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This company is giving nonsmoking employees six extra days of vacation
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Piala, a marketing firm in Tokyo, plans to give employees who dont smoke cigarettes an extra six days of paid vacation. - photo by Herb Scribner
A Japanese company isnt blowing smoke with its new company perk.

Piala, a marketing firm in Tokyo, plans to give employees who dont smoke cigarettes an extra six days of paid vacation, according to CNN Money.

The company said the idea began when they noticed that smoking employees worked less because theyd constantly go out for smoking breaks.

"One of our nonsmoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that smoking breaks were causing problems," Hirotaka Matsushima, a spokesman for the company, told The Telegraph. "Our CEO saw the comment and agreed, so we are giving nonsmokers some extra time off to compensate.

The new plan is a win-win solution, the company told CNN.

"We don't give punishment for smoking," Matsushima said. "Instead, we offer a benefit for not smoking."

The companys CEO, Takao Asuka, said that he hopes to encourage employees to quit smoking through incentives rather than penalties or coercion.

American workers have faced increased penalties and premiums for their smoking habits, too. In 2011, 19 percent of American companies imposed financial penalties on employees who smoke, according to The New York Times.

Health insurance companies have also imposed penalties on those who smoke in recent years as well.

According to a study out of Ohio State University, smokers cost employees nearly $6,000 a year more than those who dont smoke, NBC News reported.

The same study found that theres a growing trend where employers will ban smoking in the workplace, and they will even reject potential employees who smoke.

And this isnt just because of smoke breaks. Nicotine in itself creates productivity issues.

This is because nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug, said the studys lead author, Micah Berman of Ohio State University. Although cigarettes satisfy a smokers need for nicotine, the effect wears off quickly. Within 30 minutes after finishing the last inhalation, the smoker may already be beginning to feel symptoms of both physical and psychological withdrawal.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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