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ABLE accounts for the disabled: FAQs
Grace Ferguson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementOne in 4 U.S. adults have some form of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Further, 1 in 3 disabled people aged 18-44 had an unmet healthcare need due to cost in the past year, and 1 in 4 aged 45-64 did not have a routine check-up. These are just a few of the many needs people with disabilities are unable to meet. To help disabled people save and pay for disability-related expenses, the U.S. Congress created the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act — which was signed into law on Dec. 19, 2014.
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Why the federal ban on diversity and inclusion training is bad for business
Simma Lieberman Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementA September executive order by the White House bans diversity and inclusion training for the federal government as well as for contractors and anyone who does business with the federal government. The letter that accompanied the order calling for a halt to any scheduled diversity training described it as divisive, propaganda and unpatriotic. We live in a diverse society, our workplaces continue to be more diverse, and business continues to be global. In order to do business on a global level and provide the best products and services to a diverse customer base, organizations need to help their employees learn the right skills.
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Where inequality goes, so goes health
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareA robust body of literature supports the thesis that inequality and health are inextricably entwined. The fight against deepening inequality in the United States and around the world is one which simply cannot be ignored in the 21st century. It is, in fact, our moral and ethical duty to address these issues and steel ourselves to resolve them, especially in this time of a historic and deadly pandemic.
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What is the future of airports under President Biden?
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveAs the nation prepares for President-elect Joe Biden, many aviation analysts are turning their attention to what the future holds for their industry under his tenure. Whereas in the past this may be a noteworthy point in a wide-ranging manifesto of pledges and promises, in this global crisis surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, people are watching eagerly to discover how Biden will respond to the extra problems surrounding the huge losses of income and jobs being faced by the aviation industry. And this is just one of many areas reaching a critical point as the economy struggles with the virus.
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Tips for promoting a more civil workplace
D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges for everyone, including employers. Aside from the worst pandemic in a century and an inordinate number of natural disasters, social and political tensions seem to be at all-time high. These tensions flooded the workplace like a tsunami and employers are trying to figure out how to return civility and respect to the workplace. No "secret sauce" or "magic pill" exists for creating and promoting a civil and respectful workplace, so the purpose of this article is to outline a few action items for helping employers get on the right track toward a more civil workplace as soon as possible.
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Study: Hospital charges are spiking
Seth Sandronsky Medical & Allied HealthcareHospital charges were spiking before COVID-19 hit the U.S. A new study from National Nurses United/California Nurses Association (NNU/CNA) looks at Medicare cost reports for 4,203 hospitals in fiscal year 2018. These hospitals "are charging on average over $417 for every $100 in their total costs." The study was released on Nov. 17. "This is one of the most egregious examples of what you have with a system based on profit, not patient need," Chuck Idelson, spokesperson for the NNU/CNA, told MultiBriefs by phone. A case in point is patients who need healthcare but avoid it due to hospital costs. That is especially risky during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is exploding across the U.S.
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Plan for 2021 looking on the bright side
Lloyd Princeton Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementMostly sunny with intermittent clouds and showers. That’s my forecast for 2021. It may seem overly optimistic at the moment, what with talk of more shutdowns in the weeks ahead and the standoff in Washington. I am confident, however, that this too shall pass, the ship will get righted, and we will enter calmer waters as the new year gets underway. Having gone through so many months of uncertainty and reversals this year, why should I expect the situation will improve in the next? Despite the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in many countries, we are making progress on preventing and treating the virus as well as on producing an effective and safe vaccine.
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How COVID-19 has changed what’s needed in ed tech
Bambi Majumdar EducationSchools around the world quickly pivoted to online learning when COVID-19 struck. Distance learning remains the key strategy to maintain instructional continuity in the face of massive uncertainties. K-12 school leaders are continuing to provide the best instruction platforms to avert public health risks. However, many experts feel that the pandemic has changed the nature of K-12 education forever. Let's take a closer look at the issues that can be addressed with technology.
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Payroll continuity plan: What employers need to know
Grace Ferguson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementDisasters come in many forms. There’s fire, storm, tornado, flood, earthquake, pandemic, terrorist attack, cybercrime — just to name a few. When they strike, it’s important for employers to have a payroll continuity plan in place. A payroll continuity (or contingency) plan is a documented strategy for achieving your payroll objectives when natural or man-made disasters occur. The plan outlines feasible measures for managing payroll through the disruption.
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When politics and public health collide
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcarePublic health in the United States has been an intrinsic aspect of national well-being for more than a century. Without the mostly invisible public health machine, we would see all manner of preventable ills ravage our society. When cynically wielded, political power can wreak havoc with public health, and the COVID-19 pandemic is a timely example of how politics run amok can interfere with even the most basic protective measures. A negative or combative intersection of public health and politics costs lives, and this is where we must push back.
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