December 2007 | Motivated in part by a roughly 30 percent increase in online purchases during the recent holiday season, Benefitfocus has rolled out eDirect, a technology that allows consumers to shop for and purchase health insurance online. Read Article
"Experts expect growth, retailization in 2008"
December 2007 | As we move into 2008, healthcare consumerism will become a major trend no longer tethered to CDHPs. CDHPs are expanding, HSAs will grow in popularity, and more consumers will understand the health/wealth message.
"Saving Health Care: How managed care and employer groups are putting it all together"
November 2007 | Managed care organizations and employer groups are hard at work putting together the pieces needed to capitalize on new revenue opportunities and simplify a complex health care landscape. Read Article
"Blog Post: icyou – More Healthcare Video"
November 2007 | 2007 Blogger’s Choice winner for healthcare blogs points us to another health related video site, icyou. Read Article
"DrTube: Physicians tap online video to communication with patients"
November 2007 | When searching for a new health care provider, many consumers ask friends or co-workers for suggestions. Others consult directories of physicians on their insurer's Web site, but often there is little information available beyond the doctor's name, specialty and office location. Read Article
"Working opting out of employer health coverage"
November 2007 | Employees in the Kansas City, Missouri, area are opting out of employer-sponsored health insurance in favor of individual coverage, a trend that could spread to other regions. Read Article
"Web sites encourage patients to share on illnesses, doctors"
November 2007 | Health care startups are modeling themselves after social-networking sites such as YouTube and MySpace. Dubbed the YouTube of health care, Benefitfocus’ icyou allows patients to share their stories through online video clips. Read Article
"Medicine on Demand"
October 2007 | “…There are literally millions and millions of people who are candidates for speaking out about what they are going through and what they've been through," says Benefitfocus CEO Shawn Jenkins.” Benefitfocus’ site icyou includes news and feature videos from health care organizations and advocacy groups." Read Article
"Fighting for your healthcare funds"
October 2007 | Third-party administrators and other members of the self-insured benefits industry claim they are in a war for their very existence. Their enemy–the dreaded BUCAS and the government. Read Article
"CDHP communication tools fall short of employers’ needs"
October 2007 | Because explaining new health plans to workers remains a challenge… some employers are taking matters into their own hands by enhancing plan offerings. “Many early CDHP adopters bombarded employees with ‘stacks of information’ but failed to tie it together in a relevant way, said Shawn Jenkins, president, CEO and founder of Benefitfocus. Read Article
"10 deadly sins of startups – part 2"
October 2007 | An interview with Bill Baloglu, a successful Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, on his compilation and explanation of ten deadly sins that stop many startups from achieving success. Read Article
"For these startups, patients are a virtue"
October 2007 | Americans have searched for medical information online since the Web's early days, but the numbers are growing. Dubbed the YouTube of health care, Benefitfocus’ icyou allows patients to share their stories through online video clips.
"Technology advances drive benefits data and delivery"
October 2007 | In the beginning, there was paper. All of it sorted into manila folders that were also made of paper and arranged alphabetically in metal filing cabinets. Only within the past decade have most benefits departments embraced online capabilities. Read Article ()
"Saving healthcare: How managed healthcare and employer groups are putting it all together"
October 2007 | Everyone recognizes that the current state of healthcare in America is unsustainable and at a tipping point. Managed care organizations and employer groups are hard at work putting together the pieces needed to capitalize on new revenue opportunities and simplify a complex healthcare landscape. Read Article ()
"Health savings accounts and the future of healthcare consumerism"
September 2007 | Benefitfocus CEO Shawn Jenkins discusses how everyone involved in the healthcare industry is gaining a strong foothold on the consumerism trend.
"Consumer-driven health care: Empowering employees and improving health care"
September 2007 | Consumer-driven health care has the potential to deliver smarter and cheaper health care, but only if the wealth of data held hostage in health plans, providers and other third parties are brought together. Read Article
"Targeting Consumer-Focused IT: New Attitudes"
September 2007 | When it comes to the future of the health care marketplace, the consumer has become the focus. With this new target audience, health plans need to determine how to reach the consumer in appropriate and meaningful ways. Read Article
"Avoid the common pitfalls of open-enrollment season"
September 2007 | Open-enrollment season has arrived for many companies, and despite their differences, many have something in common: They will make mistakes that will impair the success of their CDHP offerings.
