New
Laws that Impact Your Health Plan
Recent changes to
federal law will impact how your company's health plans
are administered. Following is
a summary of three laws passed this year, and how they affect you:
- HIPAA Privacy & Security-Effective February 17,
2009, notice of any “breach” of “unsecured” protected
health information (PHI). must be given within 60 days to each individual
whose PHI was disclosed. This now applies to business associates, such
as TPAs and pharmacy benefit managers. What to do: Modify
business associate agreements as needed to ensure that your vendors are
responsible for providing any notices needed in the event of a breach
of unsecured PHI.
- Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act-Effective April 1, 2009,
this law expanded the special enrollment rights of employees and dependents
acquiring a dependent. What to do: Consider including
the following in any special enrollment materials: “Effective April
1, 2009, you may be able to enroll within 60 days of losing coverage
under the Medicaid or CHIP plan or within 60 days of becoming eligible
for premium assistance under the Medicaid or CHIP plan.
- Medicare Reporting-Effective October 1, 2009, employer
health plans (or their third-party administrators-TPA) are required to
file more detailed Medicare information, including Social Security Numbers.
Laggards beware: The penalty for reporting entities not submitting this
required data is $1,000 per day per person. What
to do: Verify that the TPA for any self-insured plan you sponsor
or any insurer or HMO for your insured plans is handling this reporting.
Have them confirm that SSNs or other needed data elements are available.
Looking ahead to 2010, there are other health plan laws taking effect including
provisions for mental health care, genetic information (such as family health
histories), cafeteria plans, and coverage for college students. Look for
advisories about employer requirements for these laws in upcoming PGAMA publications.
This article was excerpted
from "What’s
Happening with Health and Welfare Plans? More than You Might Think . . ."
by Kurt Smidansky and Tim Stanton of the law firm Ogletree Deakins,
LLC.
Find
& Remember Adobe
Shortcuts
Do
you have trouble remembering the shortcuts on Adobe programs?
If so, you will appreciate the Adobe Shortcut App. This
FREE new tool works on Windows, Mac, and
Linux platforms, and lets you find,
gather and organize the shortcuts you need right on your
desktop. Then you can create your masterpieces with ease!
Here's how it works: Install the Adobe AIR application,
then choose a program from the buttons on the top, and
find a shortcut using the search box, or by browsing. You
can even add your own customized shortcuts, or view the
cheat sheet in PDF format. (To create your own keyboard
shortcuts within the application, PC/Apple users
go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts and Apple users go to
the Application name (i.e. Dreamweaver) > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Once you create these shortcuts, you can always plug them
into the Adobe Shortcut App and reference them.) Download
the Adobe Shortcut App here.
Ads
Send the Right Message
A recent survey shows that 48% of
U.S. adults believe a lack of advertising is a sign
that a business is struggling, while those with a strong
ad presence are perceived as thriving and committed to
staying in business. With retailers and auto dealers closing
every day, clients need reassurance that a company they
buy from will be around tomorrow.
No matter the economy, your firm should invest in advertising
to keep your company name in the spotlight. As an added
bonus you are setting an example for your customers, who
just might get inspired to advertise their services more frequently
too, sending even more work your way!
Plan
Your Company's Future
In an increasingly digital-content-focused
world, it's essential that printing companies have a plan
for growing their business. You can make or enhance your
plan at the 2009 Converge Conference--The
Next Generation of Print and Communication Services--to
be held November 8–10 in Orlando. This Printing Industries
of America conference focuses on integrating the components
of conventional and digital print, Web technology, automated
workflow, personalized and cross-media campaigns, social
networking, and more. Learn more by logging onto www.printing.org/converge.
Simplify
to Work Smarter
Efficiency at work is more
important than ever in these days of budget cutbacks and
ever-growing productivity demands. One of the key elements
of being more efficient is to simplify the way you work.
Here are a few tips to help you do exactly that:
1-Schedule your tasks into four segments--early morning,
late morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon. Decide
which tasks you perform best at which time of day.
