Liberty Mutual Insurance Hosts Discussion on International and Special Needs Adoption at the 2013 Women in the World …

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Continuing the advocacy theme of responsibility, Liberty Mutual Insurance, a sponsor of the fourth annual Women in the World Summit for the second consecutive year, will present a panel discussion at this years event on the issue of responsibility related to international and special needs adoption.

Liberty Mutual Insurance is honored to be a part of this celebration of women who are driven by a sense of responsibility to look for inspiring solutions to womens issues, said Paul Alexander, chief communications officer at Liberty Mutual Insurance. This panel embodies the purpose of The Responsibility Project to begin a meaningful discourse around doing the right thing.

The panel will feature a conversation with 18-year-old Michaela DePrince, a soloist with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Born amidst the chaos of civil war in Sierra Leone, Michaela was orphaned at four years old and ostracized by the community because of her vitiligo, a condition that causes depigmentation of the skin.

The Liberty Mutual Insurance panel, The Search for Home, will take place today at 6:00 p.m. ET and is available to the general public via livestream at http://www.livestream.com/womenintheworld. A short film featuring Michaela DePrince will also be available online at http://www.TheResponsibilityProject.com.

Michaela will be joined by her adoptive-mother, Elaine DePrince, who after losing three children to hemophilia, was inspired by one of her five sons to help children in war-torn areas of Africa. Elaine and her husband, Charles, went on to adopt six girls from the continent.

I am honored to join these amazing women of the world at this summit, said Michaela DePrince. Sharing my story gives me the opportunity to draw attention to all of the world's children who are in need of adoption. Every morning when I wake up and look into the faces of my four sisters from war-torn Africa, I cannot help but recognize our personal good fortune and feel committed and responsible to raising awareness of the hundreds of thousands of girls just like us who are still in need.

Rounding out the panel discussion is Dr. Jane Aronson, founder and CEO of Worldwide Orphans, a nonprofit organization that provides direct services to orphaned children globally. Worldwide Orphans has reached more than 35,000 orphans, vulnerable children and those who care for them through health and education programs.

Hosted by Tina Brown, editor-in-chief of Newsweek & The Daily Beast, the Women in the World Summit brings together leaders and activists from around the globe to address the most urgent challenges facing women and girls. Summit participants include Dr. Hawa Abdi, Christiane Amanpour, Humaira Bachal, Chelsea Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Meryl Streep, Diane von Furstenberg and Oprah Winfrey.

About the Women in the World Summit

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Liberty Mutual Insurance Hosts Discussion on International and Special Needs Adoption at the 2013 Women in the World ...

Still Neutral on Liberty Global

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We reiterate our long-term Neutral recommendation on Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA). The companys fourth quarter of 2012 financial results easily surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimates.

Why Kept at Neutral?

Liberty Global is gradually establishing a strong foothold in the European cable MSO market.We believe that the long-term business fundamental of the company is very intriguing, primarily due to strong demand for its digital cable-TV services, faster broadband and triple-play bundled offerings.

The company is systematically conducting a share buyback program. However, business integration risk persists as Liberty Global has decided to acquire several companies either partially or fully.

Moreover, Liberty Global is currently trading at significantly higher multiple with respect to several valuation metrics compared with the industry average and the S&P 500. The stock price has soared nearly 66% over the last year and is currently trading at a 52-week high end.

We believe that this high level of valuation may restrict any above market gain any time soon. Liberty Global currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Risk/Reward Almost Balanced

On Feb 2013, Liberty Global entered into an agreement to acquire 100% stake of Virgin Media Inc. (VMED) in a cash and equity deal. Both the companies are expecting the deal to be completed by the second quarter of 2013, subject to customary regulatory approval. If this deal gets approved, then Liberty Global will become a formidable challenger to BSkyB, the largest pay-TV operator of the U.K. and BT Group plc. (BT). BSkyB is partially controlled by News Corp. (NWSA).

