Volkswagen officials are ready to start taking applications to hire its first hourly workers for the Chattanooga auto assembly plant.

Tuesday, VW will begin accepting applications for maintenance employees who provide technical expertise to diagnose, troubleshoot and improve high-tech equipment used in manufacturing vehicles.

Hans-Herbert Jagla, executive vice president of human resources for VW’s local operation, said these employees have “a crucial role” at the plant.

They will help with the installation of the manufacturing equipment and maintain it, he said.

Mr. Jagla said the skilled maintenance workers do not make the cars. VW will start taking applications for production workers, who will comprise most of the 2,000 workers at the plant, toward the end of the year.

VW plans to hire about 150 maintenance workers over the next two years, filling some 20 slots in 2009.

Starting wages will be $22 an hour, gradually increasing to $27 per hour after 36 months, company officials said. The workers will be eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental plans, life insurance and retirement savings, according to VW.

Ryan Rose, VW’s general manager for human resources in the city, said the first workers will help get the production line set up and running smoothly.

“Later, when we hire the production team members, they can then have a good and efficient environment to build the cars,” he said.

Ideally, the maintenance workers will have a two-year technical degree or comparable work experience in electricity, electronics, the industrial-mechanical area and facilities maintenance, Mr. Rose said.

“The candidates we’re looking for would have applicable experience in at least one of these areas,” he said. “The ideal is to have people with experience in more than one.”

For example, if someone is troubleshooting a robot, the person needs experience in electronics but also should know about fluid power and mechanics, Mr. Rose said.

VW expects to get several thousands of applications for the jobs.

“We’ll take all the applications and review them and try to pull the best-fit candidates to the next step,” Mr. Rose said.

Mr. Jagla said VW wants to hire locally, starting with people in Chattanooga, Hamilton County and surrounding counties.

“We are convinced we’ll get a lot of people out of this region, especially Tennessee,” he said.

Plans are to start hiring the skilled maintenance workers in November to coincide with need.

Mr. Rose said if someone applies for a maintenance job, that doesn’t mean they’ve applied for the production jobs.

Also, past experience with an automotive company doesn’t guarantee a slot, but could be an advantage, he said.

Mr. Jagla said people hired for maintenance slots will travel abroad to VW locations in Mexico or Germany.

Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group Inc. is pleased to announce its decision to offer discount dental plans to its MedFlash ePHR members as part of a recent collaboration with DentalPlans.com, the leading online provider of discount dental plans (see also Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group, Inc.).

In turn, DentalPlans.com will offer Connectyx’s MedFlash(TM) product to its members. This collaboration is a natural fit as both companies offer products that give their members the opportunity to enhance their overall health. MedFlash(TM) members will have access to special savings on discount dental plans, cost-effective dental insurance alternatives, while DentalPlans.com members will have access to an affordable, portable solution for keeping easily accessible, up-to-date personal health records.

“Our collaboration with DentalPlans.com is a win-win situation because it enables both of our organizations to increase our respective membership bases. I am happy to offer our customers the ability to access quality and affordable dental care with discount dental plans from DentalPlans.com,” said Ronn Schuman, Connectyx President and CEO.

“We’re excited to offer the MedFlash product to our members,” said Evelyn Hennick, Director of Business Development at DentalPlans.com. “This product can help members easily access personal health records – enhancing their overall health care experience – and that is a primary goal at DentalPlans.com.”

Saving dentist offices nationwide approximately 26,000 hours a year combined versus unautomated systems, CIGNA’s (NYSE:CI) electronic system speeds the way for first-time applicants to join the company’s network of dentists. Also called e-onboarding, the paperless credentialing system allows dentists to electronically sign their application and, using the Internet, securely send all required documentation and information such as professional history, licensure, dental specialties and education. Available now to PPO dentists, the new electronic credentialing system is scheduled for release to HMO dentists this fall (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/CIGNA.html> CIGNA).

The electronic system saves in many areas. It reduces a typical four hour process to a single-sitting of 15 to 30 minutes. Also, the process to formally accept and add a dentist to the CIGNA network can now be completed in just 24 hours or less, down from the usual four business days. Paperless systems also support CIGNA’s corporate social responsibility green initiatives. This electronic system alone saves 750,000 pieces of paper per year. Earlier this year, Uptime Institute named CIGNA as one of the Global Green 100 for Corporate Leadership in Information Technology.

