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Dedicated Insurance Professionals you know and trust...like Family |
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Issue No. 37 |
June 11, 2013
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Greetings!
At Texas Agricultural Cooperative Trust, we realize it isn't easy for consumers to know exactly what they are buying when it comes to healthcare coverage. We are always looking for ways to reduce cost and improve benefits for our members. With the ever-increasing cost of health care and health insurance and anticipated change nearing, it is more crucial than ever that we are committed to providing our members with the benefits and coverages they need.
Texas Ag Coop Trust has always prided itself in providing the best health benefit plans to those agricultural businesses that belong to one of our endorsing associations.
Beginning June 1, 2013 we are excited to announce that we are opening our base to include ALL agricultural businesses regardless of association!
What does this mean to you?
Read more below. Give us a call! We would love to visit with you. At TACT, YOU own your insurance plan. At TACT, YOU are our business.
TACT - Dedicated Insurance Professionals
you know and trust...like Family.
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TACT Announces
Benefits Changes
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TACT Expanding Base
of Provision
Texas Agricultural Cooperative Trust has always prided itself in providing the best health benefit plans to those agricultural businesses that belong to one of our endorsing associations including: Texas Grain & Feed Association, Texas Cotton Ginners' Association, Texas Corn Producers, Texas Coop Marketing Exchange and Texas Ag Coop Council.
Beginning June 1, 2013 we are excited to announce that we are opening our base to include ALL agricultural businesses regardless of association!
What does this mean to you?
- This means that if you have friends or family in the agricultural industry, they no longer have to be a member of one of our endorsing associations in order to take advantage of TACT Health Benefits.
- The only qualification they must meet to become a member of TACT is to have at least two full time, unrelated employees
- AND be employed in the agricultural industry.
We value our relationships with our endorsing associations and will continue to partner with them in various ways to make sure their members are allowed their continued benefits with TACT. This is simply an opportunity to continue doing what TACT was originally set up to do - provide reasonable and valuable group health benefits to the most underserved industry.
If you have friends or family that meet the above-mentioned requirements, have them give us a call! Texas Ag Coop Trust is YOUR plan and can be THEIR plan too!!!
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Obama administration releases final rules on employment-based wellness programs
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury continued to move forward to implement the health care law, by issuing final rules on employment-based wellness programs. The final rules support workplace health promotion and prevention as a means to reduce the burden of chronic illness, improve health, and limit growth of health care costs, while ensuring that individuals are protected from unfair underwriting practices that could otherwise reduce benefits based on health status.
The final rules continue to support "participatory wellness programs," which generally are available without regard to an individual's health status. These include programs that reimburse for the cost of membership in a fitness center; that provide a reward to employees for attending a monthly, no-cost health education seminar; or that reward employees who complete a health risk assessment, without requiring them to take further action.
The rules also outline standards for nondiscriminatory "health-contingent wellness programs," which generally reward individuals who meet a specific standard related to their health. Examples of health-contingent wellness programs include programs that provide a reward to those who do not use, or decrease their use of, tobacco, or programs that reward those who achieve a specified health-related goal such as a specified cholesterol level, weight, or body mass index, as well as those who fail to meet such goals but take certain other healthy actions.
These final rules ensure flexibility for employers by increasing the maximum reward that may be offered under appropriately designed wellness programs, including outcome-based programs. The final rules also protect consumers by requiring that health-contingent wellness programs be reasonably designed, be uniformly available to all similarly situated individuals, and accommodate recommendations made at any time by an individual's physician based on medical appropriateness.
The final rules will be effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014.
The rule was issued May 29. To view the final rule visit http://www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx
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Facebook Feature

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Paying it Forward
Paying it Forward: Texas Ag Coop Trust started many years ago with the mission to provide group health benefits to the much underserved agricultural industry. Through that mission we have been able to provide exceptional benefits, free wel...lness screenings, outstanding customer service, but most of all, the ability to treat each of our members like family.
Over the last several weeks we have all seen the devastation in Oklahoma by multiple tornadoes. Our hearts ache seeing the loss of life and the massive destruction. I encourage each of you to click on the links below - a news article and blog about a little girl named Laney. Her heart wanted to do something to help and touch the lives of those affected.
When we at TACT heard of Laney's mission, we knew what she was showing and what she was feeling is exactly what we feel each day - the love and need to help others. THIS is exactly what we are all about.
TACT donated a pallet of water to Laney's mission. However it turns out, this water that was donated then turned into a much bigger project for Laney (you will read in the blog link).
TACT wants to extend heartfelt thanks to Laney for extending herself and touching so many lives at such a young age! In an effort to continue Laney's mission, please share or send us YOUR stories of "paying it forward" for us to feature in our newsletter and on our TACT Facebook page.
Our continued prayers and support go out to those still suffering from these horrific losses.
Kimberly Tullo-Holcomb Executive Director
(should you have problems clicking on the links, please copy and paste into your browser)
Link to News Story: http://everythinglubbock.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=189142
Blog link to Laney's story: http://all-points-in-between.blogspot.com/2013/05/laneys-mission-to-oklahoma-brief.html
Like us on Facebook to read this and other healthcare news affecting you.
