NUTS AND BOLTS

DataPath Sponsored Events

Other Events

2001 5500 Release Date

Health FSAs: Mileage Expense Increased

Sales/Support Phone Numbers / Email Addresses

DataPath Sponsored Events

April 18-19, 2002
DPI-125 Advanced Users Seminar
Little Rock, AR
Training seminar on Version 2 for users experienced in using DataPath 125.

April 25-26, 2002
Max105 Concept Seminar
Little Rock, AR
Seminar explaining the Max105 Concept and how you can profit from it. Max105 Solution is a complete system for marketing, proposal, administration, and reporting designed for the Personal Producing General Agent (PPGA) to answer the problem for ever-increasing health insurance premiums.

April 30,2002
Max105 Impact Seminar
Chicago, IL
DataPath-sponsored event featuring Success Stories told by Max105 users themselves. The Max105 System is a small group solution to ever-increasing health insurance premiums. designed for the selling PPGA (Personally Producing General Agent) and their supporting PSP (Plan Service Provider or TPA).

June 6-7, 2002
DPI-125 Beginning Users Seminar
Little Rock, AR Training seminar on Version 2 for new users.

June 20-21, 2002
Max105 Concept Seminar
Little Rock, AR
Seminar explaining the Max105 Concept and how you can profit from it.

September 24-26, 2002
Annual DataPath Advanced Seminar
Memphis, TN
Subjects will include COBRA, Defined Contribution, DataPath's Plastic Solution, Internet Administration. John Hickman will be speaking one day on changes in regs. Come exchange ideas with other users over the country.

Go to top.

Other Events

April 28-May 1, 2002
NIPA Conference, Scottsdale, AZ
Subject: The Changing Future of Pension Administration
DataPath will have Trade Show Booth to announce general release of MERP 105 and DataPath COBRA.

April 29, 2002
NAABC Conference, Chicago, IL
DataPath will have Trade Show Booth.

Go to top.

2001 5500s Release Date

The 2001 5500 Tax Forms have been through the first round of EFAST approval. We have made two corrections and re-submitted it for approval. We still expect an April 1 release.

Go to top.

Health FSA:
Travel Mileage Expense Increased

The mileage expense that a participant can pay for transportation primarily for, and essential to, medical care has increased from 12¢ to 13¢ a mile beginning January 1, 2002.

Go to top.

Sales and Support
Phone Numbers and Email Addresses

Telephone Numbers:
Sales: 1-800-633-3841
Tech Support: 1-501-296-9993
Regs Support: 1-501-296-9990 x212

Email Addresses:
Sales: sales@dpath.com
Tech Support: support@dpath.com
Regs Support: regs@dpath.com

Go to top.

ARTICLES

       Report on ECFC Conference by John Robbins, Sr.

       Are You Comfortable with your Backup System?

       Do You Know Where Your Application and Data Files are?

       It's Time for Year-End Processing!

Report on ECFC Conference
by John Robbins, Sr.

We just returned from the ECFC Conference where we learned a lot. I was so glad so many of you were able to be attend, and thanks for stopping by the DataPath booth to visit.

Following are some meeting highlights I want to share with those of you who were not able to attend:

1. Both the Treasury and the IRS are working diligently in a joint effort to issue regulations on the Defined Contribution approach to health plans. Many areas of the Code are touched by the arrangement, including 105, 125, HIPAA, COBRA, and ERISA. The key issues revolve around the "carry-over" provision that has become the common denominator of these arrangements.
2. Even though the IRS issued Rev Ruling 2002-3 prohibiting "Double Dip" arrangements (where health premium deductions premiums are in effect taken twice,) the same marketing groups have since slightly modified the arrangements. However, IRS does not sanction these modifications either, and plans to continue pursuing those continuing to promote these schemes. (If you want to read the ruling, go to http://ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-02-3.pdf.)
3. The Debit Card debate continues, but another player has entered the debate: Evolution Health. The presentation panel on Plastics, chaired by Bob Ottman (AFLAC), included Robert Patricelli (Evolution), Sandy Posa (Mbi), and Bud Bockoven (P&W.) The plot has thickened, but the TPAs, by far, still are not committed to the solutions presented. Some of the issues that arose were:
• The TPAs' main issue is still Claim Substantiation. While the IRS still states that 100% adjudication is required, the questions seem to be (1) just what is adjudication and (2) when does it have to be done. Does it have to be done before payment, or can it be after payment if you have the ability to run down the money for claims paid for ineligible expenses?
• Another set of issues presented by John Hickman of Alston & Bird LLP centered on whether Plan Sponsors using Debit Cards will have to comply with HIPAA electronic transaction format requirements and issue Provider 1099s.

For of those of you that may not know, DataPath is working on a card payment solution that will address all these issues and, at the same time, provide efficient delivery to our TPA Licensees, Plan Sponsors, and Employee Participants. We look to implement it this year, and unveil it late this summer. We will keep you posted.