“In addition to being environmentally friendly, moving to a paperless system is part of our ongoing effort to make it easier to work with us and give dentists more time to focus on treating patients,” said Julie Vayer, vice president for CIGNA’s dental network and products. “CIGNA also offers network and non-network dentists and their office staff convenient access via the Internet to eligibility, benefits and claim/referral information through our secure website for health care professionals.”

The secure site already offers additional time-and money-saving tools exclusive to both CIGNA network HMO or PPO dentists including free continuing education courses and discounts on products and services through CIGNA Network RewardsSM.

CIGNA’s national PPO network of dentists has more than 60,000 unique dentists serving patients in more than 130,000 office locations. CIGNA also has one of the largest dental HMO networks in the country with 13,700 unique dentists in 43,500 office locations. Individual customers can locate in-network dentists using the dentist directory on http://www.mycigna.com/ or on http://www.cigna.com. Dentists can also contact CIGNA to request information for participation in the company’s dental networks at 800.CIGNA24 (800.244.6224). About CIGNA CIGNA (NYSE:CI), a global health service company, is dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and security. CIGNA Corporation’s operating subsidiaries provide an integrated suite of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance, to approximately 46 million people throughout the United States and around the world. People covered by a CIGNA dental plan can choose their dentists from one of the largest dental HMO and dental PPO networks in the United States. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=18.

Keywords: CIGNA, Technology, Data Management, Practice Management, Health, Dental, Professional Services, Insurance, Gener, Conservation, Data Management, Ecology, Environment, Information Technologies, Insurance, Technology, HMO, Health Insurance, Health Maintenance Organizations.

This article was prepared by Managed Care Weekly Digest editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Managed Care Weekly Digest via <http://www.newsrx.com> NewsRx.com.

When traveling and in need of dental care, help is only a phone call away. MetLife, the largest commercial dental carrier, which administers dental benefits for over 21 million people, announced that the company has added international dental travel assistance services as a standard feature to its Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)-based dental plans.

Effective immediately international dental travel assistance services are now available to all MetLife Preferred Dentist Program (PDP) participants and their covered dependants. While participants have always had the freedom to go out-of-network to use any dentist, even internationally, this new program provides participants traveling internationally with around-the-clock access to multilingual assistance coordinators that can assist in connecting plan participants with dental providers in over 200 countries. For domestic travel, participants can continue to access MetLife’s online directory or customer service center to find a local dentist within the U.S. among the company’s over 124,000 participating dentist locations.

“Access to timely and quality oral health care is important, yet people who experience a dental event away from familiar surroundings may not know where to obtain the services they need. These obstacles may be compounded when the person also does not speak the native language. MetLife added this new program to make it convenient for travelers to obtain information on locally accredited dentists, to help ensure they receive the care they need, when they need it, wherever they might be geographically,” says Mike Schwartz, vice president, MetLife Dental Product Management.

Any time, day or night, a covered participant can simply call collect to a special telephone number and receive a referral to dental providers in over 200 countries. These providers have been selected based upon strict criteria including schooling and training background; local accreditation; specialties covered and staff experience; experience working with foreign patients; English-language proficiency; and access to the technology needed to provide adequate assistance.

International dental travel assistance services are provided through an agreement with AXA Assistance USA, Inc. AXA Assistance is not affiliated with MetLife, and the services they provide are separate and apart from the benefits provided by MetLife.

For more information about international dental travel assistance services contact the MetLife customer service center or your MetLife representative. About MetLife MetLife is a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), a leading provider of insurance, employee benefits and financial services with operations throughout the United States and the Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches more than 70 million customers around the world and MetLife is the largest life insurer in the United States (based on life insurance in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals, as well as group insurance and retirement & savings products and services to corporations and other institutions. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

Keywords: MetLife, Inc., Other Consumer, Health, Travel, Destinations, Vacation, Dental, Other Travel, Professional Services, Insur, Annuities, Asia, Finance, Financial, Financial Services, Insurance, Investing, Investment, Technology

Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Horizon Behavioral Services, LLC. Headquartered in Lewisville, Texas, Horizon Behavioral Services is a leading provider of Employee Assistance Programs to many mid-sized and large employers (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/Aetna.html> Aetna).

The purchase price is approximately $70 million. Aetna expects to finance the transaction from available cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino anti-trust approval and applicable regulatory approvals in California.