2-Organize your workspace. Remove from your space anything
that you don't need constant access to, like a stapler or
three-hole punch. Keep papers in appropriate baskets: pending
action, active projects, or to be filed as applicable. Deal
with paperwork when you do administrative work.
3-Keep a to-do list to manage projects and activities. This
can help you maintain a focused list of priorities.
Member
Anniversaries
Congratulations to the
following companies marking major anniversaries as Association
members:
25 Years
Apple Press
10 Years
docuMacs Technology
Consultants
Printergy
Member
News
Welcome
to our newest PGAMA member: Metromedia
Power, an endorsed
PGAMA provider for electricity and one of the largest and
most experienced buyer's agents in the energy industry. Through
their Power Shop program, you can review different
energy rates and packages, and choose the plan that works
best for you. To enroll in the program, please contact
Tom Gussen directly at 732-440-0031 or by email at tjgussen@mmenergy.com.
Congratulations to member
Cal Sutphin, Sr. (Braden Sutphin Ink), and
former PGAMA President
Art Stowe, both of whom will be inducted
into the Ben Franklin Society at a black-tie dinner
and awards ceremony on November 13, 2009 at
the Francis Marion Hotel, in Charleston, South Carolina. The
Ben Franklin Honor Society of Printing Industries of America
recognizes and honors industry leaders who have made lasting
contributions to advancing the printing and graphic communications
industries. Industry visionaries
that have rendered outstanding or meritorious service to
those associations or the industry are eligible for membership.
Any person who was eligible when living may be eligible for
posthumous membership.
Upcoming Events
| September 10 |
CSR Training Webinar
Series Part 6: Working to Improve Department Performance
& Develop Successful Employees, Noon-1:00pm.
The Strategic Training Webinar Series concludes
with this broadcast geared towards managers. Topics
to covered include: creating a position description,
what a FUBR Portfolio should contain; the importance
of systematic training and education; and conducting
employee performance reviews. Cost is $90 per connection.
Register on pgama.com. |
| September 11-16 |
Special Event: PRINT
09,
at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. PRINT 09 is
where top executives come to learn, network and
make informed intelligent purchasing decisions.
From design to delivery you'll see the full spectrum
of equipment and services for: Commercial Printing,
Creative Services, Quick Printers, Book Printers/Publishers,
Mailing & Fulfillment, Package & Specialty
Printers, Wide Format Printers, In-Plant Printers,
Print Buyers, and MORE! Over 650 leading manufacturers
and suppliers will be exhibiting at the show and
80% of them will be showcasing newly released products,
technologies and services. More info and registration
at http://www.print09.com/My-Print.aspx. |
| September 16 |
Free Seminar: Protecting
Customers, Key Employees and Confidential Information, 6:00-7:00pm at
Intelligent Office (300 E. Lombard Street, Baltimore,
MD 21202.) In this economy,
it is critical for employers to protect their customers,
employees and business secrets from unfair competition.
In this presentation you will learn
how to effectively draft employee agreements; discover
the practical steps to protect customer lists and business
information; become familiar with the strategies for
enforcement and deterrence; and discuss strategies
for safely hiring employees who have non-competition
agreements with competitors. Presented by Scott Kamins.
RSVP to: coordinator@intelligentoffice.com.
Be sure to mention that you are a PGAMA member and
the $20 attendance fee will be waived. Light refreshments
and parking included. |
| September 18 |
Special Event:
GreenTech Conference & Expo, 7:15am-1:30pm
at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (2004 Greenspring
Drive in Timonium, MD 21093). The Regional Manufacturing
Institute is sponsoring this event to help Maryland
manufacturers learn about becoming more sustainable.
More than 60 speakers and exhibitors will be there!
Cost is $60.
Fee includes lunch. Register online at GreenTech
Maryland. |
| September 20-22 |
Conference-Label
Printing Industries of America Fall Management Conference at
the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg,
VA. "Get Back to the Basics of Business" is
the theme of this conference, and educational programs
will show you why and how to become an
expert in your customers’ businesses
and guide the strategic
direction of their enterprise. More info and registration
online, http://www.printing.org/page/5307. |
| September 22 |
Free Webinar: Making
Sense Out of the Forest Initiative Programs-Environment
and the Paper Industry, 2:00-3:00pm.
