April 2020

COVID-19 and Fat People

I posted Fat People Have Issues November 19th. 2014. – Medical Issues.

Once again, before offending anyone – I posted the politically incorrect title in hopes of getting more people to read. I like fat people, many of my friends are fat. And to be honest, I would like to lose a few lbs. So please take it in good humor. I do not need hate mail. I also recognize some people have genetic challenges.

The statistics for COVID-19 are showing 94% of the deaths have underlying medical conditions, 88% have two conditions and 19% at least one. Elevated blood pressure is the number one underlying medical condition at 53%, overweight 42%, diabetes 32%.

One of the most effective ways to ensure quality healthcare services is to not need it in the first place. All those overweight, please raise your hand. All those currently being treated for a preventable healthcare issue raise your hand. Employee Benefit Advisors has seen, time after time with my own clients, that weight loss is the number one factor to controlling health care costs.

One my biggest beefs with Obamacare is that it did nothing to promote a healthy lifestyle. A good BMI can resolve many medical issues. Maintaining a proper BMI has the potential for the doctor to remove you from your high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and other medications.

As for COVID-19, it is recommended people with underlying conditions stay home during phase 1 and 2 of the reopening of the economy.

Want more info on the Dietary Impact on Health? Check out https://ebafl.com/dietary-impact-on-health/

 

Employee Benefit Advisors provides employee benefits, tax-advantaged healthcare, compliance guidance for ACA and Health & Welfare DOL Audits, and PEO Advisory & Consulting Services.

Florida Department of Health

The Florida Department of Health has received accolades from the Presidential Response Team during the daily briefing. Doctor Deborah Brix has mentioned several times it is an ideal resource and one that other states should try to emulate.

Florida Health 201 Novel Coronavirus Response (COVID-19) https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/. The site includes the county-specific Surveillance Dashboard I mentioned in my previously blog.

 

Employee Benefit Advisors provides employee benefits, tax-advantaged healthcare, compliance guidance for ACA and Health & Welfare DOL Audits, and PEO Advisory & Consulting Services.

Florida’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard

The link below provides some very insightful data regarding the spread of COVID-19.

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/96dd742462124fa0b38ddedb9b25e429

The chart in the lower left is particularly interesting. Obviously, one would expect an increase in cases as the number of tests increase. However, note the trend of the decrease in the number of new cases.

What does this mean? To me it says we may be getting ready, hopefully, to start the economy back up. It also suggests we should start thinking about how to restart our businesses. – Need help planning the restart? I know people, experts – people that can help. – Let me know what you need, I’ll help you find the right person.

 

Employee Benefit Advisors provides employee benefits, tax-advantaged healthcare, compliance guidance for ACA and Health & Welfare DOL Audits, and PEO Advisory & Consulting Services.

Employers of Choice – Furlough vs. Layoff

The COVID-19 relief packages have passed based on three fundamentals; (1) providing economic support to both businesses and individuals (2) keeping people employed, and (3) keeping people insured. Financing payroll may not be possible, after all it’s generally the largest expense. Companies may to need decide between a Layoff and Furlough.

Layoff (noun) – temporary or permanent separation of employment
Furlough (noun) – considered an alternative to a layoff, generally a short-term temporary layoff from employment
COVID-19 has forced many workers to either be laid-off(v) or furloughed(v).

When considering Furlough vs. Layoff, there are three reasons a furlough is viewed more favorable, especially under these circumstances.

      • Flexibility – because business reality is changing day to day and sometimes hour to hour, a furlough allows an employer the ability to reduce work days and/or hours of its employees all the way down to not working at all once it gets to that point.  But for those employers that are not yet at the point of having to make a final decision on cuts across the board, a furlough is a good option.
      • Employee Centric – employees who are laid off are cut off from benefits as per plan rules (which could be from the date of notice), once they are laid off. With a furlough being considered more like a leave of absence then a termination of employment, employers are able to provide benefits at a minimum for 30 days and can even opt to continue to pay for benefits throughout the duration of the furlough. In light of how this pandemic is affecting workers finances and health, doing so certainly signals that the Employer is making decisions with the employee impact in mind and not simply considering the bottom line.
      • Ability to Regain Ground Quickly – Once the crisis ends, and businesses are able to reopen, it’s going to be critical for businesses to be able to quickly staff back up to meet demands and furloughing employees rather than laying employees off and risking them seeking other employment due to the “permanency” that layoffs signal, would allow an employer to quickly bring back experienced, already trained employees to restart operations and servicing customers.

    Special thanks to Ivelices Thomas, HR & Beyond www.hrandbeyond.com, for her input.

     

    Employee Benefit Advisors provides employee benefits, tax-advantaged healthcare, compliance guidance for ACA and Health & Welfare DOL Audits, and PEO Advisory & Consulting Services.

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