SPOKANE, Wash. — (Jan. 14, 2005) — The Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce, Fidelity Associates and Symetra Life Insurance Co. have teamed up to help make health coverage more accessible to over 100,000 Spokane-area employees and their family members. For as little as $18.74 per family, per month, Select Benefits — a limited benefit health and life insurance policy — provides coverage for such services as doctor's office visits, X-rays and hospital stays.
"We support the Spokane Chamber's efforts to make health insurance available to small businesses like mine," said Julia Postlewait, co-owner of Rocket Bakery, a family-owned coffee house and bakery with eight Spokane locations and 75 employees.
The Select Benefits plan is available to businesses with two or more eligible full-time, part-time, hourly, seasonal or temporary employees. One rate covers all family members. Plus, there are no limitations on preexisting conditions, no required networks, and no requirements for proof of good health (except for late entrants). While Select Benefits is not a comprehensive medical plan, there are no deductibles and no copays. The plan provides coverage of up to $55 for a doctor's office visit and $400 per day for an inpatient hospital stay, for example.
"With Select Benefits, we now have a program in place that allows more employers to help protect the health and well-being of all their hard-working employees," said Rich Hadley, president and CEO of the Spokane Chamber. "Select Benefits provides a creative solution for our member businesses, of which 85 percent have fewer than 25 employees and nearly 70 percent have fewer than 10 employees."
In 2003, the number of Americans without health insurance rose by 1.4 million, bringing the total of uninsured to 45 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.1 Hadley believes ever-increasing health insurance premiums are partly to blame. Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 13.9 percent in 2003, the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to the latest data from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.2
The Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce (www.spokanechamber.org) is the largest chamber in the Inland Northwest, with more than 1,400 business members representing over 100,000 residents. The organization represents a broad spectrum of businesses in the Spokane region.
Fidelity Associates (www.fidelityins.com), an independent insurance agency representing Symetra Financial, is one of the oldest and largest insurance firms in the Inland Northwest. Scott Jones, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Bob Harley, Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and their Fidelity Associates team will be working with Chamber members to enroll them in Select Benefits.
Symetra Financial (www.symetra.com), is a group of affiliated insurance and financial services companies, including Symetra Life Insurance Co. (Redmond, Wash.). Symetra Life Insurance Co. (est. 1957), has grown to a company with approximately 2 million customers, over 1,200 employees, and more than $21 billion in GAAP assets as of Sept. 30, 2004.3 The company works in partnership with more than 20,000 agents and advisors, providing annuities, life insurance, group employee benefits and retirement plans to customers throughout the United States.
1U.S. Department of Commerce (Aug. 26, 2004), "Income Stable, Poverty Up, Numbers of Americans With and Without Health Insurance Rise, Census Bureau Reports." Retrieved Dec. 30, 2004, from U.S. Census Bureau News site: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/002484.html
2Kaiser Family Foundation (Sept. 9, 2004), "Survey Shows Private Health Insurance Premiums Rose 11.2% in 2004." Retrieved Dec. 30, 2004, from the Health Insurance/Costs page: http://www.kff.org/insurance/chcm090904nr.cfm.
3Financial data per closing statement of Sept. 30, 2004.
