News from Assurance, BerniePortal, Cigna, Envestnet,Express Scripts, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, HubInternational, OneDigital, The Travelers Companies, and more.(Photo: Shutterstock)

Much is happening in the employee benefits industry and itsrelated fields. We've heard of a good number of partnerships andcollaborations, as well as promotions and new hires. If we missedany announcements, send them using our contact form or contact this editor forinclusion next time.

The TravelersCompanies, Inc. reported an almost 40 percent reduction in theuse of opioids among injured construction workers it has helped,thanks to a combination of its Early Severity Predictor model andits comprehensive pharmacy management program. The Early SeverityPredictor helps forecast which injured employees are at higher riskof developing chronic pain, while the pharmacy management programmonitors drug interactions, excessive dosing and abuse patterns toreduce the risk of opioid dependency.

StandardInsurance Company announced that the Missouri StateEmployees' Retirement System received its latest WorkplacePossibilitiesSM Champions award for its outstanding return-to-workand stay-at-work programs.The award honors employers that haveachieved excellence with the Workplace Possibilities program, whichhelps manage absence and disability in the workplace.

PreferredOne is partnering with Wellbeats to bringon-demand, virtual fitness to employer groups. PreferredOne willoffer Wellbeats to fully insured groups upon renewal beginning inJuly. Self-insured groups will also have the option to addWellbeats to their plan design. Wellbeats delivers more than 400on-demand fitness classes available online or through an Android oriOS app.

OneDigitalHealth and Benefits acquired Northwestern Benefit, a employeebenefits broker and one of the largest independent benefit firms inthe country. This is the largest acquisition in OneDigital'shistory, bringing the company to nearly 50,000 employer clients andover 1,600 employees around the country. Northwestern Benefit CEODavid Asbury will join the OneDigital team asSenior Managing Principal, with its other employees staying on inclient-facing positions or corporate positions.

Kara Duckworth, CFP CDFA, has been promoted toManaging Director of Client Experience at Mercer GlobalAdvisors. Duckworth joined Mercer Advisors in 2017 as part ofDuckworth Wealth Advisors. Mercer Advisors had acquired the firmshe and her father, Michael Duckworth, founded in 1998. In hernewly created position, Duckworth will focus on client engagementand retention across Mercer Advisors' offices nationwide. She willcontinue her role as a client advisor out of the Newport Beachoffice.

HubInternational Limited, a global insurance brokerage, announcedit has acquired the assets of Colorado-based RiteHealth Solutions,Inc. (RiteHealth). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.RiteHealth is owned and operated by Rachel Zeman.Ms. Zeman will join Hub Colorado as a senior employee benefitsconsultant.

The HilbGroup announced the acquisition of Connecticut-based eBenefitsGroup Northeast, LLC. The transaction became effective April 1,2019. Headquartered in Unionville, Connecticut, eBenefits is afull-service employee benefits firm providing solutions tobusinesses, non-profits and municipalities throughout theNortheast. It will continue to operate out of its current locationsin Unionville and Wallingford.

TheFINRA Investor Education Foundation and the AmericanLibrary Association announced the selection of 50 U.S.public libraries to be part of a national tour of the travelingexhibition, Thinking Money for Kids.Thinking Money for Kids is anew financial literacy experience for children ages 7 to 11, aswell as their parents, caregivers and educators. The newexhibit will travel from August 2019 through July 2021. marketingand evaluation requirements.

Envestnet, a provider of intelligent systems forwealth management and financial wellness, announced it will acquirePIEtech, Inc., the creator of the MoneyGuide family of financialplanning applications. The transaction is expected to closemid-year 2019 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

EaseCentral,an HR and benefits solution for SMBs, insurance brokers, andinsurance carriers, announced its name change toEase. It also announced the close of its $19million Series B funding round led by Centana Growth Partners. Andit announced two key hires:  PetarNedyalkov as COO and Toshi Kureha as VPEngineering.

Cigna andExpress Scripts announced the launch of thePatient Assurance ProgramSM, which aims to ensure eligible peoplewith diabetes in participating plans pay no more than $25 for a30-day supply of insulin. The Patient Assurance Programwill be available to members in participating non-government fundedpharmacy plans managed by Express Scripts, including Cigna and manyother health plans, with out-of-pocket costs for insulin greaterthan $25.

BerniePortal announced that The Guardian LifeInsurance Company of America is expanding its suite ofbenefit offerings through BernieBill. Through the expandedpartnership, Guardian adds critical illness, accident and hospitalindemnity coverage to its existing suite of dental, vision, lifeand disability benefits available through BernieBill.

Assurance announced the promotion of DanPassananti to senior vice president of operations atAssurance. He was previously senior vice president of businessprocess and learning for the organization. He will continue to workout of Assurance's Schaumburg, Ill. headquarters and willstreamline and implement new processes, manage the BusinessProcess, Process Support and Learning and Development teams,re-vamp tools for staff and clients, as well as serve asAssurance's Privacy Officer.

AmWINSGroup, a global distributor of specialty insurance products andservices, announced the following new hires and promotions:

• AmWINS Specialty Logistics Underwriters: HermanCruz as a Senior Vice President
• AmWINS Access: Scott Sauter, DebbieAnderson and Jeremy Bright to itspersonal lines team and Mike Ramirez to itscommercial P&C binding team
• AmWINS Brokerage: Josh Ammons has succeededDoug Sanders as branch leader of AmWINS Brokerage of the Carolinasin Charlotte, N.C. Andrea Dickinson has succeededBill Markin as co-branch leader of AmWINS Brokerage ofTennessee.

AlyfeWellbeing Strategies announced the following appointments:

• Lynn Henry to the position of chief operatingofficer. Henry will be responsible for developing high-performingteams that drive customer service excellence and overseeing Alyfe'smarket-focused products and services.
• Kris Zitzmann to vice president of strategicsolutions. Zitzmann will leverage her experience working withFortune 500 companies to help Alyfe develop comprehensive wellbeingprograms that meet the needs of a new workforce.

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