Posts Tagged ‘Northeast Delta Dental’
Friday, May 10th, 2013
Editor’s Note: Next year – 2014 — and full implementation of the Affordable Care Act will come sooner than many realize. Only recently have many small businesses begun to take stock of what impact the ACA will have on them and their employees. Tom Raffio, president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental provides some relevant information to help New Hampshire small businesses in that analysis.
Beginning Jan. 1, the Affordable Care Act will require individuals to maintain health insurance, employers to make available ‘affordable’ health insurance to employees and states to establish health benefit exchanges, which are web-based marketplaces for medical and dental plans. Like individuals who will pay a penalty for failure to maintain health coverage, employers, too, can be subject to financial penalties for failing to meet their ACA obligations. One big exception: Employers with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees are exempt from at least that employer penalty.
The health benefit exchanges will serve two markets, although both will be accessed via one website; the individual exchange and the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange. Since New Hampshire did not set up its own state-based exchange, individuals and small businesses in New Hampshire will access the federal individual and SHOP exchanges to shop for health and dental plans.
 Thomas Raffio
Carriers planning to offer medical and dental plans to New Hampshire residents on the exchanges are designing and filing plans with the New Hampshire Insurance Department that meet the ACA’s requirements. Carriers, too, have obligations under the ACA, some of which will significantly change what small businesses have seen in plans of prior years. For example, all plans in the individual and small group markets must cover the “essential health benefits” (prescription drug coverage, emergency services, maternity and newborn care are three of them). And, employers must offer plans that meet the “minimum essential coverage” standard, which is an actuarial value of at least 60 percent.
A recent study found that 44 percent of employers feel morally obligated to offer health coverage to their employees. It is not a surprise, then, that many businesses are truly struggling to do right by their employees, but they do not have the information needed to make the best healthcare coverage decisions for their long-term financial interests and their employees. You can read up on exchanges now at www.healthcare.gov, a website that will convert to the federal exchange portal this summer. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s website, www.sba.gov, is another good resource. And, before you calculate how much your business can contribute to your employees’ coverage, go to the IRS’s website, www.irs.gov, to determine if your business is eligible for the Small Business Health Tax Credit, which can equal up to 50 percent of your workers’ health care premiums.
I don’t advise you to rely on a blog for matters as critical as these, so it is best to consult your benefits team to answer questions, such as how to calculate FTE employees, whether your plans meet the ‘affordable’ standard, whether your business is eligible for the small business tax credit and others.
Thomas Raffio
President & CEO
Northeast Delta Dental
Tags: Affordable Healthcare Act, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Northeast Delta Dental, Small Business Health Options Program, Small Business Health Tax Credit, Thomas Raffio
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Planning for the Affordable Healthcare Act
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Antioch University New England was named the 2011 Cornerstone Award winner by New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) at NHBSR’s 8th Annual Spring Conference at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH.
 Governor John Lynch (middle) and NHBSR Interim Executive Director, Kate Luczko (right), present the 2011 NHBSR Cornerstone Award to Antioch University of New England, represented by Tracey Thompson (left), Vice President of Institutional Advancement. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Lomanno Photography) “NHBSR is honored to present the 2011 Cornerstone Award to Antioch University New England,” said NHBSR Interim Executive Director Kate Luczko. “Antioch has been a long-time engaged member of NHBSR and has demonstrated their commitment to corporate social responsibility. They continue to strive to do more and they serve as a role model for other NH organizations to follow.”
Antioch University New England, founded in 1964, and based in Keene, New Hampshire, serves 1,000 students and is a dynamic, innovative institution offering scholarly, practice-oriented graduate study. They have a history of high academic standards, integration of work and study, commitment to bypassed populations, and learner responsibility all intertwined with the New England traditions of self-reliance, small-community values and private action for the public good.
Their community engagement efforts go well beyond that of their organization, but also include providing “transformative education through scholarship, innovation, and community action for a just and sustainable society.” Antioch University New England educates leaders who want to create or work in organizations that are successful, effective, sustainable, and socially and environmentally responsible. Their Green MBA, is ranked in the top 5 nationally by Net Impact.
