SAMBA Home > Archive
|
September 20, 2004 Welcome to SAMBA Dear SSEHA Member, SAMBA is pleased to announce that the Secret Service Employee Health Association (SSEHA) has merged with SAMBA. All former SSEHA members are now SAMBA members. On behalf of the more than 35,000 members of SAMBA, we welcome you to our association. The idea of merging the two associations grew out of SSEHA’s Governing Board’s concern for the future of the health plan. As you know, this year the SSEHA health plan premium increased by more than 43%. Similar large premium increases were projected for future years. Already the smallest of all the fee-for-service plans in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHB), the continued viability of the SSEHA plan was growing increasingly doubtful given its declining enrollment, aging membership and escalating premiums. The SSEHA Board was aware of SAMBA’s dedication to serving the federal law enforcement community and for offering one of the most comprehensive health plans in the FEHB Program. SAMBA has access to a far greater potential membership base than SSEHA, since it is open to employees at many federal law enforcement agencies, the Intelligence Community, Homeland Security agencies and the U.S. Courts, including the USSS and other components of the Department of Homeland Security. Many USSS employees are SAMBA members. And too, SAMBA sponsors the USSS’s Employee Benevolent Fund and has an established working relationship with the agency. A major difference between the two associations was that SAMBA, unlike SSEHA, self insures its health plan and has a professional staff to handle administration, pay claims and provide member services. SAMBA’s Board of Directors viewed the potential merger as an excellent opportunity to offer a choice of health plan options to its exclusive membership base. To ensure that former SSEHA members would continue to have a voice in the management of their SAMBA/SSEHA health plan, SAMBA amended its bylaws to provide that either an active or a retired USSS member will always fill at least one of the six positions on the SAMBA Board of Directors. With the endorsement of the Office of Personnel Management, the respective Boards unanimously approved the merger of the two associations. A copy of the press release announcing the merger is enclosed for your additional information.You need take no action at this time. You will not have to change doctors. Unless you change health plans during the FEHB fall open season, you will automatically be enrolled in the SAMBA/SSEHA Standard Option for 2005. The 2005 Standard Option premium rates are listed below. You will notice a significant reduction over this year’s premiums. However, please note that some of your benefits will have changed for next year. Those benefit changes are listed in the enclosed “SSEHA Benefit Changes for 2005” document.
Within the next 30 days you will be receiving your 2005 SAMBA health benefit plan brochure in the mail, along with information about both of SAMBA’s enrollment options. Should you desire, you may elect the SAMBA High Option plan during the open season. We invite you to compare SAMBA’s benefits and premiums with any of the other FEHB plans. We think you will conclude that one of our health plan options will be the right choice for you. We will mail your new SAMBA health plan identification cards to you in late December. Remember, you are eligible to enroll at any time in our other insurance plans, including our Group Term Life, Dependents Group Term Life, Disability Income Protection, Legal Rx, Dental/Vision and Long Term Care plans. If you have dependent children between ages 22 and 27, be sure to check out our Dependent Children Health Benefit Plan. More information about these plans can be obtained from our web site at www.SambaPlans.com or by calling us at 1-800-638-6589. Again, welcome to SAMBA. We pledge our best efforts to meet your insurance needs.
Enclosures 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||