This year, Suzanne Pease, vice president for corporate & economic development, and the CED Council have put a major effort into identifying, researching and negotiating Affinity Agreements with companies that offer financial discounts or benefits to NAWBO members. Members have long asked why NAWBO does not have a health insurance offering. The reason is that no one company has coverage in all areas and the insurance laws vary by state. Recently, with involvement from Connecticut NAWBO, the Council was introduced to a company that is able to provide a portal through the Internet to a variety of health plans.

NAWBO and NCT Financial have partnered with eHealthInsurance, the leading site for members to learn about, compare and buy health insurance. Offering the largest selection of health plans from leading insurance companies nationwide, the web site features online instant quotes, side-by-side plan price and benefit comparisons and online physician directories to help members select the health plan that best meets their needs. The Customer Care Center is staffed with knowledgeable representatives to answer questions via email, online chat and phone. These features make buying the right health insurance plan easier than ever before. Click "health insurance for NAWBO members" to assess the value of this new benefit or link to it through the NAWBO Web site. (Small group plans are not available in all states; if that is the case in your area, click on the "Individual and Family plans" button.)

Look for regular Affinity Benefit email notices highlighting other discounts for members. Our goal is to have financial benefits equal or exceed the cost of your dues. For some members who have purchased Toshiba copiers or regularly use UPS, we have reached that goal already. Please investigate this site to see if it can add value to your NAWBO membership. To check it out, log on to https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/alliance=NCT16910&Type=All .