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Enough is enough
Amazon promotion to pay customers to “walk out” of stores is another compelling reason for Main Street Fairness. Page 2
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Good Start
The holiday season started well for most retailers. October numbers showed it also started early. Page 3
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Profit from Passion
Bo Brines turned his love for fly-fishing into a successful and fun downtown Midland retail business. Page 4
® December 2011 Vol. 36 No. 6
More than $30,000 available for 2012 scholarship awards Michigan Retailers Association’s annual competition is expected to award $34,000 in education scholarships next spring for the 2012-13 academic year. At least 34 scholarships will be available. The scholarship program benefits the employees and families of MRA member businesses. It is funded by the Michigan Retailers Foundation, which pays for the awards out of the earnings on foundation assets. New for 2012 are a scholarship established by a contribution from Board Member Emeritus D. Larry Sherman in the name of President and CEO James P. Hallan, and an additional scholarship established in Target Corporation’s name based on that company’s contributions. Sherman, a retired Birmingham shoe retailer who helped establish the scholarship program, previously established two other scholarships, including one in his parents’ names. Target now has five named awards. Also new this year, the program is offering scholarships to students of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and other approved education and training institutes. Recipients are selected for their average to above-average academic performance and extracurricular activities, which can include part-time employment. Financial need is not a consideration. Those eligible to apply are high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are dependent sons and daughters of owners or full-time employees of MRA’s nearly 5,000 member businesses. Part-time employees who are full-time students may also apply. Continued on page 5
The official publication of the Michigan Retailers Association
www.retailers.com
Fairness fight expands to Congress Michigan Retailers Association took the Michigan retail industry’s fight for fairness to Washington, D.C.
on November 30, urging Congress to level the playing field for Main Street businesses.
(From left) Dan Marshall of Marshall Music, U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Detroit, and MRA’s James P. Hallan at the U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing on Main Street Fairness. Photo by Pete Marovich
Rep. Lyons named first MRA ‘Legislator of Year’ Lisa Posthumus Lyons, the state representative from West Michigan who worked closely with Michigan Retailers Association in winning passage of landmark reform of the item pricing law, is MRA’s “2011 Legislator of the Year.” The first-term Republican lawmaker from Alto was recognized by the MRA Board of Directors at its October 25 meeting for her “active support of the retail industry and sponsorship of the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act.” The Board also thanked and con-
gratulated the enthusiastic and energetic Rep. Lyons for her “tireless work in caucus, in committee and on the House floor to win passage of the bills.” The reforms were signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder on March 29 and took effect on September 1. MRA had worked for more than 30 years with little success to repeal or modernize the item pricing law, which was enacted in 1976 and took effect in 1978. In recent years, Michigan was the only state that still required retailers to put a price tag or sticker on virtually every product they sold. A research paper commissioned by MRA put the annual cost of complying with the old law in the hundreds of millions of dollars and called it a “hidden tax” on retailers and consumers. The old law had been adopted Continued on page 2
Dan Marshall, MRA board member and owner of Lansing-based Marshall Music, testified before the House Judiciary Committee that businesses like his are “facing an unprecedented attack” from out-of-state online-only companies that are receiving “special treatment in the tax code to the detriment of everyone else.” Marshall’s testimony on behalf of MRA represents a second major front in the battle to require all online-only merchants to collect state sales tax from their customers, just as all bricksand-mortar retailers must do. MRA continues to be aggressive on the first front — Michigan — by working hard to persuade state lawmakers to enact the bipartisan Michigan Main Street Fairness Act, House Bills 5004 and 5005. The legislation was introduced in late September by Reps. Eileen Kowall (R-White Lake) and Jim Ananich (D-Flint). “The best solution to this crippling problem is a national one, but Michigan and other states must exert pressure on Congress by enacting their own Main Street Fairness legislation,” said MRA President and CEO James P. Hallan, who was in Washington with Marshall. “It’s doubtful Congress would be taking up this issue if states hadn’t started passing their Continued on page 6
‘Compliance 101’ assists members
