Health Bulletin Board: Group launches private exchange
By Cheryl Powell, The Akron Beacon Journal | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The online marketplace, also known as a private exchange, will be available for open enrollment starting
"I think it has a lot of potential," said
Participating employers will be able to provide employees a variety of health insurance coverage options from
With private exchanges, employers typically establish a set amount they will contribute toward benefits, allowing workers to determine which type of coverage they want and how much extra they're willing to pay.
"Different employers will be able to select different plan design options that best suit their population," Uldricks said.
By directing employees to an online tool that helps them pick the best plan, "that makes life easier on human resource professionals," he said.
"The technology will help guide employees to a set of options that are best suited for them," he said.
The website will be designed and run by
The fee structure for participating employers to access the exchange still is being developed, Uldricks said. However, employees won't pay a "per-click" fee or charges for using the service.
The goal is to have about 30,000 workers at participating member companies enroll in benefits through the new exchange by 2015, Uldricks said.
Free spray tans
A local nonprofit group dedicated to educating people about melanoma is joining with a mobile spray tanning service to offer an alternative to tanning beds.
The Melanoma Education Initiative is joining with
The nonprofit group's primary focus is providing education to middle-school and high-school students about melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
More information is online at www.melanoma-education-initiative.org.
Bullying consequences
Children and adolescents who are victims of bullying are at higher risk for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, a new report published Monday in the medical journal
Author
Cyber-bullying, in particular, appeared to be more strongly related to suicidal thoughts than traditional bullying, the author determined, though noting there were fewer studies available on the topic.
The report "establishes that peer victimization is a risk factor of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts," the author concluded. "Efforts should continue to identify and help victims of bullying, as well as to create bullying prevention and intervention programs that work."
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