Cartoon – Judgement Comes from Experience
Tag Archives: Judgement
Cartoon – Going Against Your Better Judgement
BCBS of Michigan faces more than 30 lawsuits alleging hidden health plan fees
More than 30 lawsuits filed against Detroit-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in the past week claim the insurer charged employers unauthorized and hidden fees for their health plans, Bloomberg BNA reports.
Filed between Aug. 9 and Aug. 11 in Michigan’s federal court, the lawsuits allege BCBSM issued hidden markups to employers’ health plan assets to shore up its finances, the report states. The allegations stem from a 2014 appeals court decision finding the payer responsible for the unauthorized fees under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The decision also upheld a $6 million judgment against BCBSM.
More than 200 ERISA lawsuits alleging hidden health plan fees were filed against the payer since the 2014 decision, the report states. A college, an auto parts maker, a plastics manufacturer and a car dealer are among the employers suing BCBSM.
BCBSM did not respond to Bloomberg BNA‘s request for comment.
Connie Mack’s Sportsman’s Creed
When You Feel Pressured to Do the Wrong Thing at Work
By now you’ve probably heard the story of the fraudulent business practices at Wells Fargo – the bank that pressured employees to create false credit card and deposit accounts. Have you asked yourself what you would do if you were an employee facing that kind of pressure? In other words, how do you handle a situation in which the incentives seem to be telling you to do something you believe is bad for your customers and clients, or maybe even illegal? And what if it’s clear your boss wants you to get with the program – and your bonus, a promotion, or even your job are on the line?
It’s easy to think that these situations are black and white. Either you go along or suffer the consequences. But sometimes these situations are gray, which I write about in Managing in the Gray. My central guidance is this: When you face a really tough problem, work through it as a manager and resolve it as a human being. This approach can help you avoid stark choices between getting ahead and doing something you believe is wrong.
Here’s how that advice applies to dealing with a situation where you think you are potentially being incentivized to do the wrong thing:
What is the value proposition of an Interim Executive?
In my experience dealing with buyers of interim services, the first and often most heavily weighed consideration is the cost of the interim resource. The less sophisticated the decision maker, the more likely that they will be motivated primarily if not exclusively by cost. This is because they do not get or choose to ignore the value proposition. This has happened to me time after time. Each time, I held my ground and demanded a fair premium for my services. In each case, I told my client that if they did not find value in my services, they could terminate me without cause or notice. Once they had a chance to experience what a sophisticated interim executive could provide, the cost issue was not raised again. A decision maker that seizes an opportunity to buy interim services at a small or no premium should be worried about what they will be getting for their money.
HENRY KOTULA 