The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page 44

Money E4 Wednesday, April 12, 1995 Rockland Journal-News IBM team with utility to connect homes with offer simple connections from outside the house to emerging information superhighway technology, IBM and TECO said. As Gregg Ehlers, a TECO executive pointed out- "When ET calls home, someone can answer." requires no rewiring and only two computing units for each house: a high-tech box outside and a desktop computer inside. The outside unit, called SHU-box, for Smart Home Unit, will be 10 inches long, 8 inches wide and 4 inches thick. It will consist of a state-of-the-art PowerPC processor, a computer brain jointly developed by IBM, Apple Computer Inc. and Motorola Inc.

And the box will be attached to the electric meter outside the house. ployees of the Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM and TECO Energy, the utility involved in the partnership. Another 100 homes of a cross-section of Tampa residents, and 10 to 15 businesses, will be added a short while later. Testing of so-called "smart homes" is underway by several other utility and technology companies, but most of them have required rewiring of homes before they could be linked to computers. The IBM-TECO effort, however, IBM's Aptiva personal computers inside the house will receive data from the outside units and monitor and control everything running on electric power.

The PCs will be able to, for example, single out appliances using large amounts of energy, and program lights to shut in case homeowners forget, IBM spokesman John Boudreaux said. The program will also enable utilities to read meters and prepare bills without visiting homes and businesses, and spot and quickly analyze power outages, IBM and TECO said. If the effort is successful, more test programs will be launched across the nation and, ultimately, the SHUbox and related technology will be sold by IBM and TECO to other utilities, TECO spokesman Michael Mahoney said. The new devices will not just connect toasters and TV sets to desktop computers, but will also SNAPPLE VENDING ROUTE $500 PART TIME PER WEEK MIN. INV.

$5,495 1-800-738-8333 Consumers select Oxford as the top-rated health plan in ihetro New "fork: Oxford's point-of-service plan rated highest In a recent independent consumer study, Oxford was rated 1 in terms of overall satisfaction among the 9 leading managed care plans in the metropolitan New York area. i We know that we are still far from perfect. Many opportunities remain to improve our performance. But we also thought this an appropriate time to give our non-members an overview of how we earned this welcome rating. Recognizing our responsibility to you Major health plans in metropolitan New York were rated in 9 categories.

Among point-of-service plans, Oxford ranked highest in 8 categories. An emphasis on health We believe prevention, early intervention and expert management of acute care are essential to improving the quality of people's lives. Oxford begins by recognizing that everyone is different and has different healthcare needs. Through our Active Partner Program, Members who are due for annual checkups, mammograms, Pap smears and other routine preventive visits are automatically identified and sent a postcard reminder. In addition, we have developed innovative Self Help Kits to better manage asthma, pregnancy and other chronic Satisfaction with Oxford Freedom Plam 1 Primary Care Physicians ,1 Specialist Care 1 Out-of-Network Reimbursement 2 Administration 1 Choice of Hospitals 1 Choice of Pharmacies 1 Preventive Care Reminders 1 Improved Health Well Being 1 Scwvt: CanDahf Xepirtt, Ik.

1994 We recognize that Oxford enters some of our Members' lives in times of uncertainty, illness andor injury. In such circumstances, people need to devote all of their essentially introduced the concept of choice to managed care in the tri-state area via our Oxford Freedom PlanSM. It has become a model of energies to getting well, confident they are in the best hands possible, medically speaking, and managed care plans that allow Members to use any doctors they wish, in or out of our Network, each that tKeir needs will be fully met. Phil Waga Staff Writer In a move that will let homeowners turn on lights in the house or turn off stereos in teen-agers' rooms without leaving their desktop computers, IBM and a Florida utility yesterday announced a joint program to connect homes to PCs. To begin in early June and last for three months, the pilot program will first cover 100 Tampa homes of current and retired em- Americans pessimistic about future AMERICANS cop'jnued from E1 directed to the main financial decision-maker in a representative sample of households nationwide.

Respondents were more than 2-1 male, but responses were otherwise adjusted to reflect the population. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent. All in all, Americans were fretting less about money than last year, the results showed. An unexpected $1,000 bill would cause trouble for only 39 percent, down from 48 percent last year. Fifty-five percent said they worry often about money, compared with 61 percent last year.

Even the specter of layoffs amid the continued trend in downsizing spooked fewer Americans. Sixty-four percent of those polled said they'd have trouble finding a new job if they lost theirs, compared with 74 percent last year. Yet many feel anything but sanguine about the future, the survey showed. Half those surveyed felt that the economy wouldn't get better in 1995, and 22 percent predicted a decline. Fifty-five percent of those polled said the country is in a "long-term decline," while 45 percent disagreed.

In a clear sign of pessimism, 45 percent of those surveyed felt they would have just enough or not enough money to live on in their retirement years. What can be done to help the U.S. economy? Most of those polled didn't have much faith in Washington, although they did have some suggestions of their own. Asked for their views on the politicians and bureaucrats in the capital, 89 percent said they don't trust them to make the right decisions and only 19 percent said they're getting their money's worth from the federal government. The top priority for Clinton and the Congress should be balancing the federal budget through a Constitutional amendment or spending cuts, according to 61 percent of respondents.

