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
NovembeR 2010 voLUme 14 ISSUe 11
Inspiration
"Therefore, if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has
gone, the new has
come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17
Motivation
"The test we must set
for ourselves is not to
march alone but to
march in such a way
that others wish to
join us."
Hubert Humphrey
www.adventistrisk.org
The Benefit of
a Cashed Check
R
ecently I was inspired by Adventist
Risk Management’s efforts to shred
old documents no longer needed and
archive those permanently needed ones. At
home while sorting through personal docu-
ments, old bills, and letters, I thought it wise
to shred anything that contained personal
information. I opened what appeared to be an
old credit card bill. Instead, I discovered inside
the envelope an uncashed $70 refund check
dating back to the early 90’s. I could not
believe my eyes! You see, this check came at a
tough financial period in my life when I some-
times dreaded opening one more bill! Sorting
further, I saw a pile of birthday cards from my
son’s first birthday party. He is now seven years
old. I particularly noticed the envelope from
Auntie Milie. When I opened the envelope to
read the card, I found a $25 uncashed check
which auntie had sent him for his
first birthday!
Page 2 Page 4
Having a Will is Support for When
Having a Say You are Grieving
While I can get Auntie Milie to
write another check, I have probably
lost the benefit of the $70 check. Did
you know that the North American
Division (NAD) has generous policy
provisions for employees which many
do not take advantage of? Aren’t there
times when you wished you had taken
advantage of benefits such as having
a wise financial plan or taking care of
your health?
The feature article of this issue of
Solutions highlights one important
benefit NAD employees ought to take
advantage of and that is creating a Will.
Statistics indicate many of us have probably
not taken time to create this important
document. Just like my two uncashed checks,
not having a Will loses the benefit it was
intended to provide. As an administrator,
you have a unique opportunity to encourage
your employees to take advantage of all the
NAD policy provisions especially created for
employers and their workers.
The lesson of the uncashed check is that it
must be cashed to use the money available.
Employees must take advantage of available
programs to enjoy the benefits. So, take ad-
vantage of all the good benefits that has been
devised for you and your workers. Purpose-
fully and loudly promote them. It adds value
to employee morale. ■
Sharon Mabena, chief financial officer and a vice president of
Adventist Risk Management, Inc., prepared this article.
Page 6 Page 7
Keep Movin' The Neglected
Disease
FEATURE
Having a Will
is Having a Say
T
he North American Division has generous policy provi-
sions for employee benefits. Employers provide Long Term
Disability insurance as well as the Basic Group Life insur-
ance. For the majority of the North American Division (NAD)
employees these are benefits that they hope not to or will never
use as an employee. However, there are many value added ben-
efits that your employees can access. Thinking about the reasons
for preparing and then creating a Will is unpleasant. But, it is
extremely helpful and ultimately less painful for our loved ones
when dealing with the necessary decisions.
A Will is an important legal document that helps protect
your family’s future. Yet, according to a recent survey, nearly
60 percent of Americans do not have one.2 The consequences
can be unfortunate. If you die without a Will, the state, not
you or your loved ones, may decide how your property is to be
distributed. All full-time employees of the NAD have access,
through the Hartford Group Life insurance plan, to estate
planning advice (Life Conversations) and online access to
EstateGuidance® for creating and saving a Legal Will.
Life Conversations from The Hartford1
Start a conversation with your loved ones. A Will shouldn’t
be a secret. Whether it is your parents’ or yours, a Will is
2 SOLU TIONS • November 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
perhaps one of the most important decisions of a lifetime.
It is the main tool in planning your estate. Whether you
have a few assets to pass on or a complex estate, writing a
Will should be your first step in the decision-making pro-
cess. Without a Will, state law, not your loved ones, will
make decisions about your assets and possessions. Here are
some ways you can demystify your intentions:
y Create all the documents necessary to state your will. A
Will is just one step. You should also have a Living Will
or durable power of attorney—someone designated to
speak on your behalf during medical situations, when
you are not able to—that states your desire for yourself
if you should become incapacitated.
y Disclose the location of your documents. In case of an
emergency, this is essential. If you are an adult child,
you should know where your parents’ documents are,
who is the guardian or executor of their estate, how
their assets may be divided and where their safe deposit
box is located.
y Ask your family to help you carry out your wishes. You
can best accomplish this by drawing up important legal
directives such as a Living Will or health care directive.
These tools can ensure that your wishes are carried out
even if your health fails. Your family should know about
them as your best protection in a health crisis.
EstateGuidance® is also available to NAD employee as part
of the NAD Group Life insurance plan through Hartford.3
This service helps you create a simple Legal Will quickly and
conveniently online, with support of licensed attorneys if
needed. This can save your employees time and expense of
creating a Will with a private attorney. In addition, many
conferences have their own trust departments that will assist
employees and constituents with creating and executing Wills.
Begin now… come back to it later. Creating a Will online
with EstateGuidance® takes only a few steps and gives you
the option of saving a draft of your Will for up to 6 months.
Revisions to the Will can be made during this period at no cost,
provided the Will has not already been printed or downloaded.
Depending on your specific needs, this tool may or may not
be applicable to you; more complex estate planning should be
done through an attorney.
