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HealthLines
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Ohio
Association of Health Underwriters
1545 W. 130th St., Ste. A2, Hinckley, Ohio 44233
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December 2011
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PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Given the time
of this edition of OAHU's HealthLines Newsletter, I would like to
hope that all our members had a good Thanksgiving with your families.
Serving as your President, I certainly have plenty to be thankful
for.
- On
November 10th, OAHU sponsored a very successful event
regarding the implementation of the ACA and how any future state
Exchange might look like in 2014. This event was held at the
Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel. Although seating was
limited to 250 attendees, we had 265 people attend. I and the
OAHU state board are thankful for the wonderful support
exhibited by all five local chapters regarding this event. While
all our chapters purchased tables for their members to attend,
Kudos are in order for our Columbus Chapter for cancelling their
scheduled November meeting and asking their members to attend
this event.
- I
am thankful for getting great support from my colleagues at
Dorman Farrell.
- I
am thankful for being associated and working with the great
individuals who make up our OAHU board. Many of these members do
quite a bit of work on behalf of our association. Particular
thanks go to Denny Recker and Lee Nathans who have spent many
hours with me working on the rebranding of OAHU.
- Thanks
go out to our wonderful lobbyists. Both John McGough and Keith
Shoemaker are doing a great job down at the Statehouse on our
behalf.
- As
President, I lean very heavily on our business and
administrative staff at J&M Services. I am certainly
thankful for Jackie Symons and Sheri Glaze keeping me on track
and somewhat sane.
- I
am thankful for the support and advice from past OAHU
Presidents, including Frank Novy who advised me back in January
of 2011 to start planning now so that when I became OAHU's
President in June of 2011, I could "hit the street
running". Frank was absolutely correct and I am glad that I
heeded his advice.
- Thanks
to Region III and our Vice-President Mike Embry for his
unwavering support.
- Thanks
to all of you, our members, for continuing your OAHU membership
during these trying days of reduced commissions and uncertainty
in our future capacity to help Ohioans with their healthcare
choices.
- Lastly
I am most thankful for the support from my wonderful wife,
Sabine. She deserves a special award for putting up with
me!
Again, I hope
all of you enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with your families. Have a
wonderful holiday season and lets all of us "hit the road
running" in 2012.
With warmest regards,
Randy Klein
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SAVE THE DATE!
OAHU Legislative Council Meetings
and OAHU Board Meetings
January 19, 2012 - Strategic Plan
Review
February 16, 2012
March 15, 2012
April 19, 2012
May 17, 2012 - Annual Meeting
2012 Capitol Conference
January 23 - 25, 2012
Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill
Washington, DC
Annual Convention & Exhibition
June 24 - 27, 2012
The Wynn
Las Vegas, NV
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2011-2012 OAHU Calendar
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Board meetings and Legislative Concil meetings are held
the third Thursday of every month either by conference call or at
Benefit Mall in Worthington from September through April
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OAHU Executive Committee
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Randy
Klein... President
rklein@dormanfarrellbenefits.com
Kevin
Conrad, RHU...President Elect
kconrad@rbgofohio.com
Matthew Bodnar ...Vice President
mbodnar@frontpathcoalition.com
Kathy Lee ...Sec'y/Treas
leek@talusbrokerage.com
Robert Lackey...Past
President
bob.lackey@usi.biz
Denny Recker...Legislative Chair
drecker@unitedinsuranceservice.com
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LEGISLATIVE NEWS
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By Dennis Recker
Chair, OAHU
Legislative Committee
OAHU LEGISLATIVE NEWS
November 30, 2011
November has been a very busy month
in regard to health insurance issues-particularly in regard to the
federal health care law.
Of utmost interest was the passage
of a resolution by the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners (NAIC) on November 22, 2011 that requests that the
Secretary of the U. S. Department of Health Human Services (HHS)
provide relief to insurance agents and brokers in regard to how
commissions are considered under the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR)
provisions of the federal health care law. The NAIC vote was tallied
as 26 in favor, 20 against, and 5 abstentions. Basically, this
resolution asks the Secretary of HHS to remove agent and broker
commissions from the administrative side of the MLR ledger
calculation. NAHU, our national association, has worked tirelessly
over the past 18 months to generate support for this measure among
the nation's insurance commissioners.
NAHU's Jessica Waltman provided the
language contained in the resolution. In Ohio, OAHU was instrumental
in working with Lt. Governor and Director of Insurance Mary Taylor to
be a co-sponsor of the resolution. Lt. Governor Taylor later provided
a press release that provided strong support for the role agents play
in the distribution and servicing of health insurance products. OAHU
is very pleased to see the NAIC move forward in encouraging HHS to
preserve the important consumer advocacy activities that agents and
brokers provide to the health insurance consumer.
