Health Insurance Rates are Set to Rise, but CCA Members Can Save with Exclusive Plans

from On the Level: Fall 2022

Streamlining the Process: Design-Build Construction is on the Rise

With the end of 2022 in sight, business owners are focusing on planning for 2023. Those plans should include a review of employee benefits and what could be considered the single most important benefit – employee health insurance.

Many health insurance companies renew at the end of the fiscal year but even if that’s not the case, the time to look at your existing plan and evaluate its benefits and pricing is now. Insurers are looking to raise their rates by double digits for the new year, and that will not only affect business owners’ profitability but will also strain employees’ wallets.

For many owners, the prospect of evaluating insurance plans is daunting. There are many variables, not just in benefits and deductibles but in premiums as well. Couple that with the number of different insurers – all who offer multiple plans – and it becomes apparent why most stay with the status quo even if it might not make financial sense. situation without impacting the rest of your staff. There may even be tax benefits to the business. That’s where professional advice becomes invaluable.

Robin Seidman specializes in general HR policy and procedures. reseidman@ccahv.com

Luckily for CCA members, there are resources available to make this process less challenging. Using our business partner at Marshall & Sterling, CCA members can compare their existing plans to those available through CCA. The plans are with major, top-rated national companies and offer a variety of benefits and premiums to fit businesses’ and employees’ budgets. The plans are broken down by businesses with fewer than and those with more than five employees enrolling. Some offer add-on benefits such as vision and dental, and all include prescription coverage.

Let’s start with the basics of finding and evaluating a plan. The first step is to simply ask your employees what’s important to them. Is it a low deductible, comprehensive benefits, the ability to choose their own doctors? Do they or their family members have serious health issues, or are they generally healthy? You will need this information to make informed decisions. Make no promises, but remember that the more comprehensive the benefits, the higher the price. What makes CCA plans stand out from others is that they are not available on the open market and the premiums are generally lower. The expected 2023 premium rate increases are anticipated to be in the single digits compared to the double-digit increases requested by open market health insurers. CCA cannot influence how these plans are administered, but it can help facilitate the evaluation by Marshall & Sterling of association plans against your current plan.

Using their responses as a guide, reach out to a health insurance professional who can give you options. Major top-rated insurers have a nationwide network of doctors and facilities, while other insurers limit coverage to local or statewide areas. If your staff is mostly healthy employees who simply need annual physicals and an occasional doctor visit, a low deductible, high premium plan probably doesn’t make sense – especially since wellness visits are usually excluded from deductibles. If you have an employee with serious health concerns, there are ways to handle that The end of this year and at least the beginning of next year will be challenging for businesses and employees alike with high inflation and an economy teetering on recession. Take the time today to get at least this important benefit under control.

For more information about the employee health insurance plans available to CCA members, contact Millie Rodriguez at mrodriguez@ccahv.com or call the CCA office at 845-562-4280.

Carpenters union opens new training center in Rock Tavern for apprentices and journey level members

When you want trained professionals, you hire union carpenters.

There’s no greater asset in the building industry than a worker who shows up wellprepared and ready to go. It can mean the difference between a project that runs smoothly and a project that runs out of time. The Carpenters union recognizes this and has provided contractors with world-class quality and professionalism for 130 years – in addition to a can-do spirit to step up to meet any challenge. It’s not just a relationship, it’s a true partnership, and the entire building community benefits.

nasrcc.org

Carpenters, SUNY Sullivan, Join Forces to Ease Pathway to a College Degree

By Lisa Ramirez, Director of Communications and Membership

The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC) has launched a new program that makes a college degree in Construction Technology within reach for many of its members.

This fall, SUNY Sullivan, in partnership with NASRCC, debuted its two-year Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) in Construction Technology degree program. The new pathway program - which is free to qualified NASRCC members - is specifically designed to help meet the growing state-wide need for a skilled labor force in construction and create opportunities for graduates.

Upon completion, graduates will have a mastery of the skills and knowledge required to find immediate employment or advancement in the residential construction industry.

“The union needs fresh, young leaders, and the opportunity has never been hotter,” Business Manager Scott Smith told a roomful of members who attended a recent informational session about the new program, held at the Rock Tavern Training Center. “We need you to get involved, and we expect to see some of you in leadership in the next couple of years.”

Construction Technology AOS students will complete instruction and on-the-job training through the NASRCC’s apprenticeship program in Rock Tavern, supplemented with SUNY Sullivan courses in topics such as green building, accounting, communications and computer literacy. All classes will be offered online,

eliminating the barriers many students face, such as commuting to campus or busy schedules that make it impossible to attend traditional classes.

Tuition will be paid through an NASRCC education fund, and, when needed, the union will even provide tutoring.

“This is set up for your speed, at your own pace” Local 279 Council Representative Matt Ross told the prospective students. “And we’ll be here to help you succeed. We got your backs on this.”

Life experience, as well as credits earned at other colleges - even if earned years ago - may apply toward the Construction Technology AOS, making the associate’s degree even more within reach for the carpenters.

“This innovative pathway that leads to high-wage employment combines the best of apprenticeships and traditional college programs,” said SUNY Sullivan President Jay Quaintance. “On-the-job-training combined with the academic knowledge to support it ensure that these students will be ready for the ever-evolving 21st Century building trades environment.”

Graduates who want to further their studies even more can apply 61 SUNY Sullivan credits toward a bachelor’s of technology in construction supervision at Alfred State College, a SUNY college which offers 80 majors in the arts, applied technology, architecture and management and engineering technology.

“This new partnership with SUNY Sullivan will expand opportunities we make available starting with pre-apprentice exploration and training programs, formal apprenticeship, and lifetime skills upgrade training.” said Tom Fischer, Director of the North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund. “A career in construction offers several opportunities, from jobsite, hands-on opportunities to management positions with established contractors. Through our training and our partnerships, like this one with SUNY, all kinds of options stay on the table.”

For information about the Local 279 Training Center in Rock Tavern, or to apply, visit www.carpenterslocalunion279.org or call 845-567-1810.

For information about the SUNY Sullivan Construction Technology AOS Program, visit www.sunysullivan.edu or call 845-567-1810. Applicants must have completed the North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund Pathways Curriculum.