Charter Partners has taken the best activities and member ideas from prior years and has developed a new dynamic, fast-paced format that will allow for a fun and efficient “brain exchange” of ideas to improve business. Entrepreneurs from both within and outside the community will lead “shared knowledge” sessions on a range of topics. All Member suggestions for speakers and topics have been reviewed, Burnett noted, adding that Charter Partners is planning more hands-on, interactive discussions at the Invitational.

“We want to provide quality, intimate, productive environments for our groups and for member private meetings and corporate events,” stated Gonzales, who brings a background in business, hospitality, and theater to her role as innkeeper.

“We want to have a good picture of how this might work on an individual company basis and on a community basis.” A critical mass -- a small number of Members -- is needed to validate the concept, she emphasized.

The new coverage program is in line with the long-term vision of the Charter Partners Health Initiative: to get better health at lower cost, explained Todd Welch, co-founder of Charter Partners. This new effort aims to see if Members can obtain affordable health care on a self-funded basis with a stop-loss “fence” in place to limit financial risk. The plan designs offered in this program can incorporate consumer-driven concepts such as Health Reimbursement or Health Savings Accounts.

Charter Partners is working with a consultant that will be available to participating Members to help them evaluate the program.

“To obtain a quote for a Member,” Burnett explained, “we need a current census, the current plan design and rates and the renewal date.” She said that Members can call her directly at 610 438-3535 x104 if they are interested.

With fully-insured or community rated health-insurance products continuing to be extremely expensive, especially for small employers, Charter Partners is trying to break out of this track to see if other options can be built, said Welch, who began the health initiative in the fall of 2002 as a response to Member concerns about the costs and availability of health care and health insurance.

The new health coverage concept is as follows:

Trust: Individual member companies set up self-funded insurance plans through a trust.

Funding: Each company funds an amount equal to 125% of their expected claims (based on actuarial projections) plus expenses. These funds are placed in their trust account. Premiums and claims from each company are kept separate within the trust, so there is no combined risk with any other member.

Claims and Administrative Services: The trust purchases claims processing services from a third-party administrator. As claims are processed and administrative expenses are incurred, checks are written against this account.

 Stop-Loss Coverage: Each trust has a per-claim and aggregate “stop loss” amount, after which claims are paid by the stop-loss insurance carrier. (For example, the plan design may call for a $100,000 per-year stop-loss claim limit per individual.)

Claims Payments: Claims are paid from the funds in the trust as follows:
If eligible claims exceed 125% of expected claims, then stop-loss coverage pays the excess amount.
If one eligible claim exceeds an individual’s deductible, then stop-loss pays excess.
If eligible claims total less than 125%, excess funds stay in trust and can be used to fund future years.

Plan Designs: Each employer can select a plan design from a handful of choices offered by Pegasus Health Care LLC, which is working with Charter Partners to explore the concept.

Plan designs can include deductibles ranging from $500-$5,000. Employers can choose to include tax-advantaged flexible spending accounts; health reimbursement accounts or health savings accounts into the plan design. Additionally, the self-funded option means that employers and their employees stand to benefit from cost-management and health-management initiatives such as wellness programs and disease management programs.

Burnett has been contacting Members to ask if they are interested in exploring this new self-funded health coverage option. Members may reach her at 610-438-3535 ext. 104 or via e-mail to: sburnett@charterpartners.com.

An auditor can look at any and all aspects of a transportation provider’s records and operations, including vehicles, driver qualification files, driver physical exam files, compliance with employment record requirements, vehicle maintenance programs, and drug and alcohol testing documentation. Audits, once completed, are followed by ratings of the audited company -- either satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory.