In this episode of Business LO, hosted by the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce, we explore the Bend Chamber of Commerce Health Benefits Program offered to chamber members in Oregon. Executive Coach and Leadership Advocate Heather Graves Ramsey from Coach to Brilliance discusses the program with Dennis Warneke, Senior VP at Risk Strategies Benefit Design Group, along with Chamber CEO Liz Hartman. They detail how small businesses can leverage group health insurance plans through Providence Health Plan and Delta Dental to provide valuable health benefits to employees. Additionally, the discussion covers specific eligibility criteria, plan benefits, and the importance of healthcare in employee retention. The episode also includes updates on local business events and available sponsorship opportunities.
The Oregon State Chamber of Commerce has provided group health insurance that is administered through the Bend Chamber, but available to all Chambers (and chamber members) in the state of Oregon. The group plan is through Providence Health Plan.
Lake Oswego local chamber member Dennis Warneke with Risk Strategies – Benefit Design Group – can help you navigate whether this program will work for you and your employees. Call Dennis at 503-699-1933 or 503-816-1313 for more information or email dennis@warnekegroup.com. Offices are located at 7140 SW Fir Loop, Suite 130 (Portland/Tigard area).
The plan provider is Providence Health Plan.
Rates are based on your group’s demographics, the plan design selected, and the percentage of employer contribution. Some of the underwriting guidelines you’ll need to consider:
Groups written shall be members in good standing with the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce
Plans are available to groups of two or more with a minimum of 2 enrolled (family-only plans not available)
There must be at least 1 common law/payrolled employee enrolling
Employer must contribute a minimum of 50% of the employee’s premium
Employers may set eligibility between 17.5 and 40 hours per week
Risk Strategies Benefit Design Group – Dennis Warneke - 503-816-1313
Bend Chamber of Commerce - Chamber Health Insurance » Bend Chamber of Commerce
Oregon State Chamber of Commerce - Home - Oregon State Chamber of Commerce, OR
Providence Health Plan - Providence Health Plan | Health For All
OHSU Health Plan - Oregon Health Plan Members | OHSU
Thank you, Regence Blue Cross, sponsor of the 2025 LO Chamber Wellness Fair.
Ribbon Cuttings
Pickleball Kingdom – Saturday, September 6, 11 am, open house 11-3 pm,
The Farrell Group at RATE – Friday, September 12, 4 pm ribbon cutting / 4-6 pm reception – Julie Farrell
Visiting Angels – Tuesday, September 16, 4-6 pm reception, 4 pm ribbon cutting - 3 Centerpointe Drive
Saturday, October 4 – Lake Oswego Wine Walk –Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce | Downtown Lake Oswego Wine Walk
Wellness Fair, 2-5 pm – TITLE SPONSOR – Blue Cross Blue Shield, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield - Regence: The most trusted name in health insurance
February Community Awards event – sponsor now, call 503-636-3634 – Title Sponsor Columbia Bank - Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce | Community Recognition Awards
NEWSLETTER – comes out Tuesdays, 2 pm – Send your info to Jen@lake-oswego.com
LIZ HARTMAN:: [00:00:00] This is Business LO, a podcast by the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce, which connects, educates, advocates, and champions, our business community. We have nearly 500 members from international corporations to home-based businesses, and we serve them all. Each episode of Business LO gives insider information to the local business community and the neighbors who support them.
LIZ HARTMAN:: And now let's talk Business LO. So
MICHELLE ODELL:: today is Friday, August 22nd, 2025, and this episode will publish on September 1st. I can't believe it's September already now. It's not the most exciting topic, but it's very important nonetheless. We're going to learn about an opportunity to offer employee health insurance through the Ben Chamber of Commerce Health Benefits Program for Lake Oswego Chamber members.
