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now- CompBenefits e-news for agent and broker partners |
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CompBenefits' acquisition creates the opportunity for complementary products and networks
CompBenefits' brokers can benefit greatly from our pending acquisition by Humana, Inc. Joining this industry leader will strengthen our organization and help us improve our product offerings, provider networks and service delivery. Because we value our relationships with our brokers, we want you to know more about this beneficial change.
Humana is one of the nation's leading employee benefits organizations, with over 11 million medical members and 1.5+ million dental members. Their customers include individuals, public and private sector employers, Medicare, Medicaid and U.S. Military families.
The acquisition of CompBenefits by Humana will only enhance our offerings to the broker community and our customers.
Our purchase should close in the third quarter and we do not expect any immediate changes in our day-to-day operations.
What you need to know:
It would not be unusual in a situation like this for competitors to attempt to destabilize the valuable relationships that have been established with you and with our customers. We value our brokers; we value our customers.
As more information is publicly available, we will relay these changes to you quickly. In the meantime, we look forward to continuing business with you as usual and hope you will contact your local sales representative with any questions or concerns regarding the acquisition.
CompBenefits now offers advance commissions
CompBenefits is pleased to announce an exciting new incentive for agents selling both our Dental and Vision products to new groups.
We will advance your annual commission if you secure new groups with a minimum of 25 enrollees in both dental and vision coverage through CompBenefits. The new groups must also have effective dates of June 1, 2007 through January 1, 2008.
How it works:
Following the first month's bill reconciliation, we will advance you the full annual commission for the group. Then in each subsequent month, we will adjust your monthly commission payment by one-twelfth as the regular commissions are generated. This ensures we compensate you completely and accurately for your valuable work.
CompBenefits appreciates our relationship with you and strives to help you build your business while providing outstanding value to your clients. This program is just one way that we work to highlight the value and quality of our vision and dental products.
If you have any questions about this program or our products, please contact your sales representative. | | |  |
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CompBenefits is the vision and dental benefits carrier for nearly 5 million members and growing every day. The company's more than 40 years of success in the oral and eye health benefits industry demonstrates that CompBenefits has the right plan for your vision and dental needs.
CompBenefits' extensive network of dentists and specialists continues to grow. The company's vision network offers convenient access to private practice ophthalmologists' and optometrists' locations throughout the U.S.
Combining our network strength with our breadth of plan options and price points ensures choices that will help you provide solutions for your customers.
For more information or if you want service from us now, call your local sales representative or our Agent Services Team (AST) Hotline at 1-888-MYCBNOW (1-888-692-2669) or visit www.compbenefits.com. | | |  |
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Sales tips – Grow your business relationships with BIG idea thinking
What would make one of your group-prospects or current clients say: "Wow! This is really great and I need to (tell others or increase my business with this agent/broker)?"
A special feature by sales coach Mel Schlesinger, RHU, REBC
In his book The Relationship Edge in Business, Jerry Acuff talks about communicating to clients and prospects that they are important, by doing inexpensive and unexpected things for them. Following are comments on each.
Unexpected Gifts: Birthdays, anniversaries and holidays should be acknowledged, but they are hardly unexpected. It's nice to get a birthday card from a broker or agent, but I assume he/she has set a contact manager alarm for it. However, if the broker knows that I love homemade chocolate chip cookies and stops by with a dozen freshly baked cookies for no reason at all, that is unexpected.
Inexpensive Gifts: If you do something that obviously costs a lot of money, I will think you are trying to buy my business. Doing something meaningful yet inexpensive generally shows that you gave this some thought. If that gift is related to some specific interest of mine, even better.
A Success Story: Here's how an unexpected and inexpensive gift made a big difference with my clients. Through the Simple Truths newsletter, I learned about a new motivational book and DVD entitled '212 degrees.' The essence of the book is that one degree of extra effort can make a huge difference in an end result. I bought several sets at $15.95 each and sent them to targeted clients and prospects with this note: "Thought that you might be inspired by this." Within a week, a group requested a quote from me and entrusted me with their business. That $15.95 was a better investment than any lunch could ever have been in terms of relationship building.
In the next issue of eNOW, Mel will share some more "Big" ideas to help fuel your business relationships. Reach Mel at www.clientcreationu.com or call him at 1-800-525-3160.
| Dental — | Get an edge with New "AdvantagePlus" |
CompBenefits recently updated its dental Advantage product with a new series called AdvantagePlus. Brokers will benefit from additional options that make the plan even more competitive and more appealing – especially as a voluntary dental offering.
AdvantagePlus offers the same great features of the current Advantage series, including pricing that is typically 35% below traditional dental programs with comparable benefits. Members know exactly what the costs are for their program and, with no deductibles, Advantage can save a family of four an extra $150. Claim forms become unnecessary because participating dentists file all paperwork for your client's employees.
