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BENEFITS EXTRA
a quarterly newsletter for members of the New England Employee Benefits Council
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 | | Joe Mongelli |
President's Message
Joe Mongelli, Covidien
Given the number of visitors (13,000 unique Home Page hits since we opened for business in late December), I'm guessing that many of you have already taken a look at NEEBC's new website. If not, I urge you to give it a try. Once logged in (to learn how, CLICK HERE), visit the Members/Resources section to find information and connect with other members. You may also want to access your Member Profile to edit your contact information, upload a photo, or create a unique username and password. The site also features an all-new Career Center, along with the ability to download materials from selected NEEBC programs. As a special treat for members we've posted* a free audio recording of Globe Columnist Brian McGrory's memorable keynote address at last December's Best Practices Conference. Download it to your favorite listening device and enjoy 45 minutes of Brian's humor, unique perspectives and political insights, all with a benefits slant. I look forward to providing future website updates as we continue to build out the site's functionality in the coming months.
Careful observers may of late have noticed an uptick in NEEBC's media visibility. Our efforts to gain more visibility for our programs are beginning to pay off, with recent articles and listings appearing in the Boston Globe, Boston Business Journal, CBS Marketwatch and other regional and national media outlets. Kudos to Mark Manin, John Mancuso, Kurt Westerman, Charlie Donahue and other members of the public relations committee for their terrific efforts in seeing the project to completion.
Of course, our primary purpose continues to be providing members with high quality benefits-related programming. As examples, I call your attention to the links found in the Upcoming Programs area located to the left of this column. March offerings include diverse subjects such as Building a Culture of Health, New Retirement Plan Regulations and Legislation, and an update on issues relating to the use of Social Media. Hope to see you there.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome at
joseph.mongelli@covidien.com
Best regards,
Joe Mongelli
* Click on the Meeting Materials drop down item found under Members/Resources
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2012 Membership Renewal
A reminder that 2012 Membership Renewals are now due. If you have not already done so, please forward your renewal form to the NEEBC office. A prompt reply assures continued receipt of important program information, newsletters, etc. If you need a copy of your original renewal statement, please send an e-mail message to linda@neebc.org or call 781-684-8700. As always, we welcome any suggestions you have to assist us in providing programs and services that meet your needs. |
Benefits in Brief
Don Mullen retired as Director of Benefits at Putnam Investments ... Cassidy Retirement Group has merged with P-Solve to form P-Solve Cassidy ... NEEBC's LinkedIn Group Site now has more than 400 members ...
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IRS Pension Liaison Group
For many years, NEEBC has participated in the Northeast IRS Pension Liaison Group, which is comprised of employee benefit experts and regulatory officials. The sessions, which take place on a regular basis, are forums for discussion of what is happening with respect to employee benefits, with particular focus on Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor regulation of retirement plans. Our delegate, Hardin Matthews of Ropes & Gray, provides IRS-prepared minutes of the meetings for NEEBC members who express an interest in receiving them. If you'd like to be added to the distribution list, or have any questions you'd like Hardin to raise at the next meeting, please write to jack@neebc.org. |
Scholarship Program
Since its inception in 1990, the NEEBC Scholarship Program has awarded more than $130,000 to deserving candidates. Several years ago, eligibility was expanded to include part-time students. To be eligible, a part-time college student (undergraduate or graduate) must be studying in an accredited academic program leading to a degree, and either reside in New England or be enrolled in a New England college. If you, or a colleague, plan to continue a career in benefits and currently attend college on a part-time basis, you may want to consider applying for a 2012 NEEBC scholarship (deadline April 1, 2012). For additional information, READ ON |
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NEEBC's Going Green
Members will notice a decrease in the number of items sent by U.S. mail as NEEBC continues to implement the electronic messaging resources available through our new website. To assist with the transition, please be sure we have your correct email address on file* and set your email service to accept messages from enews@neebc.org.
* To login and view/edit your Member Profile, CLICK HERE |
International Benefits Roundtable
A group of NEEBC members has organized an informal roundtable to discuss international benefits issues with peers. Participants are senior level, employer-based benefits/HR executives with global responsibilities interested in developing a "community of learning" focused on this topic. Employer representatives interested in participating are asked to contact Jack Curley at jack@neebc.org. |
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Best Practices Conference Wrap Up
A final congratulations to our 2011 Best Practice Award winners:
City Year
Eastern Bank
Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission
Ocean Spray
Staples
Vicor Corporation
And thank you again to the program sponsors whose generous support is greatly appreciated:
Lead Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Delta Dental of Massachusetts
Fidelity Investments
Humana
Liberty Mutual
Parents in a Pinch, Inc.
Project Evolution
Putnam Investments
Tuition Advisory Services, a Bright Horizons Solution at Work
UnitedHealthcare
Unum
Vanguard
Silver Sponsors
Abacus Employer Health Solutions
Aetna
BTHR Solutions/BeneTemps
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Boston Benefit Partners, LLC
Health Advocate, Inc.
Minnesota Life
Prudential Retirement
Strategic Benefit Advisors
Thorbahn
Towers Watson
VSP
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All Payer Claims Database Focus Group Invitation and Pre-Survey
The Division of Health Care Finance and Policy (DHCFP) is currently building an all-payer claims database (APCD), which will include comprehensive medical, pharmacy, and dental claims, as well as information regarding member eligibility, network providers, and coverage products. DHCFP recognizes that certain aspects of the APCD could benefit from further community discussion, and looks forward to receiving input relating to the current APCD data release policies and regulation (114.5 CMR 22.00). To that end, NEEBC members are invited to participate in the following consultative session: READ ON
Those not able to attend may also participate in a pre-meeting survey.
Pre-meeting survey link:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/811512/98865504153d |
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