For years, Walter Podgurski says, he had seen the need for an advocacy group for voluntary employee benefit plans. Podgurski, who has been in the insurance field since 1969, was exposed to the voluntary plan market early in his career, and throughout the years, he made many relationships in the group sales field. Finally, in July 1997, he decided to leverage those relationships and form a group called the National Association of Professional Enrollment Specialists (now named Benefits Marketing Association).
"We shared a passion and conviction for the benefits that worksite marketing provides to an underinsured, underserved American public," Podgurski said. In March 1998, the group held its first Certified Enrollment Specialist School in Las Vegas.
In April 2004, a shift in industry trends prompted the group to change its name to the Benefits Marketing Association. According to Podgurski, their mission is to advocate, advance, and render service in the selling of financial products and services through payroll deduction, worksite marketing, mass marketing, and voluntary benefits, including:
- Establishing and developing educational material for dissemination through continuing education, publications, seminars, and schools.
- Communicating current and relevant news.
- Linking together the various parties involved in worksite marketing (insurance company home offices, employee benefit brokers, case enrollment managers, enrollers, and vendors) with the above.
- Advocating the concept of voluntary benefits within the insurance industry, with the employee benefits decision-makers of employers, associations, credit unions and labor organizations, and with the employees and members of these organizations.
Podgurski said the group, which is composed of nearly 3,200 enrollers, agents, benefit consultants, insurance company home office personnel, and product and service vendors, is "proud to be a part of the growth area of the insurance industry."
There are no requirements to joining the group -- members should simply have an interest in benefits marketing that involves a relationship. Member benefits include:
- 30 to 35 enrollment link announcements that connect organizations looking for enrollment assistance with qualified providers of that assistance.
- Entire state CE requirements for only $25. The courses are taken online and are approved in 49 states. The subsidized cost includes courses, corresponding exams, grading, and certificates of completion.
- Discounts at the annual conferences Benefits Marketing Mania and Benefits Marketing Renaissance (which Podgurski says draw 1,200 attendees each year).
- Registration fee discount on Certified Enrollment Specialist designation.
- Option to download Benefits Marketing Association logo to use on your stationery and business cards.
- Members-only access to an online library of essential forms, proposals, and booklets.
- Subscription to Benefits Marketing Online Magazine and Insurance Newscast.
Membership costs $89 per year for individuals; a corporate membership costs $129 per year for the first two members and $29 per year for each additional member.
The Benefits Marketing Association holds two conferences each year and publishes Benefits Marketing Online Magazine as well as Insurance Newscast, a compendium of industry news. For more information, contact Walt Podgurski at 888-282-1765 or wpodgurski@aol.com or visit www.benefitsmarketing.org.
