There is no time like the present to educate yourself about the potential dangers of financial and credit card security. The convenience of making online purchases is becoming increasingly more popular, but many people are not fully aware of the risks they could be taking when making these purchases. Continue reading to learn about how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of a cyber-attack or identity theft. 
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Findings from an analysis of 2017 cyber claims data revealed that negligence was the most common cause of loss for the healthcare industry and a hacking attack the most common for non-healthcare organizations. However, ransomware was the second most common cause of loss for all industries.

Ransomware is a cyber-related threat with a monetary demand. The threat is typically to divulge or destroy information, to insert malicious code into a computer system, or to damage, destroy or prevent access to a computer system. According to the report, “2018 Cyber Claims Digest,” by NAS Insurance, there was a 152 percent increase in ransomware as a cause of loss in the healthcare industry between 2016 and 2017.
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LMC’s risk management team presented safe patient handling and supervisor safety management to South Dakota healthcare leaders at the SDAHO Enterprises Summer Healthcare Conference. Pat Duff, LMC senior vice president, kicked off the event, which was followed by a presentation on the legal basics of workers’ compensation. 
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Did you know that one third of all households would feel adverse financial impacts within one month if a primary wage earner died?
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Life insurance isn’t a fun thing to think about, and it may seem like an unnecessary expense. But if you have people who depend on you for financial support, then life insurance is really about protecting them in case something happens to you – your designated beneficiary would collect a financial benefit upon your death. Life insurance can be confusing, so here’s a rundown of the basics.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently reported that summer and early fall are the deadliest times of year on the country’s roads, indicating that summer months are when Americans drive the most.
 
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), motor vehicle deaths surpassed 40,000 for the second consecutive year in 2017. Further, estimates from the NSC show 4.57 million people were seriously injured in auto crashes. Distracted driving is the major contributor. 

Whether browsing social media or completing online homework, students spend much of their day plugged into their phones, tablets, and computers. While they are spending their time connected to these devices, many are forgetting to protect themselves from the many hidden dangers of the internet.
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Cyber security isn’t typically something one thinks of when beginning college. According to an article by Forbes, Millennials believe cyber security is imperative, yet more than half avoid common-sense computer safety measures. Campus safety now goes beyond walking home alone at night. Continue reading to learn about how you can be cyber-secure upon entering college. 

Dehydration may seem like a minor ailment, but it can be quite dangerous. In fact, most heat illnesses are caused by dehydration. Did you know that by the time a person is thirsty, he or she is already 2 to 3 percent dehydrated? Once this occurs, it’s difficult to make up for the lost hydration.

Get the Facts
In the simplest terms, dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you take in and your body does not have enough water to carry out its normal functions. What's more, even mild dehydration—as little as a 1 to 2 percent loss of body weight—can cause symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, and fatigue, and may have an adverse effect on long-term health.

Richard P. DeBartolo
Senior Vice President, Certified Employee Benefit Specialist

If you have been paying close attention to the pharmacy cost and utilization in your health plan the last few years, you likely noticed that utilization and cost are rising at an alarming rate. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) projects that by the year 2022 prescription drug costs will grow to $355 billion. In contrast, $40.3 billion was spent on prescription drugs in 1990. 

Employee recruitment/retention and controlling costs top concerns for employers

LMC hosted nearly 100 employers for this year’s Share to Compare seminar, held July 19 in Urbandale, Iowa. Attendees received the results of this year’s benefit survey, a valuable resource for understanding how their benefits compare to other organizations in the Midwest and nationally.

While the survey remains open through October, participation records have already been broken. In his opening remarks, Rick DeBartolo, LMC senior vice president, underscored the important role the survey data has in shaping employee benefits decisions.

DeBartolo also addressed association health plans stating, “We know they are coming, and we’re reviewing the regulations.” 

Hacking and cybercrime are in the news daily, and everyone has likely been impacted by it in some way from the numerous high profile breaches of the companies that store our data. The increase of these threats has awakened us to the reality that we need a level of vigilance that offers better protection.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, data breaches increased 40 percent in 2016, with a total of 1,093 reported breaches. This trend continued in 2017, with over 1,120 cases reported by October. Ransomware was the most common threat. Global ransomware costs due to business productivity impact and mitigation are estimated to have exceeded $5 billion in 2017. An additional $2 billion was paid to hackers in ransom over that same time period.
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