June 14, 2024

Huntingdon County Child & Adult Development Corp Community Assessment

The Huntingdon County Child & Adult Development Corp is conducting a comprehensive Community Assessment. The deadline to complete the survey is June 14th. Please use this link to complete the survey.

On Tuesday, June 11th, our President & CEO along with three Government Affairs Committee members attended Chamber Day in Harrisburg. The day started at the Capitol with a budget discussion and economic development plan update. We then moved to the PA Chamber office to hear an update about the upcoming election, have discussions about the housing issues in PA and permitting reform. We ended the day hearing from the U.S. Chamber and PA Chamber on their current legislative priorities.

HCCC Signs on to Letter to Protect Small Businesses from Excessive Regulations

The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce recently signed on to a letter created by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urging Congress to ease the regulatory burden on small businesses by passing H.R. 7198, the Prove It Act of 2024.

Loopholes in the current law allow federal regulators to misrepresent costs of new mandates on small businesses. The Prove It Act is a bipartisan bill that will close these loopholes and require federal agencies to consider the costs of regulations on small businesses.

We were honored to be invited to attend the official celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Raystown Dam at the lake!

U.S. Chamber CO - 100: America's Top 100 Small Businesses

Attention Small Business Owners! We're thrilled to inform you of a new opportunity to apply to be one of the 100 small businesses selected for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO-100: America's Top 100 Small Businesses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and CO-, the Chamber's award winning digital platform for small businesses, are looking for America's top digital innovators, customer champions, growth accelerators, disruptors, and global stars. Small business owners can apply now through July 8 for a chance to be recognized on this elite list.

The small businesses that make the CO-100 list will gain national brand visibility, unmatched access to top experts and thought leaders, exclusive VIP perks and benefits, networking opportunities, and a chance to be awarded $25,000 for being named America's Top Small Business of the Year. The CO-100 will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a premier event on October 8 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's historic headquarters.

For more information and FAQs, visit www.co100.com. There is a $99 fee for each entry.

They are offering an exclusive discount on the application fee for state and local chamber members. Please use discount code MEMBER50 when submitting your application to receive a special rate.

Our Chamber President & CEO began her Institute of Organization Management (IOM) training last week in Madison, Wisconsin! IOM was designed to enhance individual performance, elevate professional standards, and recognize association, chamber of commerce, and other nonprofit professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of nonprofit management. It is a professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The curriculum, comprised of four week-long sessions, is taught by university professors, industry experts, and leading practitioners in the chamber and association industries. Each session is five days long. While on-site, attendees participate in 24 hours of course instruction and engage in lively discussions on a multitude of matters affecting the association and chamber industries. With courses on topics such as advocacy, media training, membership, finance, legal issues, human resources, and much more, IOM ultimately educates participants on all facets of running a nonprofit organization.

Graduates of the four-year IOM program receive the IOM Graduate recognition, signifying 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management.

Supplementing Base Coverage with Limited

Benefit Plans

In the dynamic environment of employee benefits, employers are continually working to provide comprehensive coverage that meets the diverse needs of their company's workforce. Limited benefit plan have emerged as a pragmatic solution, offering targeted coverage for specific healthcare needs or financial protections.

Limited benefit plans, also commonly known as mini-med or fixed indemnity plans, are benefit options that possess a reduced and more restricted level of benefits when compared with comprehensive medical plans, but with lower premiums as well. They typically offer coverage for specific or targets healthcare services or financial protections with predetermined limits. Limited-benefit plans can include critical illness plans, indemnity plans and "hospital cash" policies. These plans are not regulated by the Affordable Care Act, and it is not advisable that they serve as an individual's only medical coverage. However, in most situations they can be a good supplement to a base and more comprehensive medical plan.

Applicability of a Limited Health Plan

Limited health plans can be beneficial for those who feel they need additional coverage that goes beyond their traditional health insurance plans. Though they are not intended to be a replacement for major medical health insurance, limited plans can be a good supplement to some major medical plans, such as those with a high deductible.

Individuals covered through a high deductible health plan (HDHP) can often benefit from enrolling in Limited Benefit Plans. Although HDHPs offer comprehensive coverage, the standard copay aspect of the plan does not kick in for any services outside of preventative care until the deductible is met. That could mean that the individual or their family can be exposed to significant up-front out-of-pocket expenses. A limited health plan can help offset the deductible in some instances, depending on what the limited plan covers.

Though not intended as a replacement for major health insurance, limited plans can still provide at least some level of financial coverage for those without a comprehensive base medical plan. Limited plans might especially work well for individuals that need temporary stop-gap coverage until their more comprehensive insurance program goes into effect, for those who were recently laid off or are in-between jobs, for younger individuals aging off their parent's health insurance, individuals who have lost their medical coverage, self-employed persons without access to group coverage or anyone looking to offset the costs associated with high deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses.

The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at hccc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Craig Pritts at (800) 377-3536.

Interested in advertising in our enews?

Contact MacKenzie at mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com.

The cost is $25.00; $10.00 for 501(3) organizations. Yearly rates are available.

If you are hiring, please send position information to mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com or login to the member section of our website to post your jobs.

Contact Us

MacKenzie Huntsman

President/ CEO

mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com

Lorena LaGroue

Program Director

lorena@huntingdonchamber.com

500 Allegheny Street

Huntingdon, PA 16652

Phone: 814-643-1110

Fax: 814-643-1115

www.huntingdonchamber.com