Michigan Retailers Association is providing online tools to help members comply with a new data security mandate imposed by the major credit card brands, including Visa and MasterCard. Compliance with current data security standards is not only required, it’s smart. Businesses that are not PCI compliant are at greater risk for security breaches and heavy penalties. To access the tools, go to www. compliance101.com/PCI and click on the “Get Started” button in the upper right-hand corner. When the login screen appears, use your merchant number, located in the top right-hand corner of your monthly processing statement. Your password for your Continued on page 5
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Michigan Retailer
Enough is enough by James P. Hallan, MRA President and Chief Executive Officer At one time or another most business owners have probably joked they’d gladly pay some (troublesome) customers to go away. But a recent promotion by Internet giant Amazon.com is no laughing matter. Indeed, it’s one more compelling reason to enact Main Street Fairness legislation. In a slap in the face to Michigan retail businesses and their hundreds of thousands of employees, Amazon announced it would pay shoppers up to $15 for walking out of bricks-and-mortar stores on Saturday, December 10. They had to go into a store, use Amazon’s price comparison app on up to three products, then leave the store and purchase those goods online from Amazon. That’s right, Amazon offered to pay shoppers to enter and walk out of stores. If that doesn’t make your blood boil, I don’t know what does. Even in the fiercely competitive world
of retailing, it was tantamount to a declaration of war. MRA’s legislative team quickly added the Amazon attack to our arsenal for persuading state lawmakers to swiftly pass our Main Street Fairness package and level the playing field. We are working hard to get fairness legislation passed at the state and national levels. Government must get away from picking winners and losers. It must enable Michigan businesses to compete fair and square with Internet “vapor” retailers that enjoy a built-in price advantage because a giant legal loophole allows them to avoid collecting sales tax. The timing of the Amazon promotion couldn’t have been more poignant. Its announcement came on the same day MRA was holding a media roundtable on the fairness issue. Retailers from across the state, including MRA board
MRA honors Representative Lyons Continued from page 1
when checkout scanners were new and consumers were wary of the technology. The law became a throwback to a less technologically savvy era. The new law provides retailers with flexibility in communicating prices to shoppers while continuing important consumer protections. The changes enable stores to invest in new pricing technology to improve the shopping experience. “This was a historic victory for retailers in Michigan and led the Board to begin a lawmaker of the year award and recognize Rep. Lyons as the first recipient,” said MRA President and CEO James P. Hallan. “It is an honor well deserved, and James P. Hallan, Rep. Lyons and board we look forward to working with her chair Barb Stein. on many other retail industry issues.” Retail By Norm Feuti
chair Barb Stein of Great Northern Trading Co., told reporters about the hardship they face because of the unlevel playing field. And they described how shoppers used their stores as a “showroom” — and wasted store employees’ time and expertise — for merchandise they buy online. I have a strong sense of optimism we will get legislation passed. We’re receiving solid support from state lawmakers. And in Washington, D.C. last week with MRA board member Dan Marshall of Marshall Music, I had the feeling Congress is finally getting serious on the issue as well. We were there at the invitation of Congressman John Conyers of Detroit, who is a sponsor of one of several fairness bills before the U.S. House. Dan did a great job testifying before the House Judiciary Committee (which met for nearly three hours), explaining how he’s not afraid to compete with Internet retailers or match their online prices — but he can’t match their prices and make up for the 6 percent sales tax they aren’t forced to collect. Less than 24 hours later, I was in downtown Traverse City to speak to a group of State Rep. Wayne Schmidt’s constituents. Rep. Schmidt, a retailer at MRA member Captain’s Quarters, fully understands the importance of this legislation and is helping spread the word among his Capitol colleagues. So, we’re fighting this crucial battle on many fronts. And we have many allies, including the strong voices of our individual members who have simply had enough. My hope — and our goal — is to make this the last holiday season Michigan businesses are faced with such unfair competition. I wish you the best of holidays and a level playing field in 2012.
www.retailers.com
Board of Directors: Barb Stein
Chair Great Northern Trading Co., Rockford
James P. Hallan
President and CEO Michigan Retailers Association
Thomas Ungrodt
Vice Chair Ideation, Ann Arbor
Peter R. Sobelton Treasurer Birmingham
Jean Sarasin
Secretary Michigan Retailers Association
Joe Swanson Past Chair Target Corp.
Becky Beauchine Kulka
Becky Beauchine Kulka Diamonds and Fine Jewelry, Okemos
Dan Marshall
Marshall Music Company, Lansing
Orin Mazzoni, Jr.
