Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Information on Flex Benny Cards

Employer Bulletin

January 17, 2011

Benny^TM Card

On Dec. 23, 2010, the Internal Revenue Service issued

IRS Notice 2011-5 allowing the continued use of FSA and HRA debit cards to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and drugs.

This does not change the fact that under the Affordable Care Act "only prescribed medicines or drugs...and insulin (even if purchased without a prescription) will be considered qualifying medical expenses and subject to preferred tax treatment" for FSAs, HRAs and HSAs. (Read the IRS FAQ for more details.)

Effective Jan. 15, 2011, the use of FSA and HRA debit cards to purchase OTC medications must comply with procedures consistent with those that pharmacies follow when selling prescribed medicines or drugs.

A prescription for the OTC medicine or drug is presented to the pharmacist or other vendor.
The OTC medicine or drug is dispensed in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
An Rx number must be assigned.
The pharmacy or other vendor retains a record of the prescription number, the name of the purchaser, and the date and amount of the purchase.
All of these records are available to the employer or its agent on request.

If all these requirements are met, the debit card transaction will be considered fully substantiated at the time and point of sale. No further documentation will be required.

We have updated our published materials with this information:

OTC Flier

OTC FAQ

Examples of Eligible Expenses

Please encourage your employees to visit the Manley Services Web site, ManleyPlan.com, for additional information regarding this change.

Questions?

Feel free to contact your Client Service Representative directly or our Sales and Client Service Department at (541) 485-7488 or (800) 422-7038; clientservice@manleyserv.com.

Are You Using the Benny^TM Card? You Should Be!

Why? Because the Benny Card allows your participants to access their FSA funds directly from their FSA account -- no need to pay for items or services out of pocket, file a reimbursement request, then wait for payment. With the Benny Card, there is no wait. Each transaction draws directly from the participants' stored FSA account. Plus, many transactions (like co-pays, OTC items, and Rx) are automatically substantiated, so there is no need to file a claim for reimbursement or provide supporting documentation. For more details, please see our Benny Card flier.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Can Dehydration Cause Hair Loss? - Hydration Challenge

Can Dehydration Cause Hair Loss?

By Tiesha Whatley, eHow Contributor

What you put in your body is very important for the health of your hair. Hair is part of the integumentary system, along with skin and nails. This system requires proper nutrition in order to survive. Water is very beneficial for the body and for hair. Dehydration occurs when your body starts to lose more fluids than you take in. Normal bodily functions began to suffer because the body isn't getting enough water to carry them out. The body suffers in many ways during dehydration---one of them is hair loss.

About Hair Loss

To completely understand how dehydration causes hair loss, you must understand how hair loss happens. The integumentary system is constantly growing, and hair has a six-year life span. While hair is growing, it is also falling out. People experience hair loss in two different ways; shedding and breakage. Hair sheds from the roots and it breaks off anywhere along the hair strand. Dehydration can cause shedding and breakage, which can effect the length and thickness of the hair.

Hair and Water

Water is essential for the health of hair for a number of reasons. The hair is one quarter water. That fact alone should accentuate how important water is for the hair. Water also carries vital vitamins to the hair root and hydrates the entire hair strand from the inside. Water is the main source of energy for hair cells, including the cells that generate new hair growth. Water also clears the body from pollutants, which also cause hair loss. Without proper hydration, you will see dryness in your hair and skin that can only be restored by drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.

Warning Signs of Dehydration

On an average day, a human body can loses two to three quarts of water a day. If that water is not replaced, the body starts to dehydrate. Some of the early warning signs of dehydration are dizziness, lightheadedness, dry mouth, muscle weakness, headaches and fatigue. As the conditions continues, the hair and skin will start to dry out and other, more serious health concerns develop.

Hair Problems from Dehydration

Hair loss is just one of the things that can result from dehydration. Experts believe that drinking the recommended amount of water can help other hair and scalp issues, such as hair thinning and dandruff. When a person is suffering from dehydration, hardly any of their water supply is getting to their hair. When the water supply is low, the body must ration out the water to vital parts of the body, such as the brain and heart. This leads to excessive shedding because the hair is practically dying from thirst and a slow down of hair growth because the roots aren't moisturized enough to stimulate new hair growth.

Hair Dehydration

Another form of dehydration is hair dehydration. Hair dehydration may happen before complete body dehydration because of the way the body rations out the water that you consume. The circulation of the scalp is decreased and hardly any water is able to seep into the hair roots. Even if the body starts to retain water to preserve the water supply, exposure to sun, chemicals and wind rob vital water from the hair. When the hair dries from the inside out, hair loss is sudden and drastic. This can lead to balding spots.