Tekelec is one of 12 organizations identified by UnitedHealthcare as having exemplary onsite wellness programs.

The Morrisville company's program includes onsite health assessments and physical activity programs as well as discounts on health insurance premiums for employees who participate.

Barloworld Handling in Charlotte also was among the dozen organizations to receive UnitedHealthCare's "Well Deserved" award.

Last week, Tekelec shareholders overwhelmingly approved the sale of the technology company to a New York private equity firm.

Tekelec, which makes software for phone and Internet companies, is being sold for $780 million to a group of investors led by Siris Capital.

The company employs 620 in Morrisville and 1,140 globally.

Starting today, Golden Rule Insurance Company will offer two new health insurance plans in North Carolina and West Virginia targeted at people who need short-term coverage.

The plans, called Short Term Medical Plus and Short Term Medical Value, are specifically meant to cover people who are between jobs, graduates looking for work, students who are no longer covered by their parents' plans and other people whose health care coverage is affected by some kind of life transition.

Residents can choose from one to 12 months of coverage under both plans and can apply for additional months and consecutive short-term plans if they need to.

Deductibles for the plans range between $250 and $10,000. According to the company, here are a few examples of what the plans would cost for people in our area, depending on which plan options were chosen:

*a young adult, ages 19 to 24, living in the Raleigh area choosing 1 to 6 months of coverage could expect to pay between $28 and $134 a month.

*a young family, parents in their mid-30s with two children under age 10, could expect to pay between $81 and $397 a month.

*An empty nester couple, in their late 40s, could expect to pay between $93 and $421 a month.

Indianapolis-based Golden Rule is a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare that specializes in offering health coverage to people not covered by employer plans.