Contact the Sales Department today at
now@compbenefits.com and get an edge on the competition.
| Dental — | New Clinical Director is a resource for brokers and clients |
Dr. Charles "Charlie" Stewart recently became the new CompBenefits' Dental Clinical Director. At CompBenefits, he is responsible for the interface between the company's dental network and the insurance industry. He also monitors quality and makes recommendations on claims coverage and cost containment. Dr. Stewart is available to brokers as a customer resource.
BackgroundDr. Stewart brings 25-years of experience to the newly formed position. His career involves private practice, higher education and serving as a dental benefits consultant to major insurers. Dr. Stewart has also worked in private healthcare and management consulting.
Why CompBenefits created the New Dental Clinical Director positionAs CompBenefits expanded from a managed care company to offering full-service dental insurance products including more complex, claim-based benefit products, CompBenefits recognized the need to better understand the demands of the market place while balancing the cost associated with meeting those needs. The Clinical Director is able to develop the best possible blend of products and services while maintaining sound cost containment. This helps our groups offer the benefit plans their employees desire at an affordable price.
The Clinical Director's relationship with brokers and their clientsDr. Stewart understands that every broker prefers to have a strong base of facts to present to a client. As the Clinical Director, Dr. Stewart can provide data to brokers explaining provider utilization, claims experience and its impact on rates. Dr. Stewart can also advise what steps CompBenefits can take to offer your clients full benefit packages that prevents high future rate increases. Furthermore, he can present more detailed information to your clients on specific coverage questions as well as educational information on our products, coverage and industry trends.
How Dr. Stewart works with CompBenefits' national dental providers Dr. Stewart monitors quality across our network to ensure that providers meet the standards that you, your clients and we expect. He is developing a series of management tools that specifically relate to quality maintenance in our network. Dr. Stewart knows CompBenefits' success ultimately relies on the quality of our providers and the satisfaction of your clients and our members.
Dr. Stewart's Role in Our State of the Art Medical Integration CapabilitiesMedical, dental and vision integration has the potential to significantly reduce medical expenses (dental care frequently exposes patient's health risks and medical issues during treatment). As part of the delivery of dental and vision benefits, CompBenefits captures encounter data that can be forward to medical carriers, disease management companies and care coordinators to assist in early disease detection and management. Sharing and utilizing this data can save healthcare dollars and improve quality of care.
Since CompBenefits is an expert in the dental and vision benefits industry, we can also help health plans that may not know how to leverage encounter date. CompBenefits is well positioned to advise on claims, appropriate care and more. As the Clinical Director, Dr. Stewart will address dental issues as a main priority.
| Vision — | Protect eyes during summer sports |
Summer is a time to participate in more outdoor sports activities. While sports have proven health benefits, they also carry physical risks. CompBenefits urges all sports participants to guard their vision with protective eyewear. These products are available through the CompBenefits VisionCare network.
More than 40,000 sports-related eye injuries occur every year, according to the American Optometric Association. 12 percent of all serious eye injuries are sports-related. Ninety percent of all eye injuries could have been prevented with protective eyewear (ref. Prevent Blindness America).
"Generally people recognize that sports, such as baseball, basketball, soccer, football, hockey, and paintball are most commonly associated with eye injuries," says Dr. Howard J. Braverman, president of CompBenefits' vision division. "Other activities, such as racquet sports, water sports and even golf and biking can be just as dangerous to the eyes."
"The majority of all sports eye injuries occur in people under 30 years of age," he adds. "However, children are especially vulnerable to eye injury since their depth perception and coordination skills are underdeveloped."
The best treatment is prevention and today's sports enthusiasts can choose from various types of sturdy, lightweight, effective and fashionable eyewear. Two basic types that are satisfactory for eye-injury risk sports are:
1. Safety sports eyewear that conforms to the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F803 for selected sports such as racket sports, baseball fielders, basketball, women's lacrosse, and field hockey.
2. Sports eyewear attached to a helmet or for sports in which ASTM standard F803 eyewear is inadequate. Those with standard specifications include youth baseball batters and base runners (ASTM standard F910), paintball (ASTM standard 1776), skiing (ASTM standard 659), and ice hockey (ASTM standard F513). Other protectors with specific standards are available for football and men's lacrosse.
Prescription or nonprescription lenses may be made from any of several types of clear material, including polycarbonate. Ideally, polycarbonate should be used for all safety eyewear and is the most shatterproof clear lens material.
For more information, visit http://www.compbenefits.com/news/042507.html. Contact your sales representative for details on our vision network and sports eyewear offerings. Email now@compbenefits.com or call 1-888-358-3937. | | |  |
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Does CompBenefits offer any clinical information I can use to help market your products?
You can find the help that you need in our latest white paper about the medical integration trend, specifically linking oral and ocular health with comprehensive health and wellbeing. In addition to helpful facts, you will find information on stabilizing healthcare costs by sharing dental and vision encounter data, and other related points. Visit http://www.compbenefits.com/prod_serv/Medical-Integration.pdf for the complete document.
We invite you to send in your questions to now@compbenefits.com.
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email us
now@compbenefits.com
CompBenefits agents register today for detailed online commission info at
www.mycompbenefits.com
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