Aetna will acquire Horizon Behavioral Services from its parent company, Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSYS) the nation’s largest operator of owned or leased freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities. Horizon Behavioral Services is the third-largest domestic provider of EAP services by membership with approximately 1,400 contracted employer clients representing over 5 million covered employees in all 50 states and countries around the globe. The company provides unlimited 24/7 confidential telephonic consultation, comprehensive online employee assistance program and work/life resources and access to a referral network of more than 14,000 licensed clinicians. Horizon’s clients include publicly and privately held companies, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and various not-for-profit entities such as hospital systems.

“We believe this acquisition will significantly enhance Aetna’s ability to provide a greater variety of EAP services to our customers and will position Aetna as a key player in the domestic EAP business,” said Louise Murphy, vice president and head of Behavioral Health. “Horizon Behavioral Services is a strong addition to Aetna’s EAP business which we believe adds value and provides customers with another reason to select Aetna.” About Aetna Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.8 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com and Aetna’s Annual Report at www.aetna.com/2008annualreport.

Keywords: , Health, Professional Services, Finance, Insurance, General Health, Psychiatric, Acquisitions, Insurance, Mergers, Behavior, Mental Health, Psychiatric, Psychiatry, Aetna.

Access to Oral Health Care Providers in Over 200 Countries

MetLife

Shalana Morris, 212-578-1115

snmorris@metlife.com

or

Karen Eldred, 212-578-9561

keldred@metlife.com

Logo: http://www.metlife.com

When traveling and in need of dental care, help is only a phone call away. MetLife, the largest commercial dental carrier, which administers dental benefits for over 21 million people, announced today that the company has added international dental travel assistance services as a standard feature to its Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)-based dental plans.

Effective immediately international dental travel assistance services are now available to all MetLife Preferred Dentist Program (PDP) participants and their covered dependants. While participants have always had the freedom to go out-of-network to use any dentist, even internationally, this new program provides participants traveling internationally with around-the-clock access to multilingual assistance coordinators that can assist in connecting plan participants with dental providers in over 200 countries. For domestic travel, participants can continue to access MetLife’s online directory or customer service center to find a local dentist within the U.S. among the company’s over 124,000 participating dentist locations.

“Access to timely and quality oral health care is important, yet people who experience a dental event away from familiar surroundings may not know where to obtain the services they need. These obstacles may be compounded when the person also does not speak the native language. MetLife added this new program to make it convenient for travelers to obtain information on locally accredited dentists, to help ensure they receive the care they need, when they need it, wherever they might be geographically,” says Mike Schwartz, vice president, MetLife Dental Product Management.

Any time, day or night, a covered participant can simply call collect to a special telephone number and receive a referral to dental providers in over 200 countries. These providers have been selected based upon strict criteria including schooling and training background; local accreditation; specialties covered and staff experience; experience working with foreign patients; English-language proficiency; and access to the technology needed to provide adequate assistance.

International dental travel assistance services are provided through an agreement with AXA Assistance USA, Inc. AXA Assistance is not affiliated with MetLife, and the services they provide are separate and apart from the benefits provided by MetLife.

For more information about international dental travel assistance services contact the MetLife customer service center or your MetLife representative.

About MetLife

MetLife is a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), a leading provider of insurance, employee benefits and financial services with operations throughout the United States and the Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches more than 70 million customers around the world and MetLife is the largest life insurer in the United States (based on life insurance in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals, as well as group insurance and retirement & savings products and services to corporations and other institutions. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

Active duty service members now have a new dental program that started Aug.1, 2009.

The new Active Duty Dental Program (ADDP) becomes the dental care plan for active duty service members (ADSMs) assigned to locations with no access to a military dental facility. ADDP is also for service members referred by their dental treatment facility (DTF) to the civilian network for specialty care or due to unavailability of timely DTF appointments.

TRICARE Prime Remote enrollees-ADSMs with duty stations and residences more than 50 miles from a military dental facility-are eligible for ADDP. Reserve and National Guard members activated for more than 30 consecutive days on federal orders and who live more than 50 miles from a military dental facility are also eligible for ADDP on their activation date.

ADSMs who live in remote locations, but work within 50 miles of a dental treatment facility will continue to be seen at a DTF.

Of the more than 81,000 dental claims filed each year by ADSMs, approximately 31 percent of them come from service members living and working in remote locations. In the past, the Military Medical Support Office of the TRICARE Management Activity handled remote dental claims and referrals from DTFs. United Concordia, Inc., will now handle these claims and referrals through the new ADDP under a contract awarded in September 2008.

ADSMs using the ADDP will be able to take advantage of United Concordia’s network of dentists and specialists. No enrollment is required.