MICHELLE ODELL:: Now, the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce has provided group health insurance that is administered through the Ben Chamber, but available to all chambers [00:01:00] and chamber members in the state of Oregon. The group plan is through Providence Health Plan and the dental plan provider is. Delta Dental. Now, today we have, she's back.
MICHELLE ODELL:: We have Executive coach and leadership advocate, Heather Graves Ramsey from Coach to Brilliance. She's sitting down with Dennis Warnke. He's the Senior VP with Risk Strategies Benefit Design Group to get the details of this program. And of course, our very own chamber, CEO, Liz Hartman, will share all the insider information we need with what you need to know.
MICHELLE ODELL:: In Lo, I'm Michelle, Odell, and Heather, let's go.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Let's go. I hear about a lot of the insurance pieces in the chamber and we're really excited today to learn a little bit more about how businesses and why businesses should or could get involved. But Dennis, let's start with an overview, like what is this plan?
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: What does it include,
DENNIS WARNEKE:: this plan? Providence Health [00:02:00] Plan. Therefore, every plan that Providence offers in their large group market is available to an employer with two employees in this plan. That's because they are an association group, and right now they've got over 950 groups that have signed up in the last few years.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: That's amazing. In the state of Oregon. Okay. Just in the state of Oregon? Yes. Wow. Yes.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: If I'm an owner and I have two employees or more, two full-time employees or more, then I can link in with this and join in as if I'm one of those like larger organizations because I can't just do a group. With just little old me, but this allows me the power to do that with a larger group.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Well, you can still go out and go to straight to Providence or, or you know, whoever, Regents Health net, whatever, and get a group plan for two people. However, the state has set rules and regulations as to what those plans look like. For groups under 50 employees, where with large groups, [00:03:00] the plan is able to add other benefits without any additional cost.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: So it's more buying power? It's more buying power. Yes. In the state of Oregon, you do not have to have two employees besides the owner. You have to have one employee that's not the spouse that is on payroll. W2 employee plus it can be the owner.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: So this plan allows you, again, that that larger group buying power, but you can still be small.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: So just the owner and one full-time employee that is not the spouse.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Right. And full-time employees. You can, the owner, when they set up the plan, they can set the hours from anywhere from 17 and a half hours a week to 40 hours to be eligible.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Wow. That is super important to know too. Yes, because I do think there's a lot of smaller businesses that may not have that full 32 hours or whatever it used to be.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Right. Okay. Alright, good.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: So when the. Ben Chamber plan came out back in 20 [00:04:00] 22, 23. They were looking for different insurance brokers agents to be able to offer the plan, and there's quite a few of 'em out there that can do that. However, Liz was very nice to ask me to be the broker for the chamber plan here for Lake Oswego.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Obviously a passion for helping people mitigate and manage risks that they have passion for businesses. Thank you for being a member of the Chamber for so long. That is amazing and so needed because our community does need to come together and support each other, and I feel like this is in a very important aspect for our business owners.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: So help me with like one of the things that. A lot of our businesses struggle with is retention, and if they're not able to offer their employees health plans or what have you, then even if an employee is really excited and love the business, they have to have a basic need, and that basic need is healthcare.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: And so this program to me is really important, but I would love to hear more about. Why local businesses? Why business owners might look [00:05:00] at a plan like this one through the Lake Oswego Chamber and through overall chamber and the Ben Chamber, but you know, through their membership at the Lake Oswego Chamber,
DENNIS WARNEKE:: the state of Oregon has certain rules and regulations, so for all small business.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Under 50 employees, they're not required to offer insurance. However, most small business know that the value of their employees is to keep 'em and not have turnover and turnover. I've worked with tons of small businesses that offer health insurance, and it's one of the main things they're concerned about first, to make sure their employees are taken care of.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: This is a plan that allows them to do that. Help us with a little bit more about this plan. What does it include? How is it compare to some of the other plans that are out there, and why? If I'm a small business, might I be looking towards this one instead of another option?
