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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Independent Businesses Can Cost Effectively Add Valuable Retirement Planning Tools to Employee Benefits

Independent businesses can cost effectively add value to employee benefit packages by including a simple retirement planning software tool for employees to track and manage their personal retirement scenario, according to financial planning software experts (http://www.amsinsure.com/).

Reported in early march by The Wall Street Journal the Obama Administration’s 2010 budget requires businesses two years and older with more than 10 employees to automatically enroll them in retirement savings plans. Leading associations for businesses affected by the mandate, the National Federal of Independent Businesses (http://www.nfib.com/) and the National Small Business Association (http://www.nsba.biz/), have expressed interest in the financial and risk consequences of the proposal.


"Although the costs and details are under debate, there is almost universal agreement that small businesses will become more involved in their employees’ retirement preparation and planning,”. “Experience tells us that whether by government mandate or voluntary participation, small businesses that deepen their commitment to employees’ long-term financial well-being will gain loyalty and competitive advantage.”


“Employers that Maintain Benefits Through Tough Times Will Gain Loyalty,” an article in the Credit Union Times (http://www.cutimes.com/) cites remarks by Dallas Salisbury, president of the Employee Benefits Research Institute (http://www.ebri.org/).


The entity that can maintain its benefits through this process is going to be in the strongest position in terms of retaining employees and adding to the workforce. If … it worked its way through it and honored all its commitments, it will have earned loyalty … When times are tough is when you can build your strongest bonds with your workers. Don’t be shy about communicating to your employees that you’re doing this as a matter of conscious decision making. It may squeeze earnings a little, but it is important.


Pension Plans…for more on how to start a retirement savings program for your company.


Thursday, March 12, 2009

White paper uploaded on how a small business can survive during recession

A white paper for small business entrepreneurs has been uploaded to the blog. This paper exclusively covers the planning and strategy one should follow during recession. It is based on comprehensive research and the advices from small business experts.


You can download it from the download section with a title: This article was on Linked in Portal and is a good way to work with other business all looking to be mutually supportive.




How Small Businesses Can Survive Recession



Let us in addition to the points in the white paper help to reduce your companies;



Benefits costs:



Payroll costs:



Receive free HR portal:

A great tool for business if you have not found it is Linked In (google it), please look for my profile also, under John A. Beyer, Agency Marketing Service.



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Wednesday, March 04, 2009

National Results: 2008 UBA Health Plan Survey

Annual Benchmark Survey Shows Average Annual Health Plan Cost is $7,327 Per Employee; Largest Percentage Increase in CDHP Adopters Comes from Employers in the Northeast with a 90% Increase Over the 2007 UBA Health Plan Survey Results.

With responses from 18,019 health plans sponsored by 12,860 employers nationwide who employ nearly 2.4 million people (approximately 5.4 million employees and their families), the 2008 UBA Health Plan Survey is the nation's largest and most comprehensive survey of plan design and plan costs. "With a growth rate of approximately 10 percent over last year's previously unprecedented number of respondents, the report defines benchmarks for a greater number of specific industries, regions, and employee size categories than have been available previously," said Bill Stafford, UBA’s vice president of member services, "The results will be especially valuable to employers in evaluating the effectiveness of their current plans and to knowledgeably making future adjustments while keeping their benefits competitive and cost-effective."

"Certainly the continued growth of CDHPs is a key headline to come out of this year’s survey," said Stafford. "Fee For Service and Exclusive Provider Organizations have now virtually disappeared from the market, and HMOs are losing ground as employers seek to help contain the rising cost of health care and insurance premiums."

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Leading the News on Doctors requesting fees up front

More physicians said to be seeking medical fees at time of service.

On the front page of its Health section, the Washington Post (3/3, HE1, Kritz) reports, "More and more physicians are asking for the patient's share of that day's medical fees, including any deductible set by the insurer, at the time of the visit." According to Red Gillen, an analyst with consulting firm Celent, "in the past few years...employers and insurers have shifted more [medical] costs to consumers," and as a result, those payments are "an increasingly large share of doctors' incomes." And, "largely through new software programs that assess both a patient's insurance coverage and the day's charges," patients can now see "a full adjudication of the bill" within "just minutes" of their visit.

But, Mark Rukavina, executive director of the Access Project, notes that "not all providers have let their patients know that payment[s]...are expected at the time of care."

William Dolan, a trustee of the American Medical Association, and an orthopedic surgeon, explains that "the AMA has no policy on patients being asked for payment at the time of care but suggests that doctors give patients warning weeks before implementing a new payment policy."