Business Partnership Provides Health Coverage Access to Over 20,000 Missouri Residents
Springfield, Mo. — (October 11, 2005) — The Mansfield, Mountain Grove, and Nixa Chambers of Commerce, as well as the Missouri Apartment Association, have partnered with Adco-Burch Insurance Services and Symetra
SM Life Insurance Company to help make health coverage more accessible to over 20,000 Missouri employees and their family members.
Business members of the chambers and the apartment association can now offer their employees
Select Benefits—a limited benefit health and life insurance policy. The policy allows businesses to provide health coverage to those workers who generally would not qualify for benefits.
Select Benefits may be offered to every eligible employee, and provides coverage for such services as doctor’s office visits, X-rays and hospital stays. The policy is a solution for local businesses seeking to make essential medical benefits available to all eligible employees, but with limited funds to pay for full or major medical coverage.
"With
Select Benefits, more of our chamber members will have the opportunity to offer health benefits to employees," said Sharon Whitehill Gray, president of the Nixa Chamber of Commerce. "As is true at many other chambers, our business members cannot keep up with the rapidly rising cost of medical benefits. For those members who simply cannot afford comprehensive health insurance,
Select Benefits may be a good alternative."
The
Select Benefits policy is available to businesses with two or more eligible seasonal, temporary, hourly, part-time, or full-time employees. One rate covers all employee family members. Plus, there are no limitations on preexisting conditions, no required networks, and no requirements for proof of good health unless there are late entrants to the policy. While
Select Benefits is not designed to serve as a comprehensive or major medical plan, there are no deductibles for covered benefits and no copay requirements (except with the prescription drug benefit).
"Our members value their part-time and seasonal employees and recognize the importance of their contribution," said Missouri Apartment Association president Bonnie Fischer. "Unfortunately, part-time and seasonal workers are often not eligible for a major benefit package. It is gratifying to know that members of our association now have the ability to offer some routine health coverage to better serve the needs of previously uninsured workers."
For more information about how to begin offering
Select Benefits at the workplace, chamber and association members can contact Adco-Burch Insurance Services at (877) 887-0888 or (417) 877-8338.
About Symetra Financial
Symetra Financial is a family of companies with nearly a half-century of experience providing retirement plans, employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through independent distributors nationwide. The company has $22 billion in assets
1 and is owned by an investor group led by White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. For more information, visit Symetra Financial's Web site at www.symetra.com.
Select Benefits is insured by Symetra Life Insurance Company.
777 108th Ave NE, Suite 1200
Bellevue, WA 98004-5135
1 Source: Total GAAP assets per closing statements of December 31, 2004
Symetra® and the Symetra Financial logo are registered service marks of Symetra Life Insurance Company, 777 108th Avenue NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004.
