Water Cooler Conversations

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

LeBron James recently paid a small fine for traveling over 100 miles an hour in his car and a few weeks’ later signs an endorsement deal with State Farm Insurance.  According to USA today, James was ticketed by the State Highway Patrol for speeding on Interstate 71 in suburban Medina at 2:43 a.m. on Dec. 30 - his 23rd birthday.  ”I was doing 101 (mph),” James said Monday after practice. “That’s it. I was speeding. I’ve just got to abide by the law. I got caught. It happens.” “I’m not going to jail or nothing like that. I wasn’t drunk. I was just speeding. That’s it.”

State Farm issues the following statement: “LeBron’s brand resonates with young people,” Pam El, State Farm’s vice president of marketing, said in a news release. “Our relationship will be focused on helping connect our State Farm brands and products — particularly our auto and renters insurance — to a young audience.”

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Nike, which also endorses LeBron, must be loving his new endorsement as it seems to go against the grain of their popular slogan.

Just do it.

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Well the Presidential hopefuls are now in full stride promising us everything without any concrete plans on how they are going to produce these “miracles” once elected.  The one that gives me the biggest smile is their perspectives on health care.  The candidates blame rising healthcare costs on the usual suspects - hospitals, physicians, insurance carriers and “the system” in general.

No doubt many aspects contribute to the “witches brew” known as healthcare costs.  But let’s not forget the consumers.  We need to share part of the blame.  Overutilization of health insurance programs including prescriptions are the main drivers pushing affordable health care to new limits.  Have a pain…take a pill.  Feel down…take a pill.  Need a new heart…get it replaced or just fix the hoses.

The list goes on and on and on.

There are countless instances where prescriptions, surgery and doctor visits would be unnecessary if we took some responsibility for taking care of ourselves and knowing how to effectively utilize health insurance and the healthcare system.

Healthy lifestyle behaviors are just now beginning to get back into vogue in America - at least according to industry publications.  I hope so, as we need to start reversing many of the trends (we caused) leading to the upward spiraling healthcare costs.  Good diet, regular exercise and an annual checkup go a long way to prevent a lot of bad stuff happening to our bodies. 

Healthcare delivery and access in America is a complicated matter.  The Presidential candidates want us to believe they all have a cure.  Don’t let them kid you - they do not. 

There is need for systemic change to the system, and over time refinement will occur - at least that’s what history teaches us about capitalism, market forces and our country.  We can make things better and we will.

But instead of relying on some politician who is trying desperately to win you over before November, consider making your own promise to yourself that today is the start of your positive contribution to the long term health care solution.  Now that is a “claim” worth incurring.