DENNIS WARNEKE:: As an independent broker, I am am of course licensed with all the carriers out there.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: As you mentioned earlier, they're using Providence [00:06:00] as their health plan in, in this association group. Providence is an excellent network. Also legacy, a smaller network is OHSU, et cetera. Mm-hmm. There's several different great points with the Ben Chamber is, yes, they're using Providence, which, and their big signature network, but they're also associated with OHSU.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: If you wanna go to a doctor at OHSU, you're able to do that where if you were with Providence and you did that, that would be considered out of network and the deductible would be higher. Everything would be higher. This plan also has a thousand dollars accident benefit. Okay? So if you have an accident.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: You can get up to an extra thousand dollars besides whatever the insurance pays for. It also has a $25,000 accidental death and dismemberment for the employee, which that's, that's huge. That's always something you're adding to a plan that's not something built in that's built into this plan [00:07:00] has an independent broker.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: My job is to get the best coverage and cost for the employer. So I will be looking at all the other plans too. I'm working with three chamber members right now. One of them, the premiums are higher than several other carriers, so we'll probably go with somebody else.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: That's why it's important to work with somebody like you 'cause Yeah, I can go through.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: And pick different things, but I gotta find the right one that is working for me. Mm-hmm. So like you said, you're working with three different people right now. For one of them, it's not this plan, but hope, you know, and potentially for the other two it's And the other two.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: It looks like it. Yeah.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Good. So it's laying out, here's what your options are as an employer, you wanna be able to offer this insurance to your employees to keep that retention.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: This is an option for giving you that bigger buying power within there, correct. So help us understand when somebody is applying for the Chamber healthcare plan. Do they work directly with Ben? Like, I know it's offered through Ben, but help us understand the process of, of what they would do to get it.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: They would call me. Nice.
MICHELLE ODELL:: Okay. I love that one call [00:08:00] does it all
DENNIS WARNEKE:: right. Right. And I don't say this other than this is how deeply I feel about my clients. I have a direct business number. But if I don't answer it, it goes to my cell phone voicemail. So I have one voicemail, so I don't care if I get a call on a Sunday morning.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: I'll answer it if I can help 'em, I'll do that. When I am talking to somebody, especially, haven't even met 'em personally, we're talking on the phone. They've either been referred to me or. They found me somehow Chamber, they're asking about, you know, what do I have to do to get health insurance? So I really start the questions off.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: I'll ask 'em how many employees they have, where they're located. Do the employees all work in the state of Oregon? Because that's gonna make a difference. And that's another great thing about the Ben Chamber. With the Providence plan they're using, they have coverage nationwide with the Cigna PPO network For anybody living outside the, we, you could have an employer here with a couple of employees, but he's got 20 [00:09:00] scattered around the country and we can all, you know, get 'em coverage here.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: And with a preferred provider through the Cigna network.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: That's amazing. Especially with so many remote employees now. Yeah. Okay, so questions are, you know, how many employees do you have? Where are they located? What are some other questions?
DENNIS WARNEKE:: What type of industry are you in that makes a difference?
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Usually? Tell 'em that the first thing we need to do is, I've got a couple simple Excel spreadsheets. One is basic. Facts about the business and what percentage they're willing to pay, you know, what's the hours gonna be, those type of things. And the hours
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: of the employees or the, the,
DENNIS WARNEKE:: the hours that are gonna be eligible for benefits.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Mm-hmm. 17 and a half to 40. If they want any additional benefits on that fact sheet. They can check off if they want dental, if they want, you know, vision if they want. Also, I have a census sheet. I, I keep it really simple and I need to have that filled out and sent back to me because that's what [00:10:00] we're gonna get the rates from based off of what their census is.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Once I get that information, then I'm able to put together a presentation and show 'em what's out there available and well, other questions I'll ask if, especially if they already have a plan. What plan do you have? What do you like about it? What's the deductible, et cetera. Do they wanna stay in that area?
