Sebelius, Mills Release New Report, 'Insurance at Risk: Small Business Employees Risk Losing Coverage'

Secretary of Health and Human Services [HHS] Kathleen Sebelius [pictured] and Small Business Administration [SBA] Administrator Karen Mills today released a new report, "Insurance at Risk: Small Business Employees Risk Losing Coverage."

The report examines the health-care status quo that has left employees at risk of losing their insurance, and underscores the financial difficulties small businesses face when providing health insurance to their employees. The complete report, along with a list of sources cited, is available now at http://bit.ly/HealthReformSmallBiz.

"More Americans who work for a small business have lost their health insurance coverage, and those who still have coverage have seen their costs go up," said Sebelius. "Health insurance reform will drive costs down and make it easier for small-business owners to give their employees the quality coverage they need."

"The cost of health insurance is the No. 1 concern of small-business owners," Mills noted. "On average, small businesses pay 18 percent more than big businesses for the same health insurance policy. This has left small-business owners in an untenable situation, having to choose between their employees -- who are often like family to them -- and the bottom line. Health care reform will provide small-business owners with greater access to the affordable, quality coverage they want and need for themselves and their employees."

The new report notes:

* Employees of small businesses are 50 percent more likely to lose coverage as workers at large businesses. Half of workers in small firms that do not offer health benefits remain uninsured.

* Premiums for employer-based health insurance have more than doubled since 2000, rising three times faster than wages. As a result, fewer small businesses provide coverage for their employees. In 2000, 57 percent of firms employing fewer than 10 workers provided coverage. In 2009, only 46 percent of similar-sized firms provided coverage.

* In one national survey, nearly three-quarters of small businesses that did not offer benefits cited high premiums as the reason; and, on average, small businesses pay up to 18 percent more than large firms for the same health insurance policy. This is due, in part, to high broker fees [which can be up to 10 percent of premiums] and health plan administrative costs that are three to four times those in the large-group market.

Health insurance reform will stabilize health insurance coverage for Americans who work for small businesses, and provide small businesses with tax credits to help them provide health insurance for their employees. This will make health care more affordable for small businesses and their workers, solidifying and strengthening employer-based coverage for years to come.

Health insurance reform will also create a health insurance exchange, so that Americans without access to affordable insurance on the job can compare prices and health plans, and decide which quality affordable option is right for them. The exchange will also significantly reduce administrative costs for small businesses by enabling them to easily and simply compare the prices, benefits, and performance of health plans.

To learn how the current system has failed millions of Americans, and what President Obama’s Administration is doing to work with Congress to enact comprehensive health reform this year, check out these Web-based resources:

* Online Series on Health Reform: http://bit.ly/HealthReformOnline

* White House Reports on Health Reform: http://bit.ly/WhiteHouseHealthReform

* Health Insurance Reform Reality Check: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/

* Video: "Reform Will Benefit Small Business -- Not Burden It": http://bit.ly/RealityCheckSmallBiz

* How Health Insurance Reform Will Help Small Business: http://bit.ly/HealthReformHelpSmallBiz

* Council of Economic Advisers Report, "The Economic Effects of Health Care Reform on Small Businesses and Their Employees": http://bit.ly/EconomicEffectsSmallBiz

SOURCES: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Small Business Administration, White House
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FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials; Changes Affect Bloggers, Testimonial Advertisements, Celebrity Endorsements

Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it has approved final revisions to the guidance it gives to advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act.

The main thrust of the 81-page document, "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" occurs in a statement on page 75, which reads: "When there exists a connection between the endorser and the seller of the advertised product that might materially affect the weight or credibility of the endorsement [i.e., the connection is not reasonably expected by the audience], such connection must be fully disclosed."

The notice incorporates several changes to the FTC’s "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising," which address endorsements by bloggers, consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of important connections between advertisers and endorsers. The Guides, which become effective on Dec. 1, 2009, were last updated in 1980.

Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical, when that is not the case, will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect. In contrast to the 1980 version of the Guides -- which allowed advertisers to describe unusual results in a testimonial, as long as they included a disclaimer such as "results not typical" -- the revised Guides no longer contain this safe harbor.

The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the longstanding principle that "material connections" [sometimes payments or free products] between advertisers and endorsers -- connections that consumers would not expect -- must be disclosed. These examples address what constitutes an endorsement when the message is conveyed by bloggers or other "word-of-mouth" marketers.

The revised Guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.

Likewise, if a company refers in an advertisement to the findings of a research organization that conducted research sponsored by the company, the advertisement must disclose the connection between the advertiser and the research organization. And a paid endorsement -- like any other advertisement -- is deceptive if it makes false or misleading claims.

Celebrity endorsers also are addressed in the revised Guides. While the 1980 Guides did not explicitly state that endorsers, as well as advertisers, could be liable under the FTC Act for statements they make in an endorsement, the revised Guides reflect Commission case law and clearly state that both advertisers and endorsers may be liable for false or unsubstantiated claims made in an endorsement -- or for failure to disclose material connections between the advertiser and endorsers. The revised Guides also make it clear that celebrities have a duty to disclose their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media.

The Guides are administrative interpretations of the law, intended to help advertisers comply with the Federal Trade Commission Act; they are not binding law themselves. In any law enforcement action challenging the allegedly deceptive use of testimonials or endorsements, the Commission would have the burden of proving that the challenged conduct violates the FTC Act.

The Commission vote approving issuance of the Federal Register notice detailing the changes was 4-0. The notice will be published in the Federal Register shortly, and is available now on the FTC’s website as a link to this press release. Copies also are available from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices, and to provide information to help spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP [1-877-382-4357]. The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

SOURCE: Federal Trade Commission
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Help Support Breast Cancer Awareness; Be a Part of the World Pink Mosaic

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Join the Estée Lauder Companies' 2009 Breast Cancer Awareness campaign by spreading the word about the World Pink Mosaic -- an online photo mosaic of breast cancer survivors and supporters, all united in their support for breast health and the desire for a world without breast cancer. One pink movement, thousands of stories.

* Users can take part by visiting any participating Estée Lauder brand sites during the month of October.

* Submissions will become part of a virtual tapestry that will take the shape of a giant Pink Ribbon.

* Individuals can then share their participation with friends and family by posting it to their social networking profiles, sending a link to Twitter, or e-mailing it anywhere in the world.

Upload your photo today to the World Pink Mosaic and support World Pink. A World Without Breast Cancer™.

==> http://budurl.com/WorldPinkMosaic

Every Peace Counts
This October, your purchase of Peace of Mind™ On-the-spot relief helps fight against breast cancer. Imagine the win-win benefits: You purchase a stress-relief product to help you relax, while supporting a truly worthwhile cause -- World Pink. A World Without Breast Cancer™.

GoodBiz113 ad partner Origins is donating $35,000 from the sales of Peace of Mind™ sold in North America to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Your purchase will help support research dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime.

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SOURCE: Origins Natural Resources Inc.
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