As we consider health insurance reform and the increasing costs of health care, we also need to talk about personal responsibility.  In a country that values freedom, we need to decide where one person’s right to live an unhealthy life ends and another persons right to pay reasonable health care premiums begins.   If you are an employer and would like to help your employees quit smoking then this article may be a good place to begin.  You may also find that your own health care provider has a similar program.  This article was sent to me by the WellCall Reporter:rnavarro@wellcall.com for more information.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Approximately 443,000 people in the United States die each year as a result of smoking. The consequences of smoking trickles down to employers with increased health care costs and decreased productivity. A recent report by the CDC states that the annual cost of tobacco use to an employer averages $3,783 per smoker per year. Partner with WellCall to support your organization’s tobacco cessation efforts. WellCall’s Great American Smokeout campaign will begin in October, leading up to the Great American Smoke out in November. We will be sending out weekly e-mails and twitter messages to support smokers in kicking the habit for good. Our messages will include smoking cessation tips, information about our smoking cessation programs, and testimonials featuring real people who quit. Additional communications include: smoking cessation tip sheet, a tobacco cessation workbook, awareness posters, and an employer’s guide with strategies for creating a tobacco-free workplace. Please Contact

With more than 50 million uninsured Americans including more than 10 million uninsured kids, it is more important than ever to make sure your youth teams and camps provide medical coverage for the kids.  Soccer teams, youth day camps and other organizations that provide young people with a constructive and positive environment for developing socially as well as athletically should provide kids with emergency medical coverage.  The cost for the coverage is cheap, but the benefits can be enormous for a family that is uninsured.  If little Susie or Johnny breaks an ankle on the soccer field, the emergency room expense alone could be several thousand dollars.  Group accidental medical coverage can pick up those expenses and save that family from unexpected and perhaps unaffordable debt. 

Group accidental medical coverage is also available for adult teams, organizations and even volunteer fire fighters and auxiliary police officers.  Getting involved in your community should not mean taking on extra financial risks just because your hurt while volunteering.  Make sure your organization or athletic team has coverage for participants.  For more information you can check out our specialty products page, give us a call or fill out our contact form.