Another important national event
was the U. S. Supreme Court agreeing to review the constitutionality
of the health care law during their current session. The Court will
probably hear arguments from both sides of the case in March or April
of 2012 with a decision perhaps coming in the summer. The Court will
hear five hours of arguments which is highly unusual and indicates
the importance of the case to the nation.
The bipartisan National Governors
Association also wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Sebelius asking for
more time for the states to implement the health care law. This is an
important development as the letter provides clear evidence that the
states will have great difficulty in building Exchanges that
interface with Medicaid and Tax Subsidy eligibility while also
building risk sharing arrangements for companies that participate in
the Exchange within the time frame allowed by the law.
All three of these developments do
not assure the end or any revisions of the health care law. However,
they do point to the continued concerns among many Americans as to
the viability of building a new health care delivery system within
the time frames established by the law. The federal government is
having a difficult time writing all the required regulations and as
those delays get closer to 2014, there may need to be some adjustment
to the timelines to implement the law. We will keep you informed.
On the state level, on November 8th
Ohio voters overwhelmingly passed State Issue 3 which is a an
amendment to the Ohio Constitution that prohibits any citizen of Ohio
from being required to purchase any certain type or form of health
insurance. There are other provisions of the amendment that basically
seek to abolish any health insurance related laws passed after March
19, 2010. We all know that federal law trumps state law so it will be
interesting to follow how this amendment to Ohio's Constitution will
affect the continuing debate and push back in regard to the
implementation of the federal health care law in Ohio.
On November 10, 2011 OAHU hosted a
first ever symposium on how the federal health care law is affecting
stakeholders in Ohio and more importantly, how they see the
implementation of the law going forward. Approximately 300 persons
attended this important event. Congressman Steve Stivers opened the
day with comments on where health reform stands in Washington D.C.
His presentation was followed by a presentation by Amy Rohling McGee
of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio. Ms. McGee presented facts
about the health care system in the nation that lead to the passage
of the health care law and how the implementation of the law is
progressing or not progressing at this time. A panel discussion
followed that provided insights from health insurance agents, health
insurers, the medical profession, business, and two legislators in
regard to the changes and challenges they see in the implementation
of the health care law in Ohio.
Details of these legislative issues
and events can be found on both the OAHU and NAHU websites.
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November 10, 2011 Panel Discussion
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What's Next?
Implementing the Affordable Care Act in Ohio
U.S.
Congressman Steve Stivers was our keynote speaker for this event.
Honorable Barbara Sears, member, Ohio House of Representatives, 46th
District, Honorable John Carney, member, Ohio House of
Representatives, 22nd District, Erin Hoeflinger, President, Anthem
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Ohio, Mark Schwendeman, President,
Schwendeman Agency (licensed health insurance agent) and an Employer
representative of the Ohio Small Business Council presented the Panel
Discussion Perspectives on an Ohio Health Benefits Exchange and
Other ACA Implementation Issues.
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U.S.Congressman
Steve Stivers
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Amy Rohling McGee, President,
Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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MEMBER SERVICE AWARDS
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OAHU Membership
At the annual meeting on May 17, 2012 Randy
Klein will recognize a few members who have added value to our
association. The first will be the OAHU Community Service Award, the
second will be a Distinguished Service Award and the last will be for
the Educator of the Year Award.
Distinguished Service Award
- Recognizes
professionalism in our association
- To be given to an
individual from OAHU who has distinquished him/herself with the
time and service they have unselfishly provided to our
association during the past year.
- Must be a OAHU Member
- Must be an individual
not an organization.
Community Service Award
- To be
given on behalf of OAHU to an organization or individual that
has made a significant contribution in the past year OR ongoing
support to the community or a community agency.
- Must
be a OAHU Member
Educator of the
Year Award
- To be
given to an individual from OAHU who has done the most within
the organization, other organizations or within the community to
educate about OAHU, healthcare issues and the role of the agent
during the past year.
- Must
be a OAHU Member
- Must
be an individual not an organization
Please submit your recommendations
and the reasons the person or organization has been nominated for
recognition to the OAHU office at jackie@jmbsohio.com
The deadline is April 15, 2012 and must be submitted by a
local president.
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FIND OAHU ON FACEBOOK!
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OAHU has gone Social!
