BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ChamberMaster//Event Calendar 2.0//EN METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:P3D REFRESH-INTERVAL:P3D CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20170216T160000Z DTEND:20170217T000000Z X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:FALSE SUMMARY:East Parker County Day at the Capitol DESCRIPTION:EPCC Governmental Affairs 2017 Legislative Agenda:\n\n \n\n Water\n\nWater is a precious and scarce resource that the business community relies upon to sustain growth and manufacture products. Texas must identify\, construct\, and fund additional water resources to sustain our economic momentum. Also\, we must focus on water conservation and water re-use as a tool to sustain the demand for water.\n\n\n Healthcare Initiative \n\nMany small business employees\, independent business owners and individuals are finding it almost impossible to find reasonable health care options through the ACA exchanges in rural counties. These individuals\, who do not have any group options available\, are forced to buy insurance as an individual on the ACA Exchange. As insurance companies drop out of the exchanges\, these options are no longer cost effective nor do they provide a quality health care alternative. In Parker County\, the only available option for an individual buying through the exchange is the BC/BS HMO which has a high deductible\, high monthly premium and few if any physicians. While this scarcity of plan options doesn't affect group plans yet\, that may be coming. The EPCC Governmental Affairs committee would like the Legislature to consider a bill that would allow individuals to purchase through a modified group concept. The group could be made up of professional associations\, including chambers where members could pool to purchase healthcare options as a group.\n\nAs more insurance carriers stop offering options in Texas unless offered through group plans\, the state faces more individuals having to buy insurance that is useless to them or face the federal penalty. In addition\, the number of uninsured individuals will continue to rise due to lack of reasonable\, cost effective and readily available health insurance.\n\nWe ask that the legislature consider a solution to this growing problem in Texas. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:EPCC Governmental Affairs 2017 Legislative Agenda:
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  1. Water
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\nWater is a precious and scarce resource that the business community relies upon to sustain growth and manufacture products. \; Texas must identify\, construct\, and fund additional water resources to sustain our economic momentum. \; Also\, we must focus on water conservation and water re-use as a tool to sustain the demand for water.\n\n
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  1. Healthcare Initiative \;
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\nMany small business employees\, independent business owners and individuals are finding it almost impossible to find reasonable health care options through the ACA exchanges in rural counties. \; These individuals\, who do not have any group options available\, are forced to buy insurance as an individual on the ACA Exchange. \; As insurance companies drop out of the exchanges\, these options are no longer cost effective nor do they provide a quality health care alternative. \; \; In Parker County\, the only available option for an individual buying through the exchange is the BC/BS HMO which has a high deductible\, high monthly premium and few if any physicians. \; While this scarcity of plan options doesn&rsquo\;t affect group plans yet\, that may be coming. \; The EPCC Governmental Affairs committee would like the Legislature to consider a bill that would allow individuals to purchase through a modified group concept. \; The group could be made up of professional associations\, including chambers where members could pool to purchase healthcare options as a group.
\nAs more insurance carriers stop offering options in Texas unless offered through group plans\, the state faces more individuals having to buy insurance that is useless to them or face the federal penalty. \; In addition\, the number of uninsured individuals will continue to rise due to lack of reasonable\, cost effective and readily available health insurance.
\nWe ask that the legislature consider a solution to this growing problem in Texas. LOCATION:Texas State Capitol 1100 Congress Ave\, Austin\, TX 78701 Hotel Accommodations: Group Information Group Name: East Parker County Day at the Capitol Group Code: EPC Check-in: 15-FEB-2017 Check-out: 16-FEB-2017 Hotel Name: Embassy Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown Town Lake Hotel Address: 300 South Congress Avenue Austin\, Texas Zipcode - 78704 Phone Number: 1-512-469-9000 Your HiltonLink is: http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/A/AUSLKES-EPC-20170215/index.jhtml Reservations: Reservations can be made by calling Embassy Central Reservations desk at 1-800EMBASSY (1-800-362-2779) by the cut-off date of Friday\, February 3\, 2017 and asking for the East Parker County Day at the Capitol group rate. If you are interested in staying the night\, several have already committed to the Embassy Suites for the 15th. King suites are available for $269 rate per night (rate guaranteed until Feb. 3). Each spacious suite has separate bedroom and living room areas (1 King bed in the bedroom and queen size sleeper sofa in the living room) with many amenities - refrigerator\, microwave\, and coffee makers. These rates include complimentary "Cooked to order" breakfast each morning in addition to our 2 hour evening reception from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Dinner 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Threadgill's within walking distance of the Embassy Suites Local institution known for down-home cooking\, live music & a Sunday gospel brunch. Address: 301 W Riverside Dr\, Austin\, TX 78704 Phone: (512) 472-9304 Menu: urbanspoon.com UID:e.2477.6661 SEQUENCE:3 DTSTAMP:20260429T052149Z URL:http://business.parkercountychamber.com/events/details/east-parker-county-day-at-the-capitol-6661 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR