Newsletter Draft Jan.pub

www.svahu.org
IN TOUCH
January 2009
The Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters, California’s Benefits Specialists, is an organization of insurance
professionals committed to promoting the ethical interest of our industry. We do this by providing continuing education for
our members and their clients and act as consumer advocates with legislative leaders at both the Federal and State Level.
January 2009
Vol. 13, No. 13
State of Our
Healthcare 2009
News for and about members of
the Silicon Valley Association
of Health Underwriters –
California’s Benefits
Specialists.
Upcoming
Events
February 11, 2009
Membership Meeting
Mariani's Inn & Restaurant
Santa Clara, CA
Details Inside!
March 30, 2009 - April 1, 2009
Capitol Conference
JW Marriott Hotel
Washington, DC
April 9, 2009
Membership Meeting
Mariani’s Inn & Restaurant
Santa Clara, CA
Look for Details Soon!
WWW.SVAHU.ORG
Our Role in Forging Healthcare Policy for the Year Ahead
Submitted by Oly Storz, PAC Chair
During the weeks leading up to the November election, the CAHU Board of Directors wrestled with some difficult decisions. Of prime importance among
those decisions was the question of how best to spend our limited resources,
our PAC contributions, in order to have the greatest possible impact on our industry, our future livelihood and the very survival of the private healthcare system. An unprecedented decision was made to contribute a huge amount of
money ($100,000) to a ballot measure, Proposition 11. It was determined that a
change in the method of redistricting was essential to our long-term survival
since the current method has resulted in our legislators being utterly unresponsive to the wishes of the people since they nearly all represent carefully-crafted
districts that almost guarantee reelection.
As you know, Proposition 11 passed by a very narrow margin. Our contribution
was one of the largest and played a critical role in passage of the measure. It
got the attention of people in Sacramento. It signaled that we were a player in
the game and not to be ignored, as witnessed by the accompanying photo. The
Governor made Proposition 11 a personal project and campaigned throughout
the state for passage. Three of our PAC Diamond-level contributors were invited to the small, private reception with the governor where the photo was
taken.
The photo opportunity is a symbol indicating that
we now have a voice in the healthcare debate.
Our lobbyists will find it easier to present our point
of view to key legislators. The governor will be
more likely to ask for our input because we helped
him win an important battle. “Why is this so important?” you may ask. It is important because we
face a daunting task for the next two years before
redistricting takes effect. We must fend off deter- Former SVAHU President Tom
mined efforts to institute “universal care” which is Magnus, Governor Schwarreally socialized medicine. After that, a gradual zenegger & SVAHU PAC Chair
process will emerge as legislators face a new real- Oly Storz
ity of accountability and we should have more influence than we have today.
Think of socialized medicine as a potentially fatal virus. There is no cure but
there is a vaccine. Absent the vaccine, symptoms can be treated and reduced
to some extent. Our vaccine is the redistricting to be conducted by an impartial
panel which should provide a significant degree of immunity, like a flu vaccine.
The treatment is represented by our efforts to prevent damaging legislation until
the vaccine becomes widespread. However, our efforts depend upon our ability
to help fund the campaigns of sympathetic legislators which we CANNOT do
without YOUR PAC CONTRIBUTIONS!
WON’T YOU PLEASE JOIN PAC? TODAY?! Even $10 per month charged to
your credit card will help. Your future is at stake! Stop and think about that for
a moment! Won’t you complete the PAC CONTRIBUTOR FORM included in
1 LIST of contributors today?
this newsletter andPage
join our
www.svahu.org
IN TOUCH
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January 2009
IN TOUCH
www.svahu.org
January 2009
SVAHU 2008-2009 Board of Directors
Abraham Phillips
President
(408) 437-5929
[email protected]
Reshmi D. Prasad
Membership Chair
(408) 487-3515
[email protected]
Marilyn Leonard, RHU, REBC
Immediate Past President
(408) 528-9170
[email protected]
Susy Spackman
Secretary
(408) 452-6906
[email protected]
Cindy Kane
Treasurer
(408) 977-1213
[email protected]
Jeff Bader
Communications/Public Affairs Chair
(650) 302-8535
[email protected]
Nicholas Massei,, Jr.
