Get ready for a mini-series you can't ignore! Tune in every day next week for Healthcare Trivia, featuring contestants Joel Harrison from EliteHRTeam.com and Heavy-Weight Champion, OBAMACARE! Don't miss this hilarious series with real facts about what you need to know on Healthcare Reform.

Healthcare Reform Trivia coming to a computer screen near you! Monday 10/28/2013 at Noon CST. 

Joel Harrison VS Obamacare

On Thursday, September 26, 2013, two construction workers met at a job site in Milwaukee. One was from the company building the bridge, the other the supervisor for the team that would be painting the underpass.

As they were talking, the supervisor, Mike Peters, collapsed. Scott Kraus reacted immediately. He called 911, but knew he couldn’t wait for paramedics. Instead, he started CPR. 

Peters had emergency open heart surgery and will face recovery time before returning to work—not a bad prognosis for a man Scott Kraus wasn’t sure had lived or died as the ambulance drove him away. 

Peters appreciates Kraus’s quick reaction. “A lot of people know what to do but won’t do it or are scared to do it. I’m just glad he went for it.” More information on this story can be found here.

What would you do if faced with an emergency situation at work? Does your company have a procedure in place? Do you know basic life-saving techniques like CPR and the Heimlich? What about basic first aid for cuts, burns, or eye wounds? Even in an office environment, life-threatening incidents could occur, which is why many businesses are installed defibrillators and holding training to address emergency procedures. 

Know Your Risks. Know Your Reaction. Training your employees in job-specific safety and general emergency procedures is important, since you never know what will happen. We have an expert on our team, standing ready to help.

By: Bill O'Hara, Safety Consultant 

As we get into the fall season with the days becoming shorter, it is important to address some safety concerns involving your children when they are playing outside.

With daylight savings time and evening approaching, you may need to establish an earlier curfew to bring your children in from playing outside, once it gets dark. Another safety idea to consider is installing motion activated electrical lighting on your garage or driveway to make it easier for friends and family to see when they're approaching your home.

With Halloween approaching, it can be a potentially dangerous holiday for children because it gets dark earlier. We recommend that you address some safety concerns for this holiday and make sure that your children have a portable light with them. When they go trick-or-treating give them a miniature lantern, flashlight or ask them to carry glow sticks to provide better visibility. 

Make sure your children's costumes are not too long so they don't trip over them and that the costumes are warm enough to be worn outdoors. When they're done treat-or-treating make sure you check all the candy your children have received. Throw away any candy that was opened or punctured or has holes in it. 

Another fall safety tip includes watching out for wildlife. Deer are most active at dusk and dawn. They can venture out on the roadways at anytime of the day. More than half of all deer/motor vehicle collisions occur in October and November when the deer are most active and bucks are in rut.

Here are some safety tips if you see deer approaching.

If you see one deer crossing a road, watch out for more. Deer often travel in groups, and they're moving fast as they try to catch up with each other.

If you see brake lights ahead of you, it could be a sign that the driver has spotted wildlife. Stay watchful as you drive through the area: more deer could try to cross the road.

As you're driving, take note of deer crossing signs and drive safely and slowly through those areas. Drive slower at night give yourself plenty time to brake if you see you deer in your headlights. Use your low beams: the brightness of your lights will make it easier to see deer. Be aware that headlights may confuse deer and may cause them to move erratically or stop.. Be especially watchful when traveling near steep roadside banks. Deer can appear on the roadway with little or no warning.

If you accidentally hit and kill a deer, report the location of the deer carcass to the city, county, or state highway department that has jurisdiction over the roadway. 

Please drive safely during the fall season and watch out for trick-or-treaters and wildlife on roadways.

by Bill O'Hara, Safety Consultant

Fire Safety Week falls in October. Many people turn their furnace on for the first time, the days get shorter and we start spending more time indoors, we light candles inside our Jack-o-lanterns and fires in the fireplace on those chilly nights. With a few quick checks, you can ensure your family's safety in the coming blustery months.

