November 17, 2005
Human Resource Outsourcing Company Provides Clients with Access to National and State-Specific Information on Coverage and Eligibility
MINNEAPOLIS (November 17, 2005) - Ceridian (
www.,myceridian.com), a leader in managed human resource outsourcing solutions that maximize the value of people, has introduced a new tool to its work-life and employee assistance program (EAP) Web site, LifeWorks Online, that will help employee caregivers and mature workers reduce the stress and time spent gathering and understanding national and state-specific information on Medicare coverage and eligibility.
Medicare Interactive, a Web-based counseling and training tool provided through the Medicare Rights Center, delivers clear and accurate information about Medicare in an easy-to-use, interactive online format. It is available to employees of organizations that provide Ceridian EAP and work-life services as part of their employee benefit package. This tool enables users at all levels of familiarity with Medicare to get fast, straightforward answers to their Medicare questions. With Medicare Interactive, mature workers and employee caregivers gain clear information about Medicare, including state-specific coverage for most states, case examples and other frequently asked questions.
Medicare is a growing concern for members of the Baby Boom generation-it is likely to impact both their elderly parents and their own financial futures. As elder care grows, more and more adult children find themselves navigating the complex maze of Medicare and health care coverage for their older relatives or even themselves. Attempts to find and understand this information can take hours and hours, often involving time on the phone during work.
"By providing our clients with access to Medicare Interactive, Ceridian will empower these workers with resources and knowledge," said Diane Piktialis, Ph.D., work-life services director for Ceridian. "Medicare Interactive will be especially helpful this fall with the introduction of the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program, which presents Medicare beneficiaries with the daunting task of choosing from an array of competing private plans." Coverage begins January 1, 2006 if a beneficiary enrolls prior to that date.
Medicare Interactive shows customers how the federally sponsored program compares to specific state prescription plans if they work together and how to choose the option that will provide the greatest value. Unlike existing government sites, Medicare Interactive coordinates federal, state, and local information in an easily searchable format tested by top health literacy experts.
Ceridian was the nation's first provider of fully integrated EAP, work-life and wellness services. Today, Ceridian's EAP and work-life services are utilized by more than 25,000 organizations worldwide of all sizes in virtually every industry.
With the inclusion of the Medicare Interactive tool into Ceridian's already robust LifeWorks Employee Effectiveness program portfolio, Ceridian is further expanding its wide range of resources for employee caregivers. Earlier this year, Ceridian was awarded a 2005 Caregiver Friendly Award for "What Help Does My Older Relative Need?," an interactive self-assessment that helps caregivers and their family members identify and prioritize major areas of elder care problems and link to information, local resources and support for addressing those concerns.
About the Medicare Rights Center
With over 15 years of experience, the Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is America's largest independent source of health care information and assistance for older adults and people with disabilities. Its mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit is to help its clients get good, affordable health care-we achieve this by providing direct services to more than 10,000 individuals each year, by educating consumers and professionals about benefits, rights, and options for people with Medicare, and by partnering with public and private sector groups, including CMS, the New York State Office for the Aging, and AARP.
About Ceridian
Ceridian is changing the world of work by enabling companies to be free to succeed in their core business through its suite of innovative managed human resource solutions that include payroll and compensation, staffing, compliance, HR administration and employee effectiveness. Ceridian Corporation (NYSE: CEN) is an information services company serving businesses and employees in the United States, Canada and Europe. For more information about the human resource outsourcing company's comprehensive array of solutions, visit
www.myceridian.com or call (800) 729-7655.