• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

From Sick Care to Health Care: The Principal Financial Group Launches a Nationwide Tour to Educate Brokers

Posted on: Monday, 11 September 2006, 15:00 CDT

As consumer driven healthcare continues to expand at a rapid pace, The Principal Financial Group(R) is setting out to educate brokers on the state of the health care industry and advancements in new products such as health savings accounts (HSAs) and wellness programs. For the third year, leaders from The Principal(R) will tour the country, holding seminars in eight cities.

"Brokers are on the front lines of the health care transformation as the focus begins to shift from a sick care system to one that promotes and encourages good health care," said Jerry Ripperger, director of consumer health for The Principal and presenter of the seminar. "We're touring the country again this year to arm brokers with the tools and information they need to provide valuable counsel and effective health benefit programs for their clients."

Throughout the tour, seminars will focus on providing tested sales strategies along with research and details on the latest health benefit programs. "The adoption of health savings accounts has been one of the fastest we've seen in the industry, but along with that, employers have many questions and seek new ways to motivate and educate employees," noted Ripperger.

Several new product features launched earlier this year will help brokers and employers implement consumer driven health care programs. Technology like Principal Direct Connect was introduced to allow employers to make contributions and transfer funds electronically into employees' HSAs, simplifying the entire process. Engaging employees in health care decisions is easier with expanded wellness screening programs available through Principal Wellness Company. Often available at no additional cost, employers can create a wellness strategy designed to encourage members to become actively involved in staying healthy and making smart health care decisions. These products and programs will be presented along with other new developments and trends.

The Principal Financial Group tour is planned to take place September 12-28 in cities across the country. Ripperger, a national expert on consumer driven healthcare products, will present the seminar. To learn more about consumer driven healthcare solutions offered by The Principal, brokers should contact their Principal Financial Group representative or visit www.principal.com.

About Principal Wellness Company

Principal Wellness Company promotes prevention as a key factor in addressing looming health care costs by providing onsite health and wellness screenings including overall wellness program development, private member consultations and personalized high-risk interventions. In the first three years, the health screening business has tripled in size, demonstrating the need and desire for preventative action among members. Wellness services from Principal Wellness Company are available to any employer interested in keeping health costs down by motivating employees to become actively involved in staying healthy.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group(R) (The Principal (R))(1) is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies and national network of financial professionals. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $206.0 billion in assets under management(2) and serves some 16.3 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

Insurance products and services issued by Principal Life Insurance Company

(1) "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

(2) As of June 30, 2006

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category