Orin Jewelers, Garden City
Joseph McCurry
Credit Card Group
Larry Mullins
Brandon Tire & Battery, Ortonville
R.D. (Dan) Musser III
Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island
John Smythe Lansing
James Walsh
Meijer, Inc., Grand Rapids
D. Larry Sherman
Board Member Emeritus
Michigan Retailers Services, Inc. Board of Directors: Bo Brines Little Forks Outfitters, Midland
Brian Ducharme AT&T
James P. Hallan Thomas B. Scott Publisher
Editor
Pat Kerwin
Design Manager
Publication Office: 603 South Washington Avenue Lansing, MI 48933 517.372.5656 or 800.366.3699 Fax: 517.372.1303 www.retailers.com www.retailersmutual.com
Subscriptions:
Michigan Retailer (USPS 345-780, ISSN 0889-0439) is published in February, April, June, August, October and December for $20 per year by Michigan Retailers Association, 603 South Washington Ave., Lansing, MI 48933. Subscription fees are automatically included in the Michigan Retailers Asociation membership dues. Periodical postage paid at Lansing, Michigan. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 603 South Washington Ave., Lansing, MI 48933. The Michigan Retailer may be recycled with other white office paper.
December 2011
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HOW’S BUSINESS
Season starts well for many Michigan retailers James P. Hallan said. In September’s survey, nearly nine of 10 Michigan retailers said they expect a holiday season as good or better than last year, with 54 percent forecasting increased sales. On average, their forecast was for a 6 percent gain for their businesses. The Michigan Retail Index for October found that 45 percent of retailers increased sales over the same month
Current
last year, while 33 percent recorded declines and 22 percent saw no change. The results create a seasonally adjusted performance index of 58.3, up from 57.9 in September, 55.9 in August and 53.6 in July. Looking forward, 49 percent of retailers expect sales during November–January to increase over the same period last year, while 19 percent project a decrease and 32
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percent no change. That puts the seasonally adjusted outlook index at 64.4, up from 61.4 in September. Complete results of this month’s Michigan Retail Index—including data on sales, inventory, prices, promotions and hiring—are available at www. retailers.com/mra/news/michiganretail-index.html. The website includes figures dating back to July 1994.
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The “traditional” start of the holiday shopping season appears to have been a good one for Michigan retailers. A quick online survey conducted by Michigan Retailers Association during the first weekend found that the Friday after Thanksgiving was as good or better than last year for 77 percent of Michigan retailers (46 percent said better). Similarly, the entire weekend was as good or better for 83 percent (50 percent said better). The regular Michigan Retail Index survey for October found that shoppers and retailers were already out of the starting gates before Thanksgiving. The Index edged up to its highest level of the year at 58.3. The Index gauges the performance of the state’s overall retail industry, based on monthly surveys conducted by MRA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (which includes Detroit). Index values above 50 generally indicate positive activity; the higher the number, the stronger the activity. “The numbers suggest that consumers had already started their holiday shopping and could be on their way to meeting retailers’ and analysts’ expectations,” MRA President and CEO
Seasonally adjusted diffusion index, calculated by adding the percent of respondents indicating increased sales and half the percent indicating no change, and then seasonally adjusting the result using the U.S. Census Bureau’s X-11 Seasonal Adjustment procedure. Index values above 50 generally indicate an increase in activity, while values below 50 indicate a decrease.
200 (millions)
Aug
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Be sure to complete your online survey each month!
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Michigan Retailer
www.retailers.com
Fly-fishing businessman turned his passion into profit by Doug Henze
Hoping to cash in on his passion, Robert “Bo” Brines initially thought a career as a professional musician would sing to his soul. He attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and even hit the road with some bands after school. But it was another love — fly-fishing — that eventually reeled him in. Brines, 52, has owned Little Forks Outfitters, a dealer of Orvis outdoor gear in downtown Midland, since 1995. Named in recognition of an 1800s trading post near the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Chippewa rivers, it’s a business that combines an enthusiasm for nature with an interest in providing customer service. “I love fly-fishing, I love the outdoors [and] I love specialty retail,” Brines said, explaining why he decided to open the shop. “It’s a really fun business.” Brines, whose store offers everything from waterproof clothing to dog beds and bowls, was named by the Michigan Retailers Association Board of Directors to the Michigan Retailers Services Inc. Board of Directors on August 23. MRS Inc. is the wholly owned subsidiary that
serves as MRA’s membership services delivery arm.
