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Creative Benefits provides impartial, confidential benefits administration to over 700 clients. Approximately 90,000 participants are currently served by Creative Benefits.
Our employees reflect the highest standards of integrity and ability and are committed to serving you. That’s the assurance you need when choosing an appropriate administrator for your plan.
Our goal is simple: to develop long-standing relationships with employers who are delighted with our expertise and administrative capacity. We will make sure you and your employees are pleased with our services.
About Us
CB News archives 2004
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December 2004
North County Times features Creative Benefits CEO: Behind the Desk: Entrepreneurial spirit led woman to CEO chair. Read the article here.
Publication 969 is out for HSA: Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans. The expanded publication
includes information on health savings accounts and other tax-favored health plans. Download the PDF here.
November 2004
2005 Mileage Rates Set The Internal Revenue Service released the optional standard mileage rates to use for 2005 today.
- These are used for deductible mileage for business, charitable, medical or moving expense purposes.
- The most notable, increase is for business use ($.03, the single largest increase in history to account for higher vehicle and fuel costs). The charitable rate is set by law and the rates for business, medical and moving purposes are based on an annual study.
- For medical and for moving expenses: 15 cents a mile, up from 14 cents in 2004. When giving services to a charitable organization: 14 cents a mile (no change) For business purposes: 40.5 cents a mile, up from 37.5 cents in 2004.
Creative Benefits Named among Nation's Top 500
- Vista, November 5, 2004. In recognition of the economic power of multicultural businesses, DiversityBusiness.com, the nations' leading multicultural B2B online portal, recently named Creative Benefits, Inc. as one of the top Women-Owned businesses in the United States. Read the official press release!
October 2004
Top Business Awards Finalist
Creative Benefits, Inc. has been selected as a finalist in the 5th Annual DiversityBusiness.com Top Business Awards.
- The 5th annual "Top Small Businesses in America" survey will determine the Top 500 Small Businesses in the United States, the Top 500 Diversity Owned Business in the United States, and for each State the Top 50 Small businesses and Top 50 Diversity owned businesses. The winners will be announced on October 25, 2004 and will be honored at the 5th Annual Multicultural Business Conference in March 2005. The awards are based on annual sales volume.
Creative Benefits Makes the Top 25 ... Again!
Once again CB is named one of San Diego's largest women-owned businesses by the San Diego Business Journal!
- For 2004 Creative Benefits is ranked in the top 25 woman-owned businesses in San Diego County, based on 2003 revenue. We're excited and honored to be included on the list.Training Several staff members attended a teleweb on HSAs sponsored by the Employee Benefits Institute of America.
Training: CB staff attended 2 hour Travis COBRA software training 10/20/2004
September 2004
Creative Benefits in San Diego's Top 100 Honored for Fast Growth - Again!
- 9/29/2004: Creative Benefits was honored by the San Diego Business Journal as one of the regions 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies at a reception at San Diego's Westgate Hotel last night. CB's revenue growth for the period 2001-2003 was 39%. This is the second year in a row that Creative Benefits has been honored as one of the region's economic development drivers.
Close Call with Hurricane Charlie: Jody L. Dietel, CFCI and Kris Saunders, CFCI attend Employers' Council on Flexible Compensation's Cafeteria Plan Administrator's Conference
- Both were to be speakers, but only Kris was able to present as the conference was cut short by Hurricane Charlie. We're thankful to be able to report that all conference attendees made it home safely.
August 2004
Making Your Over-the-Counter Purchases Even Easier to Manage! CVS Pharmacy CVS customers who use the company's ExtraCare card when buying over-the-counter remedies may now obtain a detailed list of all such purchases.
- The customers can then submit the list to their employers for reimbursement, instead of keeping track of individual receipts. The list can also help customers plan ahead so they can better estimate how much money to set aside in their health-spending accounts at work.
Rite Aid and Drugstore.com. The drugstore.com© FSA Manager is a free service exclusively for drugstore.com© customers designed to help simplify the use of Flexible Spending Account (FSA) programs.
- The drugstore.com© web store clearly marks those over-the-counter (OTC) products most likely to be eligible for reimbursement by FSA programs. To help eliminate the tedious paperwork, they will keep track of FSA-eligible purchases and provide you with receipts to submit to your FSA administrator.
JULY 2004
CB is holding CFC Preparation classes for 13 staff members to prepare them for an exam certifying their competence in Flexible Compensation. This certification is available from the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation.
- Classes must be taught by those who hold the CFCI (Certified, Flexible Compensation Instruction) designation. Jody L. Dietel, Kris Saunders, Dana Hofseth and Therasa Cheng all hold this designation at CB and are sharing instruction duties. The classes are held twice weekly, are 90 minutes in length and require outside reading and coursework, plus a mid-term and final prior to the actual certification exam.
July 22 & 23: Jody L. Dietel and Kris Saunders attended the Advanced Cafeteria Plans conference sponsored by the Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA) in Seattle, WA.
JUNE 2004
Jody L. Dietel, CFCI is quoted in "FSAs More Attractive with OTC Coverage, Despite Challenges" an article in the June 1, 2004 issue of Employee Benefit News, a publication of Thomson Media.
June 17: CB staff attended a teleweb seminar on the new COBRA regulations sponsored by the Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA).
June 10: CB staff attended a teleweb seminar on the new COBRA regulations sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefits.
May 2004
May 11: CB staff attended a teleweb seminar on the Health Savings Accounts sponsored by the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation (ECFC).
April 2004
April 29: CB staff attended a teleweb seminar on cafeteria plan election changes sponsored by the Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA). Jody L. Dietel was a co-presenter for this seminar.
March 2004
Tuesday, March 30, 2004, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued additional guidance for health savings accounts (HSAs).
- The guidance clarifies preventive care that can be provided under a high deductible health plan (HDHP) and how the HDHP interacts with other prescription drug benefits.
Read the Treasury press release
See our IRS Guidance page for related links
March 18: CB staff attended a teleweb seminar on domestic partner benefits sponsored by the Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA).
Several CB staff members attended a teleweb seminar sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefits on the topic of HIPAA security rules. 3/18/2004.
Jody L. Dietel, CFCC attended the annual meeting of the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation, March 25 & 26 in Washington, D.C.
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