That compared with 31 percent last year. Further, 58 percent favored a flat income tax of 17 percent after personal and child deductions, the survey found. Of course, there are always those who find money too taxing an issue to ponder at all. Asked which they thought about more often, 44 percent said money and 15 percent said sex. But 16 percent of respondents said their thoughts never strayed to either, an increase of three percentage points from last year.

Trump selling controlling interest in Plaza Hotel The Associated Press SINGAPORE Donald Trump is selling a controlling interest in the Plaza Hotel, a landmark adjoining New York's Central Park, to a Saudi Arabian prince and a Singapore-based hotel company. The deal, announced yesterday in Singapore, caps months of speculation about the fate of the Plaza, one of the most prestigious addresses in the city. CDL Hotels International the hotel arm of Singapore Hong Leong Group, said it has formed a joint venture with an entity controlled by Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Saud. That venture will join Trump and a group of banks as owners. Trump currently owns 51 percent of the Plaza.

The rest is owned by the banks, which obtained their interest from Trump three years ago in exchange for a substantial reduction in his bank debt frequent conditions. Among the most popular is our Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby program which identifies expectant mothers and guides them carefully through the entire process of having a baby. Keeping it all in perspective While research indicates that people are generally happier with managed care with traditional indemnity insurance, it has also pointed out that consumers are not terribly satisfied with the managed care industry overall. This is of great concern to us, and we are committed to working continuously to change that opinion. One way we are working to further increase Member satisfaction is by constantly monitoring our performance through communications with Members and Physicians.

These include regular surveys to identify specific areas of improvement, and special toll-free telephone numbers dedicated to physician callers and Members having quality-related questions andor comments. Our approach to delivering healthcare can be summed up in one principle: high quality and cost-effectiveness go hand in hand. Oxford's provider network is comprised exclusively of board-certified or recently board-eligible physicians in private practice. To become an Oxford Physician, doctors must meet standards so strict, nearly 50 percent of physicians in our service area don't make the grade. We also continually review practice patterns and outcomes to ensure that our Physicians continue to deliver the high standard of care our Members expect.

Taken together, these efforts ensure top quality care while helping us deliver savings on premiums of up to 30 percent. Flexible plans; unlimited choices Our health plans, services, programs in fact our formation as a company all emanated from the needs of the marketplace. Oxford Physicians recommend Oxford -1994 Percent of Oxford Physicians who renew How the Oxford Freedom Plan works Percent of Oxford Physicians who would recommend Oxford to a colleague time they seek care. Our Physician network now numbers more than 18,000 Private Practice Physicians with admitting privileges to all hospitals in the tri-state area. The typical Oxford Member can usually choose among 6 Oxford Primary Care Physicians within 5 miles of home, which often include their own doctors.

As a testament to the high quality of our physicians and successful physician recruiting efforts, more than 90 percent of Members in our health plans eventually use our In-Network Physicians. Strong physician relationships Oxford Physicians have always been in on the ground floor of our policy-making process, and we emphasize reciprocal information sharing and constant communication. Over the past 1 8 months, Oxford has assisted 2,000 physicians in forming new kinds of medical groups that allow them to continue in private practice while linking them to the resources of a larger group structure. During the next 18 months, we expect to help another 8,000 physicians form such groups. These collaborative efforts have earned the respect of the medical community.

In turn, this has fostered uncommonly high loyalty and commitment among Oxford Physicians while attracting other medical leaders into the Oxford Network. Timely, accurate and personable service When Members call us, they are looking for immediate help with a problem or concern. Our friendly, knowledgeable Customer Service Associates are able to immediately assist Members because our service structure empowers one-stop, responsive service. Instead of being organized "horizontally" into one big department with system-wide responsibility, Oxford consists of several highly skilled, versatile "teams" specializing in the needs of Members in specific geographic areas. Representatives in each Service Team are cross-trained, meaning each can answer inquiries, process claims, and interact with doctors and hospitals.

In almost all cases, they can answer the questions our Members ask without transferring calls to other departments. When a Freedom Plan Member decides to see a doctor: Our strategy of collaboration and partnership, and emphasis on the highest quality cart have earned respect and loyalty among physicians. In-Network You receive care from your Oxford Primary Care Physician or from an Oxford Participating Specialist with an authorized referral. Out-of-Network You receive care from a physician other than your Oxford Primary Care Physician or from an Oxford Participating Specialist without an authorized referral. Most important, Oxford recognizes that it is the human element that makes the real difference in quality healthcare.

Our 2,000 employees and over 18,000 participating physicians share a responsive, make-a-difference attitude that ultimately drives our Members' satisfaction. We pledge to continue our efforts to lead our industry toward greater, more meaningful accomplishments in meeting the needs of the people we serve. You receive coverage through the Oxford Network system. You receive conventional insurance coverage. Coverage Deductibles Coinsurance Claim forms Usual and customary fee limitations No preventive coverage Coverage 100 comprehensive coverage after office repayment No deductibles No coinsurance No claim forms Free preventive care Oxford Health Plans More than healthcare.

HumanCare. Call your insurance broker or Oxford today 800-846-6235 ext.912 Oxford's point-of-service plans allow Members to see any physician they choose. Still, over 90 percent eventually choose Oxford Physicians. lmy ciPrticlrf JilrOcNfcr im kMki tek City. Lm Mini Wiilrttuw.

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