On Apr 2013, Liberty Global acquired a 12.65% ownership of Ziggo, the largest cable MSO in Netherlands. At the end of 2012, Ziggo had more than 2.2 million digital TV subscribers, almost 1.8 million Internet subscribers and 1.5 million telephone subscribers. A major positive for Liberty Global is that Ziggo currently has a dividend yield of about 7.4%. Liberty Global expects Ziggo to pay about $473.5 million to investors as dividend in 2013.

Nevertheless, Liberty Global is predominantly operating in Europe, which at present is economically the most vulnerable region. Ongoing debt crisis in several European countries may significantly affect the future prospect the company. Management is gradually concentrating on western and northen Europe. However, the recessionary pressure is most severe in that region.

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Still Neutral on Liberty Global

Commentary: Libertarianism Is America’s Last Best Hope

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Editor's note: Yahoo News asked young libertarian-minded voters to share why they're drawn to the either the Libertarian Party or to libertarian political principles in general. Here's one first-person account we received this week.

FIRST PERSON | My name is Nancy Hernandez. I'm 33 years old, and I am probably on the Department of Homeland Security's terrorist watch list. I live in a small city called Van Buren, which is located on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. I've lived in this area most of my life, and I love it here.

I am also a staunch constitutionalist. As a result, though I'm not registered with the Libertarian Party, I have very strong libertarian leanings. I believe in the right to the right to bear arms, personal liberty, small government, and free enterprise. I believe that more government is never the answer to any problem that our nation is facing, and I believe that the current size of our government is a hindrance, rather than a help, to our economy. It is also a massive threat to personal liberty, and the U.S. Constitution.

There was a time when I was blinded by the words of the two bigger parties. In fact, until recently, I was a registered Democrat. It was inevitable that I changed my registration.

On July 4, 2009, I took my first real steps toward libertarianism. I realized how much it angered me that Independence Day had become nothing more than an excuse to party and light fireworks. Few people even stop to think about what the holiday actually symbolizes. This anger resulted in an open "Letter to America," which later resulted in a book called "Letters From an American Woman," (which can be found at Createspace.com) that I co-authored with my best friend.

The process of writing this book included a great deal of research that made me even angrier. I uncovered legislation, introduced by both Republicans and Democrats, that is designed to strip liberties and grow government. For instance, many people know about the Patriot Act, but how many of you have actually read the text? Then there is Presidential Directive 51, signed by Bush 43, which gives the president unprecedented and far-reaching powers.

Also of concern is The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. There are many more, and I cover some of them in my Yahoo! Voices article, The Coming U.S. Revolution. I discovered the true extent of the nation's current financial problems, and the extent to which our legislators are willing to go to deceive the American public.

Since writing my book, I pulled my children (ages 5, 11, and 14) out of public school, took steps toward going "off the grid," such as buying a generator and building wind turbines, started a garden, and I have begun stockpiling food. There are those who have begun calling me a conspiracy theorist, but I disagree. What I am is an American citizen who has done her homework, done incredibly in depth research, and I have reached intelligent conclusions. Our government is collapsing in upon itself, and our only hope as a nation may very well rest with the Libertarian Party.

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Commentary: Libertarianism Is America's Last Best Hope

The Libertarian Case for Life

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April 5, 2013|10:43 am

But, instead of focusing on the panel's extremely important topic, the moderator, Students for Liberty Co-Founder Alexander McCobin, decided to use his time to advance his libertarian ideal of legalizing gay marriage. He was especially inflammatory when he kept comparing traditional marriage supporters to segregationists. At one point, frustrated that we weren't talking about the real issues, I blurted out, "Is this the gay marriage panel?" I felt, as did much of the audience judging by their applause of my interruption, that McCobin was abusing his position as moderator to steer the conversation in only one direction.

