The IAA One Minute Blog

On April 28, 2012, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be sponsoring its fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The event scheduled from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, will allow community members to drop off their expired and unwanted prescription and over the counter medications at locations nationwide. The event will help shed light on a vital public health issue.

Startling Statistics

Prescription drug abuse has become one of the Nation's fastest growing problems. The 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed prescription drug use is alarmingly high with 16 million Americans age 12 and older having taken prescription medication for non-medical purposes at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. A 2010 survey found that 2 million people age 12 and older began to use prescription pain relievers for non-medical reasons. One of the best ways to lower these statistics is to learn all the facts about prescription drug abuse.

Look for the Signs and Symptoms

Did you know the majority of abused prescription medications are obtained from family and friends? It makes you second guess if you should offer a friend medicine from your medicine cabinet. Don't be scared, be informed!

The most commonly abused drugs are:

• Painkillers
• Sedatives for anxiety and sleep disorders
• Stimulants for hyperactivity (ADHD)

When you look through your medicine cabinet, check to see if you have any of these prescriptions or over the counter medications. Do you still need them? Are they expired? If you don't need them and they're expired, dispose of them! Don't let your family or friends become victims of this growing epidemic.

The signs and symptoms of drug abuse depend on the drug:

• Painkillers-Depression, low blood pressure, and confusion
• Sedatives/Tranquilizers-Drowsiness, confusion, unsteady gait, poor judgment, and involuntary rapid movement of the eyeball
• Stimulants-Weight loss, agitation, irritability, insomnia, and irregular heartbeat

Insurance Administrator of America is not saying that by having one or more of these symptoms you or someone you know is abusing prescription medication. IAA wants to share the warning signs so you can help someone in the future.

Talk to Your Teen

According to the Mayo Clinic, prescription drug abuse is especially common in young people. Teens believe that prescription drugs are a safer alternative to street drugs. Sit down and talk to your teen about prescription drug abuse. One of the best methods of prevention is open communication.

What IAA has to Say

In the past three Take-Back Days combined, 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of prescription medication was collected. Help fight this growing trend by properly disposing of your prescription and over the counter medications on Saturday, April 28. Let's fight this problem together!

Contact IAA for help finding drug treatment centers or counseling services. All phone calls are confidential. Please pass along this blog post to employees, friends, and families to inform others about National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

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As an employer you feel responsible for your employees. You want them to lead happy and successful lives. Like everyone else, employees can forget to take care of themselves. Their lives are going in so many different directions they forget to spend time trying to make healthy decisions. That is where a Wellness Plan comes in.

What a Wellness Plan Can Do

A Wellness Plan can help employees by teaching them healthier lifestyle choices. Wellness Plans identify specific health risks and help the employee reduce those risks through various methods. In identifying and reducing these health risks, employers reduce the rate of absenteeism and boost the rate of productivity.

How to Implement a Wellness Plan

There are various ways a Wellness Plan can work. It is just a matter of finding the one that works best for you and your employees. Below are some methods you can use to implement a Wellness Plan:

Health Risk Assessment (HRA)-An annual questionnaire that will elevate the employee's awareness of their health risks and provide direction on how to moderate those specific behaviors. This is usually the entry point to educational/therapeutic intervention.

Biometric Analysis-A combination of a HRA and biometrics. This information together leads to a more accurate profile.

Health Promotion Program Incentive-Employees receive money or other significant rewards for completing a HRA or related activities. These activities could be participation in wellness classes or accomplishing specific goals (i.e. quitting smoking, losing weight, lowering blood pressure, etc.). In many cases monetary incentives are associated with reductions in premiums.

Looking Out for Your Wallet

At the end of the day you are responsible for your employees' health plan. As most employers know, that can get very expensive. One of the best ways to reduce costs is by instating a Wellness Plan. Wellness Plans can slow down healthcare cost increases which means more money in the bank.

Design a Wellness Plan With IAA

Insurance Administrator of America wants to do everything in its power to make sure your employees stay healthy. That's why IAA offers client partners and their employees the ability to create and design their own Wellness Plan. IAA wants to protect the health of you and your employees, plus save you money.

Spring is in the air. There is no better time to start getting your employees (and you) into a healthier lifestyle with the help of IAA.

Do you have a Wellness Plan in place? Tell us all about it in the comment box below!

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In December, everyone was getting ready to start singing those carols and building those snowmen for the winter that was on its way. They waited and waited...and the snow never came. While mostly everyone enjoyed this rather, well, winterless winter, there seems to have been some unforseen consequences. This past winter was recorded as the fourth warmest winter, bringing about an early allergy season.

Brother, Can You Spare a Tissue?

For people who have seasonal allergies, they may have started to notice their symptoms begin as early as January. Since this past winter was so mild, it triggered an early release of pollen from the trees. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, allergists are predicting a longer more intense allergy season. Once people have been exposed to early pollen, there is no relief even if temperatures cool down.

Unfortunately, the usual treatments for allergies, such as antihistamines, eye drops, and nasal sprays, will not be as effective. They need to be taken before you are exposed to pollen. Everyone, from allergists to allergy sufferers were caught unawares by this warm winter. However, there are alternative methods that may be able to help you survive this allergy season.

