We have found the quality of new and relay track material supplied by A&K to consistently meet or exceed the requirements established for our customers.
- Randolph Reichard, Chief Inspector Analyst
Appalachian Railway Services
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
APRIL Newsletter | A&K Railroad Materials, Inc.
April 2011
2010 – we achieved our goals of zero lost-time accidents and became
The goal of every champion is to repeat and improve upon his/her performance. Our goal for 2011 is Repeat
Zero lost-time accidents
15 or fewer first-aid accidents
25 or fewer incidents of damage to vehicles, equipment and machinery
Repeat and qualify for another outstanding awards program consisting of a
$25,000 drawing
with one $10,000 winner and fifteen $1,000 winners
All other eligible employees will receive a $250.00 safety award.
Supplemental Benefits Available
Recently an introductory flyer for Colonial Life was sent out to all employees. This is being offered in addition to A&K's group benefits that are currently in place. This helps explain how a supplement goes along with your insurance plan.
Health care expenses are rising. How will you afford all of those first dollar expenses for medical treatment such as deductibles, co-payments and out-ofpocket expenses? Consider this: the average length of hospital confinement for adults under 65 is almost five days.
These expenses, as well as hospital confinement costs, are typically high-dollar claims with the potential to cause financial hardship if you don't have secondary coverage to offset the gaps in your health plan.
Colonial Life's Hospital Confinement Indemnity Insurance plans can help plan and prepare for the increasing costs related to health care. Hospital Confinement Indemnity Insurance helps fill the gaps when you have unexpected health care expenses. It pays an indemnity benefit for each covered hospital confinement and it pays an indemnity benefit for each covered out-patient surgery treatment. Plans also include a wellness testing benefit which provides a financial incentive to take advantage of wellness testing and stay healthier each year by early detection and treatment of potentially devastating health issues.
- Benefits are paid directly to you unless you specify otherwise.
- Benefits are paid regardless of any other insurance you may have with other insurance companies.
- Coverage is portable. You can take it with you if you change jobs or leave your employer.
- Coverage is guaranteed renewable as long as premiums are paid when they are due.
- Coverage is available for you, your spouse, and your family.
Recent examples of how this works:
A young mother recently went to her doctor for surgery on her knees. The service was performed by the doctor in a simple out-patient procedure. The young woman received a bill for $1800 from the doctor for this service. Her health plan has a $2000 deductible, so it paid nothing toward this procedure. Colonial Life Medical Bridge coverage pays first dollar indemnity benefits without any deductible or coinsurance. So, she received $1500 to help her pay that medical bill. The entire out of pocket cost to her was only $300.
In another case, a man needed to have major surgery and spent a few days in the hospital to recover. His health insurance has a $2000 deductible. Colonial Life Medical Bridge paid him a $1500 hospitalization benefit for this event. His health plan paid their portion of the bills and the $1500 he received from Colonial Life helped him to reduce his deductible from $2000 to $500.
The benefit levels of Colonial Life Medical Bridge can be customized to fit your personal needs and budget. Maternity is also included under this plan. The affordable strength of Colonial Life Medical Bridge is the key to helping individuals to enjoy cost savings from higher deductible health plans by helping them to manage the financial gaps.
Here is a quick note on health screenings and wellness benefits from Colonial Life.
You may have seen an advertisement promoting health screenings. They are on the television and in many other forms of advertising. These promotions are helping to bring us all to the awareness that early detection and early treatment of health concerns save a great deal of money for everyone involved and builds a much improved quality of life.
An individual had an experience with this seven years ago that may illustrate this. He was having some kind of digestive trouble and was very uncomfortable from it. So his doctor ordered a list of testing for him to help identify the problem. In the list of tests was a colonoscopy. In the process of the testing for the digestive problem, they discovered that he was in the early stages of colon cancer. Because of the very early stage, they were able to treat the cancer quickly in nondestructive and simple methods. The entire cost of treatment was about $6000. He did not have to go through the aggressive and painful treatments that we typically consider are done for major cancer treatment. He is healthy today without any lasting effects of this cancer. He is now aware of the concern and keeps a careful watch so that he can catch it early again, if it should ever happen again.
Imagine how this story would have been different if he had not been lucky enough to discover it early. We may have family members or people that we know who fit in this category. So, we have an idea of the hardship that they and everyone around them suffer. This does not apply to cancer alone. The list of major health concerns that can be easily managed by early detection is long and the benefits of early detection are significant. Diabetes and High Blood pressure are also health concerns that can be managed and quality of life preserved by early detection and treatment before they even become significant.
Some people will still be reluctant to go get a screening, even when the exam is free. To help everyone to be motivated to do the smart thing, Colonial Life includes a wellness benefit in many of their policies.
Wellness and preventative health exams are offered by most health insurance companies free of charge and without co-pay. It only makes sense to take advantage of this no cost opportunity and get an annual exam for yourself and your loved ones.
Human nature being what it is, some people will still be reluctant to go get a screening, even when the exam is free. To help everyone to be motivated to do the smart thing, Colonial Life includes a wellness benefit in many of their policies. They will pay wellness benefits of $50 to $100 cash, per policy, as an incentive to go get that screening done. If you have one or more Colonial Life policies, you may get a multiple benefit for a single exam.
Arrangements are being made for a Colonial Life benefits counselor to help each employee understand the benefits that are available and provide simple advice to help you design a benefits package that will fit your individual needs.
If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Norton.
Safety Suggestion Pays Off
Joe Maurer was awarded $500.00 by the Safety Board for a safety suggestion he submitted and implemented. Joe devised a simple, cost-effective method to eliminate instances where switch points fall off work supports while workers are grinding on them. It has greatly reduced the number of air hoses being cut, grinders being crushed and the potential for employees being injured by falling material.
The Safety Board is extremely interested in receiving more safety suggestions like this one from those on the front lines. It only takes a small amount of time to write down your suggestion and submit it to the Safety Board for review and consideration. Contact your supervisor or Cheryl Norton for a suggestion form.
Employee News
Jeri Rasmussen, Corporate Headquarters, shares great news about her niece Lindsay Tarbet. Lindsay was notified that she received the Eccles Distinguished Scholar award from the University of Utah. This is the most generous scholarship awarded by the U, providing full tuition, fees, books, and housing (including meals) for 4 years. It also gives her automatic entrance to any graduate program upon completing her Bachelor’s degree, other than the colleges of medicine and fine arts. She will be part of the Honor College, and will live in a housing unit reserved for Honor College students. She was also accepted into the School of Music, and they have offered to provide a scholarship to cover the cost of her private piano lessons as well as costs incurred in participating in out of state music competitions. She has worked hard for these and is excited for the upcoming opportunities
Good Job!
This container in the Mortensen Yard in Eagle Lake Texas was painted by Pam Mortensen. This is an example of what she does when she is not busy in the office. She always stays busy helping wherever needed whether it be cleaning, washing company vehicles and equipment, or painting something. First she painted the container gray then painted the logo and lettering actually free hand – not an easy surface to paint. Next project: the container by the road gets a fresh coat of paint with new logo and lettering. Good job Pam.
Are You a
Positive or a
Negative?
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and
always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he
was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him,'I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How
do you do it?'
He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices
today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a
bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.'
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or ... I can
choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their
complaining or ... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.
'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins ... wanna see my scars?'
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or ... I could choose to die. I chose to live.'
'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked.
He continued, '... the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'
'What did you do?' I asked.
'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity!'
Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude ... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
Copyright 2011 A&K Railroad Materials, Inc.
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