HUPAC Liaison
(408) 732-2920
[email protected]
David S. Bauer, LUTCF
Legislative Chair
(650) 508-0756
[email protected]
Ulrich “Oly” Storz
PAC Chair
(408) 395-3303
[email protected]
Art Young
Sponsorship Chair
(650) 838-1080
[email protected]
J. David Van Nest
Education Chair
(408) 725-8777
[email protected]
Cynthia Downing
Executive Director
(877) 748-0815
[email protected]
Leslie Perez
Awards Chair
(408) 437-5929
[email protected]
Akayla Ruiz
SVAHU Staff
(877) 748-0815
[email protected]
Bill Verbrugge
New Membership Chair
(408) 293-8900
[email protected]
IN TOUCH is a bi-monthly newsletter of the Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters. It is written and published by the Board of Directors of the Association and is
mailed to health, life and P/C insurance professionals throughout the Bay Area. Permission is required to reprint original material, and it will usually be given upon request.
Correspondence or letters to the editor should be addressed to IN TOUCH, c/o Jeff Bader, Health & Life Associates, P.O. Box 7123, Menlo Park, CA 94026; Ph: (650) 302-8535;
fax (253) 541-6488; email [email protected]. Email correspondence is preferred. Advertising correspondence should be addressed to IN TOUCH, c/o Cynthia Downing,
SVAHU, P.O. Box 1071, Fresno, CA 93714; telephone (877) 748-0815; fax (559) 227-1463; email: [email protected]. Subscription is free with membership. SVAHU is a
non-profit professional association affiliated with the National and California Associations of Health Underwriters. All rights reserved.
2009 Jewel Sponsorship
2009 Jewel Sponsorship Opportunities are available!
Don’t miss the chance to be involved and get your company that extra exposure with our annual
sponsorship package! Our distinguished Jewel Sponsors have a significant role in supporting our
chapter and provide us with means to present our membership with great programs.
For more information & to get your 2009 Jewel Sponsorship Package, contact: Art Young at (650)
838-1080, or e-mail him: [email protected].
THANK YOU To Our 2009 Jewel Sponsors
Without your support, we would not be able to bring the quality events and programs to our members that they have come to
expect from us. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!
DIAMOND SPONSORS
Word & Brown
SAPPHIRE SPONSORS
Anthem Blue Cross
Beere & Purves
Our Sponsors support us…We support them!
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IN TOUCH
www.svahu.org
January 2009
2009 Calendar of Events
To RSVP for any of the following events, please call: (877) 748-0815
EVENT
DATE
LOCATION
SPONSOR
Membership Meeting
February 11, 2009
Mariani’s Inn & Restaurant
Santa Clara, CA
Word & Brown
2009 Capitol Conference
March 30, 2009 - April
1, 2009
JW Marriott Hotel
Washington, DC
NAHU
Membership Meeting
April 9, 2009
Mariani’s Inn & Restaurant
Santa Clara, CA
Beere & Purves
Word & Brown
2009 Annual Golf Tournament
May 4, 2009
Cinnabar Hills Golf Course
San Jose, CA
TBD
2009 Day At the Capitol
May 12, 2009
Sheraton Grand
Sacramento, CA
CAHU
Membership Meeting
June 11, 2009
Mariani’s Inn & Restaurant
Santa Clara, CA
Word & Brown
SVAHU PAC GEM STONE CONTRIBUTORS
Diamond Level ($1,000 annual or $85 monthly)
Lisa Hughes
Zain Jeewanjee
Tom Kaufman
Marilyn Leonard
David Long
Tom Magnus
Nick Massei
Jan Mesa
Emerald Level
($500-$719 annual or $42 monthly)
David Bauer
Sandra Bealu
Daniel Bodmann
Clifford Der
Allan Eckmann
Howitt Insurance
Andrew Kerr
Allan Liu
Susan Spackman
Rhonda Velez
Robert Vinal
Ulrich Storz
Michael Watson
Paul Mifsud
Drew Miller
John Palladino
Todd Scheuer
Ruby Level
($250-499 annual or$21 monthly)
Linda Akins-Benevento
Shawn Balsdon
Bayside Insurance Marketing
Jeff Bader
Theresa Bennett
Diane Borrison
David Candelario
Ki Cotter
William Cross
Marla Forcht
Kevin Hannah
Richard Hemmerling
Cynthia Kane
Jennifer Lapava
Mary Ann Magnus
Monique Mills
Daniel Moran
Milly Morelan
Thank you for your support of the PAC!
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Gracie Palacios
Leslie Perez
Elona Pertica
Abraham Phillips
Mika Storz
Jean Sukovez
Kathleen Vaillancourt
Rolando Veloz
Arthur Young
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January 2009
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January 2009
Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Submitted by Dave Van Nest, SVAHU Education Chair
A new year gives us New opportunities to know what we don’t know. Keeping up with the latest products and marketing
opportunities is what makes us both professional and separated us from the “average insurance agent”. New will be a
key word for 2009.