CPAC has some serious explaining to do to its sponsors, the organizations that paid thousands to participate, for asking McCobin to moderate this panel. He has a history of being a pro-gay marriage, throw-conservatives-under-the-bus speaker and even led off his lengthy opening diatribe by announcing that he was not a conservative. This should not have been a surprise a simple Google search shows that McCobin has publicly advocated against the role social conservatives have played on the right and has even accused those of us with different beliefs to be "intolerant."

Over and over and over again during the panel, McCobin tried to make the point that conservatives must "fall in line" with libertarians and drop social issues because they are losers with generations X and Y. Yes, this generation has some libertarian tendencies, but not on everything, and certainly not on abortion.

In fact, Gallup pollsprove that this is the pro-life generation, polling more pro-life than our parents. Modern technology has a lot to do with this fact we've seen our brothers and sisters in the womb during our moms' ultrasounds, we've Googled "abortion" and seen the ghastly results of the "procedure," and we've seen what abortion has done to our friends and families first-hand.

Abortion is an issue that libertarians seem to differ over, but I would argue that libertarians should be against abortion.

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The heart of libertarianism is liberty of the individual, especially an individual's right to not be harmed by the actions of another. One's right to life is central to this-without it, there can be no liberty at all. The fact that the state is actually sanctioning abortion, the destruction of an innocent individual, should make it even more egregious to libertarians.

Human life begins at conception. That is an undeniable scientific fact. But in Roe v. Wade and its companion case Doe v. Bolton, which legalized abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy, the Supreme Court inserted itself as the final arbiter of what human life is and what it isn't. This government intrusion on the laws of nature and inherent inalienable rights is an injustice against the individual and an injustice against one is an injustice against all.

With legal abortion, the state discriminates against citizens based on a policy that creates two tiers of human beings: a superior class with rights and an inferior class without rights, based upon physical location.

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The Libertarian Case for Life

EAST WINDSOR: Libertarian questions debt

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EAST WINDSOR A local East Windsor resident questioned state and federal debt before the Township Council this week.

We are in a lot of debt as a state and as a country, Sean OConnor said.

However, the resident was asked to wrap it up frequently during Tuesdays council meeting. He spoke during the public comment session.

When Mr. OConnor introduced himself, he also said he was running for the state Assembly in the 14th District as a Libertarian.

Mr. OConnor also spoke about fascism in the government Tuesday night.

I am wrapping up, said Mr. OConnor. I want to make it clear that this is a priority (the debt) and Im hoping to rouse some excitement maybe and Amen or a yay, I agree because I cant stand down until somebody says they support this.

Mr. OConnor continued with his comments on how astronomical the debt is.

But sir, I must ask you to wrap it up, Mayor Mironov said after approximately six minutes into his public comment session.

However Mr. OConnor continued.

The mayor then again asked Mr. OConnor to wrap up his comments.

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EAST WINDSOR: Libertarian questions debt

First Person: My Libertarian Realization

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Editor's note: Yahoo News asked young libertarian-minded voters to share why they're drawn to the either the Libertarian Party or to libertarian political principles in general. Here's one first-person account we received this week.

FIRST PERSON | Although I have only considered myself a libertarian for a little over a year, I have never been more certain about one of my personal beliefs. This realization came about as a result of an equal level of disillusionment with both major parties.

Ever since I became interested in politics at a young age I had associated myself with the Democrats, mostly due to my strong opposition to the Republicans' social conservatism and interventionist foreign policy. However, when I began college almost two years ago, I realized that not only could I not continue to associate with a party that held completely opposite views than mine in terms of fiscal policy, it became apparent that the Democratic Party was not the party of peace that it had so proudly claimed to be, particularly during the 2008 presidential election.

The turning point in my ideological conversion came about in early 2012 when I began following the presidential campaign of Ron Paul. I disagreed with Paul on several social issues, however I felt that he was the only candidate with ideological integrity who truly believed the words coming out of his mouth. I was particularly drawn to not only his steadfast non-interventionism, but also his unwillingness to appease the religious right by taking strong stances on social issues. When Ron Paul said he would end the wars immediately, I believed him. When he said he would keep the government from meddling in our personal lives, I believed him. For the first time, I legitimately trusted a candidate for public office.