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Is that what they're looking for? Or they wanna go higher? If they're only offering one plan, have I'll ask 'em. Have you ever thought about offering two plans? One where you pay your required minimum amount or more with a higher deductible? Don't have to put out as many dollars. And then you can offer a, what we call a buy-up plan, which would be a lower deductible that will allow them to the employee to pay the difference.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Instead of a $4,000 deductible, they'd rather have the a thousand dollars deductible plan than they can pay the difference. Right? And that's a way for an employer if, [00:11:00] especially if they've never done it before, to get into the business to get into it and not paying a fortune. To cover their employees, but given the employees options, rates are based on the group's demographics.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Okay. The plan design that they select and the percentage of the employer contribution. So all that is put into the underwriting to be able to determine what the rate's gonna be. The older you are, the more it cost. Yeah. Now, fortunately here in Oregon we have what we call a composite rates, where in Washington you can do composite, but.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Like most states across the country, the rate is based on that employee's age. So a 25-year-old gets a rate for $200 and a 50-year-old gets a rate for $400. Here, we composite it so we get the average.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Okay.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: Which I, which I like the best. That way people don't feel like they're. Yeah.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Being discriminated, right?
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Ageism, I didn't wanna say that, but yes. Feels like, you know you know, [00:12:00] sometimes we need to be creative around how we are getting this insurance to our ourselves. Right? Right. Because if I'm a small business owner, I'm. Might be one of those people that needs that health insurance. Yes. Yes. As well as my employees.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: And essentially, I'm hearing too, like people need to know what their options are, find out what their options are. Mm-hmm. And find out what the best option is gonna be for them. Right. This is just one option that's out there for our people and for our chamber members. When I'm thinking about like different scenarios.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: But if you can help us with different examples of people who have come to you,
DENNIS WARNEKE:: A chamber member. Referred to me by the Chamber small business here in Lake Oswego that he just recently started up. I have not met him because he's in California, but we've talked quite a bit. We were able to, with the Ben Chamber, put a plan together for his, I think at four or five employees he has here in lo.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: It's about businesses knowing their options. Going to somebody to find out mm-hmm What's gonna be the best option for me given my makeup and what Right. You know, what I can get. And [00:13:00] it's also just not feeling that there isn't hope that they could get it. A lot of smaller businesses don't think that this is in their reach.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: And it is.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: It, it is. Worst case scenario, if an employer is offering a plan, I don't care if it's a high deductible plan, 'cause he's gotta keep the cost down. He's offering coverage not to be offering coverage. Not a good thing. Every person needs health insurance, needs to be able to see a doctor when they want to.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: I've had clients tell me one example, just about a month or so ago, one of a prospect, not from the bin, but. A guy that was referred to me from one of my other clients, he was saying, you know, I guess I should get some kind of plan put in place because one of my employees he got real sick and, you know, he was still coming to work and stuff.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: And I asked him, why, why aren't you going to the doctor? I said, I don't have any insurance. Yeah. I can't afford it. And so he says, I've, I've gotta take care of my, my people. So that's what convinced him.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: You know, it's this care and being cared for. Mm-hmm. [00:14:00] We have to take care of our people and especially if we want the loyalty, but also just as a basic human, right.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Yeah. Yeah. We need to be able to have access to, yes. Yes. Well, I thank you for the work that you're doing, Dennis, to take care of people and caring for those folks, making sure they have the right plan for them. I see you as a huge resource for our Chamber members to come to, and I really do appreciate this link in with Bend to be able to offer this.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: The healthcare plan through there as well, and giving that buying power for our people. And I think if we could, the more we can just get the word out, the better, so that people even know, again, I don't think there's a lot of bus, there's many business owners that don't really believe that this is reachable.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: And today what I'm hearing is it is. And you just gotta go and find out it's, yeah. Yeah. Well, Dennis, tell everybody how we can get ahold of you.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: 5 0 3. 8 1 6. Here's my lucky number. 13. 13.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Ooh, that's great.