Antioch has implemented numerous energy-saving measures not only in office areas, but academic spaces as well. This year they launched Community Garden Connections to work with local human service agencies to address problems of food security by supporting the establishment of community gardens and accompanying educational programming. Their Green MBA students engage in multiple projects through which students assist businesses in putting CSR practices to work, such as COOL MONADNOCK, a three-year project that is working to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the Monadnock Region and the 10% Challenge, a collaborative effort between Antioch and the City of Keene, through which students assist Keene businesses in voluntarily reducing green house gas emissions by 10%. They currently have 30 businesses participating.
The two other finalists for this year’s Cornerstone Award were: Northeast Delta Dental and Sequoya Technologies Group.
The NHBSR Cornerstone Award is presented every year at the NHBSR Spring Conference to a company, organization or individual that exemplifies the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and promotes the concepts of CSR to the greater business community within the state of New Hampshire.
This year’s NHBSR Spring Conference, titled “Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into Your Core Business Strategy,” focused on how businesses can fully incorporate more sustainable practices into all aspects of their organization including saving resources and creating a return on investment. The conference incorporated a variety of “green” elements including carbon offset, recycling, minimizing waste and sustainable menu choices.
Additionally, the conference featured an energetic and engaging networking session, numerous morning and afternoon educational breakout sessions, a CEO Panel Discussion, a Silent Auction, and a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability book store.
Tags: Antioch University New England, COOL MONADNOCK, Cornerstone Award, Grappone Conference Center, Kate Luczko, New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, NHBSR, Northeast Delta Dental, Sequoya Technologies Group
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Antioch University New England Named NHBSR 2011 Cornerstone Award Recipient
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility’s (NHBSR) Spring Conference, “Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into Your Core Business Strategy,” will take place on Monday, June 13, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center at the Courtyard Marriott in Concord, NH.
 “Corporate social responsibility isn’t just a good business practice, it also adds to your company’s bottom line,” said NHBSR Interim Executive Director Kate Luczko. “This conference will not only help your business to better meet the needs of your clients and employees, it will also provide you with information you need to grow your business in a sustainable way.”
The conference features a lively morning networking session, the presentation of the NHBSR Cornerstone Award, four educational breakout sessions, and an afternoon CEO panel.
These educational sessions, which will offer real world suggestions that are appropriate and applicable to any size company, include “New Hampshire’s Changing Workforce: The Growing Need for Flexibility,” “Successfully Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into Your Core Strategy and Culture,” “Current Trends in Managing Corporate Citizenship,” and “Managing Sustainability Performance with the Balanced Scorecard.”
At noon, Lisa Hardin Berghaus, Marketing Specialist, Monadnock Paper Mills, NHBSR Board Member and Spring Conference Co-Chair, will introduce Governor John Lynch who will present NHBSR’s annual Cornerstone Award to a company that exemplifies the principles of corporate social responsibility and promotes the concepts of CSR to the greater business community within the state of New Hampshire. The finalists for this year’s Cornerstone Award are: Antioch University, Sequoya Technologies Group, and Northeast Delta Dental.
“NHBSR is delighted to recognize one of our members with this award. It’s a fantastic way to highlight outstanding work in the field of social responsibility and sustainability and provides a important example to our New Hampshire community,” Luczko said.
C&S Wholesale Grocers was the proud recipient of the 2010 NHBSR Cornerstone Award for their efforts in feeding the hungry, promoting environmental awareness and encouraging employee volunteerism.
Here’s a brief overview of this year’s nominees:
Northeast Delta Dental
Northeast Delta Dental specializes in the administration of dental programs. It is their mission to be the leading force in the dental prepayment marketplace by offering quality, versatile and affordable dental programs to benefit their purchasers, subscribers, and participating member dentists. They have created a corporate environment built upon high trust and mutual respect. They are a values-driven company that successfully balances profitability and socially-responsible initiatives. Their leadership team follows the principles of servant leadership, enabling all employees, customers, and stockholders to be free from bureaucratic red tape, to self-actualize, and to have a delightful experience with Northeast Delta Dental.