Go to top

Are You Comfortable with Your Backup System?

A dependable, easy, and comprehensive backup system is essential . . . and hard to find at affordable prices. DataPath has established a strategic alliance with a company that can reduce your backup and recovery costs by up to 50% and improve the level of system and data protection you can provide for your users.

How easy?

With their software, they are able to backup your servers at night over communication lines to their remote facility. This backup is performed unattended, and the data is securely moved across TCP/IP networks to the remote facility quickly and efficiently.

How fast?

How long does a typical backup take? A 10GB server can be backed up in 3 hours per night over an ISDN line and in as little as 15 minutes over DSL or cable modem circuits!

How can it save me money?

This solution automates the backup process of every server on your network. The service is especially cost-effective where you have geographically distributed servers that are connected with a corporate LAN. Here are some of the savings with this software.

• Capital Savings.   No more expensive tape backup devices and the tape media which wear out and have to be replaced.
• Labor Savings.    No more hiring experienced people whose job is to handle the backup and any associated problems.
• Operational Savings.   No more shipping and storage costs to send backup tapes to an off-site location to be stored.

Do you want to hear about some of the other benefits provided?

• Can you use the Internet? Absolutely! The system offers three levels of encryption to protect sensitive data.
• You get FULL RECOVERY! You get a server back with all of your data restored in advance, AND you get to test a full server restore once per year without any additional costs. The only thing you need to do is provide one spare server that matches your approved hardware configuration. We will manage that server and test it on a quarterly basis.
• With this solution, the data is at your fingertips - 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. You can restore the data over the communication line or via physical media delivered to you.
• Enhanced data longevity. With this service, a system independent data format is used which would allow you to restore your Netware data to an Windows 2000 system in three years. You can continue upgrading to stay with the latest and greatest technology and still rest comfortably knowing that your data is accessible.

How do I have to pay for it?

There's a monthly charge based on the amount of your data that is being backed up and protected, and usually this is the only charge. There is no charge for online data restores. However, there is an optional full system recovery service if you so choose. You provide a spare server to be managed and tested as part of the regular backup service.

How do you get started?

Go to top

Do You Know Where Your Application and Data Files are?

Whether you are using DataPath125, DataPath132, or Max105, you will find similarities. You will often hear us refer to these as Applications. This is the part of the software you see—the screens for entering information, running reports, posting contributions, creating payments, and other processes.

.Exe File

When the software is installed on your computer, a folder is created called dpi125, dpi132 or dpi105. These folders are referred to as the Application folders. Within each Application folder is everything needed to run the program, include an .exe file. The .exe file, also known as the executable, contains all the screens for entering data and processing claims and checks. You will have other folders containing reports, letters, and formats/checks.

Data Folder

Another necessary folder is the data folder, The data folder can be on the computer if there is only a single user, or it can be placed on the server for access by multiple users. The decision where to put the data folder is made when the Application is initially installed. If you are a single user and put it on your computer, you can change it if you add users later. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Copy the data folder onto the server.
2. Map the drive to the server from each workstation.
3. Delete the data folder from each workstation.

All data entered into the program, such as Employers, Employees, Benefits, Claims, and Payments, are stored in files in the data folder. If there are multiple users of the Application and the data is on the server, each user will view exactly the same data. In order for everyone to access the data on the server, each computer/workstation must have a mapped drive to the server. When you start your computer, you must be able to log on to the network in order to access the data folder.

It is very important to have a scheduled backup program for the computer on which the data folder resides. You can replace the Application, but replacing the data very difficult, if not impossible. You may also want to backup the reports, letters, and/or formats/checks folder if you have made modifications.

To find out where your data is located, go to Tools | Workstation Settings in DataPath125 and DataPath132 or go to Tools | System Setup in Max105. To find out where your Application folder is, go to Help | About DataPath125/132/Max105 and see the location of the Directory. That is the location of the Application folder.

Go to top

It's Time for Year-End Processing.

It's time for Year-End Processing of cafeteria plans, the process of closing out a Plan Year after the Claims Grace Peirod has ended. During Year-End Processing, any unused contributions are paid by check to the Employer, any amounts reimbursed but not collected are invoiced to the Employer for payment, and each Employee's Account Balance is zeroed out.

When you use the Year-End Processing option (available under the Services menu in DPI125, please be aware of the following:

• The Forfeiture Check is posted to Cash Management when it is printed.
• If you need to unprocess the Year-End closure, Unpost the check in Cash Management—do not Void. (See the manual for step-by-step instructions.)
The POST button posts Contribution Adjustments to zero all Account Balances.
• REPRINT only reprints Invoices.
• Once Year-End Processing is completed, the Plan Year is designated as Closed. No more processing can occur.

Go to top