A D V E N T I S T R I S K M A N A G E M E N T, I N C .
SOLUTIONS
Providing Solutions to Minimize Risks
FEBRUARY 2010 • VOLUME 14 • ISSUE 2
Inspiration
"For whoever wants to
save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his
life for me will find it."
Matthew 16:25
Motivation
"Christ does not save us
by acting a parable of
divine love; he acts the
parable of divine love
by saving us. That is
the Christian faith."
Austin Farrer
www.adventistrisk.org
A Life-saving
Issue of Solutions
A
s you read the various articles in this
issue I’m urging you to take each piece
very seriously, including the recipe
for “Chocolate Marshmallow Bark.” This
may seem a bit of a stretch, but it did come
from Weight Watchers, and we all need some
sweetness in moderation.
Ellen Eldridge’s article provides vital
information on the new programs included
in the North American Division Health
Care Assistance Plan (NAD HCAP) and
how those programs will save lives and
health care benefit costs. Over the past five
years, the church saved approximately $150
million in health care benefit costs through
discounting opportunities. However, unless
all HCAP users are willing to take the next
step through more personal involvement
in managing their health care benefits, the
church will again see unnecessary cost
increases. These increases would
remove those dollars from the
church’s various core
mission programs.
We all need
to become much
more involved in
managing our health
care benefits. The
days have passed for
employees to take this
benefit for granted. ARM’s
Health Benefit Services
Department is dedicated to
Page 2 Page 4
Member Safety or Help Protect
Cost Control What's Important
assisting you in helping your employees
and dependents.
Faith Blair and the Personal Risk Services
Department provide a reminder of both
corporate and individual responsibility to
plan ahead for the needs of our workers
and families at the time of death. The
various programs available are specifically
designed to meet the church worker’s needs.
Rates negotiated with the carrier are very
preferential and offer a number of options
from which to choose. Please carefully review
the information provided and analyze your
organization’s current program in light of the
services and products available.
Jina Kim, ARM’s Wellness Coordinator,
has again provided valuable information for
your organization, and your employees and
dependents. Each of us has the capacity,
through the power of God’s Spirit in our lives,
to make those changes necessary to live a long
and productive life of service.
I was on a recent trip to Orlando, Florida
and visited Florida Hospital. The Florida
Hospital family this year celebrates its 100th
anniversary with the theme that says, “What
will you do when you are 100?” By utilizing
the services now available through the HCAP,
especially the “Connections” and “Preventive
Screening” programs, along with a proactive
approach to lifestyle, more of us could be
asking ourselves that same question. ■
Byron L. Scheuneman, vice president for Adventist Risk
Management, Inc.
Page 6 Page 7
Abdominal Fat The Time
is NOW!
FEATURE
Member Safety or
YOU be the judge...
L
et’s put aside the concerns that are so prominent right now
in the news on the rising cost of health care, the debates
in process on the hill, and what Health Care Reform
might look like. For the next few minutes, let’s concentrate on
a different angle of health care, “Member Safety” specifically,
member safety as it applies to your employees and their
dependents who are members of the NAD HCAP.
Beginning with the January 1, 2010 Plan benefit year,
a new product has been put in place called “Connections”
Health Management Programs. This is an extension of our
contract with Independence Blue Cross. It is a program
available to help your employees and their
2 SOLUTIONS • February 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
Cost Control
dependents make sense of the health care system, their specific
health care or medical concerns, and how best to utilize
resources available to them.
Daily, we are all faced with decisions that affect our health.
Some of them, such as diet and exercise choices are so small we
may not even be aware of them or recognize them as significant.
Others such as medical tests, procedures, or surgery, may be
more complicated.
Members can now turn to a health coach who is available
24/7 to help them make informed health care decisions –
whether they are facing a significant medical decision or they
have an everyday health concern.
There are three main focuses of the "Connections" Health
Management Program. First, Disease Management is a support
system for people with chronic and complex conditions such as
diabetes, coronary artery disease, asthma or hypertension. The
Disease Management health coaches want to help the member
learn self-care skills to manage their condition as well as help
them to understand both their physician’s recommended
treatment plan, and the importance of adhering to the
treatment plan.
Secondly, Decision Support is the health