Antioch University New England
Since its founding in 1964, Antioch University New England (ANE) has supported the tenets of Corporate Social Responsibility, and as its mission, provides transformative graduate study education through scholarship, innovation, and community action for a just and sustainable society. Antioch University New England supports CSR in three ways. Antioch operate the business of running a university using CSR principles, they educate their students in CSR principles, and through many of their student practices and internships, they help businesses and organizations locally and throughout New England recognize and begin to adopt CSR principles.
Sequoya Technologies Group
Sequoya is a managed IT services and software design firm specializing in meeting the needs of small businesses in southern New Hampshire. They’re located in Peterborough and provide IT support throughout the greater Monadnock region, including Keene, Concord, Manchester, and Nashua. They’ve also performedsoftware development projects for clients in New York, Denver, and beyond. They have a dedicated team of technicians, network engineers, and software developers. Sequoya truly believes in the values of a supportive and enjoyable work environment, with many benefits that are unusual for a company of only seven people, including flexible work schedules, paid vacation and sick leave, health insurance for both full-time and part-time staff, and more.
Following the Cornerstone Award Presentation there will be a CEO Panel Discussion, a new feature for the conference. The moderator is Jon Greenberg, Executive Editor at NH Public Radio, and panelists include Gerardine Ferlins, President/CEO of Cirtronics Corporation, Nannu Nobis, founder and CEO of Nobis Engineering, Inc., Doug Vincent, President and CEO of Design Mentor, Inc, Walter Chapin, Co-founder and CEO of Company C, Inc., and John Hamilton, Vice President of Economic Opportunity at the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund. Following the CEO Panel Discussion there will be a short break and the Educational Breakout Sessions from the morning will repeat.
Over twenty-five socially responsible exhibitors will be showcasing their products and services throughout the conference, as well as the Silent Auction and Sustainability Book Store.
This event is made possible by the generosity of many sponsors. Conference Leaders: FairPoint Communications, Normandeau Associates, the New Hampshire Community and Development Finance Authority, Monadnock Paper Mill and Hannaford. Conference Partners; Public Service of New Hampshire, and PAX World. AM Networking sponsor is Nixon Peabody LLP. CEO Panel sponsor is NH Community Loan Fund. Carbon Offset for this event was sponsored by C&S Wholesale Grocers. The Tote-bag sponsors are Northeast Delta Dental and Hypertherm. Design, paper and printing were provided by Baker Salmon Design, Monadnock Paper Mill and RAM Printing. NHBSR web marketing is sponsored by SilverTech.
The cost is $125 for any NHBSR member, $150 for non-members, $50 for non-profits and $30 for students.
For more detailed information about the Spring Conference, please visit http://www.nhbsrconference.org/ or contact Interim Executive Director, Kate Luczko at kate@nhbsr.org, (603) 391-7437. For more information about NHBSR, visit our website at www.nhbsr.org
Tags: Antioch University, Baker Salmon Design, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Cirtronics Corporation, Company C Inc., Cornerstone Award, Courtyard Marriott, Design Mentor Inc., Doug Vincent, FairPoint Communications, Gerardine Ferlins, Grappone Conference Center, Hannaford, Hypertherm, John Hamilton, Jon Greenberg, Kate Luczko, Lisa Hardin Berghaus, Monadnock Paper Mills, Nannu Nobis, New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, New Hampshire Community and Development Finance Authority, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, NH Public Radio, Nixon Peabody LLP, Nobis Engineering Inc., Normandeau Associates, Northeast Delta Dental, Pax World, Public Service of NH, RAM Printing, Sequoya Technologies Group, SilverTech, Walter Chapin
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on NHBSR Spring Conference Planned
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Just as establishing a hockey rink in the middle of a baseball stadium is a tall order of business, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’s business recruitment team and Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) has set an equally ambitious goal – to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and attract new companies from throughout the country and beyond.
