By Justin Aufdermauer
Executive Director
What’s one question we get asked at the Chamber regularly – I might even say daily: “What do I get out of a Chamber membership?”
There are a number of ways to answer this question. First referrals, networking opportunities, access to trainings, an advocate with local and state government, and the list goes on and on. (If you’re interested in seeing a full list, stop by our office and I’ll give you a copy of our Membership Guidebook that we just produced.)
One “benefit” that we haven’t talked openly about quite yet is a huge one: health insurance plans.
We have partnered with the Bend Chamber of Commerce and Corey Bush with Hudson Insurance to bring Bend’s health insurance program to Tillamook. Here’s how it works: as a good-standing member of the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce, you also become an associate member of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, which allows them to offer their rates and insurance plans right here in Tillamook. They are working with Corey as the local agent, so you have someone in town who can walk you through the process.
What I find most exciting about this new benefit is that health insurance is not one size fits all, and with the plans offered by PacificSource (six in total) you can customize what plans you’re able to offer to your employees. Employees appreciate having choices, especially when it comes to their healthcare. You can give your employees the opportunity to choose a plan that best suits their needs, with competitive rates that might be less than what you’re paying now. Or, if you’ve been unable to offer employee health benefits, it might now be an affordable option for your business. Plus, if you have a group of 10 or more enrolled employees, you may be eligible for a five percent wellness discount during your first year.
While I won’t get into the specifics of each plan here, all of the health plans through PacificSource cover essential health benefits, no-cost preventive care, calendar-year benefits and all member out-of-pocket costs for covered services apply toward the annual out-of-pocket limit. PacificSource is a great network both in Tillamook and throughout the state of Oregon.
The main takeaway here is that this is a new avenue of accessing health care which we haven’t had in Tillamook, and is only available through a Chamber membership. We’ve already had a handful of members sign up because they are able to offer better coverage to their employees at less cost to them.
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, I encourage you to reach out to Corey Bush at Hudson Insurance to learn more and see if it is a good fit for your business. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
And for information on Chamber membership (which is step one of accessing these competitive health plans), call our office at 503-842-7525 or visit www.tillamookchamber.org.