shops, and an Orvis location was highlighted as the type of business that was desirable. Business baptism “I’ve spent a lot of time fly-fishing out Brines didn’t cut his business teeth West, running around the mountains, in the world of fly-fishing retail. His and I’ve always admired the lifestyle,” business baptism happened in the Brines said. “Fly-fishermen are into apmid-1980s when he took over the preciating the beauty of the scenery. Midland office supply shop his father, Trout don’t live in ugly places.” Bob, opened in 1972. So he opened Little Forks, selling “I wasn’t sure how much the office supply shop in I’d like it, but it ended up 1997. suiting me really well,” Today, Little Forks has Brines said. “I kind of four employees, includfound my legs as a busiing Brines. The store ness person.” stocks rods, reels, footBrines was able to grow wear, women’s clothing revenues from less than and other items, offering $400,000 a year to about brands such as Patagonia $2.5 million within a deand ExOfficio. cade or so, he said. But Among the more innewly emerging big box teresting products are office supply stores made those in the “technical Robert “Bo” Brines him realize it was time to clothing” line. It includes seek a new niche. waterproof and breathable coats and “It was going to get bloody,” he said. sun-protective shirts with an antimiSeeking a profitable business with crobial coating to prevent odor. limited competition from the na“One of the best-selling products tionals, Brines turned to his love of at my store, made by ExOfficio, fly-fishing. At the time, city leaders is a quick-dry line of underwear,” were looking to remake the downBrines said. “You can go on a twotown into a collection of specialty or three-week trip and just take a
Offer Gift Cards, Increase Sales.
800.366.3699
couple pair and wash them out in the sink.” Bucks trend Little Forks has bucked the trend of business decline during the recession, Brines said. He attributes success to a stable Midland economy, with Fortune 500 companies Dow Chemical Co. and Dow Corning Corp. in town. “All through the recession, I’ve been growing at like 15 percent to 20 percent a year,” Brines said, adding that he’s looking to hire people with the right knowledge base. Brines describes his typical customer as older, with both disposable income and time for recreation. At the upper end, for example, fly rods sell for $850. But Brines, who leads local fishing expeditions to the Tittabawassee and Au Sable rivers as part of his business, said he’s also trying to bring middle-school-aged kids into the flyfishing fold. “That’s part of my mission here,” he said. “I don’t know a kid who doesn’t enjoy fishing if you expose them to it.” Brines and his wife, Karen, have two teenage daughters. He said he took Beth, 15, and Emily, 14, fishing and now both love the outdoors. He’s also hoping to get more women interested in what has traditionally been a male activity. “I sell more and more women’s merchandise,” he said. “The footwear has helped me a lot. There are some pretty hardcore fly-fishermen who are women. I wish there were more of them.” Community In addition to running Little Forks, Brines is heavily involved in the community. He is a former president of the Midland Downtown Business Association and was named its businessperson of the year in 2002. He has been a board member of the Midland DDA since 2001. Brines, former president of the Mershon Chapter of Trout Unlimited, still drums in a couple of bands, including a group called “The Hitmen,” which plays 1960s tunes. The band has opened at the Chesaning Showboat for Charlie Daniels and Tommy James, he said. In his new MRA post, Brines said he looks forward to helping serve members. “I’ll be interested in taking on whatever they want to throw at me,” he said. “That’s what keeps life interesting.” Doug Henze is a freelance writer and former business reporter for the Oakland Press in Pontiac.