This webinar will cover the various forest initiative
projects, including Sustainable Forest Initiative
and Forest Stewardship Council. Led by Jim Kohler,
RIT alumnus, and a graphic
arts and printing consultant who has worked for
both the printing and paper industries. He will
discuss the purpose of each organization, what
they do, and the myths and realities of each. To
register, visit www.seminars.cias.rit.edu and click
on the Webinars tab. |
| September 24 |
MAGE Crab Feast, 6:00-10:00pm
at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville, MD. Come to the
biggest MAGE event of the year and enjoy LARGE crabs
all night, plus a dinner buffet. By popular demand
there will once again be Blackjack 21 gaming tables--play
for prizes! New this year: your ticket stub enters
you into a drawing for a Garmin GPS system. Tickets
are the same cost as last year: just $60 per
person for ALL YOU CAN EAT LARGE CRABS! ($575
for a table of 10.) Reserve
your seats by 9/18. Call
PGAMA, 410-319-0900.Thanks to our current sponsors:
ASI, EnerNOC, Heidelberg, Kline, Prisco, sappi, Xerox,
& xpedx. ***Only ONE sponsorship spot left---contact Paul at
PGAMA for more info. |
September 30-
October 2 |
Workshop:
Total Immersion VDP, at Printing Industries
of America in Sewickley, PA. VDP is no longer an
interesting possibility—it
is now a driving force behind marketing campaigns everywhere
and it offers printers higher margins and great opportunities
to differentiate themselves from their competition.
The trick is in the execution. Find out what you need
to succeed in this workshop. Member
cost is $695 per person. Complete details and registration
at http://www.printing.org/vdp. |
| October 1 |
FREE Seminar: 10 Things
Keeping CEO's Up at Night, 10:00am-Noon
at PGAMA (9685 Gerwig Lane, Columbia). If you're
a printing company owner, president or manager
wondering how to increase profits in a down economy,
this is the best two hours you can possibly spend.
Member firm Heidelberg will give concrete answers
to questions like: "How can I reduce make-ready
times and save on labor and material costs with
the equipment I already have?" "Am I
really making money? How do I calculate actual
production costs for specific customers?" "How
do I get G7 certification?" This is a FREE
presentation for PGAMA members! Register
online at http://sso.us.heidelberg.com/pgama. |
| October 13-15 |
Employee Education
Event: Intro to Printing Class, at
PGAMA, 9685 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046. Give
your CSRs or managers an understanding
of how the entire printing process works with
this 2-and-a-half day course. A great training
tool for new employees! Cost is $295 per person
for members/$495 for non-members. Includes all
course materials, lunch everyday, and a field trip
to a printing plant. MAGE members get a $100 discount
on fees! Sign up at pgama.com or call the office,
410-319-0900. |
| October 14 |
FREE Seminar: Employers'
Rights in the Age of Social Networking &
Blogging, 6:00-7:00pm at Intelligent
Office (300 E. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.)
This seminar will give employers timely information
about their rights concerning employees online behavior,
policies related to social networking, and more. RSVP
to: coordinator@intelligentoffice.com.
Be sure to mention that you are a PGAMA member and
the $20 attendance fee will be waived. Light refreshments
and parking included. |
| October 22 |
SAVE THE
DATE! Adobe training
seminar coming to PGAMA. This program is still under
development but full details will be posted soon.
Stay tuned! |
| October 30 |
Special Event: ASI Advantages
Roadshow, 9:00am-1:00pm
at BWI Marriott (1743 W. Nursery Road, Baltimore,
MD 21090.) The Advantages Roadshow is a sales-building
experience like no other. Enjoy one-on-one conversations
with leading companies, attend FREE educational seminars,
and find hot new items to show your clients. Visit
www.advantagesroadshow.com for more details. |
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