“United Concordia will establish an extensive dental provider network covering the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands,” said Navy Capt. Robert Mitton, TMA dental program director. “TRICARE wants to ensure a high level of beneficiary satisfaction as well as controlling costs.”

Letters and brochures are being mailed to ADSMs in remote locations to inform them of the new ADDP program. To download the brochure, click the dental section under the appropiate region on the TRICARE Smart site at http://www.tricare.mil/tricaresmart.

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HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released the second in a series of health care success story reports that document innovative programs and initiatives that can serve as models for a reformed American health care system. Today’s report highlights the Nebraska WISEWOMAN program. WISEWOMAN is a community intervention program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that helps prevent heart disease and stroke by providing screenings and counseling for low-income women. The report is available at www.healthreform.gov (see also U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS).

“WISEWOMAN is a great example of a community-based prevention program that can help keep Americans healthy and out of the hospital,” said Secretary Sebelius. “In Nebraska alone, WISEWOMAN helped 19,000 women live healthier lives and significantly reduced their risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.”

The WISEWOMAN program started in 2000; there are now 21 similar programs across the country. In Nebraska, WISEWOMAN partners with health care providers across the state to provide low-income, under- or uninsured women with the information they need to help prevent heart attack and stroke. The program provides risk factor screenings to low-income women at clinics throughout Nebraska and refers women at-risk of heart attack or stroke to experts for additional counseling and care.

The WISEWOMAN program as a whole has reduced the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases in over 84,000 women. Nebraska WISEWOMAN has screened over 19,000 underserved women since its inception in 2000 and has significantly reduced the incidence of chronic disease and death. There has been a 5.4 percent reduction in 10-year estimated chronic heart disease risk and a 7.5 percent reduction in five-year estimated cardiovascular disease risk. Smoking incidence has also declined 7.1 percent since the start of the program.

“WISEWOMAN shows us just how important and successful prevention programs can be,” added Sebelius. “We need to build on the success of this program and ensure health reform makes prevention and wellness a fundamental part of our health care system.”

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Keywords: , Women, Other Consumer, Health, Cardiology, Fitness and Nutrition, Hospitals, Public Policy and

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Epidemiological studies suggest a link between vitamin D deficiency in early life and the later onset of type 1 diabetes. The aim of this matched case-control study was to find the association between vitamin D and T1DM then to study the difference in the level of vitamin D in T1DM and healthy subjects, and to determine the associated environmental risk factors in young Qatari population. The study was carried out among T1DM children and healthy subjects below 16 years at the pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinics of the Hamad General Hospital and the Primary Health care Clinics (PHCs). The survey was conducted over a period from 6 August to 25 December 2007. The subjects were Qatari nationals male and female aged below 16 years. The study is based on matching by age, gender and ethnicity of 170 cases with those of 170 controls. Face-to-face interviews were based on a questionnaire that included variables such as socio-demographic information, assessment of non-dietary covariates, assessment of dietary intake, vitamin D intake, type of feeding, clinical manifestations and laboratory investigations. Their health status was assessed by medical conditions, family history, BMI, past or present clinical manifestations, 25 (OH)D, Calcium, alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, HbA1C, PTH, Mg and creatinine analysis. The study revealed that vitamin D deficiency was considerably higher in T1DM children (90.6%) compared to non-diabetic children (85.3%). There was a significant difference found in the mean value of vitamin D between T1DM and non-diabetic children (P = 0.009). There were statistically significant differences between type 1 diabetic and healthy subjects with respect to the occupation of parents (P < 0.001) and consanguinity rate (P < 0.047). Family history of vitamin D deficiency was considerably higher among T1DM children (35.3%) with a significant difference between diabetic and non-diabetic children (22.9) (P < 0.012). Vitamin D supplement with breast milk was very poor in diabetic children (37.4%) compared to non-diabetic children (47.7%). Majority of the studied subjects were breast-fed children (95.1% of diabetic children and 97.2% of healthy children). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that fathers and mothers occupation, family history of DM, physical activity, low duration of time under sun light, breast feeding less than 6 months and low vitamin D level were considered as the main factors associated with the T1DM. In conclusion, the present study revealed that vitamin D deficiency was higher in T1DM children compared to non-diabetic. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency was common in Qatari young population. Vitamin D intake was very poor in children and it shows that supplementing infants with vitamin D might be a safe and effective strategy for reducing the risk of T1DM.