coach supporting the member through education
and helping them better understand the
circumstances surrounding their medical concern.
This support system can help the member through
the steps of confusion, fear and uncertainty
to an understanding of their disease, illness or
injury. Education enables the member to have a more
productive conversation with their physician. As a more
informed patient, they will know what questions to ask
and have a better understanding of the answers being given
by their doctor: Is knee surgery right for me? Why or why not?
What are my alternatives?
Chronic conditions account for over 60% of health care
expenditures. These conditions will most often involve not
only a medical provider and a medical treatment plan, but also
a prescription, pharmacist and a drug-therapy. Members taking
a medication to treat a chronic or complex condition such as
diabetes, heart condition, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
or asthma are encouraged to talk with a Medco Specialist At this point, the Plan utilizes the national preferred
Pharmacist, who is available 24/7 to talk to the member about provider organization with the broadest provider network
their prescription. and deepest discounts. You’ve seen the impact of these deeper
Specialist pharmacists are trained in a single condition discounts to your own bottom line of health care costs. Without
and the medications used to treat that condition. They’re better reducing benefits or pushing more financial responsibility to the
equipped to answer questions the member may have about their member, there is no real way to reduce health care plan costs.
treatments. When filling a mail-order prescription, the specialist The next steps to controlling cost must be through positively
pharmacist compares the prescription to others the member has impacting member behavior and encouraging the member to
on file. If a potential drug interaction or other safety issue arises, engage in these added benefits.
they’ll contact the prescribing physician and, together, they will These programs, “Connections,” Medco’s Specialty
take the necessary steps to safeguard the member’s health. All Pharmacists, “RationalMed” and the added benefit of
prescriptions are screened for potential drug problems regardless “Preventive Care Services” are all in place in support to the
of whether they are filled at a retail or mail order pharmacy. member. An informed member becomes more engaged. An
Prevalence of medication safety issues is growing because of engaged member is more likely to have productive discussions
increased utilization of medications. New medications, including with their physicians. A better understanding results in a more
biotech drugs are continually coming to the market. This brings committed compliance with physician-recommended treatment
with it new medication indications. There are more and more plans. A compliant member will begin to make more positive
patients with chronic conditions as well as increased life expec- personal choices and improve their daily diet and exercise
tancy for patients with chronic conditions. Adding to this com- routines. Management of medical conditions can help members
plexity is the increased availability of over-the-counter (OTC) avoid complications. All of these behaviors result in a healthier
products, vitamins and nutritional supplements, which can member, and a resulting cost control.
cause contra-indications with medications. With the continuing Yes, it’s true. "Member Safety" can and will result in
increase of physician specialization, member care has become cost control. ■
more fragmented and continuity of care more challenging.
“RationalMed” is a program that reaches out to the physician
Ellen Eldridge, director of Health Benefits Services
when a conflict in medications and/or treatments is detected. for Adventist Risk Management, Inc. prepared
These alert types are in three main categories: adverse drug this article.
risk such as drug-to-drug interactions or duplication of drug
therapies; coordination of care; and omission of care or patient
drug adherence or compliance.
A new approach to “Preventative Care Services” is now
defined in the NAD HCAP for the 2010 Benefit Year (See the
NAD HCAP, page 26 -29 for the details.) This is intended to
remove the financial burden of deductible and/or out-of-pocket
member responsibility, and encourage the member to obtain
appropriate preventive care services.
According to Journal of the American Pharmacists
Association, inappropriate prescription drug use will result
in an estimated $336 billion in medical costs this year. Also,
preventable hospitalizations related to adverse drug events
cost $121 billion in 2000, greater than total U.S. prescription
spending. The Blue’s national statistics indicate that 50% of
health care cost is due to unhealthy behaviors; and that 60% of
members with chronic conditions do not comply with physician-
recommended treatment plans. The NAD HCAP statistics are in
line with these national statistics.