When Paul's candidacy came to an end, however, I found myself an even better option in Gov. Gary Johnson. Running on the Libertarian ticket, Johnson not only echoed my support for fiscal conservatism and military non-interventionism, he was also a social liberal, expressing support for marriage equality and an end to the war on drugs.

As a 20-year-old San Jose, Calif., resident, I can honestly say I have never agreed with someone more completely than I agree with Gary Johnson and I was proud to mark his name on my first presidential ballot.

Sometime between the Republican National Convention and the general election, it became apparent to me that the so-called libertarianism being pushed by those attempting to infiltrate the GOP was not libertarianism at all -- the more appropriate term would be paleoconservatism, or as some prefer, constitutional conservatism. At this point I realized that liberty could no longer be pursued via the two-party system and the Republican Party was certainly not the appropriate vehicle. I am now a proud member of the Libertarian Party; I believe it will best serve liberty through education, electing candidates to local offices as well as causing the two major parties to change their positions through spoiling state and federal elections, thereby effecting the implementation of libertarian policies.

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First Person: My Libertarian Realization

MARBLEHEAD 101: The other islands off Marblehead

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Out from Marblehead Harbor are many islands, some of which were discussed last week. Moving east, Toms Rocks form a long ledge, visible at low tide. In the 1600s, Tom Moore of Salem got permission to set up fish flakes on Marblehead Neck, where he had a fish-salting-and-drying operation. At some point on his way back and forth, he smashed up against these rocks and was drowned. This was memorable enough to name the rocks after him.

A quarter mile beyond Marblehead Light is Marblehead Rock. It is two islets, connected at low water. It is unoccupied, home to seabirds only. The islands called rocks are mostly that: not large enough to ever have been inhabited. Moving east, Halfway Rock is half way between Cape Ann and Boston. It is impressive, three miles out in the Atlantic Ocean and 40 feet high. It was the custom for out-going fishermen and sailors to throw coins at Halfway Rock to insure good luck and a safe return. It also attracted boys who wanted to retrieve those coins, although this was discouraged because it was dangerous, and it might undo the sailors luck.

Cat Island, or Childrens Island, has been discussed before, but to summarize briefly: In 1633, the island was owned by a tailor from Salem named Richard Cotta. The island takes its name from him. It was the location of a controversial and ill-fated smallpox hospital just before the American Revolution. In the 19th century, a hotel was built on the island that became so popular with summer visitors from Lowell that the island was called Lowells Island for a time. When the hotel failed, part of the remaining structure was used to build childrens tuberculosis hospital and sanitarium, and that is when it became Childrens Island. The hospital remained until 1946. Childrens Island is now home the a summer day camp run by the Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA.

Eagle Island is to the northeast. It is surrounded by shoals and covered with shrubbery. It was noted for wild parsnips in the 18th century, though none appear to grow there anymore. The Gooseberries are two small islands southeast of Bakers Island where gooseberry bushes grew. China trade ships out of Salem stopped there to load up on rocks for ballast. The rocks were thrown in the Pearl River in China when the ships were loaded with cargo for the return voyage.

Bakers Island is the largest island off Marblehead at 60 acres. Governor Winthrop called it Bakers Island in 1630, but with no mention of why or who Baker might be. Bakers Island lies directly in the path of all shipping trade, and in the 1770s two lighthouses were erected, one large and one small. They were known affectionately known as Mr. and Mrs.

Further out are both Great and Little Misery islands. Both were used to graze cattle and sheep, which at one time could walk from one island to the other at low tide. The islands were first called Moultons Misery, after Captain Moulton was shipwrecked there.

Great Misery was the site of many Harvard class reunions and the setting for an elaborate turtle-meat dinner given by the East India Marine Society of Salem. Members of this group had to have captained ships that had sailed around both Capes, and they were well known for their parties and celebrations.

