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Jopari Solutions and Minotaur Group Bring Debit Card Convenience to Workers' Compensation Agreement Offers Insurers And Employers New Strategy To Lower Costs And Expedite Cash Needs Of Injured Workers

Concord, CA. — March 30, 2004 — Jopari Solutions, Inc., a payments automation company providing advanced disbursement processing technology to the insurance industry, and Minotaur Group, providing payment solutions empowering communities and companies whose employees don’t have access to bank accounts by choice or circumstance, announced a joint marketing agreement today. The agreement allows Jopari to deliver workers compensation claims payments using pre-paid debit card services designed to lower insurers’ payments processing costs and satisfy the cash access needs of under-banked workers.

The Jopari and Minotaur solution addresses the 56 million under-banked individuals in the United States, including more than 4.5 million in California , a significant percentage who work and are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in the event of on-the-job injury. Workers who presently receive compensation benefits must use payday lenders or check cashers, incurring high fees, delays and difficult procedures simply to obtain their legally mandated benefits. Insurers now also incur extra costs in tracking and verifying payments in order to avoid penalties and recurrent risks of duplicate payment disbursement.

Jopari and Minotaur have combined their deep understanding of workers’ compensation claim payments and knowledge of debit card services for the under-banked market to create an innovative solution to a growing workers’ compensation industry dilemma.

Said Steve Stevens , Jopari’s president and CEO: “We are extremely pleased to partner with Minotaur, whose debit card technology is state-of-the-art and whose distribution strategy is uniquely positioned to assist Jopari in building better payment processing options in order to lower workers’ compensation cash access costs. A growing number of insurers and self insurers realize they simply must improve their payments technology, specifically by adding electronic disbursements, to keep up with market change. Our debit card services are a very welcome new option for insurers interested in the welfare of all their claimants.”

Ronald Rawson, CEO of The Minotaur Group said, “Our goal in working with Jopari is to provide an insurer or employer-sponsored debit card payment vehicle (other than checks and cash) so under-banked workers can access their benefit payments from any point-of-sale terminal, or use ATMs, all on existing payment networks. Connectivity, cash access, and cost-effective remittance payments are essential for improving life for unbanked and foreign workers in the U.S.”

Under the agreement, Jopari will offer customers FDIC insured debit card options, in addition to EFT payments and other electronic-enabled disbursement services, and will add Minotaur debit card management to its industry leading command and control Payer Portal.

About Jopari Solutions, Inc.

Jopari Solutions, Inc. (Jopari) is a privately-held C corporation headquartered in Concord , CA. whose mission is to be an industry-leading outsourcing company. Jopari supplies world-class solutions in the area of enterprise payment and remittance processing. Jopari's comprehensive outsourcing service (Jopari Pay™) focuses on aspects of the insurance industry’s payment process that can provide the cost savings and regulatory compliance needed to compete in today's economic environment. Jopari provides significant cost savings and operational efficiency for its clients. Jopari Pay™ provides an easy to implement and cost effective service which enables a significant reduction in operational costs, allowing payers to redirect valuable resources towards core competencies and strategic goals in this highly competitive market. (www.jopari.com)

About The Minotaur Group

Minotaur provides specialized payment solutions to companies whose employees don’t have access to bank accounts by choice or circumstance; thus their labor or contract payments are typically delivered by check. The company's Con Dios Financial branded product is a FDIC insured, employer sponsored payroll debit card that solves the high costs and other problems of paycheck delivery. (www.minotaurgroup.com)

Jopari Solutions, Inc. Press Contact
John Roberts
Senior VP of Marketing
Office : (925) 459-5218
Email : info@jopari.com

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