First Administrators, Inc. To Increase Sioux City Workforce
Benefits administrator First Administrators, Inc. (FAI) plans to add as many as 46 full-time employees to its current Sioux City operation’s staff and renovate its existing facility at 1201 Zenith Drive, starting this year. FAI processes health, dental, flex, short-term disability and pharmacy benefits, and handles claims payment and administration for group employees, including administration for several large employers in Sioux City.
The new positions are primarily in the areas of customer service and claims processing, offer annual salaries starting at approximately $19,000 and up, and include a full-benefit package. Renovation of the facility (located at the intersection of Hamilton Blvd. & I-29), the purchase of equipment, and job training reflect a total investment of approximately $2,200,000. The City worked closely with Mike Tramontina, Director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development Office, to secure the project. An application for state and local financial assistance exceeding $1,000,000 in withholding tax credits through the Targeted Jobs Withholding Tax Credit Program and various tax incentives within the Enterprise Zone program has been requested and will go before the City Council on Monday. Marty Dougherty, Sioux City Economic Development Director, said, “We are very pleased that First Administrators has the opportunity to expand its business and increase the number of quality jobs in Sioux City.”
"As a hub for many insurance and financial industry giants, we are thrilled whenever a company like Wellmark and its subsidiary First Administrators choose to expand their operation and bring new jobs to Iowa," said Governor Chet Culver. "This is yet another example of the golden opportunities that are now emerging around the state, giving Iowans a chance to build a better future for themselves and their families."
FAI President and Chief Executive Officer Tricia Johnson is located in Sioux City and looks forward to the growth opportunity. First Administrators offers 25 years of experience as a third-party administrator.
Member
ID Cards Now Use Alternate ID
To help protect member identity,
First Administrators has removed Social Scurity Numbers
from ID cards and replaced
them with an alternate form of identification that is unique
to each individual.
FAI is rolling out the alternate ID
cards throughout 2007 and should be complete no later
than January 1, 2008.
First Administrators Partners
With the Phia Group for Subrogation
As of March 2007, First Administrators is partnering
with The Phia Group on third party liability/subrogation
efforts.
Issue Background
In recent years, issues surrounding subrogation
and an employer’s ability to effectively achieve
recoveries have grown more complicated and contentious.
At the same time, federal courts have
created dents
in the ERISA subrogation shield making it
even more critical for plan administrators to enhance
claim and case monitoring systems.
The self-insured industry has been hit hard by legal rulings
from the federal courts regarding a plan administrator’s
right to subrogate. Benefit plans using subrogation as
an effective cost control device must be even more diligent
in enforcing this right.
The FAI/Phia Group Partnership
After evaluating
several vendors, FAI ultimately contracted with The Phia
Group based on their subrogation experience and success
in
recovering
funds in today’s legal environment. Two key factors
in our choice of The Phia Group’s program include:
- the Phia Group's use of their own staff of attorneys
- the development
of proprietary software that identifies potential
recoveries.
We anticipate The Phia Group will expand
our clients’ opportunities to recover additional
subrogation funds.
Related Article
The
Phia Group & Law Offices of Russo & Minchoff
Listed in 2008 A.M. Best’s Directory of Recommended
Experts
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