In the early 1900s, Great Misery became quite a social place, with lots of summer homes, a tennis court and an airplane landing strip. But its popularity faded in the 1920s, and one of the summer homes was cut in half and moved to Marblehead Neck, where it still stands on Flint Street. A suspicious fire in 1926 burned down all the rest of the houses, and now the islands, owned by the Trustees of the Reservations, are available for day trippers and picnickers, where they can see the stone foundations where the summer colony stood.

Heading back in to Marblehead Harbor, the sailor passes Coney Island, an acre and a half of rocks and grass. Close in to Marblehead Harbor are Gerrys Island and Browns or Crowninshield Island, which have already been discussed. At the east end of Gerrys Island is Jacks Rock, named for the black servant of Marbleheads early 18th-century Parson Barnard, who liked to fish there.

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MARBLEHEAD 101: The other islands off Marblehead

Cruise the Greek Islands during shoulder season and save

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Topics: cruising, greece, greek islands, holidays, travel

TAKE your time exploring the islands of Sifnos and Milos and discovering Athens on an 11-day Island Explorer package from Icon Holidays, priced from $3360 per person, twin share.

This price is for a for September deal, the shoulder season, a good time for Aussies to visit Greece as it's less crowded and prices are lower.

The deal includes private tours of Athens, Acropolis Museum, Cape Sounion, Sifnos and Milos, a private cooking lesson in Sifnos, four nights' accommodation with breakfasts in Athens, and three in both Sifnos and Milos, hydrofoil tickets, entry fees, private taxi transfers and taxes.

It also includes a catamaran cruise around the islands of Milos and Poliegos, stopping off at fishing villages, swimming at secluded beaches and in caves and lunching on board.

The package can be upgraded with hotel choices and is also available between June and September.

For more information visit iconjourneys.com.

>> To read more travel stories

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Cruise the Greek Islands during shoulder season and save

A guide to names of islands in the South and East China Seas

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Countries involved in the dispute over the islands and rich mineral resources in the South and East China Seas have chosen their own names for the land masses - to underscore their property rights

In March 2012, the Japanese parliament named the previously nameless chain of 39 islands Senkaku. The People's Republic of China responded promptly with its own name, Diaoyo, for a total 70 islands in the region. Republic of China (Taiwan) rejected Japan's names.

The case shows how the naming of islands can be used as a political tool. The naming - as well as older documents and maps - aims to prove that the opposing parties have never cared about the region and that there has always been a legitimate claim to the disputed islands.

The result is a plethora of names and terms that can cause confusion. DW provides insight into the conflicts, the names and the players.

East China Sea

The East China Sea, called Dong Hi () in Chinese and Higashi Shina Kai () in Japanese, is located west of the Chinese mainland, north of South Korea, east of the southwestern part of Japan and south of Taiwan.

Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands

The East China Sea is home to the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyo Islands, which are called Diaoyu do () in Chinese, Diaoyutai liy ( ) in Taiwanese and Senkaku Shoto ( ) in Japanese. These are eight uninhabited islands and reefs. The largest island, which is 4.32 square kilometers, is about the size of the English Garden in Munich.

Liancourt Rocks/Dokdo Islands

The Liancourt Rocks, or Takeshima () in Japanese and Dokdo () in Korean, include two rocky islands and a group of smaller rocks. Both South Korea and Japan claim the islands. They were managed by Japan up to 1945 and by South Korea since 1953.

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A guide to names of islands in the South and East China Seas

The Falkland Islands Brace for Oil Wealth

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On March10 and 11, Falkland Islanders voted in a referendum on whether to remain under British rule. Of its 2,563 citizens, only three voted no. The victory set off howls of indignation in nearby Argentina, which fought a brief, disastrous war with Britain over the South Atlantic islands in 1982. On March28, Argentine President Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner tweeted, An English territory more than 12,000 km away [from the U.K.]? The idea is not even worthy of a kindergarten of three-year-olds.