"Like" our Facebook page and get connected with other
OAHU members, legislative updates, membership contests and
events happening in the local Chapters! Go to our website at www.ohioahu.org and click on the
Facebook icon to become a fan!
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS
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Please be aware that the OAHU office will be closed from
December 23, 2011 through January 2, 2012 so that we may spend the
holidays with our families. We will, however, be checking our
e-mail periodically during that time.
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OAHU JOB CENTRAL
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Have a job opening? Remember to utilize the
OAHU job bank - Job Central. Job Central allows carriers, agencies
and other businesses to post an open position opportunity on the OAHU
website. We know that the best way to attract new hires is by word of
mouth, so what better way to find that new employee or look for the
next career move!!!!!!
The posted job opening will appear for a
minimum of 30 days unless the job is filled in less time. The fee for
a listing is $100.00 for the first month and $60 per month if you
decide to extend the listing for another month. To post a job
opening, go to www.ohioahu.org and click on the Job Bank link. The list of
current job openings will appear along with a link to a form you can
fill out to submit a job. Once you've submitted the job, please send
a check to the OAHU office in the amount of $100.00. Your job opening
will appear on the OAHU Job Central after your check has been
received.
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AROUND THE STATE
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And
now a word from our local chapters............
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NEOAHU -
Health Care 101 for Legislators (11/21/11)
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By Sam Fiorentino, Co-chair
Legislation Committee
The November special event
"Health Care 101 for legislators was well received. Members that
attended seemed pleased and were knowledgeable active participants
during the presentation. Materials that were used are being sent to
all legislators that could not attend Please let us know if you want
to set up a meeting with your legislators to update them on the
Federal HC law's road trip so far and Ohio's Exchange setup dilemma.
The Leg committee would be happy to go talk to any legislators from
any side of the aisle. OAHU wants to thank Lt. Governor Mary Taylor
for her co-sponsorship of an NAIC resolution that was passed by NAIC
members yesterday. The resolution urges the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services and Congress to remove agent and broker
commissions from the medical loss ratio (MLR) calculation. Here is
the Lt. Governor's press release.
Separately, The Hill (12/9,
Pecquet) "Healthwatch" blog reports, "The House
Republican
payroll-tax-cut extension package
proposes to pay for a two-year Medicare "doc fix" by
repealing parts of the healthcare reform law and charging high income
seniors more for their Medicare coverage, according to a summary
obtained by The Hill. The accuracy of the document, which is
circulating widely among lobbyists, has not been confirmed by House
leaders but is in line with what House Republicans have said they
want in the package." However, "the proposed cuts to the
healthcare law are expected to be rejected by the
Democratic-controlled Senate, with lawmakers left only with next week
to find an acceptable compromise on how to pay for extending the
payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits and preventing the cuts to
doctor payments before the end of the year."
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CONTINUED EDUCATION CREDITS
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In 2011, the local chapters
hosted a total of 40 OAHU provider approved courses to
membership. Over 50% of these courses were new creations for
2011 to provide the most current educational opportunities
available. Nealry 2,100 attendees took advantage of this
benefit. A special thank you to the Program Chairs, their
committees and the administrative staff for a job well done.
A complete list of OAHU provider
courses is available on the OAHU website in the Education
section. Outlines and Power Points are avialable for download.
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INSIDE NAHU
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NAHU has created
a new promotional video highlighting the value and key benefits NAHU provides
its members. Watch the video.
NAHU has
established a new corporate partnership program allowing
companies to receive discounts and exclusive benefits when purchasing
NAHU memberships for their employees. Learn more about the program.
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NAHU CHAPTER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
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NAHU's Chapter Certification program has grown! Two new
tiers and four more criteria were added to the program. The new tiers
are Gold and Platinum. Qualifying for Silver Certification remains
the same; chapters will have to satisfy six of the 14 criteria. Gold
Certification requires that nine criteria be satisfied and Platinum
Certification requires that all 14 of the stated criteria be
satisfied. State chapters that are at least Silver Certified during
the same 12-month period as all of their local chapters will receive
the Blue Ribbon of Excellence. Certification is voluntary and
based on a rolling 12-month calendar. Questions should be directed to
Dagmar Byrnes at dbyrnes@nahu.org.
Documents can be
sent to karen@ohioahu.org
Congratulations to all the OAHU Chapters for achieving
Gold or Silver Certification! Deadline for all
Ohio Chapters recertification is March 30, 2012
Items to be completed now:
Forward your chapter's IRS Form 990, 990N or
990EZ now to satisfy this requirement for 2011 (This is
for tax year 2010 filed in 2011)
2011-2012 Strategic Plan and Budget
Each document is worth one point toward certification.