 Five easy steps to a creating a Legal Will online:
1. Access The Hartford’s EstateGuidance® service online at
www.EstateGuidance.com/wills.
2. Sign in to the secure site by entering the following
promotional code: WILLHLF
3. Follow the instructions and create your Will.
4. Download the final will to your computer and print.
5. Obtain signatures and determine if your Will should
be notarized.
EstateGuidance® helps to answer a lot of concerns about the
expense, value and legal technicalities of a Will. Below are some
questions and examples of how this tool can be helpful to you.
What happens if I die without a Will?4
In most states, your property may be distributed as follows:
First, all of your community and joint property may pass to your
spouse (if you have one). Second, your separate property may
pass on according to these rules:
If you have a spouse, your spouse may receive:
y All of your property if you leave no children, parents,
siblings, nieces or nephews.
y Half of your property if you leave one child or one or
more parents, siblings, nieces or nephews.
y One-third of your property if you leave two or more
children.
All property not given to a spouse may be distributed to the
following persons, in this order:
y Your children.
y Your parents.
y Your brothers and sisters, or, if they are not living,
their children.
y Your grandparents, or, if they are not living, their
children (i.e., your uncles and aunts).
y Children of your deceased spouse.
y Relatives of your deceased spouse.
y The state of your legal residence.
Is the preparation of a Will complicated?
Not with EstateGuidance®. Through the online process, you
will be asked a series of simple questions. Once finished, you
will have a legally binding Will that is ready to sign and valid
in all states. What if I have additional questions as I am creat-
ing my Will? Our online education center provides answers to
many common questions regarding family law. In addition, fully
licensed attorneys are available to respond to questions online.
Is the service confidential?
All information is kept secure and confidential with the
protection of encryption technology services, including Veri-
Sign®. VeriSign is one of the safest and most reliable intelligence
infrastructure services in the industry. Need more facts? A great
place to start finding answers is at www.thehartford.com/
employeebenefits.“Today quickly becomes tomorrow…
Start now.”1 ■
Carol Mastrapa, ARM personal lines specialist, prepared this article.
References:
1
The Hartford® is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries,
including issuing companies Hartford Life Insurance Company and Hartford Life and
Accident Insurance Company. 2953 NS 06/09 Printed in the USA ©2009 The Hartford,
Hartford, CT 06115
2
www.findlaw.com. FindLaw Survey: Most Americans Don’t Have a Will. June
30, 2008. Available: http://company.findlaw.com/pr/2008/063008.estate.htmlThe
FindLaw survey was conducted using a demographically-balanced telephone survey
of 1,000 American adults and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus three percent.
3
ComPsych®, the largest provider of employee assistance programs, managed
behavioral health, work/life, and crisis intervention services provides
EstateGuidance®. ComPsych is not affiliated with The Hartford and is not a provider
of insurance services.
Answers to these questions are not intended to serve as legal advice. Please consult
4
with legal counsel as individual needs may vary.
S O LUT I O N S • November 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 3
F O RES IGHT
Support
For When You Are
GrievinG
W
hether you have personally suffered a loss or have a
close friend or colleague who has…everyone un-
derstands a loss can lead to feeling overwhelmed. In
addition to grief, you may have financial and legal worries you
aren’t prepared for or able to face alone. The North American
Division’s (NAD) Life insurance benefit through The Hartford1
includes this type of support. The purpose is to make sure an
employee dealing with the loss of a loved one has support and
that the process is as simple as possible. Beneficiary Assist®
through ComPsych® is available through the Hartford program.2
Beneficiary Assist® is designed to help you cope with the emo-
tional, financial and legal issues that can arise after a loss.
The Hartford’s Beneficiary Assist® program is offered to
beneficiaries of the NAD's group life or accident policies. The
beneficiary can simply call the toll-free number:
1-800-411-7239, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to access loss
counseling and financial and legal professionals on a confiden-
tial basis. Hartford’s aim is to provide a prompt claims service
and timely benefit payments. Difficult times require “easy-to-
access” services.
4 SOLU TIONS • November 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
The benefits include all of the following services:
y Unlimited phone contact for grief counseling, financial
planning and legal information for up to one year from
the date the claim is approved.
y Assessment and action planning to help the beneficiary
develop an individualized course of action.
y Up to five face-to-face sessions for any combination
of emotional counseling, financial planning or legal
information.
y Referrals to additional resources outside the Beneficiary
Assist® service to support specific situations, such as
long-term grief counseling, complex probate or estate
planning and relocation.
The Beneficiary Assist® services are provided by ComPsych®,
the largest provider of employee assistance programs, managed
behavioral health, work-life and crisis intervention services.3
Need more facts? A great place to start is:
www.thehartford.com/employeebenefits ■
Carol Mastrapa, ARM Personal Lines Specialist, prepared this article.
References:
1
The Hartford® is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its
subsidiaries, including issuing companies Hartford Life Insurance Company
and Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company. Policies sold in New York
are underwritten by Hartford Life Insurance Company. Home Office of both
companies is Simsbury, CT.
2
ComPsych® provides Beneficiary Assist®. ComPsych is not affiliated with The
Hartford and is not a provider of insurance services.
3
Business Insurance, Largest EAP Provider 2008 Survey, January 2009 edition.
 ARM RESOURCES
Publisher
Adventist Risk Management, Inc.