Soon Argentines may have something else to be angry about. The Falklands are no longer just an archipelago of sheep farmers and fishermen at worlds end. A promising offshore oil discovery is expected to bring the British territory $10.5billion in tax revenue and royalties over 25 years.

The Argentines have threatened to sue any company involved in Falklands drilling, but that hasnt stopped the islanders. The Falklands government is starting a wealth fund to manage the cash. On the agenda: paving the main highway from the airport to the capital of Stanley, improving the port so it can accept larger ships, and reimbursing the 60million ($90million) the U.K. spends annually to defend the islands. In times ofrecession, its difficult for people in the U.K. to justify spending money on a small population on the other end of the world, says Andrea Clausen, a Falklander who owns a bus company. But as long as Argentina claims the Falklands in its constitution, the threat wont go away.

The offshore oil discovery may generate government revenues of about $160,000 per person each year when it starts production in 2017, according to London-based consultants Edison Investment Research. Thats equivalent to the aftertax income of a top 1percent earner in Britain, figures Londons Institute for Fiscal Studies, which researches the impact of taxes and spending. Falkland officials in December visited Norway and the Shetland Islands, which have similar funds to invest their oil and gas earnings. They wanted to know how to avoid inflation and poor financial management. The discovery will no doubt be transformational for the islands, increasing government revenue several times over, says Mineral Resources Director Stephen Luxton.

The field, known as Sea Lion, contains about 400million barrels of oil, according to Rockhopper Exploration (RKH), the explorer that discovered it three years ago. Premier Oil (PMO) of the U.K. agreed to take over operating the field last year with a $1billion investment. The islands can expect to receive $3.9billion in royalties and $6.6billion in tax revenue over the life of the field, according to Edison. Those figures may increase if more oil is found around Sea Lion or if gas finds drilled last year are deemed to be of commercial value. Theres strong potential for more reservoirs to be discovered and developed, says Ian McLelland, head of oil and gas at Edison. The money will go mostly to the sovereign wealth fund.

Is it possible to avoid squandering such a windfall, especially for a territory of fewer than 3,000 people? Thats what the Falklanders asked the Norwegians, who in 1990 started what is now the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund. With 4trillion kroner ($715billion) in assets, it returned 13.4percent in 2012. The Falklands fund will never reach that scale, but if the islanders can replicate the Norwegians prudent management, theyll be satisfied. Falklanders, says Clausen, want to know that our way of life wont be destroyed.

The bottom line: Argentina still claims the Falklands, which are worth a lot more now that 400 million barrels of oil have been found near the islands.

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The Falkland Islands Brace for Oil Wealth

Grant-Funded Broadband Enabled Health Care Online Course Released For California Nurses

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SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --According to the White House, the U.S. spends $2.2 trillion each year in health care, and Americans spend more on health care than on food or housing. An upward trend in health care cost is projected over the period of 2015-2021 at an average rate of 6.2 percent annually, reflecting the net result of the aging of the population, several provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and generally improving economic conditions reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Many experts believe that broadband enabled health may be a critical answer to controlling costs, while enhancing quality health care, and is being considered by many to be the next great frontier of American medicine. A recent study by U.S. Telecom suggests that health care expenditures could be cut by $200 billion over the next 25 years using broadband. High-speed transmission capability has generated efficiencies such as faster patient diagnoses, reduced medical errors, and additional control over skyrocketing patient care costs. Successful broadband adoption requires implementation of broadband-dependent applications that add value to health care organizations, businesses and consumers. This requires that clinicians and consumers are broadband technology-literate.

These trends were the catalyst for the California Community Colleges' Health Workforce Initiative (HWI) that led to the development of a new broadband enabled health care course for California nurses. HWI Director Linda Zorn said, "This is such a timely course given all of the health care changes and trends taking place in California. We were fortunate to have received a grant from the University of California Davis eHealth Broadband Adoption Project, so that we can offer this course at no charge to nurses for a limited time."

