Chamber Joins Business

Health Care Group

 

The South Suburban Chamber has taken this important step in addressing the rising cost of health care and health care insurance for its Chamber members, according to Barbara Wesener, Executive Director of the Chamber.

The Chamber has joined the Business Health Care Group along with many of the major employers in southeastern Wisconsin.   

Membership in the group means that Humana Insurance can offer South Suburban Chamber members with two or more employees a group health insurance program.

Individual companies can also join the coalition on their own, but must pay the $1,000 entry fee. That fee has been paid by the Chamber on behalf of all of its members so that the members can participate in the Business Health Care Group and the Humana Insurance.

According to the BHCG, companies representing approximately 135,000 southeastern Wisconsin consumers are in the process of transitioning their health benefits to this Humana program that began on January 1, 2006. It is expected that this coalition effort will dramatically change the local health care business environment.

Consumers in the program can select from more than 4,000 physicians and 26 area hospitals participating in Humana’s network of providers. The network will work like a traditional PPO.

Other Chambers that have already joined the coalition are Brookfield, Grafton, Hartford, Mequon-Thiensville, Oconomowoc, Sussex, West Bend, West Suburban and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, according to Dianne Keihl, Executive Director of the BHCG.