You should always replace smoke detector batteries at least once a year to help ensure they will work when needed. The end of Daylight Saving Time is 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3. When clocks are adjusted to “fall back” an hour, that can serve as a yearly reminder to replace the batteries. 

It's also a good idea to practice fire safety home evacuation test drills with your children. State Fire Marshals recommend creating a family fire safety plan that includes learning about kitchen fire hazards and how to avoid them, as well as developing a home fire escape plan. Families should regularly practice these plans and explain them to children, revising the plan as the children grow up. Establish a safe meeting point outside the home or near a neighbor's house. 

Purchase a fire extinguisher for your house and garage. Check to make sure it's properly charged and accessible. 

Prevent Kitchen Fires

Did you know more fires occur in the kitchen than in any other room of the house? Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and of home fire-related injuries. Kitchen fires, especially those involving grease, can spread quickly and be very difficult to put out. There are other fire risks in the kitchen: including toasters, toaster ovens and overloaded outlets and extension cords. That is why it is essential to know how fires can start in the kitchen, understand the ways they can be prevented, and have an action plan for what to do if a fire starts.

In case of a kitchen fire, control the fire by: 

• Covering the pan with a lid or a bigger upturned pan.
• Turn the heat off.
• If you don't have a proper fire extinguisher handy, douse the burning oil with baking soda.
• Never run with a pan fire. You run the risk of spreading the fire further when the oil drips.
• Never throw water on the pan—it will splatter the oil and spread the fire, possibly burning you.
• Never throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. Flour might look like baking soda, but it's not, so it won't react similarly! One cup of either of these baking products contains the explosive potential of two sticks of dynamite. (Pay special attention this fire safety tip, it can result in third degree burns and even death in some cases.)
• Wear tight clothes when cooking over the stove. Billowing sleeves or hanging accessories above a lit stove can spell disaster.
• Install a smoke detector in the kitchen.

In a commercial environment, employers should schedule fire safety training, including fire extinguisher training for your employees to be able to know the proper use of the device. This can prevent millions of dollars in damage, lost time, and possible costly lawsuits. 

MCS is counting down the minutes until the Illinois Health Care Exchange opens on October 1. Keep checking back for what-you-need-to-know updates!

FOR EMPLOYERS: You are required to send a letter to your employees, explaining their exchange options. We have drafted a letter for you. There are two options: one for businesses that already offer healthcare and one for businesses that do not. Contact us and we can co-brand it with your company’s information. 

FOR EMPLOYEES: If your employer doesn’t offer coverage, or you want to explore your options, we are here to give you the best health quote. We take into consideration your income, your life, and your desired level of coverage. There is a plan for everyone out there, and we can answer whether your best course of action is to go through the state, stick with your employer’s offering, or go out on your own.

Illinois opened the registration process for Producers to sign up on the Exchange on August 9. The first step is to complete the certification requirements for the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. As they say, “The course only takes 3-4 hours to complete, and it’s free.”

Our licensed agents have been attempting to complete this training for a while now, and so far, they haven’t been able to get access to the site to complete the verification process. One of them called the number listed on the site, and after being redirected to the right number (which has since been updated), was told that the site was experiencing a high volume of visitors (not surprising, since thousands of agents in the state have been waiting for access to rates and more information for their clients). He was told to try back later. Seven in the morning, eleven at night. Same error message. These lines are longer and more frustrating than the DMV! This problem is occurring with just enrolling agents--what happens if the population of Illinois wants to log on for more information? That's 12.8 million people. Facebook may be able to handle it, but we aren't sure about the Exchange.

The good news about the Exchange is that if you, as an individual, use a licensed and trained agent to find the best plan, you won’t pay a penny more than if you sat in front of the computer and dealt with the headache yourself! 

Mensing Consulting Solutions is here with the information you need to make an informed decision.

You’ve been through your files. You make sure to follow HR Best Practices. You don’t discriminate and you’ve made sure your staff has been through safety and harassment training. You’re doing everything a business owner should do. But did you know that your computer system could make you non-compliant?