We will be kicking off the 2009 with our first major event February 11th at 8:15AM at a New venue the Mariani Inn on
El Camino in Santa Clara. (See page 7 for details.)
We have taken your feedback from past meetings. The meeting on the Feb 11th will center on new opportunities in the
Long Term Care Industry. We have two experts on LTC in California Barry Fisher and Susan Blais. Attend and earn two
CE credits!
Also, learn even what your kid’s don’t know about Web 2.0 Have you ever been invited to Join LinkedIn or Facebook?
What is this social networking all about? Learn something New! And gain a great overview on Web 2.0. How you can
avoid mistakes and get more sales.
New Pricing! Please Notice and tell your friends. We want all SVAHU members and potential members to come.
Pricing for members has dropped to $15 and only $25 for guests.
GA and Carrier Reps- Notice the value you can bring to the table. Invite as many non-SVAHU members as you
wish for free as your guest. It gives you an opportunity to spend time with your potential clients and also give your guest
a taste of what SVAHU can do for them.
Have a look at the New 2009 SVAHU. We’re hoping to see 150 guests at our first meeting. Do you SVAHOOO?
The Year Ahead for Legislators
Article by David Bauer, SVAHU Legislative Chair
We had several new Legislators sworn into office Monday December 1st, 2008. These excited, motivated and inexperienced men and women were thrown into special session later that day to solve our state’s largest ever deficit. The Governor called these folks into a special session about twenty minutes after they concluded their business in each House. So
they didn’t have time to bask in their glory. (That’s the good news.) Should we be worried? Damn straight!
I was invited to swearing in ceremony of newly elected State Assemblyman, Jerry Hill ( D ), of the 19th district. As you
might remember, Mr. Hill was the candidate we, SVAHU, contributed to last year at his kick-off. This was a good thing.
How, you may ask? Firstly, I’ve known Jerry now, going on nine years. Worked with him for four of those years on
County commissions and special projects as I served on City Council. So we’ve developed a good working relationship.
Other than serving my community and enjoying working with Jerry, I never envisioned how this could work out down
the road. A positive for both of us. All of us.
I’ve come to discover that I served with Jerry Hill’s Chief of Staff, the Former Mayor of Millbrae, as well. At the reception, I reacquainted myself with many former and current elected officials. It gave me the opportunity to kibitz (chat)
with many of the Assembly members and Senators in a very relaxed atmosphere. In fact many of these folks, we visited
with while in Sacramento last May. I also met a couple new Assembly members. More importantly, I was introduced to
a couple other Chiefs of Staff, which should help us gain at least a warmer reception when we call on them.
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January 2009
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January 2009
Joint Meeting of the CAHU Legislative Council and CAHU
Public Affairs Committee
As reported by Jeff Bader, SVAHU Communications
Bill Robinson, CAHU VP Legislative chaired the meeting and first addressed the need for us all to subscribe to the
CAHU Blog. Go to www.cahu.org and register (upper left) specifically for leg updates. “I charge all of you to better motivate members”, said Bill, including telling EVERYONE you talk to in the next 2 weeks to vote for Prop 11. In review,
he stated that “our bills mostly passed or were vetoed because of budget issues”, and further that he would like to see efforts towards re-writing a bill to rescue the risk pool.
John Lovell, CAHU Legislative Advocate, also reviewed the year just ending and looked ahead to 2009. “If this election
goes badly, the legislature could be in more liberal, democratic hands” warned John, and could put them one vote shy of a
2/3 majority. This “underscores the importance of adopt-a-leg” he stressed. “If your not at the table, you’re on the
menu”. He also noted that Sheila Kuehl leaves her chair of the Senate health committee next year.
Jim Brulte, former Republican Senate Leader, gave a compelling presentation of “The
History of Political Parties”, which addressed the polarization at the capitol. Redistricting is a step in the right direction, although not the sole reason for ideological partisanship according to the senator. Socioeconomic factors can also adjust the political
mood, some scheduled, like elections, some unscheduled, like the current financial crisis.
“We’re no longer fighting culturally, now we fight for the center”, says Brulte, those socially tolerant, small government voters. A student of history, he claims “what should
happen, usually does”, and was clear that he expected O’Bama to win, and waste little
time in attempting to advance his health care agenda.