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CRUISE THE NAHU WEBSITE
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NAHU Speakers
Bureau - Search Results Ohio
Name
Location
Topics
Robert Arnoff
Bainbridge, OH Employee Benefits
Dennis Deegan
Twinsburg, OH Dental Networks, Teamwork, The Sales
Process
T. Darlene
Kaczmarek Ravenna, OH Long Term
Care, Long Term Care Insurance, Seniors Issues
Rosemarie
Rossetti Columbus,
OH Disability Income Insurance, Motivational
- This
course may be available for your state's use through CE
Reciprocity. Please contact the speaker to verify the
availability of the course, number of hours and the course's
expiration date.
- To
file for CE reciprocity, the requesting state should contact the
home state Professional Development Chair for the
"Reciprocity Packet".
NAHU
Speaker Guidelines
Authors are urged to follow guidelines which call for the following:
- completed
application
- bio
summary (paragraph form)
- photograph
(gif, jpg)
Please contact Farren Ross, NAHU's
Vice President of Education, to be added to NAHU's speaker database,
or if you have questions about this service.
NAHU's online speakers bureau is an
informational service of the National Association of Health
Underwriters. NAHU does not endorse these speakers or the content of
their presentations.
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| LEADING PRODUCERS ROUND TABLE |
NAHU formed the Leading Producers Round Table in 1942 to recognize the successful underwriters of Accident & Health Insurance. Today, the LPRT committee is committed to making LPRT the premier program for top Health, Disability, Long-Term Care and Worksite Marketing Insurance producers, carrier reps, carrier management, and general agency/agency managers. LPRT offers membership benefits and exclusive LPRT events.
LPRT Discounts
Qualifiers at the Leading Producers and Presidents' Council levels of production receive a 5% discount on all NAHU services and meetings, including Capitol Conference and the Annual Convention. Qualifiers at the Eagle, Golden Eagle and Lifetime levels of production receive a 10% discount on all NAHU services and meetings.
The Leading Producers Round Table sponsors two NAHU web seminars each year that deal with advanced topics of interest to the top producers in the industry. The seminars are open to the general public, but all LPRT qualifiers are able to attend the LPRT-sponsored web seminars free of charge.
There is also an LPRT-focused educational track at the NAHU Annual Convention that, like the LPRT webinars, has an advanced focus. LPRT application and information |
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OAHU AGENT GROUP RATING PROGRAM |
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CCI
QUOTE DEADLINE IS JANUARY 31, 2012
Ohio
workers' compensation, much like health care, has undergone many
changes over the past several years. This has added more complexity
for business owners and now more that ever they are looking to their
insurance advisors to get answers and direction. As a member of the
Health Underwriters you have the opportunity to help your clients
navigate the workers' comp system in Ohio.
The
Health Underwriters workers' compensation group rating program, in
partnership with CareWorks Consultants Inc. provides you with the
ability to help you and your clients reduce rates and premiums,
manage claims and help make decisions that positively impact the
bottom line.
Producing
agents will earn 31.25% commission of the service fee that your
clients pay to participate in the premium discount program. The
Health Underwriters also receives a percentage of the fee which helps
support the association and their efforts to represent the interests
of association members. Renewals are paid at the same percentage each
year.
CareWorks
Consultants makes participation in the program very easy for agents.
There is no requirement to be property and casualty licensed nor a
workers compensation expert in order to participate. After you submit
a simple application the specialists at CareWorks Consultants will
evaluate your client's eligibility based on their claims history and
industry type. Once they are qualified, CareWorks Consultants
will send the proposal and enrollment paperwork directly to your
client and contact them to answer questions and help with the
enrollment process. CareWorks Consultants can also send the producing
agent a duplicate enrollment packet and a biweekly status report to
assist you in the enrollment process.
This
is a great time to get involved. Existing Ohio employers have only
one opportunity to join a group rating program each year. Requests
for Group Rating quotes are being accepted through January 31.
If
you want to participate or have any questions about details of the
program contact Bob Nicoll, Program Manager with CareWorks Consultant
at 330-418-1824 or robert.nicoll@ccitpa.com. |
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BASIC Guru
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If you are like
most agents you are looking for a way to keep the clients you have
now and pick up new clients. What do you
want technology to do for your agency, your clients, or their
employees? BASIC Guru was designed to help you and your clients
by using "cloud based" technology.