"Managed care and employer groups are putting it all together"
September 2007 | Consumer-directed healthcare (CDH) puts both money and responsibility directly into the hands of consumers. Shawn Jenkins discusses ways to pull it all together. Read Article
"Future of U.S. managed healthcare centers on simplicity and ease of use"
September 2007 | Learn how to remain competitive as the healthcare market continues to transform. Shawn Jenkins, Benefitfocus president and CEO writes about changes that are afoot in the healthcare industry. Read Article
"Shawn Jenkins, CEO of Benefitfocus: Under the Radar, Flying High"
September 2007 | Janet Sites' provides insights into who Shawn Jenkins is and how he and key colleagues created Benefitfocus. This Charleston-based CEO and rapidly growing company are positively impacting the healthcare industry throughout the world with cutting-edge technology innovations. Read Article
"Interview with Shawn Jenkins, CEO BenefitFocus"
August 2007 | Blogger Matthew Holt recently interviewed Benefitfocus President and CEO, Shawn Jenkins on The Healthcare Blog. Holt's blog is followed by many around the globe, including national A-list press, such as Wired, Red Herring, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, ABC News, and FOX News.
August 2007 | "...HMO framework is revived within the new consumer-driven health plans, such as high-deductible health plans and health savings accounts," says Benefitfocus CEO Shawn Jenkins. "The difference will be that consumers are in the driver seat. Therefore, brokers and carriers are facing enrollment challenges as they try to reach consumers in informative ways that educate them about plan options, financial decisions and healthcare information." Read Article
"Insurer Eases Brokers' Pain; A Blues Plan uses software to slash the time it takes to enroll small employers"
August 2007 | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida vice president Jon Urbanek shares how Benefitfocus applications enabled the Blues plan to automate most of the tasks related to sales and enrollment.
"CDH Solution: Empowering Employees and Improving Healthcare "
July 2007 | Benefitfocus CEO Shawn Jenkins emphasizes the role of employee education in delivering quality care at lower costs.
"Small Firms, Big Challenges"
June 2007 | With the focus on consumer-directed healthcare, consumer issues need to be accurately and timely fulfilled. Benefitfocus CEO Shawn Jenkins and two customers - BCBS of Florida broker West Wingate and IBC Vice President John Janney - are featured in this article which stresses the need and shows solutions. Read Article
June 2007 | "...there's a greater need for simplifying HR administration now because health plans are more complex and the number of plans offered to employees is increasing in some cases, according to Shawn Jenkins..." Read Article
WISE Up! Learning About the Technology Industry
June 2007 | Benefitfocus was the host site for the Charleston Chamber of Commerce Workplace InStitute for Educators (WISE). During the session, participants learned about the multiple layers required to create, build and maintain a successful Technology corporation. Read Article ()
Taking Consumer-Driven Health to the Bank: Financial institutions are playing an increasingly important role in a new model of health insurance.
June 2007 | Participation in consumer-driven health plans has not yet caught on to the degree proponents envisioned. Still, the number of consumers covered by these high-deductible plans that are coupled with health savings accounts isn't inconsequential.
Benefitfocus continues its high-flying success
May 2007 | The president and chief executive officer at Benefitfocus has a degree in aviation and a commercial pilot's license. Perfect training you might say for the skyrocketing success of the Daniel Island-based company he co-founded seven years ago.Read Article
The Changing Healthcare Landscape: How Managed Care Can Capitalize and Drive Revenue Opportunities
May, 2007 | Consumer-directed healthcare (CDH) puts both money and responsibility directly into consumers' hands. Most consumers, however, are still unable or unwilling to accept this freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. Read Article ()
Leverage Databases To Target Members In Need Of Care
April, 2007 | Blue plans lead the charge with initiatives to analyze member, payer, and provider data in an interoperable framework Read Article
A Boost for HSAs: New rules likely to keep driving enrollments higher
April, 2007 | The voices of critics of consumer-directed health plans are fading into the background as such plans and their accompanying health savings accounts are enjoying strong growth.
Benefitfocus has also appeared in the following publications:
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