Cavalcade of Risk

The stock market is in a daze. Standard and Poor’s recently downgraded the U.S. government debt from its triple A status. Control of the State Senate in Wisconsin is up in the air.  There are riots in London and famine in Somalia.

Risk is one of the few constants in our lives.  With risk-related topics grabbing the headlines, there is no better time to delve into the best risk-related blog posts on the web.

This week, we examine the important questions our risk experts can answer.  Without further ado, I present the 137rd edition of the Cavalcade of Risk.

Post of the Week

A title was so clever I couldn’t phrase it as a question from dqydj.net: Dr. S&P or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying About the Credit Rating Downgrade

Health RISK

• ChristianPF asks: With a potential debt crisis mounting from the S&P downgrade, have politicians ignored a looming long-term care crisis?
• Workers’ Comp Insider wonders if Facebook, Twitter and other social media postings are fair game when conducting a workers comp fraud investigation?
• Colorado Health Insider asks Which services is HHS mandating that private insurance companies include in their benefit package?
• Disease Management Care blog asks: Why is Medicare Reform Is Unlikely? and Why does Medicare need Disease Management more than ever?
• The Health Business Blog asks Why is the current regulatory framework for “substantially equivalent” devices flawed?
• The Healthcare Economist asks Who is participating in States High Risk health insurance pools?

Personal & Business Risk

• The Thriving Small Business asks Have you put together your emergency management and disaster recovery plan?
• how to Retire Rich asks What common mistakes do people make which puts their identity at risk?
• My Personal Finance Journey asks If you were homeless, how would you improve your situation?

Entertaining Risk

• The Risk Management Monitor asks How did a drunk band leader cost Lloyd’s of London $15 million?
• Insureblog presents Because you never know…

Next Host

The next CoR host is Nina Kallen of Insurance Coverage Law in Massachusetts.

Life is full of questions:

1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Which company will become the next Google?
3. Is getting rid of medical underwriting the right thing to do?
4. Should you risk choosing a business name that can be confused with a cuss word?

This blog carnival answers some of these questions [3, 4] and more, on the Q&A edition of the always informative Cavalcade of Risk.

HEALTH

• Is getting rid of medical underwriting is the right thing to do? Louise of Colorado Health Insurance Insider says yes, but not if people can come and go as they please in the insurance system.
• What do double decker buses and heart attacks have in common? Henry Stern, LUTCF, CBC of InsureBlog, provides the answer.
• What is defensive medicine and why should we care? Amy B. Scher explains at Healthcare Hacks.
• Should all adults get an HIV test? David Williams of the Health Business Blog reports that the CDC and the VA both think so.
• Should you take a pharmaceutical that prevents breast cancer, but causes uterine cancer? The Blog that Ate Manhattan gives the story that the N.Y. Times missed.
• What is the difference between an HSA, HRA, and FSA? Good Financial Cents explains.
• What are the latest advances for treating PTSD? Julie Ferguson of the Worker’s Comp Insider reports on the latest research.
• Can telling your doctor private medical information hurt you down the road? Chris Brooks of TermLifePolicy.com evaluates whether your insurance company can take advantage of the information in your medical record.
• How does France’s system of copayments reduce moral hazard? The Healthcare Economist explains that its effectiveness may rely on the French being ‘hyperbolic’.

INSURANCE (non-health)

• Do you have an emergency plan when disaster strikes? Silicon Valley Blogger says you should, whether you live in Silicon Valley or in Manila.
• Should you get life insurance for your child? Tom at The Canadian Finance Blog says no.

BUSINESS

• Should your company care about employee wellness? Nancy Germond of AllBusiness.com says only if you care about your bottom line.
• Why do debt collection agencies buy debts? The How to Eliminate Debts website explains.
• How can your business deal with unknown unknowns? Leverage Point uses a cruise ship’s stabilizers as a metaphor for how your business should adapt to a changing business environment.
• How should a risk manager solve a probability problem? Mike Clayton of Shift Happens! says don’t even try.
• Why does the U.S. has such a large and tax-favored third sector? The Nonprofit Law Prof Blog claims that having a large non-profit sector made up of small businesses creates ideas and, if these ideas are successful, the government can elect to implement them nationally (e.g., City Year).
• Should you take a risk with a controversial business name? The Strategy Daddy reports that for the French Connection, using the abbreviation FCUK meant big profits.