For insurance
agents, BASIC Guru - is an online benefits management
tool that allows you to keep track of clients, prospects, rates,
renewals and other useful features so that you can be as
productive as possible, inside or outside your office. (BASIC Guru is
accessible anywhere you can get on the Internet)
For your
clients, BASIC Guru - is an employee benefit portal that the
employer or employees can use to access any benefit
information. Employers find value in our online tools that help
increase employee retention, keep employers compliant with complex HR
issues, and communicate benefit information with employees.
The
features for employers offered by BASIC Guru will help differentiate
you in the marketplace.
- Our Benefit
statement or "Hidden Paycheck" is
a great free feature that you can offer your current clients and
use as a sales tool for prospects. By taking into account
the cost of benefits, employees get a true understanding of
their pay. This understanding can increase employee retention
and satisfaction.
- Our Managed HR portal is an
extraordinary benefit for agents. Each agency is provided
two free subscriptions. Your groups will appreciate you for
providing a tool that helps them stay educated and compliant on
all complex HR issues. You will appreciate the ability to
offer one of your groups an employee handbook that can be fully
customized, a monthly PDF newsletter that can be sent to your
clients or prospects and many other features.
- Access EasyAppsOnline, for
prescreening and online open enrollment at a special discounted
price for BASIC Guru agents!
Time
saving tools just for agents.
- Save valuable time with our Census tool.
This allows you the ability to create census and e-mail or fax
to carriers for quoting.
- The group import tool takes the time out
of importing group data.
- The employee import tool takes the time
out of importing employee data.
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OAHU SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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ADVERTISING
SPACE IS AVAILABLE FOR 2012. CHOOSE YOUR MONTH(S) NOW!!!!
Wouldn't you
like to have your company name advertised to your fellow OAHU
members? OAHU has the following opportunities for you to be in
front of the membership on a regular basis.
Or does your
company have an affiliate opportunity that you would like to present
to OAHU? Just give us a call TODAY!
·
Gongwer News Service ($150 month) --distributed DAILY to nearly 700
agents
(Next issue available
isn't until January 2012) - LOOKING FOR A NEW SPONSOR TO BEGIN
OUR 2012 YEAR! PURCHASE A MONTH, QUARTER OR FULL
YEAR. SPONSORSHIP IS EXCLUSIVE! CALL NOW!
· HealthLines
Business Card ad - distribution to nearly 700 agents quarterly - $50
per issue
·
Website Tower Ad with a link to your website - $75 per month
·
Job vacancy listing - website Job Bank $100 per month
·
One set of OAHU membership labels for promotion mailing $150
Interested
in learning more about this opportunity?
Contact
the OAHU office at 330.273.5756 jackie@jmbsohio.com;
www.ohioahu.org
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OAHU MEMBER BENEFIT - BEST BENEFITS
CLUB
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 Best
Benefits Club...Group Savings Program
Did
you know that as an OAHU member you are also a member of Best
Benefits Club, a perks program which allows you to receive excellent
discounts on a wide variety of quality products and services in Ohio
and across the nation.
You will find
discounts on amusement and water parks (Cedar Point, Kings Island,
Great Wolf Lodge...), movie tickets (AMC, Regal, Cinemark), zoos
(Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Pittsburgh), museums,
auto purchase and repair, restaurants, vacations, Costco and much
more.
How do you get
the discounts? Best Benefits Club is primarily web-based. Just go to www.bbcmember.com and enter your
OAHU password, OAHU0613.
Each of the listings will tell you how to obtain the discount-
whether you need to print off a coupon, order tickets in advance from
the BBC office, or show proof of membership (Proof of membership card
can be printed directly off of the website after logging in).
Looking for
discounts on company outings, printing or catering? Visit
http://employer.bbcmember.com
for business related savings.
Is there a discount you would be interested in that is not listed on
the BBC website? Be sure to contact the Best Benefits Club office at
330-273-5756 with your suggestions!
The office will be closed December 23, 2011 through
January 2, 2012
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OAHU
Office
1545 W. 130th Street, Suite A2
Hinckley, OH 44233
330-273-5756
jackie@jmbsohio.com
www.ohioahu.org
  
State
chapters that achieve at least Silver Certification along with ALL of
its local chapters are recognized with the Blue Ribbon of Excellence. OAHU
is one of 7 chapters nationwide to achieve this status and one of 2
to achieve both Blue Ribbon and
Gold Certification. OAHU is also one of only 2 State chapters to win the
Website award. The All Star Award is presented by Constant Contact
for exemplary online marketing practices.
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