News Briefs

Please join us in welcoming Pam Williams to WageWorks, formerly Creative Benefits, as the Manager of our Participant Support and Claims Centers. Pam brings with her 14 years of tenure in benefits administration and operations management at another TPA. Pam reports to Linda Campbell, Director of Client Services and joins other Client Services Managers in providing oversight for our service delivery.

Georgia Peterman joined us in March of 2008 to oversee the workflow and provide direction for the Client Services Teams as their Manager. Prior to joining WageWorks, formerly Creative Benefits, Georgia spent 15 years in Management at another TPA in COBRA and Client Services.

Rounding out the Client Services Management, Jenny Stanley is the Manager of our Data Center. Jenny joined WageWorks, formerly Creative Benefits, in April, 2005 and brought with her 10 years experience in Flexible Spending Account administration. Jenny is a graduate of the University of Montana, with a B.S. in Business Administration. She also holds the CFC designation and Cobra certification.

Jody L. Dietel, CFCI recently co-authored two articles relating to the Inventory Information Approval Systems requirement implemented for the use of health care payment cards for the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation's September issue of the Flex Reporter. Ms. Dietel serves on both ECFC's and the SIGIS Board of Directors. Read them both here:

Debit Cards, Payment Cards….whatever their name, they invoke emotion-laden conversation from TPAs of every size and market. Has their performance ever lived up to the hype?
IIAS: Boon or Bust?

Shockwaves hit the industry, and particularly payment card vendors when IRS Notice 2006-69 was released.
Inventory Information Approval System or IIAS: Looking back…

Company acquires Creative Benefits, leading provider of consumer-directed benefits services to SMBs
SAN MATEO, CA – September 22, 2008 – WageWorks, the nation’s leading provider of tax-advantaged health, wellness, commuting, child and elder care benefits and retiree services for Fortune 500 companies, today announced that it has acquired Creative Benefits, Inc., an industry leader in eligibility administration, COBRA administration and flexible benefit account services with more than 750 small and mid-sized clients across the nation. The acquisition strengthens WageWorks’ position in the consumer-directed benefits market and delivers a deeper suite of benefits solutions to small and mid-sized companies and their employees.

Creative Benefits serves the unique needs of small to mid-size employers with benefits services that include FSA, HRA, commuter, and Premium Only Plan (“POP”) administration, online enrollment, eligibility administration, and COBRA administration. The Vista, Calif.-based company will now operate as Creative Benefits, a WageWorks company. The combined company represents a market presence of over 2,700 clients and approximately 1.8 million participants.

“The combination of WageWorks and Creative Benefits creates a leading force in the consumer-directed benefits industry,” said Joe Jackson, CEO, WageWorks, Inc. “Together we can deliver a comprehensive suite of benefits solutions that provides companies of every size the specialized services they need.”

“When it comes to customer care, operational capability and technology innovation, WageWorks sets the gold-standard for service to the Fortune 500,” said Jody L. Dietel, Creative Benefits president and founder. “Similarly, Creative Benefits has delivered impeccable service to the small and mid-size employer market since 1989. Together, we can leverage our platforms, experience, and broader portfolio of solutions to employers, participants, brokers, and consultants that we serve.”

Ms. Dietel, a highly regarded expert in benefits and compliance industry, will continue to serve in her current capacity and report to Mr. Jackson. She also will continue serving in leadership positions within benefits industry associations, including ECFC and SIGIS.

About WageWorks, Inc.

Founded in 2000, WageWorks helps employers support consumer directed pre-tax benefit programs, including health care (FSA, HSA, HRA), wellness programs, child and elder care, commuting services, education benefits, and employee sponsored programs, such as gym reimbursement. Wage Works also offers retiree health care and COBRA Services. More than 100 of America's Fortune 500 employers and millions of their benefits-eligible employees use WageWorks' programs. As the cost of living continues to rise and more health care costs are pushed to employees, WageWorks seeks to eliminate barriers to benefit participation so families and individuals can save money and improve their overall well-being.

WageWorks provides easy-to-use benefits programs that help save time, and educational tools and resources to increase employees' knowledge and understanding of their family's health care and financial needs. WageWorks is headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with offices in New York, Tempe, AZ., Mequon, WI, Kansas City, KS, Lombard, IL, Troy, MI and now Vista, CA. For more information, please visit www.wageworks.com.
Read the official press release here.

Jody also serves on the Board of Directors for the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation. Rock J. Hall, CPA, CFCI also speaks on the topic of Building Value in your Business during the Survival Techniques track for advanced practitioners.

Please join us in congratulating Roselyn Vizcarra for her promotion to Manager, Business Development. Roselyn has been with Creative Benefits for more than 3 years. She is Certified in Flexible Compensation and has held a variety of roles within Creative Benefits, including that of a Benefit Specialist, with Account Management responsibilities, Technical Team Lead in Client Services and Supervisor of Client Services. Roselyn also has marketing and business development experience through previous retail experience. Roselyn's contact information: rvizcarra@wageworks.com, direct: 760.509.0161, fax: 760.414.3009, cell:760.505.8977.

CB's Summer 2008 newsletter outlines several articles regarding Publication 502, HSA's, HEART Act and the new mileage reimbursement rate for medical expenses. Read it now.

Costco currently accepts Visa issued signature debit cards in their Pharmacy, Hearing Aid and Optical areas only. MasterCard issued signature debit cards are not accepted. No Visa or MasterCard transactions of any kind are accepted through the front end registers of a Costco warehouse. In the fall of 2008, Costco will implement an IIAS program. Until that time, transactions are being authorized with the SIC code specific to that area of the warehouse. (Pharmacy, Optical, Hearing).

CB has received this honor five years in a row from the San Diego Business Journal.

We're entering our 20th year of business. CEO, Jody L. Dietel counts the last year as one of the most rewarding ever. CB staff will celebrate with dinner and an address by Senior Management regarding the State of the Company. Other activities include breakfast and lunch served during the day for all staff.

March 3, 2008: The quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation will be held at the offices of Creative Benefits, Inc. on March 10 and 11, 2008. CB's CEO, Jody L. Dietel, CFCI is a member of the Board of Directors for both the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation and the wholly-owned subsidiary of ECFC, The Flexible Compensation Institute, LLC., which governs certification of practitioners in the areas of flexible compensation, transit and parking, consumer driven health, COBRA, cafeteria plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, HRAs, HSAs and HIPAA.

Please join us in welcoming Linda S. Campbell to our team as Director of Client Services. Linda's relationship with Creative Benefits, Inc. started in her role as our key contact at one of our largest clients. She has also obtained TPA experience since leaving the client side. This experience will enable Linda to immediately impact our operations.

Linda starts on Monday, January 21 and will provide direction for CB's Client Services departments. I'm thrilled with the added dimension Linda brings to our Executive Team and the future of CB. Linda can be reached at lcampbell@wageworks.com or 760.509.0132.

The topic was Cafeteria Plan Election Changes

In her role as Director of Human Resources, Susan will continue to help us manage our most important asset and resource, staff! Under Susan's direction, we have significantly reduced turnover, increased morale, and successfully introduced a more effective collaborative environment.

Susan has been an ad hoc member of the executive team for some time and provides critical insight and direction to the Executive Team and to the CEO/COO with respect to business operations, culture, benefits, personnel, compensation, training and other initiatives. This promotion formalizes her role on that team.

Susan holds her insurance licence, is an SPHR, and CFC. Congratulations, Susan.