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Laney's Moment -
Picture 1: Laney ready to leave
Picture 2: Laney delivering supplies
Picture 3: Laney handing things to the Mayor of Shawnee, Picture 4: Laney being presented with a shirt and being made and honorary Salvation Army disaster relief worker.
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Senate Passes Five-Year,
Half-Trillion-Dollar Farm Bill
to be Taken Up by House Later This Month
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate on Monday passed a five-year, half-trillion-dollar farm bill that expands government subsidies for crop insurance, rice and peanuts while making small cuts to food stamps.
The bill passed on a bipartisan 66-27 vote. The legislation, which costs almost $100 billion annually, also would eliminate subsidies that are paid to farmers whether they farm or not. All told, it would save about $2.4 billion a year on the farm and nutrition programs, including across-the-board cuts that took effect earlier this year.
Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the bill would support 16 million American jobs, save taxpayers billions and put into place "the most significant reforms to agriculture programs in decades." But it would still generously subsidize corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, sugar and other major crops grown by U.S. farmers.
The legislation would also set policy for programs to protect environmentally sensitive land, international food aid and other projects to help rural communities. The Senate passed a similar farm bill last year.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Monday that his chamber will take up its version of the farm bill this month. Debate in the House is expected to be contentious and much more partisan than in the Senate, with disagreements among the GOP caucus over domestic food aid that makes up almost 80 percent of the bill's cost.
Last year, the House declined to take up the legislation during an election year amid conflict over how much should be cut from the food stamp program, which now serves one in seven Americans and cost almost $80 billion last year. That cost has more than doubled since 2008.
The bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee last month would make much larger cuts to food stamps than the Senate version, in a bid to gain support from those House conservatives who have opposed the measure. The Senate bill would cut the food stamp program, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by about $400 million a year, or half a percent. The House bill would cut the program by $2 billion a year, or a little more than 3 percent, and make it more difficult for some people to qualify.
In his statement Monday, Boehner signaled support for the House bill's level of food stamp cuts, saying they are changes that "both parties know are necessary." Other Republicans are expected to offer amendments to expand the cuts, setting up a potentially even more difficult resolution with the Senate version.
On the Senate floor, senators rejected amendments on food stamp cuts, preserving the $400 million annual decrease. The bill's farm-state supporters also fended off efforts to cut sugar, tobacco and other farm supports.
Click here to continue reading.

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Perry Open to Expanding
Special Legislative
Session Agenda
Gov. Rick Perry is leaving the door open for more items on the agenda of the newly called special legislative session, but he said Friday he wants lawmakers to bring him specific proposals that have a chance of passage before putting more on their plate.
"We're not going to be adding things to the call just for the sake of adding things to the call," Perry said. "We want to be relatively assured that we're going to be successful."
"There may be something, whether it's on the budget, or whether it's another piece of legislation that ends up being vetoed, or line-item vetoed, that we want to put back on the call and say, hey, you know we didn't agree with this, let's see if we can find a way to fix it," Perry said.
Click here to read more.
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June is Men's Health Month!
The purpose of Men's Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The response has been overwhelming with thousands of awareness activities in the USA and around the globe.
WEAR BLUE FOR MEN'S HEALTH!
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Refer Us!
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Contact Us
Texas Ag Coop Trust
1802 East 50th St., Ste. 107
Lubbock, TX 79404 806-747-7894
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Texas Ag Coop Trust
Officers, Board of Trustees
Kimberly Tullo-Holcomb
TACT Executive Director
Lubbock, TX
George Reed, Chairman United Farm Industries Plainview, TX
Gregg Allen, Secretary Olton Grain Coop Olton, TX
Bret Brown, Treasurer Sunray Coop Sunray, TX
Jim Turner Dalhart Consumers Fuel Association Dalhart, TX
Paul Wilson United Cotton Growers Levelland, TX
Cary Eubanks Slaton Coop Gin Slaton, TX
Dean Sasser Farmers Coop Elevator Levelland, TX
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Texas Ag Coop Trust
is endorsed by:
Texas Grain & Feed
Association
Texas Cotton Ginners Association
Texas Coop Marketing Exchange
Texas Corn Producers |
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At Texas Agricultural Cooperative Trust, we realize it isn't easy for consumers to know exactly what they are buying when it comes to healthcare coverage. We are always looking for ways to reduce cost and improve benefits for our members. With the ever- increasing cost of health care and health insurance, it is more crucial than ever that we are committed to providing our members with the benefits and coverages they need and generate additional revenues to TACT to offset cost increases.
TACT aids in providing group benefits to members in the agricultural industry. TACT provides quality life and health benefit plans and works to hold down future rate increases for participants. With TACT, you don't rent your insurance plan, you own it.
What can we do to help you? What questions do you have? We are here to answer your questions.
TACT - Dedicated Insurance Professionals
you know and trust...like Family.
Next Issue: June 25, 2013
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