The self-paced, online course provides six contact hours for California nursing continuing education units and includes topics such as: a) The Importance of Broadband for Health Care Delivery; b) The Future is Now: New Technologies for Better Health; c) eHealth; d) Consumer Focused Applications and Devices; e) Clinical Health Informatics: An Overview for Nurses; and f) Nursing Considerations and the Future of Telehealth.

To learn more about the course or to register, go towww.freeRNceus.org.

The available funding used to offer the course at no charge for California registered nurses ends 6/30/13.

The Health Workforce Initiative is part of the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development program. Course materials were developed through funding from the University of California Davis Health System award No. 06-43-B10584 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NIST or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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Grant-Funded Broadband Enabled Health Care Online Course Released For California Nurses

Health Care Reform Is Prompting Changes In Employee Benefits

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NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As brokers and employers get ready to meet the benefits challenges posed by health care reform, many American workers have concerns about how the reforms will affect their worksite benefits. According to Health Care Reform: The Waiting Is Over, the third in a series of research briefs based on The Prudential Insurance Company of Americas (Prudentials) Seventh Annual Study of Employee Benefits:Today & Beyond, nearly half (46%) of employees believe it is likely that the cost of health insurance will increase overall and nearly a third (31%) say its likely that fewer employers will offer health insurance coverage.

Brokers and employers both anticipate consequences from health care reform, with brokers expecting a larger impact. Both groups agree that benefits funding will be most affected. Among their top concerns, brokers expect the number of employee benefits offered (80%) and benefit communications (78%) to be highly impacted, while employers note benefits service and support (56%), as well as number of benefits offered (55%) as their top concerns.

Seventy-two percent of brokers say that expertise and thought leadership on health care reform from insurers is either critical or very helpful.

Brokers tell us that helping clients navigate heath care reform and lowering clients benefits costs are their most critical priorities, says Vishal Jain, vice president, Strategy and Planning for Prudential Group Insurance. They are looking to us, the carriers, to provide the marketing, education, and communications that will help employers to continue to deliver strong benefit offerings.

Mid-size employers (500 to 9,999 employees) anticipate a greater impact on all aspects of employee benefits compared to small or large companies. Sixty-eight percent say that health care reform will have a significant impact on employee benefits funding, and 61% say it will have a significant impact on employee benefits communications. Large companies (10,000+ employees) were less likely to say that the number of employee benefits offered will be impacted.

Twenty-nine percent of employers say they are at least somewhat likely to cease providing health care benefits to their employees. Those companies who say they are leaders in health care reform adoption are most likely to say they are not considering scaling back on benefits offerings.

Our survey has given us insights into the concerns of employers and brokers alike as the employee benefits landscape undergoes significant changes, notes Jain. As a carrier, our role is to help both groups meet the challenges ahead by providing consultative expertise, as well as access to an array of voluntary benefits and services, to help employers continue to offer benefit programs that attract and retain employees, even as they potentially implement significant changes to healthcare benefits.

Health Care Reform: The Waiting Is Over is the third in a series of five research briefs that highlight the major findings from Prudentials Seventh Annual Study of Employee Benefits: Today & Beyond. The research was conducted via the Internet during July 2012, and consisted of three distinct surveys of plan sponsors, plan participants, and broker/consultant audiences.

Prudential Group Insurance manufactures and distributes a full range of group life, long-term and short-term disability and corporate and trust-owned life insurance in the U.S to institutional clients primarily for us in connection with employee and membership benefits plans. The business also sells accidental death and dismemberment, and other ancillary coverages and provides plan administrative services in connection with its insurance coverages.

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Health Care Reform Is Prompting Changes In Employee Benefits

Health care for retirees

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retirement

Retirement Health Care For Retirees

It's not your father's retirement, thanks to health care costs.

Once they retire, workers today are less likely than their parents or grandparents to enjoy the standard of living that they did while they worked.