S O LU T I O N S • February 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 3

FORESIGHT
Help Protect What's
Important To You:
L
ike you, we believe that family is what matters most. Day
in, day out, we work hard to provide for our loved ones.
But who will care for your family if something happens
to you? Life insurance products are designed to help secure
your family’s future if you no longer can. Although you’d like to
think that nothing can happen to you, the unexpected is all too
commonplace. For example, more than 112,000 deaths in the
United States in a year’s time are caused by accidents. That’s why
it’s important to learn about life insurance and understand the
options available to you. By doing so, you will provide financial
protection to your family and gain peace of mind knowing that
they will be cared for, no matter what the future holds.
It’s important to learn about life insurance and understand
the options available to you.
Plan today to secure your future.
To provide financial resources for your family in the event
of your death, life insurance should be an integral part of your
financial planning.
First, let’s look at some of the expenses that would have to
be paid by your family if you die:
yy Uninsured medical expenses
yy Funeral costs
yy Estate taxes
yy Monthly bills such as the mortgage or rent, car payments,
credit cards, and utilities
yy Child care
yy College tuition
yy Saving for retirement
4 SOLUTIONS • February 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
Your Family
Additional resources may also be necessary to finance a move or
allow your spouse time to find a job. In fact, the average value of
lifetime earnings lost by persons who die prematurely is:
yy More than $1,374,000 if death occurs between the ages of
25 to 44.
yy More than $486,000 if death occurs between the ages of 45
to 64.
That’s why it’s so important to have adequate life insurance
coverage to help replace your lost income and maintain your
dependents’ current lifestyle if you were to die. By not doing
so, your family might have to sell property or other assets to
pay off outstanding debts.
The right amount of coverage for you.
Purchasing insurance is a personal choice. Here’s why:
yy A dual-income family with young children might need more
insurance to maintain their lifestyle than a couple nearing
retirement age without any dependent children.
yy The family breadwinner might consider spousal coverage to
help provide for child care costs and household services.
yy Couples close to retirement might purchase life insurance to
help ensure that the surviving spouse can retire as planned.
So the amount of insurance you need will depend on your
current financial and family situations.
Define your life insurance needs.
To calculate the amount of life insurance that’s just right
for your family, gather your financial records and complete the
following worksheet.
1. Amount needed to pay off outstanding debt: $ ________
(credit cards, car payment, mortgage, medical expenses)
2. Amount needed to pay your children’s future education
expenses: $ ________
3. Your current salary times the number of years you wish to
provide replacement income for your family to cover items
such as child care, rent, everyday living expenses
Saving for retirement: $ ________
4. Funeral expenses: + $6,500 to $10,000
5. Insurance you already have: - $ ________
6. Total amount needed: = $ ________
Since your family’s needs change over time, it’s a good idea to
review your financial situation and your insurance coverage
periodically. If there is a big change in your life, such as buying a
house or having another child, you should re-evaluate your needs
soon after.
More security simply and affordable.
The voluntary or supplemental group term life insurance
available through your individual employer as part of the
North American Division benefit program, is a smart, affordable way to purchase the extra Publisher
protection that you and your family may need. Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
Because it is available to you at group rates, group-term life insurance can be one of the least Executive Publisher
expensive ways to buy life insurance. Since the premiums are generally lower than other types of Arthur F. Blinci, ARM, EMBA
life insurance, you can afford to purchase higher amounts of coverage. Editor
Paula L. Webber
Group Benefits through your employer allows you to:
Legal Consultant
yy choose the coverage amount that fits your needs and budget; J. Victor Elliott, Esq.
yy pay premiums through the convenience of payroll deduction; Layout/Design/Webmaster
yy elect coverage up to a specified amount without providing proof of good health; Armand Davila
yy continue coverage when your employment ends; Copy Editor
yy continue coverage as a retiree with special retiree accommodations. Deena Wagner

