Tough Decision Will Lead To Better Healthcare Benefits, ACEC Life/Health Trust Says The decision to partner with UnitedHealthcare as the new health care insurer of the ACEC Life/Health Trust was a difficult one, but one that will provide substantial improvement in benefits to members, said ACEC Life/Health Insurance Trust Chairman Michael W. Springstead, vice president of Springstead Engineering, Inc. in Leesburg, Fla. Employees of approximately 1,400 member firms who are currently insured under ACEC Life/Health Trust programs will be affected when UnitedHealthcare replaces Trustmark and HealthPlan Services as the Life/Health Trust insurer and service provider beginning August 1, 2007. According to Springstead, the Life/Health Trustees had been considering a possible change in insurers for more than six months before arriving at a decision only recently. "This was a well-thought out process. We liked how things were going with the current insurer, but felt a responsibility to look for ways to improve coverage and value for our members," Springstead said. "We are confident that this is the right decision for our member firms and their employees." Springstead called the programs and services available from UnitedHealthcare far more comprehensive than the current provider. "It's a larger company that will provide better options and more cost effectiveness for members through its network and leading edge technology," he said. One of the apparent benefits is the consolidation of various healthcare services, which will now be grouped under one company. "We basically were a prime contractor with 10 vendors, each with its own profit center, requiring complicated and expensive integration solutions. "UnitedHealthcare also provides tools and easy access to healthcare quality and cost information that will help members make better and more conscious health care decisions," Springstead said. "Overall, we believe this change will allow us to better engage employees in heathcare decision-making while in return reducing healthcare costs." The ACEC Life/Health Insurance Trust is an independent program that offers insurance benefits to member firms. The Trust is overseen by a Board of Trustees that includes, in addition to Springstead, Philip Budde of Strand Associates, Inc., Madison, Wis.; Roger Jacobson of Engineering Associates, Cody, Wyo.; Derrell Johnson (trustee emeritus), Southlake, Tex.; Ray Messer of Walter P. Moore & Associates, Inc., Houston, Texas; Gordon Meurer of Meurer & Associates, Inc., Lakewood, Colo.; and Steve Mincey of DES Architects + Engineers in Redwood City, Calif.

Campaign Underway To Support Critical Study On QBS University of Colorado Professor Hyman Brown emphasized the importance of member participation in the QBS study at the ACEC Board of Directors meeting. Continued state and federal challenges to Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) make it imperative that members strongly support an ongoing ACEC-commissioned university research initiative. Researchers from the University of Colorado and Georgia Tech are conducting important empirical research on the value of QBS that will clearly illustrate the benefits for public and private owners. Researchers are seeking data on as many projects as possible, including life-cycle costs, client satisfaction, schedule, and the achievement of community/societal goals such as sustainability. ACEC is strongly encouraging members to participate in the study which will involve data collection on projects from throughout the nation. Members can submit projects to the research effort by clicking here. The process takes only a few minutes, and all information will remain strictly confidential. Both successful and unsuccessful projects are needed. "QBS is one of the cornerstones of our industry, and our members should support the effort to gather empirical evidence," said ACEC President Dave Raymond. "The study is timely, given the challenges to QBS we are witnessing in the states and at the federal level." Member Organization leaders are being solicited for their help in generating participation in the survey. Suggested goals have been presented to the states to ensure that project submissions represent an accurate picture of the industry around the country. Click here to view state-by-state goals. At the recent Annual Convention, Colorado University Professor Hyman Brown, a research team member, briefed ACEC's Board on the study's objectives and progress to date. He also urged ACEC members to continue to submit project information to further build the pool of data. "It is incumbent on members of ACEC to understand how important this research is for their industry and to participate," Brown said. Colorado University Professor Paul Chinowsky, who is leading the research effort, is available to answer questions about the study at paul.chinowsky@colorado.edu. Further information is available by contacting Steve Hall, ACEC's vice president of Government Affairs at shall@acec.org or Jeffrey Beard, ACEC's vice president of Business Affairs at jbeard@acec.org.

Lobbying Yields Results On 3% Withholding; Bill Sponsor Commends ACEC Support for House and Senate legislation to repeal a burdensome 3 percent withholding mandate is significantly growing following a May Congressional lobbying campaign that included hundreds of visits from ACEC members during the Annual Convention. The increased congressional support is particularly pronounced in the House, where 50 new cosponsors of the repeal legislation (H.R. 1023) have been added since the Convention. "ACEC is really doing a great job in building support for this legislation," said Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL), the primary sponsor of the repeal bill. "To move this legislation, we’re going to need all the support we can get, and grassroots lobbying from your membership is a central piece of that effort." Rep. Meek's legislation would repeal Section 511 of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, which mandates that federal and state agencies, as well as some larger local governments, withhold 3 percent from payments for goods and services. This provision, which goes into effect in 2011, will cover all government contracts as well as any payment to any person for a service or product provided to a government entity. ACEC members are urged to fax their respective House and Senate members to cosponsor H.R. 1023 and its Senate counterpart, S. 777. Click here to view the list of House and Senate members who are already supporting the repeal legislation. For a sample letter to send to House offices, click here; for a sample Senate letter, click here. ACEC members should FAX their letters to House and Senate offices. Click here for fax information.

Upcoming Online Seminars Proven Strategies for Enhancing Performance June 6, 1:30-3 p.m.                   1.5 PDHs Based on the findings of Bright Enterprises' 2003-06 Strategies for Enhancing Performance study, Deb Bright will present insights and discussion on the most effective performance control practices, creating a more effective work environment and mitigating the negative effects of stress. Click here to register. How to Plan Your Project More Effectively June 13, 1-4 p.m. (Special extended session!)         3 PDHs This jam-packed extended three-hour online seminar will outline a system for improving the project planning process that will "increase your firm's bottom line by a minimum of 10-20 percent," according to presenter Gary Bates, Roenker Bates Group. Participants will gain new strategies and systems for increasing employee productivity and an understanding of planning as a roadmap for increased profitability. Click here to register. The Critical Case for Defending Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) June 14, 1:30-3 p.m.                   1.5 PDHs A fresh and timely look at QBS benefits in overall project design, quality, cost and delivery. Kurt Corey, City of Eugene, OR; Paul Chinowsky, Professor, University of Colorado; and Jeff Beard, ACEC, will also examine a critical new ACEC-APWA research study currently underway in response to an environment of increasing challenges to existing federal and state laws and regulations protecting QBS. Click here to register.

Still Time To Register For Hot Summer Courses: Project Management and Green Infrastructure Project Management for Project Leaders June 11-12, Evanston (Chicago), IL Participants will learn new management skills and techniques essential for cost-effective management in today's information-driven environment, presented by ACEC and Northwestern University. Click here to register. Click here for details and to register. The Business of Design Consulting (BDC): A Best Practices Educational Event for the Engineering Firm of the 21st Century June 20-23, Boston, MA This is the course previous attendees have called "outstanding," "well worth the time," and "a great learning experience." Click here to register. Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities July 16-19, Denver, CO A new summer institute program for engineers, planners, developers and A/E/C professionals presented by ACEC and Colorado State University, this course lays out the interdisciplinary challenges of real world sustainability. Click here to register.

Copyright © 2007 by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photographic, or other means without the prior written permission of ACEC.

Click here to review past editions of the Last Word.

Click here to subscribe to the Last Word.