Jump Start is back and better than ever – with new incentives to get people signed up in’07. Higher participation means bigger savings for your clients. Why? Because members who take our health assessment save an average of $54 on annual claims. Members that complete the 10,000 Steps program see an average reduction of $280 in future claims on an annual basis.

 When Jump Start relaunches on January 1, 2007, members who complete the health assessment can choose to enroll in 10,000 Steps® or select a gift card for $20 off at any HealthPartners Pharmacy (including mail order). Members who participated in 2006 are invited to take the health assessment again to see if they’ve improved their score and to cash in on the new rewards.

As an added bonus, employees choosing 10,000 Steps are eligible to win additional prizes. Every time a member records their steps online in 2007, they’ll be entered in a weekly drawing for their choice of:

1. A one-year single YMCA membership at any of the metro Twin Cities' 21 locations
2. $240 toward the participating Frequent Fitness club of their choice
3. $500 off a purchase of $1,000 or more at 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment

For more information, please visit Jump Start.

To learn more please contact your HealthPartners Sales Executive.

Don’t forget that your clients in Rice, Le Sueur and Steele counties – will be impacted by the new small group rating law effective January 1, 2007.

According to the new statute, geographic rating areas must be made up of at least seven contiguous counties. To comply, we’re moving Le Sueur, Rice and Steele counties from Area 3 (.921) to Area 1 (1.0). While this change goes into effect for new and renewing groups on January 1, 2007, we’ll do everything possible to reduce the impact of this change on your clients. We’re currently conducting a detailed area analysis and will have additional changes later next year.

Summary of area changes:

Midwest Assurance Company (Insurance)*

• Cook, Itasca, Koochiching and Lake move from Area 1 (1.0) to Area 2 (.894)
• Lake of the Woods moves from Area 3 (.833) to Area 2 (.894)
• Todd moves from Area 2 (.894)  to Area 3 (.833)

HealthPartners, Inc. (HMO)

• Le Sueur, Rice and Steele move from Area 3 (.921) to Area 1 (1.0)
• Dodge and all of Fillmore Move to Area 2 (1.150)
• Waseca, Faribault, Freeborn and Mower have moved to Area 2 (1.150)

* Pending regulatory approval Midwest Assurance Company will be changing its name to HealthPartners Insurance Company (HPIC) on January 1, 2007.

Just a reminder that as of January 1, 2007, HealthPartners will no longer be offering a fourth-quarter deductible carryover provision. This change could save up to 2.25% on a $1,000 deductible plan and is accounted for in renewal calculations.

This change is mandated for small group and EZ plans and is the standard contractual provision for large fully insured and self-insured plans. Any deductibles incurred in the fourth quarter of 2006 will not be carried over to 2007 unless the non-EZ employer adds this option back in at an increased premium. Large groups may add this option back in at an increased premium.

To learn more please contact your HealthPartners Sales Executive.

There are more than 19 million people eligible for Medicare across the country. Imagine what you could do if you had even a small percentage of that business.

To help you get started, HealthPartners is offering an online course to get you up to speed on Medicare. The HealthPartners 2007 Individual Medicare Compliance and Products course offers you important information on how Medicare works, including Parts A, B and D. You’ll also learn how our family of Medicare individual products meets a very real need for Medicare-eligible individuals.

Here’s how to access this course:

1. Go online to healthpartners.com and click on broker.
2. In the left hand column choose “Broker Education,” then click on 2007 Medicare Compliance and Products training. Then click on the course.
3. Log on with your username and password (example: joe.smith@hpbroker.com). Your initial password is “password” but you can change it. You must have a “log- in” with HealthPartners before you can access Skillport and the course. To obtain a Skillport log-in, please call Jeannie Magistad at 952-883-5281 or via email at jeannie.f.magistad@healthpartners.com. If you need a log-in or already have a log-in but can’t remember it, please call Julie McFarlane at 952-883-5318.
4. Once logged on, type “Medicare compliance” in the Search box. This will bring you to the beginning of the course.
5. Follow the directions. You must complete the entire course to get credit.
6. At the end of the course, print out the compliance form and sign.
7. Mail your signed compliance form to: HealthPartners, Attn: Jeannie Magistad, 8170 33rd Avenue South, Mail Stop 21106D, Bloomington, MN 55425. Or fax it to 952-853-8718.

NOTE: If you do not take this course, 2007 individual Medicare commissions cannot be paid. If you attended classroom training in October or November 2006, you’ve met this requirement.

Federal tax rate and cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) tables for 2007 have been released by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The limits are the same as those published by HSA Insider in September: 

Maximum contributions:
- $2,850 for individual coverage, currently $2,700
- $5,650 for family coverage, currently $5,450

Minimum deductibles:
- $1,100 for individual coverage, currently $1,050
- $2,200 for family coverage, currently $2,100

Out-of-pocket maximums:
- $5,500 for individual coverage, currently $5,250
- $11,000 for family coverage, currently $10,500

Don’t forget the Dental Accelerator promotion is ending soon, so don’t delay! The accelerator applies to groups with effective dates through January 15, 2007.

The easiest way to accelerate your commissions is to sell a HealthPartners Dental Plan to an existing medical client. Or, sell a medical plan to existing dental client. With a 25% commission increase over the next 12 months, you’ll earn a one-time bonus of $57 per small group contract, plus an additional 25% on the dental commission. Either way, it’s a win-win-win for everyone. You earn more revenue, your clients benefit from a better product with no administrative hassles and HealthPartners earns another dental client.

With a HealthPartners Dental Plan Your Clients Benefit From:

• Access to the state’s largest dental PPO network – we’re 30% larger than the competition
• The providers employees prefer – 1,700 providers, which includes approximately 80% of all Metro providers
• Negotiated discounts help members save an average of 15% when they visit a network provider
• All HealthPartners dental members – whether they have orthodontic coverage or not, are eligible for a 20% discount on ortho services through our partnership with Orthodontic Care Specialists

To learn more please contact your HealthPartners Sales Executive.

We’re committed to providing access to the providers your clients demand – nationwide. In the past two months we’ve had tremendous provider growth in Wisconsin. No matter where your clients live, work or travel, we’ve got them covered. Recent additions include:

Medical – Wisconsin
Marshfield Clinic – Athens, Cadott, Chippewa Falls, Chetek, Colby, Cornell, Eagle River, Eau Claire, Greenwood, Ladysmith, Loyal, Marshfield, Menomonie, Mercer, Merrill, Minocqua, Mosinee, Park Falls, Phillips, Radisson, Rice Lake, Spooner, Stratford, Thorp, Wausau, Weston, Wisconsin Rapids, Wittenberg
Main Street Clinic – Turtle Lake
Ministry Medical Group – Amherst, Crandon, Eagle River, Iola, Laona, Plover, Rhinelander, Stevens Point, Three Lakes, Tomahawk, Waupaca, Weston, Wisconsin Rapids, Woodruff
North Shore Medical Clinic – Algoma, Fish Creek, Sturgeon Bay, Washington Island
Victory Medical Group – Owen, Stanley, Thorp

Medical – Minnesota
Fairview Bass Lake Clinic – Maple Grove

Dental – Minnesota
Monticello Dental Group – Monticello
Woodridge Dental – Jordan

Try out our new search function so see just how easy it is to find a network provider quickly and simply. Provider Search.

Important Contacts
Our Group Medical Plans
Our Group Dental Plans
Our Individual and Medicare Plans
Our Achieve ^SM Health Improvement Programs
Our CareSpan ^SM Disease Management Programs
Direct Connect to Broker Portal
Network Updates