DENNIS WARNEKE:: 5 0 3 8 1 6. 1 3 1 3.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Dennis, thank you so much for doing this today.
MICHELLE ODELL:: Yeah, it's Well, thank you. Really appreciate it.
MICHELLE ODELL:: Thank
DENNIS WARNEKE:: you very much. [00:15:00] All right. Okay.
MICHELLE ODELL:: Now it's time to talk about what's going on, Liz, what do we
LIZ HARTMAN:: need to know? In lo? We are going to be having plenty of ribbon cuttings and we invite the public. We invite businesses to welcome these new businesses. The first one is Saturday, September 6th. That will be at 11 o'clock and it's pickleball kingdom.
LIZ HARTMAN:: And then on Friday, September 12th, the Pharaoh Group at Rate is having an open house from four to 6:00 PM The ribbon cutting will be at 4:00 PM Come and meet Marissa Cooper and the whole team at the Phal Group. And then again on Tuesday, September 16th, the Visiting Angels. They're at three Center Point Drive.
LIZ HARTMAN:: They're having an open house. I think everybody should learn something about visiting Angels. They'll be from four to 6:00 PM with the ribbon cutting at four o'clock. So come see the ribbon cuttings and find out what's going on. We can never forget to mention the wine walk, which is on Saturday, October 4th.
LIZ HARTMAN:: Get your tickets now. Get a party together. [00:16:00] Treat your clients or treat your employees and bring them into Lake Oswego. These tickets will go fast. We sell out almost every year, so this is the time to get them. And one more thing we have in October is Sunday, October 12th, the wellness fair, it'll be from two to 5:00 PM at Millennium Park Plaza if you're in the wellness business.
LIZ HARTMAN:: Please sign up as a vendor. Now, if you are not in the wellness business, you need to come. It's gonna be a good time at Millennium Park Plaza two to five, Sunday, October 12th.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: So there are so many options for sponsorships when it comes to the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce, and I think this is one thing that businesses forget to get that they have access to.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: It gets their name out. We have the tree lighting, which has. 5,000 people lined up and your name is out there and you get to light the tree and talk a little bit about you. And so I just really feel like some of our organizations within the Chamber need to consider [00:17:00] sponsorship, what it could do for them, who it can get them in front of.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: You know, when you think of the health fair, the wine walks, the, the holiday party like. This gets you in front of the people that you want to have your name recognition with. And so there's tons of options and would highly recommend you taking a look and talking to Liz, myself, or any other board member about what you might be able to do with your sponsorship options.
LIZ HARTMAN:: And let me add another big one, because February is gonna come faster than you think. February is the community awards event, and who doesn't wanna honor the community Leader of the Year or the Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Or the business of the year. And if you're a sponsor for one of those organizations, you are gonna be reaching all kinds of people that are affiliated with these businesses, but also with the big greater community.
LIZ HARTMAN:: So please give us a call.
MICHELLE ODELL:: And don't forget about the newsletter, man, Jen Peterson. She puts together this amazing thing. She puts it out every Tuesday. It's such a great resource.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: Open it, look at it, but also you can put your stuff in it as a chamber member. You know, there's [00:18:00] things that you might wanna get out there, and it's included in your membership to be able to include something from the members.
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: So it's a no brainer. Get your name out there.
MICHELLE ODELL:: All right. And thanks for listening. And don't forget, every day is a Chamber of Commerce. Day here in Lake Oswego,
LIZ HARTMAN:: the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce. Thanks you for listening to Business Lo. We would love to have you as a member so you can help Lake Oswego continue to be one of the best places to live, work, and play.
LIZ HARTMAN:: If you wanna share an idea for a future episode. Or become a member. Visit us@lakeoswegochamber.com and please like and follow us on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for help with your business podcast, go to podcast productions.com.