This audio conference was recorded on Wednesday - March 18, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

Since they were approved by Congress in 2004, health savings accounts (HSAs) have changed the way many employees handle their healthcare bills. These “medical IRAs” allow workers to combine high-deductible health insurance coverage with pre-tax payroll deductions put into accounts that they can use to pay those deductibles, if needed.

The result? Your employees who take charge of their health care will have those savings to use when they reach Medicare eligibility at age 65--and you’ll enjoy a significant reduction right now in your health care benefits costs (a huge plus for you, given the current state of the economy).

Here’s the catch: HSAs can be very confusing for employers and employees alike. A recent survey found that 94 percent of employees eligible for HSAs did not understand at first how these plans work. They reported concerns about relying on high-deductible health insurance policies as their paychecks are being stretched thin. They’re worried about the deductions needed to fund their HSAs. And, they’re definitely afraid of making the change from the traditional healthcare plans they’ve used for a long time.

If you’re already cutting your benefits costs by promoting HSAs in your workplace--or, if you’re thinking about introducing HSAs to your employees this year--order this audio conference recorded as our expert walks through five proven strategies for teaching workers the advantages of HSAs. She’ll explain (in plain English) how to communicate the value of HSAs to your employees, how to resolve the most common misconceptions about them, and how to work with your vendor to handle questions and reduce your HR benefits workload.

Speaker(s):

Cora M. Tellez is president, chief executive officer, and co-founder of Sterling HSA, an independent HSA administrative firm founded in 2003. She has 25 years of management experience in healthcare finance and delivery. Before founding her current firm, Tellez served as president of the health plans division of a major insurance provider, president and chair of a larger health insurer’s West Coast operations, and chief executive officer of a leading California healthcare insurance company. She is a member of the board of directors for several nonprofit and healthcare organizations. Tellez earned her master’s degree in public administration at California State University.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• The practical advantages of HSAs in cutting your healthcare benefits costs and giving your employees more control over their healthcare dollars
• How to address the most common misperceptions and fears about HSAs (especially if you’ve only offered traditional healthcare plans in the past)
• What issues can crop up in administering HSAs and managing HSA distributions that will trip you up if you’re not careful
• Best practices for selecting and working with HSA vendors, from rolling out the first HSAs in your workforce to handling customer service questions quickly and painlessly
• What you must do in the first 90 days of implementing HSAs to avoid derailing these new benefits
• How you can spread the word among employees about the success of your HSAs (without violating HIPAA rules in the process)
• What steps you can take with employees who strongly resist adopting HSAs for their healthcare needs