According to Tech Republic, if you’re still running Windows XP, you are open to liability. On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer release security patches for this operating system, which will make it non-compliant with HIPAA/HITECH. 

For those in the medical field, now is the time to work out a plan. There are a few things to consider:

· See if your current workstations can update to a newer version of Windows or if they need to be replaced.

· Contact current vendors for updated software that will run on a newer platform.

· Analyze whether you can run outdated software on a terminal server and have clients access it remotely.

· Decide whether a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) will work for you. This would run 50-100 desktops on one physical server. 

We know you would’ve updated already if it seemed like the best option. Now may be the time to replace slow, outdated machines with new. For more information, read this article.

Even if you aren’t in the healthcare field, there may be things you can do to protect yourself from costly fines. 

On August 21, Mensing Consulting Solutions hosted “Are You Prepared?” in conjunction with the Small Business Association. It was a workshop designed to answer business owners’ many questions about the Affordable Care Act. Keynote speaker Dennis Foldenauer from the Small Business Association explained the benefits of the program from the government’s perspective. 

In three breakout sessions, practical solutions were offered and “what if” scenarios proposed. Kurt Rickhoff, owner of Rickhoff Small Business Accounting, discussed the ramifications from an accounting perspective, including the changes to W-2s. Joel Harrison from Mensing Consulting Solutions talked about how to make the affordable care act actually affordable, and presented a myriad of options that business owners might not have been previously aware of when it comes to offering benefits to their employees. Finally, Kandi Mensing ended the morning with a session on the perks that business owners can offer their employees–many with no additional cost involved.

The workshop addressed more than forty attendees, with interest in repeating the information session for chamber groups. Attendees stayed after for an hour-long question-and-answer session, where they had a chance to outline their own unique situations and get answers to their specific questions. 

The event was a success thanks to the support of: 

• Mensing Consulting Solutions 
• Rickhoff & Associates

• SBA, Small Business Association 
• SBDC, The Small Business Development Center at SIUE
• O'Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce (COC) 
• Riverbend Growth Association
• Edwardsville/Glen Carbon COC
• Collinsville COC
• SW Madison County COC
• Belleville COC
• Mascoutah COC
• Snap Shack PhotoBooth
• Illinois Business Journal 
• Snap Shack Phot
• Edward Jones Mascoutah Office

Even though “Are You Prepared?” and events like it can help owners understand what is expected of them, starting with the changes that have already passed and the new requirements of January 1, 2014, we recommend contacting a trusted broker who can walk you through all the options. Mensing Consulting Solutions has recently sat down with clients and saved them thousands of dollars a year or more, just by exploring their choices. Our experts would love to talk with you! 

By: Jodi Tahsler 

Many businesses, small and large, use benefits brokers to help them choose healthcare coverage for their employees, implement wellness and safety programs, and keep them up to date on changing legislation, including healthcare reform. 

In a recent article, Benefits Pros summarize studies that showed brokers are not able to provide companies with the service and attention they require, and a large percentage are unhappy with their experience. Even more surprising is that “nearly half of brokers aren’t confident in their future in the industry and are considering quitting.” Businesses are realizing their need for a broker more than ever, and brokers know they need to provide more than just an insurance policy. So where is the disconnect? 

Mensing Consulting Solutions is different because we can offer the “boutique experience.” Unlike brokers, which compare to the “big box stores,” we can customize your experience and tailor-make HR recommendations for your company. We don’t want to offer cookie cutter solutions, because every company is not the same. We want to work with you to find real-world, workable situations that will save you money and create a welcoming environment for employees. 

We can customize the level of coverage you need. Whether you need auditing and file compliance help, sexual harassment training, recruitment, employee engagement and retention strategies, or healthcare options and advice, we offer an option that is right for your needs. As a bonus, you get the peace of mind that you made an informed decision. 

To read more, go to: Brokers Failing Employers 

Our next session of Elite HR Business School is now enrolling. We only accept 5 businesses for each program and have several enrolled for our September session already! Save your seat today by applying below!