December 2011
5
RETAIL TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Train your staff properly for changes to gift cards John Mayleben, MRA’s senior vice president, technology and product development, writes a regular column on retail technology. Contact jmayleben@retailers.com. As consumers increasingly have embraced Visa- or MasterCard-branded gift cards, the card networks have become more concerned with the “user experience” at checkout and the impact of a shopper not knowing the balance remaining on the card during the process. As you might expect, if the consumer brings $100 worth of merchandise to the counter and presents a gift card with only a $25 remaining balance, the transaction currently is declined at the point-of-sale terminal because $100 is more than the “credit limit.” The consumer is then presented with a dilemma. Does the consumer become embarrassed and try to explain to the clerk why there isn’t enough value on the card, or does he or she simply provide a different form of payment (which may not be the same “flavor” as the gift card) or abandon the transaction at the cash register? None of these options is considered good, and the card networks have come to the conclusion that a “partial authorization” solution is needed. That’s why as terminals or software is upgraded, the transactional experience is being modified. The new
systems are “partially” authorizing the transaction and alerting, in different fashions, the clerk to collect the remaining amount via a different payment choice. While helpful to the consumer, this split-tender transaction could become problematic if you don’t properly train your staff. Most retail cashiers are used to a receipt printing and asking the consumer to sign it. But they don’t expect a receipt to print for a partial amount. If a clerk simply assumes that a transaction that generates a receipt is complete, the clerk could be releasing merchandise with only partial payment. Some of the terminal manufacturers and software providers are prompting the sales clerk with a warning message prior to printing the receipt, but not all of them handle the partial authorization this way. You should make sure that you understand how your terminal is handling this partial authorization and make sure that your staff is properly trained. In the future, partial authorization will be extended to debit cards and credit cards. So while this may be a small issue today, it will grow over time. If you have specific questions about partial authorization, you should contact your merchant processing vendor’s help desk.
‘Compliance 101’ assists members Continued from page 1
initial visit is compliance101 (you will be prompted to change the password upon your first login). After you login, follow the instructions to fill in the questionnaire. Based on equipment and type of business, some merchants may be
required to pass a quarterly network security scan of their systems. This will be determined during the selfassessment process. If you have questions, please contact MRA Customer Service at 800.366.3699.
$30,000 available for scholarship awards Continued from page 1
Applications must be submitted by April 2, 2012, to International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc., of Nashville, Tennessee, which coordinates the application and selection process for MRA and many other associations and companies. Students are encouraged to complete the application process online
at MRA’s website, www.retailers.com. Students may also contact MRA’s Laura Schilling at 800.366.3699 or lschilling@retailers.com by March 15 to request an application by mail or to check eligibility. The MRA program has provided 320 scholarships at a total value of $299,500 to students since 1999.
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Michigan Retailer
LOTTERY
NEW MEMBERS Indulgence, Ada J & J Enterprises Inc., Alpena Bethlehem United Church of Christ, Ann Arbor Skyline High School Athletic Booster Club, Ann Arbor Tiremetrix LLC, Brighton Ching Ching Properties LLC, Cadillac S & L Associates Inc., Detroit Cass Cafe Inc., Detroit Koney Time Restaurants Inc., Detroit Webster United Church of Christ, Dexter Trinity United Presbyterian, Flint Robert Thomas Salon LLC, Grand Rapids St. Stephen Catholic Church, Grand Rapids Communications Specialists Inc., Grand Rapids Viking Fitness, Grand Rapids Institute for Religious Research, Grand Rapids Dr. CasImir Palaszek DDS, Grand Rapids Bloom Studio, Grand Rapids Kent County Republican Committee, Grand Rapids Forever Orchids, Grandville R & D Sports, Hale Hoekstra Electrical Services LLC, Hamilton Ernesto’s Pizzeria, Harbor Beach
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www.retailers.com
Bejeweled® joining Lottery by M. Scott Bowen, Commissioner The Lotter y will soon be joining forces with Bejeweled ®, the interactive puzzle game that is played on the Internet, iPhone and other electronic devices. In the puzzle game, players have the goal of matching sparkling gems, three at a time, to make them burst in showers of color and points. When they match four or more to create flashy power gems, scores are boosted with brilliant cascades and combos. The Lottery version of Bejeweled launches on January 4. The $2 ticket will feature top prizes of $30,000 and second-chance prizes of a PopCap® downloadable PC or Mac game of their choice — with no separate contest entry. Players will simply need to log on to a special website, PlayMIL.com, and enter the 10-digit bonus code found on non-winning Bejeweled instant tickets. Players will instantly find out if they have won a PopCap® game. While on the site, players can see how they stack up against other Lottery players and play the original Bejeweled for free! In addition to the free play, players can enter the Michigan Lottery “Like Us” sweepstakes for a chance to win a complete pack of games. To enter the “Like Us” sweepstakes, simply “Like” the Michigan Lottery Facebook page. Already a fan of the Michigan Lottery Facebook page? No problem. Current fans can still earn an entry into the “Like Us” sweep-
stakes by manually submitting an entry at PlayMIL.com. Bejeweled is one of several PopCap® games available to enthusiasts. Categories of games include: arcade, card, strategy, hidden object and word. Be sure to promote this game; it is sure to be a hit with players once they learn of all the winning opportunities they have. Raffle Keep selling those Raffle of Riches tickets! This game went on sale November 4 and will feature over 14,000 prizes of between $100 and $2 million to be drawn on or after January 11. What a great holiday gift! Instants Just a reminder that beginning in January, the new instant game launches will be once a month, with Wednesdays as the release date. This should help you better manage your inventory by reducing the number of games arriving at your location. It should also help you build your displays around a single monthly release of games. Over 95 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players and commissions to retailers. In fiscal year 2011, the contribution to schools was over $727.3 million. Since its inception in 1972, the Lottery has contributed over $16 billion to education in Michigan. Bejeweled, PopCap and the associated logos are trademarks owned by PopCap Games, Inc.
