The good folks over at Philadelphia Insurance Loss Control provided a great update on the Swine Flu (Influenza A Virus subtype H1N1) and I am sharing it below:

The Obama administration declared recently a public health emergency in response to the increase in Swine Flu cases in the United States and in the world. Like seasonal flu, swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by viruses that usually effect pigs. Swine Flu has spread from person-to -person, like influenza, in the past, but was limited and not so widespread.
About the Swine Flu:
The Swine Flu that has caused these actions is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs and in the past was not generally transmittable to people. Occasionally these viruses change and it appears that this strain has and is now transmittable to people.

Where it Originated:
The outbreak that has been in the news appears to have originated in Mexico and at this point in time has affected people who were in Mexico (in some cases students on spring break and on school trips) or who might have been in contact with affected individuals. The symptoms of Swine Flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular flu we are accustomed to dealing with and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that U.S. travelers avoid all non-essential travel to Mexico.

What We Can Do:
Swine Flu can be transmitted in ways similar to the ‘regular’ flu, through coughing, sneezing or by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching the mouth or nose. Because there is no vaccine available now to prevent this flu, it is important that we all practice the everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

These steps include:

• Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
  Then make sure to throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick with influenza, it is recommended that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

It is important to note that as of now there is no epidemic or a reason to panic. The U.S. and other governments are taking actions in order to prevent this from developing into a Pandemic and to raise awareness to everybody about the importance of following these preventive tips.

To learn more about Swine Flu, please view the following Links:

Safe Wise Swine Flu Release
Safe Wise is a preferred vendor of Philadelphia Insurance and they provide Risk Management consulting, training and support services to national organizations.

The CDC Swine Flu Main Page – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) runs up to date information on the escalating problem with the Swine Flu. Interim Guidance Updates are made daily on the CDC website.
The Pandemic Flu Website
The Pandemic Flu website provides comprehensive government wide information on Pandemic flu viruses for the general public. This includes Swine Flu, Avian Flu, General Influenza, etc.

While some companies fail to implement the most rudimentary of security measures, an increasing number of companies are experiencing data breaches despite sophisticated security measures.

As the economy continues to slump, security breaches continue to rise at an ever increasing rate.

In an economic downturn, many good people get laid off. This makes it a great time to hire good people, but strangely enough it also makes it more difficult to find those good/great people. Even though there are more good people out there to hire, the good-to-mediocre ratio is actually worse (A-players vs. C-players) and so there is a lot more noise to sift through to find the good people. If you need A-Players you need to be prepared to find them.

For all of you smart A-Players looking for a great employer, give Diversified Insurance a call at 801-325-5000 and ask for Joe Henriod.

The Utah Supreme Court thinks so, at least in part.

“In a decision that could have far-reaching effects for Utah workers, the Utah Supreme Court has ruled that paying for medical costs for injuries or illnesses associated with a job now will only be paid in proportion to the amount directly connected to the job.” reported Linda Thomson of the Deseret News.

In the past, workers’ compensation insurance has covered all expenses associated with an on-the-job injury. The high court has ruled that medical care necessary to treat work-related occupational diseases should be paid out by workers’ compensation insurance only in proportion to the amount attributable to the on-the-job injury or work-related occupational disease.

It will be interesting to see if this legal opinion spreads to other states or if Utah will be the lone wolf in the wilderness on this issue. Linda Thomson reported on the potential effects of the ruling on Thursday in the Deseret News. Excerpts are included below:

. . . The ruling leaves employees responsible for the remaining costs.

An attorney for the Utah Labor Commission said he now worries that many workers who get such injuries or sickness may not seek medical treatment at all because they cannot afford their share of the expense. However, an attorney for the Workers Compensation Fund said the high court’s decision reflects state law and appears to be what legislators intended.

The Supreme Court addressed two separate cases, one involving a woman with carpal-tunnel syndrome, and another involving a man who developed lower-back problems after working 20 years as a meat packer. In both cases, the Utah Court of Appeals had interpreted the state’s Occupational Disease Act’s reference to “compensation” as referring to medical costs as well as wages.

However, the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling, issued this week, reversed those Court of Appeals decisions involving both Jeffrey Smith, the man with back problems, and Tamara Edmonds, the woman with carpal-tunnel syndrome.

. . . Shell said the ruling may sound fair but will result in unfortunate outcomes for many working people.

“If you get sick at work because of some chemical and have some pre-existing condition, you have to pay part of that care, even though you didn’t need treatment before,” Shell said. “It’s just a travesty for the injured worker.”

Alan Hennebold, attorney for the Utah Labor Commission, said the decision will “change what we thought the law was, which was to require Workers Compensation insurance carriers to pay for all of the medical care necessary to treat work-related occupational diseases.

“Now, those expenses are going to be parsed out between the part that is directly attributable to the employee and the part that might relate to an individual’s propensity to a disease, and the cost will (be) split according to those proportions,” Hennebold said.

He said he fears some workers will lose out because they will never seek any medical care if they cannot pay their portion of the costs.

However, Floyd Holm, attorney for the Workers Compensation Fund, said the ruling is the correct one for the high court to make, and it is based on “common sense and fairness.”

“We believe that’s the way it ought to be — that employers or insurance carriers should only pay for the part of the condition that is related to work,” Holm said. . . .

“Why should we have to pay for medical expenses that are not related to work?” Holm asked.

One thing that both Hennebold and Holm agree on is that the Occupational Disease Act is a confusing and difficult to interpret law and that everyone would benefit if the state Legislature looked at it again and clarified the language to make the intent plain and obvious.