ACS COMMENT
ACS Member Insurance: Insurance For Life THOMAS H. LANE, ACS PRESIDENT AND CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, GROUP INSURANCE PLANS FOR ACS MEMBERS
for the interests of ACS members and seeks though least visible, roles is serving as chair to construct the most stable and beneficial of the Board of Trustees, Group Insurance insurance program for all of us. Plans for ACS Members. During this time Unlike employer-provided insurance, of economic unrest, rising unemployment, your ACS insurance plans stay with you as and troubled insurance companies, the long as they remain in effect and as long board of trustees wants you to know that as you remain an ACS member and pay the ACS member insurance your premiums on time. plans stand on sound fiThey stay with you even if nancial footing and that the you change jobs or retire staff and insurance professooner than expected. Unsionals stand ready to serve employed participants may all members. defer term life insurance The board of trustpremiums for up to two ees, composed of nine years. These benefits may ACS member volunteers be of increasing importance chosen for their diverse as companies seek ways to backgrounds and interests, curb expenses. reviews the insurance and So how can the ACS financial security products Member Insurance Prooffered to members as well gram help you now? The as the companies that offer portfolio of plans includes those products. In choosing ACS members life and health insurance, New York Life Insurance as auto and homeowners/ and their families the underwriter for the ACS want to plan their renters insurance, and Group Insurance Plans, the professional liability insurfinancial futures board has placed the group ance. In addition, the board with certainty. insurance plans with a muof trustees has negotiated tual company that continwith Bank of America to ues to have a very strong and provide checking and savpositive financial outlook ings programs including even during these tough financial times. certificates of deposit, and individual New York Life’s liquidity is strong. Rating retirement accounts at competitive rates agencies such as A.M. Best and Standard for ACS members and student members. & Poor’s have affirmed New York Life’s I encourage you to call the ACS Member financial strength—particularly its strong Insurance Program staff at (800) 227-5558 capital position and the strength of its inext. 8911 if you’d like to discuss any of these vestment and risk-management practices. programs. You can also find information We all know that ACS membership online at www.acs.org/insurance. gives us access to world-class technical If you are seeking basic medical insurance, benefits to help us thrive and advance in a variety of plans are available through the our careers. I urge you not to overlook the ACS Health Insurance Brokerage Service. personal value of the other, nontechnical This service, run by the ACS plan administramember-only benefits such as the insurtor, Pearl Insurance, in Peoria Heights, Ill., ance plans. This valuable benefit helps is available in most states; its licensed insurmembers safeguard their personal assets ance agents are ready to help you choose and protect their families in good times from more than 100 plan features to conand bad. The board of trustees looks out struct the plan that works best for you. PETER CUTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
THIS YEAR, one of my most important, al-
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If you are between jobs or have just graduated from school, ACS’s short-term medical insurance is an affordable way to get coverage for up to a year. The ACS disability income insurance plan is designed to help protect your income if a disabling accident or illness prevents you from working. And because so many members are working past the traditional retirement age of 65, the board of trustees has negotiated an extension of the coverage period up to age 70. If you are interested in any of these plans and want to speak directly with a licensed insurance agent, you need only call the ACS plan administrator at (800) 752-0179. IN 2008, the board of trustees spent a lot
of time listening to members. A survey reaffirmed that the members who participate in the insurance plans are glad they do. They were particularly impressed that the ACS Member Insurance Program is affordable (the number one reason members participate is price), portable (no need to worry if you change jobs or are unemployed—these plans stay with you), and reliable (the plans are underwritten only by solid financial institutions that the trustees approved). We also found that members would like a more expansive health-related portfolio such as Medicare supplemental insurance, dental, and vision plans; we are now evaluating plans and providers that can offer ACS members insurance plans with value-added benefits that can’t be found in the open marketplace. We know that ACS members and their families want to plan their financial futures with certainty. In these uncertain and challenging economic times, the ACS Member Insurance Program may offer the peace of mind that comes from having a secure foundation for your family’s financial future. Please let us know how we can better serve you by calling (800) 227-5558 ext. 8911, or send e-mail to
[email protected]. ■