What's going to spoil the party? Health care costs are rising faster than wages. That's the key finding in a report from the Urban Institute and AARP Public Policy Institute. Retiree income is projected to fall from 80 percent of average career earnings for current retirees to 73 percent for future retirees, according to the report. Take into account health care costs and the figure drops further, to 55 percent of average career earnings. And these estimates assume no changes to future Social Security benefits.

Source: Report from AARP Public Policy Institute and Georgetown University.

In 2010, national health care spending averaged $8,402 per person. That's 72 percent higher than 10 years earlier, when it was $4,878, and nearly three times the 1990 level of $2,854, according to a study by the AARP Public Policy Institute and Georgetown University.

If only the economy were growing as much as health care spending. Between 2000 and 2010, health care spending per person grew at an average rate of nearly 6 percent a year -- much higher than the 2.4 percent inflation rate.

People 65 and older are the hardest hit. Future retirees are expected to spend 18 percent of their household income on health care expenses, compared to 8 percent for current retirees, according to the report.

The trend is delaying retirement for many. A recent survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that overall, 53 percent of workers said they'd like to tear up their time cards for good, but they'll likely have to continue to punch the clock because they need to keep their employer-sponsored health insurance.

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Health care for retirees

Rating Upgrade for Health Care REIT

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Health Care REIT Inc. (HCN), which operates senior housing and health care real estate, received a rating upgrade from Standard & Poors Ratings Services. The company now enjoys a corporate credit rating to BBB from BBB- with a stable outlook.

The uptick in rating came on the back of Health Care REITs diversified and quality portfolio. Moreover, the rating agency acknowledged the companys capacity to produce a stable cash flow as well as improve its credit metrics.

The rating upgrade of Health Care REIT is encouraging. In fact, this plays a major role in preserving investor confidence in the stock and helps boost its creditworthiness in the market.

In February, Health Care REIT reported fourth-quarter 2012 normalized FFO (funds from operations) of 85 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Being one of the largest and oldest healthcare REITs in the U.S, the company boasts a strong portfolio of senior housing, long-term care and medical office facilities.

Moreover, the completion of the acquisition of Sunrise Senior Living facility further boosted the companys high-quality senior housing portfolio and extended its reach in the high-barriers-to-entry affluent markets.

Also, the healthcare sector is relatively immune to the downturn in the economy and provides a steady source of income that insulates the company from short-term market volatility. Thus, we expect Health Care REIT to maintain its growth curves through strategic investments and simultaneously benefit the shareholders by raising dividends.

Yet, with a large portion of revenues being determined by government payout rates, forces beyond the companys control could negatively affect revenue and operator coverage ratios.

However, Health Care REIT currently holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Nevertheless, a number of other REITs that are performing better and are worth a look include Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT), Simon Property Group Inc. (SPG) and Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ), all carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Note: FFO, a widely accepted and reported measure of the performance of REITs, is derived by adding depreciation, amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.

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Rating Upgrade for Health Care REIT

Health Care Costs Can Make You Sick in Retirement

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It's not your father's retirement, thanks to health care costs.

Once they retire, workers today are less likely than their parents or grandparents to enjoy the standard of living that they did while they worked.

What's going to spoil the party? Health care costs are rising faster than wages. That's the key finding in a report from the Urban Institute and AARP Public Policy Institute. Retiree income is projected to fall from 80% of average career earnings for current retirees to 73% for future retirees, according to the report. Take into account health care costs and the figure drops further, to 55% of average career earnings. And these estimates assume no changes to future Social Security benefits.

Source: Report from AARP Public Policy Institute and Georgetown University.

In 2010, national health care spending averaged $8,402 per person. That's 72% higher than 10 years earlier, when it was $4,878, and nearly three times the 1990 level of $2,854, according to a study by the AARP Public Policy Institute and Georgetown University.

If only the economy were growing as much as health care spending. Between 2000 and 2010, health care spending per person grew at an average rate of nearly 6% a year -- much higher than the 2.4% inflation rate.

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Health Care Costs Can Make You Sick in Retirement