Steve Lindsay, CAHU Legislative Advocate, closed out the meeting with insight on the
voice that CAHU has attained in Sacramento. It is important that we all take responsibility to reach out to membership and stay abreast of our organization’s efforts to know the
issues as well as speak as one voice.
SVAHU Legislative Chair Dave Bauer
with former Republican Senate Leader
Jim Brulte at the recent 2008 CAHU
Symposium in Los Angeles
The Year Ahead for Legislators Continued...
To think I wasn’t going to make the drive. Never, never miss this type of opportunity. It is certainly worth the time and
effort.
More good news!! The Feds, our Governor and many of our legislators are looking at The Massachusetts Health Plan.
Examining its working parts (numerous and very complex). Watching how it’s progressing, etc. So we’ll have our work
cut out for us in this next year. The year after that and so on until something is done. Hopefully with plenty of our input,
(troops on the ground).
It is my humble opinion, that no matter what our State might design for health care reform, even if it’s the panacea of
health plans, NOTHING will move forward in a meaningful way UNTIL we solve our budget crisis. Did I say CRISIS!!
It is a critical time for our State finances. In a short period of time ( 30-60 days ), our State will begin a process of prioritizing who and how much we pay whom. Until we run out of $$$. Then I don’t know what. Except a whole lot of people won’t receive any salary.
For the moment, I believe we are fortunate to be allowed this time to plan, offer ideas and suggest legislation. To wait
until the appropriate time avails itself for CAHU/NAHU to help craft the future of healthcare in our state and for the entire
country.
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January 2009
zMember of the Year - MD Sam Smith, CFP
zExecutive Board Member of the Year - Alan Katz, RHU
zOutstanding Individual Membership Recruiter - Ross Pendergraft
zMembership Cup– Retention Cup - Ventura AHU
zOutstanding Local Chapter Website - Ventura County Association of Health
zOutstanding Local Chapter Newsletter- The SAHU Sentinel
Large Chapter: Sacramento Association of Health Underwriters
zOutstanding Local Chapter Newsletter- In Touch
Small Chapter: Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters
Barry Fisher, CAHU PAC Co-Chairman
and Oly Storz, SVAHU PAC Chair
zChapter of the Year - Central California Association of Health Underwriters
zOutstanding Local Membership Growth - Orange County Association of Health Underwriters
CAHU PAC Awards- Local Chapter PAC Contribution
zGoal Attainment Award, 1st Place - North Coast Association of Health Underwriters
In recognition of the local chapter with the highest percentage goal attainment for the year.
zGoal Attainment Award, 2nd Place - Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters
In recognition of the local chapter with the highest percentage goal attainment for the year.
zHeavy Hitter Award, 1st Place - Golden Gate Association of Health Underwriters
In recognition of the local chapter with the highest amount contributed per Chapter Member.
zHeavy Hitter Award, 2nd Place - Los Angeles Association of Health Underwriters
In recognition of the local chapter with the highest amount contributed per Chapter Member.
zOutstanding Service - Ulrich Storz
Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters
Neil Crosby, CAHU Immediate
Past President and Jeff Bader,
SVAHU Media Relations Chair
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IN TOUCH
January 2009
Inauguration: The Coming Challenges and Opportunities
By Janet Trautwein
Dear NAHU Members,
After a long and hard-fought campaign season, on November 4th Americans exercised one of our most fundamental rights: choosing a new president and Congress.
NAHU wishes to congratulate President-elect Obama and the incoming members of the 111th Congress. We
pledge to work with them on the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for our health care delivery
system.
As the nation's pre-eminent trade association representing professional agents, brokers and benefit specialists,
NAHU occupies a unique role in the health insurance marketplace. On a daily basis, our members work with
individual and corporate health insurance consumers to help provide them with the type of coverage that best
serves their needs, and to service that coverage to help get issues solved quickly and efficiently.
With health care being such a dominant issue in the presidential and congressional elections, we know there
will be renewed efforts, particularly at the federal level, aimed at improving access to affordable health insurance and improving the quality of care delivered to all Americans. From our perspective, there are "right" ways
to improve the system and "wrong" ways. We have and will continue to put forth many tools and proposals,
such as our Healthy Access Plan, our studies on "connectors" and our discussion of the tax treatment of health
insurance.
NAHU has been actively engaged in the policy discussions on health care reform in official Washington and in
campaign circles, and we will continue to play a strong role in such discussions and in promoting the principles
that are aligned with the best interests of consumers, employers, providers and our important industry.