Choosing an Alternative Method

Insurance Administrator of America is here to give you the scoop on alternative methods.

Acupuncture-When small acupuncture needles are inserted into the body's surface. The needles help stimulate biologically significant points. This method has a two-pronged approach. Patients will come in for treatment during allergy season, as well as the rest of the year. Receiving acupuncture treatments outside of allergy season will help boost the patient's immune system.

This type of treatment is a more individualized approach, in that the patient's symptoms are analyzed and a treatment plan is created upon those specific symptoms.

Herbal Remedies- There is a multitude of herbal remedies out there and many can be bought at drugstores or health food stores. Here are a few herbs that may provide some relief:

• Butterbur
• Quercetin
• Stinging nettle

These are great alternatives if you do not want some of the side-affects that prescription medications can bring about.

What IAA Has to Say

With all of the sneezing, itching, and watery eyes, it may be hard to even read this blog post! IAA knows that allergy season is no fun, especially when it starts in January. IAA just wants to offer some advice to make this allergy season go by as painlessly as possible. Think of us as the "Dear Abby" of allergies.

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On Monday, March 19, 2012, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, issued a set of frequently asked questions(FAQs) about the implementation of the summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Insurance Administrator of America is here to highlight the important aspects of the FAQs to help you understand and navigate the benefits.

Timeline for SBC Provisions

One of the big questions about the SBC was the timeline for implementation.

For group health plan coverage, plans and issuers must begin to provide the SBC to participants and beneficiaries who enroll or re-enroll during an open enrollment period. The SBC must be provided on the first day of the first open enrollment period that begins on or after September 23, 2012. If they enroll at any other time, the SBC must be provided beginning on the first day of the first plan year that begins on or after September 23, 2012.

The SBC then needs to be sent within seven business days, though it does not need to be received within seven business days.

The SBC's First Year

Many people want to know what the Departments' basic approach for instituting the SBC requirement will look like the first year. The Departments' approach can be narrowed down to:

• Working together with employers, issuers, states, providers, and other stake holders to help them come into compliance with the new law
• Assisting with transition provisions, grace periods, and safe harbor policies to ensure they take effect smoothly

Plans and issuers may be reassured by the fact that the Departments will not impose penalties on plans and issuers during the first year that they are working diligently to provide the required SBC content.

Combining Information

While plans and issuers may be concerned about having to provide a SBC for every part of a participant's benefit package, there is no need to worry. It is possible to combine information so long as it is understandable. Situations in which information can be combined are:

• Coverage tiers within a benefit package
• Different cost sharing selections (i.e. different levels of deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance)
• Add-ons that could affect cost sharing and other information in the SBC (ex. Health FSA, HRA, HSA, or Wellness programs)

What IAA has to Say

There is a lot of information out there and it can be confusing sometimes. IAA is here to give you the most pertinent and helpful information. Just remember, IAA is always here, ready to work for you.

If you like this article about the ACA click here and here to learn more.

On Monday, March 12, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published final rules on health insurance exchanges. The exchanges are a major part of the Affordable Care Act and are meant to provide competitive marketplaces for individuals and small employers to directly compare available private health insurance options. Insurance Administrator of America is here to let you in on the details of the exchanges and how these exchanges will affect you.

States Set Up Their Own Exchanges

In an effort to make exchanges as flexible as possible, the final rules allow states to structure exchanges in their own way. States can decide on whether they want their exchange: as a non-profit entity established by the state, as an independent public agency, or as part of an existing agency.

Exchanges will need to carry out a multitude of functions:

• Certifying health plans as qualified health plans offered in the exchange
• Operating a website to facilitate comparisons among qualified health plans for consumers
• Operating a toll-free hotline for consumer support
• Determining eligibility of consumers for enrollment in qualified health plans and insurance affordability programs
• Facilitating enrollment of consumers in qualified health plans

States will have flexibility in how they will perform these duties.

According to the Affordable Care Act, a state's exchange plan must be approved by HHS by January 1, 2013. The final rule on March 12 allows for states to have conditional approval if a state shows advanced preparation, but cannot demonstrate complete readiness by January 1, 2013. An important point to note however is the federal government will come in and set up exchanges for states refusing to do so. No state will be allowed to not have an exchange.

The New Role of Agents and Brokers

One of the key words that have been thrown around with the exchange program is "navigator". According to the Affordable Care Act, navigators will educate and inform health insurance consumers and assist them in navigating the exchanges.

While agents and brokers can become navigators, the final rules do not allow states to require navigators to be licensed agents or brokers. In this new world of health insurance, agents and brokers must show how important it is to have a licensed agent or broker working as a navigator.

Although the information above may seem alarming, IAA wants to assure you that there is a place for agents and brokers within these new exchanges. The final rules recognize that agents and brokers have the ability to play an active role in marketing exchange products. It is well known that support from agents and brokers is fundamental for these exchanges to prosper.

What IAA has to Say

Health insurance is continually evolving and IAA wants to make sure you understand how you will be affected. While health insurance may be changing, IAA will always be on your side. Always here, always working for you.

If you want to read more about the Affordable Care Act click here and here.