why would she withdraw from such an important match, resulting in a $15,000 fine? The answer is simple: mental health.
Naomi Osaka explained that she struggles with depression and anxiety and needed to put her health first. Unfortunately, critics were quick to label Osaka a “diva” or even a “special snowflake”. While most of the world applauded Osaka’s stand, and the mediation app, Calm, even offered to pay the fines for any tennis players who skip media appearances due to mental health, the initial critics provided an alarming reminder of the stigma surrounding mental health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 264 million people suffer from depression and many of those people also have anxiety. WHO also states that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy one trillion U.S. dollars each year in lost productivity. Despite the staggering amount of people who have depression or other mental illnesses, and as the Osaka critics demonstrated, the negative stereotypes about mental health are alive and well. Yet, it is because of this stigma that employers can’t afford to stay silent.
Not only is there a direct correlation between mental health and productivity, but according to this article:
- Employees with untreated mental health conditions use nonpsychiatric health care services 3 times more than those who do get treatment.
- Mental illness is the single greatest cause of worker disability worldwide.
- 62% of missed work days can be attributed to mental health conditions.
- Turnover rates are higher for depressed employees, who are 20% to 40% more likely to become unemployed because of their condition.
Below is an image from Kaiser Permanente displaying the cost different between flu prevention and depression intervention.
The cost alone should incentivize employers to make an effort to destigmatize mental health, but how should you go about it? Below is a list from LifeSpeak of 10 ways employers can improve mental health in the workplace and you can read the full LifeSpeak article here.
- Speak candidly about mental health. The first step to beating the stigma is to stop treating mental illness as taboo. Whether it’s an article you read, a show you watched, or a personal experience you had, talking about it openly and without shame will help others realize they aren’t alone.
- Keep the conversation going. Workplace culture must be nurtured, which means you can’t just mention mental health once and expect it to catch on. Find multiple opportunities to incorporate the subject into your employees’ day so it stays top-of-mind.
- Include all levels of staff. Your employees won’t believe that you genuinely care about their well-being unless every manager and executive also demonstrates the importance of mental health.
- Encourage employees to take mental health days off. If you still require your employees to provide a doctor’s note or otherwise “legitimate” reason for missing work, it might be time to stop. Part of preventative health involves giving your mind and body a break every now and then, and allowing your staff to miss work in order to recharge can help them stave off more serious health issues down the road.
- Pay attention and be ready to help. If you do notice an employee behaving differently (ex: irritability or low mood), don’t hesitate to ask them if everything is alright. Even if they tell you they’re fine, remind them that you’re there to help and that they have access to assistive resources.
- Make sure the tools and resources are relevant. No matter how much information you supply your employees, it’ll never do any good if it’s outdated or irrelevant. In fact, it might even do harm. Frequently audit your mental health resources to make sure they’re accurate, up-to-date, and contain practical advice that your employees can use to get better.
- Facilitate access to these resources. Similar to the previous point, your staff won’t get much use out of the information if it’s difficult for them to find. Eliminate barriers to access by providing the content in a variety of formats (audio, video, written, etc.), and minimizing the number of steps it takes for them to find it.
- Prioritize confidentiality and anonymity. Even though mental health might be normalized in your workplace, some people might still feel uncomfortable discussing it, particularly if they struggle with addiction, trauma, or suicidal thoughts. Reassure your staff that their privacy is your top concern, and that their use of mental health resources will never be monitored or tracked.
- Design a mentally healthy work space. It’s important for your employees to feel energized and uplifted by their work environment. Research has shown productivity, engagement, and overall wellness increase when people feel comfortable in workspaces with natural lighting, plants, and other positive features.
- Focus on the positive. Mental illness is a serious issue, but it can still be addressed in a way that makes people feel understood, appreciated, and hopeful. Always remember to leave your employees feeling like they have a clear plan of action ahead and that they or their loved ones can get well.
Need more ideas for promoting mental health in your place of work? Click the links below to view additional resources.
CDC– Mental Health in the Workplace
Forbes– Mental Health In The Workplace: A Look At Leaders’ Top Priorities
National Alliance of Mental Health– The Mental Health Movement in the Workplace
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