Fairness fight expands to Congress Continued from page 1
own legislation.” MRA and Marshall were invited by U.S. Representative John Conyers (DDetroit) to testify before the Judiciary Committee. Conyers is the ranking Democrat on the panel and has introduced one of several versions of Main Street fairness legislation Congress is considering. In his testimony, Marshall said bricks-and-mortar stores “like mine are becoming the showrooms for online-only companies like Overstock, Amazon and eBay. Customers literally come into our stores every single day to play, touch, look at and evaluate higher-end musical equipment, only to walk out of the store and go home to purchase the item from an online retailer that does not collect the state
sales tax at the point of purchase.” The problem of an unlevel playing field, Marshall said, is a “direct threat to jobs on Main Street.…We simply cannot compete when the government gives an unfair advantage to one segment of the retail community. Stores will continue to close down and jobs will continue to be lost in our communities…” According to a report by Lansingbased Public Sector Consultants (PSC) and commissioned by MRA, closing the loophole at the state level would lead directly to the creation of as many as 1,600 new jobs and increase investment in Michigan’s economy, in the form of sales at brickand-mortar retail outlets, by as much as $126 million per year.
December 2011
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Affordable health plan aimed at young adults Are you, a friend or loved one searching for affordable health care for someone under age 30? There is good news for these single young adults. A new Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) program, Young Adult Blue Max, could be the perfect solution for someone who has “aged off” his or her parent’s health care plan. Young Adult Blue Max is designed for healthy young adults who are unlikely to require many medical services, but want protection for basic and catastrophic care. It is a preferred provider plan that pays 70 percent of approved, in-network charges after a $1,000 deductible, and includes preventive vision and dental care. This coverage is generally available for less than $100 per month. There is a 90-day benefit waiting period for preventive medical, mammogram screening and dental care under the Young Adult Blue Max plan. However, in accordance with the federal health reform law, eligible preventative services are not subject to the deductible and are paid at 100 percent after the waiting period. There is also a 180-day waiting peri-
od for pre-existing conditions, unless the subscriber has had 18 months of creditable coverage. “Young single adults who have had group health insurance coverage for the previous 18 months are the ideal candidates for this plan,” said Tina Voss, manager of Blue Cross plans for MDA Insurance, which partners with the Michigan Retailers Association to meet members’ health insurance needs. The maximum amount of coinsurance a subscriber would pay annually is $2,500 per individual, excluding $30 co-pays for office visits and other fixed co-pays for facility charges for emergency room visits, if any. There is no prescription drug insurance with this plan, but participants are eligible for the BCBSM affinity prescription program, which gives subscribers access to drugs at the BCBSM-negotiated rate. Contact MRA’s Ally Nemetz for a quote or go to www.mdaprogram. com, hover over Retailers-Health, then click on MyBlue – Individual. If the Young Adult Blue Max isn’t the solution for you or the young adult in your life, MDA Insurance can help find a BCBSM plan that is a better fit.
Make it a for all.
‘Tis the season to stock up on Michigan Lottery holiday instants. Cheerful games that give your customers chances to win up to $500,000 instantly and your business a jolly seasonal boost. Little wonder these tickets make everyone’s season so merry and bright. Overall odds of winning Nutcracker Cash: 1 in 6.23. Overall odds of winning Red, White and Green: 1 in 4.88. Overall odds of winning Silver Bells: 1 in 4.06. Overall odds of winning Golden Wishes: 1 in 2.70. If you bet more than you can afford to lose, you’ve got a problem. Call 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help.