As a retiree, any amount in force may be continued with the rates remaining the same as when you Illustrator
John J. Dougan
were actively employed.
Communication Assistant
What’s more, our current plan also offers several special options. The generous “living benefit
Junica Voilquin
option,” for instance, allows terminally ill employees or dependents to accelerate and receive in
advance, as much as 80 percent of their life insurance benefits up to $500,000. This can help ease
some of the financial and emotional burdens at a time when they may need it most. Solutions (ISSN 1528-7076) is
Take care of your family, just as you planned. published monthly by Adventist
Risk Management, Inc.,
Protect your family’s future — today and in the years ahead.
12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Open Enrollment for the Harford Supplemental life coverage is March 1 through April 15 Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600;
with a June 1, 2010 effective date! phone: 301-680-6930;
Please take the time to provide your employees with their current coverage amounts so they fax: 301-680-6828; e-mail:
can select the right amount of coverage during this year’s enrollment.  ■ armcorpcomm@adventistrisk.org;
Web site: www.adventistrisk.org.
This information in this article is from the Hartford Group Benefits Division and provided by Faith Blair, director of Personal Risk
Services for Adventist Risk Management, Inc. For subscription changes
please send an e-mail to:

Risky Business
armcorpcomm@adventistrisk.org
By John J. Dougan, ARM, ALCM
Back issues are available while
supplies last. We also welcome
your comments and suggestions.
Address all correspondence and
inquiries to ARM’s Corporate
Communication department.

Texts credited to NIV are from the

Holy Bible, New International Version.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984,
International Bible Society. Used
by permission of Zondervan Bible
Publishers.

©2009 Adventist Risk

Management, Inc.

“If   you'll just sign this life insurance policy, we'll

gladly throw in this triple chocolate double
fudge cheesecake.”

S O LU T I O N S • February 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 5

HEALTH ALERT!
Health Tip of the Month
Abdominal
T
here is a strong link between
abdominal fat and increased
health risks. Fat cells of
abdominal tissue are especially active
metabolically and are therefore,
especially dangerous.
Research
According to the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute, the risk of
serious health problems increases with a
waist measurement of over 40 inches in
men and over 35 inches in women.
yy Abdominal fat produces hormones
and messenger substances
(adipokines) that greatly contribute
to the development of hypertension
and metabolic disorders.
yy People with large waistlines often
have a high amount of fat around
the abdominal organs. This makes
them more prone to heart disease,
high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes,
and high cholesterol. According to
a study at Harvard University, men
with larger waist circumferences are
at a higher risk of gallstones.
6 SOLUTIONS • February 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
yy Adults who carry much of their
fat around the middle may be at
increased risk of colon cancer. Waist
size and waist-to-hip ratio, both
indicators of abdominal obesity, are
more important in colon cancer risk
than overall weight according to a
large European study.
yy One study found that subjects with
the highest ratio of trunk versus
peripheral fat (excessive abdominal
fat) were found to be one and a half
times more likely to have a stroke
compared with subjects with the
lowest ratio.
yy According to a study at the
University of Southern California,
abdominal fat may alter glucose
metabolism. Fatty acids from
the abdomen overstimulate the
production of glucose in the liver
that insulin can’t properly suppress.
This causes a higher risk of diabetes
and heart disease. High insulin
levels also promote the growth of
cancer cells.
yy Visceral fat in the abdomen is directly
associated with a higher risk of
mortality in men.
Findings from a study by Queen’s
University underline the importance
of measuring abdominal fat to predict
the risk of future disease and mortality.
The researchers recommend that waist
measurement be routine in clinical practice.
Prevention
Fat-laden meals, little physical
activity, and stress can lead to excess
weight and a widening waistline.
yy According to the author of The
Cortisol Connection, when under
stress, our bodies release cortisol,
adrenalin, and insulin. Cortisol
causes insulin levels to increase.
High cortisol and high insulin
levels can cause weight gain, usually
around the abdomen.
yy Diet and exercise have been found to
lower levels of insulin, more so than
diet alone. Those who exercise tend
to lose more visceral fat and maintain
muscle better than those using
strictly a diet approach.
yy Substituting a modest amount of
protein for carbohydrate may reduce
abdominal obesity. A slight dietary
adjustment away from carbohydrates
(especially simple carbs from refined
food products) may help with
middle-age spread.
yy Eliminate junk food which is high
in sugars and fats. Give up non-
diet sodas that are sweetened with
high-fructose corn syrup. Research
suggests that fructose may encourage
weight gain and that it alters the
body’s ability to sense that it is full.
yy According to one study, moderate
exercise - walking for about three
hours a week - was enough to prevent
fat gain. Also, it is in line with health
officials’ advice for all adults to fit in
30 minutes of moderate activity on
most or all days.  ■
Jina Kim, MPH, Wellness director for Adventist Risk
Management, Inc. prepared this article
Sources: Reuters, MSNBC, Science Daily, Tufts
Health & Nutrition Letter, Men’s Fitness, The
Healthier Life, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center, WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Feature Article,
International Symposium at the MDC (Center
for Molecular Medicine - Berlin/Boch), and
Washington and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals.
 B ro u g ht to yo u by :
w w w.adventistr isk .org/Wellness/