The Division of Economic Development and PSNH have announced that they’ve partnered to purchase a full page ad in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic book to be sold during the historic New Year’s Day game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park.
 “With over 34,000 fans expected at the game as well as many others who will purchase the program as a souvenir, we thought that this is a unique way to spread the word about New Hampshire’s low tax, business friendly atmosphere and incredible quality of life,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Communications & Legislative Director Steve Boucher. “States are consistently looking for new ways to reach out to companies in expansion or relocation mode, and the Granite State continues to use creativity to attract the attention of CEOs, site selectors and other decision makers.”
Last week, the Division of Economic Development, PSNH, WTPL and Northeast Delta Dental joined together to celebrate the State’s Winter Classic business recruitment efforts with “Boston Bruins Alumni Day in NH.” A special event at the Red Blazer featured appearances by Boston Bruins legends Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly and Brad Park as well as Bruins mascot Blades and the Bruins Ice Girls. Middleton, a New Hampshire resident, served as the special ambassador for the day’s happenings.
“Public Service of New Hampshire is always supportive of any efforts to bring innovative new companies to our state, and this outreach initiative utilizing the Winter Classic as a backdrop is certainly attracting attention,” said PSNH Economic and Community Development Manager Pat McDermott. “In order to stand out from competing New England states, we need to consistently be thinking beyond the conventional to ensure that New Hampshire is an expanding company’s first choice.”
The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development assists both in-state companies and out of state companies considering doing business in New Hampshire. For more information, visit www.nheconomy.com or call (800) 417-4110.
Tags: Blades, Boston Bruins, Boston Bruins Ice Girls, Brad Park, NH Division of Economic Development, Northeast Delta Dental, Pat McDermott, Philadelphia Flyers, Public Service of New Hampshire, Red Blazer, Rick Middleton, Terry O'Reilly, WTPL
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on State’s Business Recruitment Efforts Take to the Ice
Monday, December 14th, 2009
If you happen to see a giant, fearsome looking bear mascot walking down Manchester Street accompanied by a bevy of attractive girls in Boston Bruins gear, it’s to be expected. Boston Bruins mascot Blades and the Bruins Ice Girls have been added to the bill of the Boston Bruins Alumni Day in New Hampshire at the Red Blazer on Thursday, December 17th from 2-5 p.m.
 Former Boston Bruins greats Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly and Brad Park will be featured at this event which will kick off with an autograph signing from 2-3 p.m. leading into a live radio broadcast of Jack Heath’s “New Hampshire Today” program on WTPL 107.7 FM from 3-5 p.m. The trio of Bruins greats will be appearing in the Granite State in advance of their participation in the Boston Bruins AT&T Legends Classic at Fenway Park in Boston on January 2nd.
Blades the Bruin has been entertaining Bruins fans with his wild antics for years while the Ice Girls, the official on-ice dance team, have been a welcome addition to the rough and tumble team and a staple of Bruins charity events. Together, they will be available for autographs and help coordinate raffles for game tickets, Bruins gear and autographed items.
 Boston Bruins Alumni Day in New Hampshire is sponsored by the WTPL, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Public Service of New Hampshire and Northeast Delta Dental. The Division of Economic Development is using the event as a way to promote its full page advertisement in the Bruins Winter Classic Program to be sold at Fenway Park during the New Year’s Day outdoor contest between the Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers.
Fans planning to attend the event are urged to bring their own items (one item per attendee) to be signed. For more details, listen to Jack Heath’s “New Hampshire Today” show Monday-Friday from 3-5 p.m. or visit the Division of Economic Development’s No Bull Business Blog at http://blog.nheconomy.com/.
Tags: Blades, Boston Bruins, Boston Bruins Ice Girls, Brad Park, Jack Heath, NH Division of Economic Development, Northeast Delta Dental, Public Service of New Hampshire, Rick Middleton, Terry O'Reilly, WTPL
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Blades & Ice Girls Added to Boston Bruins Alumni Day in NH
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