The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported Thursday nearly 20.5 million people with Medicare reviewed their health status at a free annual wellness visit or received other preventive services with no deductible or cost sharing this year.

The average annual cost per employee provide important benchmarks for employers looking to expand into various states and the potential impact on overall human resource costs, says Bill Stafford, UBA Vice President, Member Services.

President Barack Obama says the economy is weaker now than at the beginning of the year. He says his $447 billion jobs bill would help the economy grow by 2 percent and create 1.9 million jobs.

The Christie administration reports that local governments can expect to save $267 million in the 2012 fiscal year because of pension reforms enacted in June.