The Time is NOW!

H
ave you ever taken the time to write down a list of goals?
I was surprised when I attempted to do this and it took
much longer than I thought it would to come up with a
Top Ten list of goals. Here’s why: In the past when I made this
list, I would do it just as an exercise, never believing these things
would come to fruition. This list was of no greater importance
than a grocery list. No great shakes if I didn’t get to everything
on the list. This time I worked on the list more in the mode of
thinking of my dreams and desires that I plan on accomplishing
this year. Big difference, because I believe I can accomplish these
things. And that’s the key.
No matter what dreams and desires you plan on
accomplishing, you need to believe you can achieve them, and
you need to start this moment. Right now. After completing my
top ten goals, I realized I’ve been craving more balance in my
life, so I went back and labeled which goals were professional and
which ones were personal. Interestingly enough, I have five and
five. So this means I desire balance. Now I just have to take action
to make it happen.
No matter how much I wish I were Samantha from
“Bewitched” and could twitch my nose to accomplish my goals
(some of us really did live in the best television era!), every one of
these dreams and desires won’t happen unless I have a plan.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when we look at any item on
our list (to lose weight, save for a car, pay off credit cards, spend
more time with the family). In this fast-paced world, our biggest
complaint is we don’t have time!
I beg to differ with that lament. We never seem to have
the time for our goal, but when someone else asks us for help,
in many cases it’s so they can meet their goals. While we may
hesitate for a moment, we always find the time to pitch in.
Now you need to pitch in for your own winning outcomes.
You need to take daily steps toward your dreams. It’s exciting
when you realize that these goals are within your grasp. They’re
yours for the taking. ■
Sharon Lee Riguzzi, author of "Shot in the Arm," wrote this article.

TRY THIS
RECIPE OUT!
Chocolate Marshmallow Ingredient List chocolate mixture into prepared pan using a
spatula. Smooth into a somewhat even layer.
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finest
Bark quality recommended
Refrigerate until chocolate sets, at least 1 hour.
Keep refrigerated until ready to eat. Cut into
2 teaspoons butter
from Weight Watchers® 12 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.
3 cups kosher mini marshmallows
This basic recipe is very versatile. Add your
Directions own favorite ingredients like nuts, dried fruit,
crispy cereal, crisp crumbled cookies or even
Line a 9- X 9-inch pan with heavy-duty
fresh fruit. If you use fresh fruit, the bark must
aluminum foil.
be refrigerated and eaten the day it is made.
In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter Fresh strawberries, blueberries and pineapple
over medium heat, stirring occasionally, are all excellent options.
until thoroughly combined. Remove from
heat and stir in marshmallows. Scrape

S O LU T I O N S • February 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 7

 Open Enrollment Coming This Spring!

SupplementAL
LIFE INSURANCE
March 1, 2010 through April 15, 2010
This is an opportunity for employees to elect supplemental life
insurance with a guaranteed issue amount of up to 3x's salary...
without medical underwriting!

Check out our Web site for future announcements,

tips and how to enroll.
Visit us at today at
www.adventistrisk.org