The Chamber Board of Directors and I continually look for opportunities to create more benefits and services for our valued members and we feel that in the current economic times, we need to help one another and create more value for your continued support.

The health reform law is sweeping in nature and will result in many changes throughout the market. Employers that have been providing voluntary health benefits will now be faced with new structures on benefit design, fines for not providing coverage, increased taxes, and some incentives to maintain coverage.

Considering the challenge of implementation and the fact that much discretion has been granted to the government to implement the law through regulation, there are still many unanswered questions about the specific impact the law will have on employers, their workers, and their families.

The law requires individuals to purchase health coverage and for some employers to provide it or face penalties. The law, which makes significant insurance reforms, is financed by increased and new taxes and cuts to the Medicare program.

As a member of your local Chamber of Commerce this will impact all of us and your Chamber will work to keep you informed. Through our membership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, we will continue to support their efforts at the national level as our watch dogs on our federal government. Here at the local level your Chamber and Humana Insurance Company have agreed upon a discount program for our Chamber members.

The Chamber health Insurance Program from Humana Insurance Company available to the Corsicana & Navarro County Chamber of Commerce is a chamber member value-added benefit providing the following program features:

1.Provides a 2% premium discount on Humana group health and dental plans to Corsicana & Navarro County Chamber of Commerce Members.  Membership will be verified from the Chamber member list.

2.Chamber Members already enrolled in a Humana group health policy will receive the 2% discount upon the health plan annual renewal if requested, provided the broker of record is also a Chamber member.

3.Chamber members who enroll and receive the 2% Humana discount will lose the discount if Chamber membership is cancelled.

4.Members of the Corsicana & Navarro County Chamber of Commerce can choose any health insurance company to provide their health insurance.   Program does not require exclusivity to Humana by chamber members. Eligibility for the 2% Humana discount for Humana group health and group dental policies requires only active membership with the Corsicana & Navarro County Chamber of Commerce, by the group and associated broker.

5.Humana group health and dental policies can be sold by any authorized/appointed Humana insurance agent.  However, the premium discount is exclusive to groups enrolled with Humana and their affiliated broker is also a member of the Chamber.

 

Additional Humana group health program features:

Has a broad choice of PPO plans to meet a variety of needs

Range of products from traditional PPO plans to high-deductible health plans, health savings accounts (HSAs)

Dual and Triple Choice plans

Prescription drug options

National network

A wide variety of wellness and health resources



A list of current Chamber members who are local insurance agents that you can contact to find out if they are an authorized/appointed Humana insurance agent is available on the Chamber’s website. Some of these members do not handle health insurance, but most do and a number of them are already authorized/appointed Humana agents. Any non-member insurance agent may participate in this program by becoming a Chamber member. You can find contact information by logging onto www.corsicana.org, choose Members Directory, and choose Business Category using “I” for Insurance and GO. All contact information for each one of these members will be displayed.



Success Through Active Role Modeling (STAR): A Chamber Educational Committee, is actively recruiting role models to work with students in the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at Corsicana High School providing guidance for students with understanding career objectives and goals. There are currently 55 qualified Role Models each working with an AVID student setting an example for these students that they can be successful and whatever they choose, encouraging them to stay in school and pursue their education and dreams. If you are interested in finding out more information, please contact the Chamber or log onto STAR’s website at WWW.STARNC.ORG or plan to attend the next Information Session scheduled for Monday, August 23rd from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM here at the Bain Center on the Navarro College campus. Please call to RSVP if you would like to learn more about STAR and AVID. You do not have to be a Chamber member to attend the Information Session or to be a STAR Role Model. Everyone is welcome!



LEADERSHIP: A process by which one person applies his or her beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills to influence others to accomplish something. We are pleased to announce that the Corsicana Area Chamber of Commerce applications are being received for the 2010 and 2011 Leadership Corsicana/Navarro County program this year. I hope that you will identify and sponsor a deserving, interested employee in your organization and enroll them in Leadership Corsicana/Navarro County program. This is a great opportunity for someone on your staff.  Graduates of Leadership Corsicana/Navarro County have been very positive about the experience.

What’s Coming Up?



August 26th – Thursday – Sterling House – Ribbon Cutting – 5:30 PM – 3329 W. 7th Avenue across from Navarro College

Sterling House is a Brookdale Senior Living facility and Brooke Sanchez, Sales and Marketing Manager, is inviting the community to come out and share in this festivity and view the facilities. You may recall that Sterling House was damaged by the storm back in April and had to move their residents while making repairs and now all the residents are back and they are opening their doors to our community. Please mark this date on our calendar and come by to say hello to Brooke and cut the ribbon with us.



August 28th - Saturday – Knights of Columbus – Texas Hold’EM Tournament – 7:00 pm to 11 PM – Knights of Columbus Hall located on S. Hwy 22 – Benefiting Collins Catholic School

Their famous barbecue brisket sandwiches, desserts and drinks will be available staring at 6:00 PM. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 players with other prizes possible. The grand prize is a 37” Flatscreen LCD TV. Tickets are $50 at the door and $45 from any KC Council 5211 member. Please call Victor Heeke at (903) 262-4100 or Charlie Smith at (903) 229-2293 for more information.



Important to Remember!

Did you know that for every $1 spent in our community that it turns over 5 times? This means that it will be spent 5 times locally before being spent on something outside our community. Let’s all help each other first! Please remember to Buy Local because “buying local does matter”!



For more information on what’s coming up?







Visit the Chamber’s Events Calendar at www.corsicana.org to find out what is happening in and around our communities. If you know of any events going on in our communities, I invite you to add it to the Chamber’s Events Calendar. The Chamber website averages over 40,000 plus visits per month. The Events Calendar is the Number One page viewed every month with approximately 10,000 views. You DO NOT have to be a Chamber member to add an event!