executive Publisher
Arthur F. Blinci, ARM, eMBA

editor
Paula L. Webber

Legal Consultant

For more information on J. Victor Elliott, Esq.

Layout/Design
ARM resources, please Erica St. Louis

visit our website at: Webmaster

Armand Davila
www.adventistrisk.org Copy editor
Deena Wagner

Illustrator

Call: John J. Dougan

Communication Assistant
1-888-951-4276 Junica Voilquin

or email:
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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.

©2010 Adventist Risk

Management, Inc.

“According to the Will, Ms. Peabody, your brother has left you custody
of his dog Zelda, and the dog and her six puppies get everything.
Do you happen to know who now owns the puppies?”

S O LUT I O N S • November 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 5

HEALTH ALERT!

Health Tip of the month

Keep movin'
Why Should I You will notice better posture and balance and your muscles
be Active? and bones will become stronger. Overall you will have an
Physical activ- improved quality of life and maintain independence longer.
ity is one of the Research tells us that being active reduces the risk of heart
most important disease, falls and injuries, obesity, high blood pressure, adult-
things you can onset diabetes, stroke, depression, colon cancer and premature
do to maintain death. You’re never too old to increase your level of physical
your physical and activity. Most people, including those in their nineties, say they
mental health gain strength, endurance, and flexibility by becoming more
and quality of active. Almost immediately, many people notice they feel better
life. Walking and and are getting around easier.
stretching keep How much physical activity do I need?
your muscles in It’s best to be active every day. Build physical activity into
good condition. your daily routine. Thirty to 60 minutes of moderate activity
Our bodies most days of the week will improve your health and fitness.
were designed Minutes count. Add up your physical activities during the day.
for movement, Your goal is to build up your activities from 10 minutes to 30,
and movement to 60 minutes each day.
keeps our bodies Here are some simple ideas to get you moving.
functioning. y Take a 10-minute walk each day, progressing as you can
Physical inac- to a moderate or brisk pace.
tivity makes your y Get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest of the
body age faster. way, or park your car further from your destination.
Independent living depends on being able to do the things you y Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
want to do when you want to do them. To stay independent y Lift weights to strengthen your arms. You can use
you need to be able to reach, bend, lift, carry, and move around household items as weights.
easily. Staying physically active will help you to keep moving y Move around frequently.
and stay strong. y Stand up and sit down several times in a row to
Think about these facts: strengthen your legs.
y 60% of older adults are inactive. y Do some stretching every day.
y Sitting or lying for long periods is a serious health risk. y Add variety to your routine–walking, swimming, aerobic
y Inactivity leads to declines in: bone strength muscle exercises, yoga, cycling, etc.
strength, health and lung fitness, and flexibility. Before beginning any exercise program there are several
y Inactivity is as harmful to your health as smoking. things you should do to be safe. Talk with your doctor about
Benefits increase as physical activity increases. If you are not any risks you may have. Start slowly—but challenge your
very active and you start increasing your physical activity, you muscles. Learn proper technique to protect your back and joints.
will start to see benefits in 4-12 weeks. For weight bearing exercises only use weights that you can
Start slowly and gradually build up. Physical activity does not lift 10 times before they become too heavy. Wear comfortable
have to be hard to improve your health. clothing and supportive shoes. ■
Benefits from regular physical activity include better physi-
cal and mental health, weight maintenance, more energy and Rae Lee Cooper, RN, General Conference Nurse, prepared this article.

