Products February 21, 2013

Morgan Stanley Joins Great-West’s Distribution Channel

February 21, 2013 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Morgan Stanley has joined Great-West Retirement Services’ (GWRS) distribution channel.
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The move will provide companies across the United States more access to GWRS’ 401(k) plans.  

“Now that Morgan Stanley financial advisers have access to our 401(k) products for their clients, we’ll be able to help more companies ensure their employees benefit from savings strategies that take them to and through retirement,” said Bill Harmon, GWRS senior vice president of 401(k) corporate markets.  

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Morgan Stanley advisers gained access to GWRS Key, Premier Key, Custom Key and Easy Start 401(k) plans this past December. 

Products February 21, 2013

Groups Release Employee Health Education Toolkit

February 21, 2013 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) and Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) released the Choosing Wisely Employer Toolkit.
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Benz Communications was retained by NBCH and PBGH to create the toolkit, and the materials can be used by employers of all sizes to build new campaigns and integrate Choosing Wisely materials into existing resources. The Choosing Wisely campaign is an initiative to encourage physicians, patients and other health care stakeholders to think and talk about medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary—and in some instances can cause harm.  

The Choosing Wisely Employer Toolkit includes: 

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  • Eight new ready-to-use articles; 
  • More than 10 tip sheets from Consumer Reports; 
  • A PowerPoint presentation for use in meetings with employees; 
  • An index of Consumer Reports resources; 
  • An index of employer materials, with reference guide to familiarize employers with the available resources and their intended purpose; 
  • Aample campaigns, including a three-step guide to launching a Choosing Wisely campaign; 
  • A sample Choosing Wisely campaign timeline/editorial calendar; and 
  • Tips for integrating a Choosing Wisely campaign with current wellness, enrollment and other benefits campaigns.

“We know too many employees are getting tests they don’t need—and even treatment that is unnecessary,” said David Lansky, PBGH CEO. “This new resource is an important tool to help educate employees to talk to their doctors and really understand what tests and treatments are right for them.”   

The toolkit may be downloaded at http://www.nbch.org/Choosing-Wisely-Employer-Toolkit. More information about the Choosing Wisely campaign is available at http://www.choosingwisely.org and www.consumerhealthchoices.org.

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