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Fall 2012 |
From the Director Hello again, and welcome to the Fall 2012 issue of Member Benefits E-Direct! It’s hard to believe that this is our last issue of the year. Seems like just yesterday that we were launching this new publication, and here we stand almost one year later. It’s been another busy year and we have a lot on the horizon. First off, we’re very excited to announce our newest Member Benefits Corporation-endorsed programs: 1800Flowers.com and Propane USA! NYSUT members now have the opportunity to save 20% on fresh flowers, gourmet gift baskets, chocolates, spa baskets, and much more through 1800Flowers.com. Meanwhile, Propane USA is a brand new benefit for NYSUT members that negotiates lower prices on propane from top-rated local dealers and also eliminates unnecessary propane fees. In addition, we’re looking at adding a number of new discount programs in the near future. Our popular discount programs are one of the main reasons why members visit the Member Benefits website, so we’re continually looking to expand these offerings by offering new quality endorsed programs. Several enhancements have been made to our endorsed Legal Service Plan. Effective October 1, 2012, the Business Rider has been enhanced to include the following services at no additional cost to participants: free telephone consultations, free letter writing (limit of 10 per Plan year) and free document review (limit of six pages per document).
For those of you that may be landlords, consider purchasing the Business Rider and have your next tenant contract reviewed by an attorney. On the insurance side of the house, our original endorsed Catastrophe Major Medical (CMM) Insurance Plan is now closed to new applicants. Our new CMM II product has been filed with the New York State Department of Financial Services, but it could take the NYSDFS up to a year to approve the new plan. If you would like a brochure, enrollment materials when the program has been approved or to be added to the waiting list, please contact Marsh U.S. Consumer – the plan administrator – toll-free at 888-386-9788. We’re still looking into a new Long-Term Care Insurance program. The long-term care industry remains quite volatile so we are taking our time in researching our options for a new carrier; we want to be certain that we are making the right decisions for our members. Make sure you check out our feature story this issue for some helpful hints on avoiding those “too good to be true” deals as we enter the holiday season. We at Member Benefits want to help our members have a safe and secure online shopping experience. Finally, our thoughts and prayers are with all NYSUT members affected by the recent Superstorm Sandy that devastated the Northeast. Check out page 6 for a special story about preparing for and dealing with natural disasters. Remember that you can always call us with any questions at 800-626-8101 or visit memberbenefits.nysut.org. -- Lynette A. Metz Director, NYSUT Member Benefits Trust CEO, NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation
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