the ability to move with fewer aches and pains. It also helps
improve your self-esteem, feel happier and improve your sleep.

6 SOLU TIONS • November 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.


The
Neglected Disease
I
n a recent report from the Institute of
Medicine (IOM), high blood pressure
is called a "neglected disease." The
report calls for improved emphasis on pre-
vention and control of this too common
health problem. Findings reveal that:
y High blood pressure is responsible
for 1 out of every 6 deaths in the
United States.
y High blood pressure is the greatest
single risk factor for deaths from
cardiovascular disease.
y One out of every three adults
in the U.S. has elevated blood
pressure.
y Deaths from high blood pressure
have increased in the U.S. by 25
percent in the last 10 years.
The report outlines steps the United
States should take to reduce the risk of hy-
pertension and its serious complications.
First, the IOM report recommends eating
less sodium (salt) and more potassium.
More than 8 in 10 Americans (87 percent)
eat more salt than is recommended (less
than 2,300 mg of sodium daily). Persons
age 50 and older, blacks, and those with
elevated blood pressure should be eating
less than 1,500 mg of sodium daily.
TRY THIS RECIPE OUT!
Cantaloupe Raspberry Cooler
Ingredients
• 4 cups cantaloupe, seeded and cut into
3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups frozen raspberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• ice (optional)
B ro u g ht to yo u by :
w w w.advent i st r i sk .o rg/ Wellne s s /
Potassium in the diet is protective
against high blood pressure. New
recommendations are to eat 4,700 mg
of potassium daily. Potassium is high in
fresh fruits and vegetables. One strategy
recommended is for people to start using
sodium/potassium salt (called Lite Salt™)
in place of regular salt, and then using
it moderately (persons with heart failure
or kidney failure need to ask their doctor
before using Lite Salt). This would help
decrease sodium and increase potassium.
Experts estimate that with each person
getting adequate potassium in their diet
about 17 percent of all hypertension could
be prevented.
Directions
• In a blender, blend 2 cups of the cantaloupe, all
the raspberries, and the ice (if desired) until the
mixture is almost smooth.
• Add the remaining 2 cups of cantaloupe; blend
the mixture until smooth, or add ice and blend
more as desired. If your blender is small you may
have to blend the mixture in small batches.
Serves 4.
Uva Mason for www.vibrantlife.org,
prepared this recipe.
S O LUT I O N S • November 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
Other recommendations that would
help lower blood pressure include:
y Lose any excess weight – 2/3 of the
population is overweight.
y Get regular moderate physical
activity—most Americans fall
short here too.
y Eat more fruits and vegetables
—8-10 servings per day are
recommended in the DASH Diet
prepared by NIH for lowering or
preventing high blood pressure.
y Eat more whole grains – aim for at
least 3 servings of whole
grains daily.
y Limit alcohol intake if used at all.
y Get your blood pressure checked
regularly—less than 120/80 is
recommended for good health.
A pressure of 140/90 or higher
indicates high blood pressure and
your risk of cardiovascular disease
increases by 2-3 times.
If your blood pressure is high, follow
your doctor's guidance on medications
and lifestyle changes.
Sources: Institute of Medicine Report: Strategies to Reduce
Sodium Intake in the United States. April 2010. From the book,
A Shot in the Arm, by Sharon Lee Riguzzi. Used with permission.
7
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