NAHU believes strongly in ensuring that all Americans have access to a health care system that delivers both
world-class medical care and financial security. We believe the time is right for a solution that controls medical
spending and guarantees access to affordable coverage for all Americans. We believe this can be accomplished without limiting people's ability to choose the health plan that best fits their needs and ensures them
continued access to the services of independent state-licensed counselors and advocates.
In the next year there will be many competing ideas on how best to "change" our health care system. Presidentelect Obama put forth many proposals on which many particular details have yet to be determined, all of which
must be considered by Congress.
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January 2009
The sort of change that may be considered and how it will affect our professional industry and the availability
of affordable private health insurance options will depend in large part to how dedicated and unified we are in
having our voices heard in Washington, DC, and other centers of government.
Rest assured, NAHU staff will be working harder than ever on behalf of you in the government advocacy
arena. But is more important than ever for members to be engaged in NAHU in as many ways as possible,
particularly on the "grassroots" level. You can develop relationships and serve as resources to elected officials and other policymakers on what we do as a profession, and tell them what works (and does not work) in
different health care markets. Participation in our Operation Shouts on issues that are front and center is also
an integral way to stay involved in grassroots activities.
It is also extremely important to keep in good contact with NAHU staff about any "grasstops" relationships you
may have. A grasstop relationship is when one of our members has a personal connection with a member of
Congress, governor, state legislator or insurance commissioner (or one of their key staff) that extends to a
level beyond normal constituent interaction. For example, if you have a longstanding relationship with a congressional staffer with whom you trade e-mails and phone calls about health policy issues, that qualifies as a
grasstop connection. If you have just received an e-mail or two in response to an Operation Shout or had a
meeting at Capitol Conference, that does not. In addition, more unique personal relationships also qualify. If
your neighbor is now a state assemblyman or if you are a top fundraiser for a congressional candidate, NAHU
needs to know about it!
Another item we need your help with during the next few months is the collection of home addresses. About
half of NAHU members only provide us with their work address when they sign up for membership. Since
many people work in a different congressional or state legislative district than the one in which they reside,
our grassroots database isn't as accurate as it could be. Considering the possible challenges ahead, we need
to make sure our grassroots machine is well-oiled. Please help us by updating your member record to include
your home address, and by encouraging other members of your chapter to do the same. Adding your home
address does not mean that you will start to receive NAHU information at home – unless you specifically
choose that option – but it does mean that our grassroots information will be much more accurate! Here's how
you do it:
If You Know Your Password
Log in to the My NAHU section of the website at and select "My Information" to update your home address.
If You Do Not Know Your Password
You may reset it here. A new password will be e-mailed to you, then you can go to the link above and select
"My Information" to update your address.
I also urge you to attend our 2009 Capitol Conference here in Washington, DC. It takes place in late March
and early April, and at this conference our members get firsthand experience in developing and growing relationships in Washington and are kept abreast of the most pressing issues facing our industry. Information
about registering for Capitol Conference 2009 will be available soon on www.nahu.org so please check our
site in the near future to sign up and be part of an important and exciting year in our industry.
The next two years will be pivotal as to the future form and direction of our health care system. There has
never been a more important time to be a part of NAHU and to do all we can to defend our important industry.
Help us have our voices heard as we participate in the many important policy discussions ahead.
Thank you for your time, effort and support. We look forward to working with and serving you.
Sincerely,
Janet Trautwein
Executive Vice President and CEO
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January 2009
SVAHU Annual Golf Tournament
“Fore!” A Good Cause
The Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters (SVAHU)
Annual golf outing, held on May 4, 2009, will be held at Cinna‐
bar Hills Golf Club. The new location is the Cinnabar Hills golf
course in South San Jose, where the San Jose Sharks hold their
annual golf tournament. The course is in a beautiful setting of
lush greens and a mountain backdrop that belies the challenges
of an 18‐hole, wind‐influenced, golfing beauty. This event is
known as a fun day on the golf course that includes networking,
golf, food and drink.
Sign Up Today!
Enjoy a Day of Golf
The carts are ready and the duffers eager to get going as everyone is preparing to tee off this year. Over 140 hackers and even
some near‐pros, are expected to try their skills at winning the very coveted trophy and becoming this years champ! This year's
tournament is “Fore!” A Good Cause.
Show Your Support! On behalf of the SVAHU Golf Committee, we are seeking participants, sponsors and donors for our Annual
Golf Tournament, which will be held on Monday, May 4th 2009 at the Cinnabar Hills Golf Course. Don’t forget to ask your clients
for a raffle prize donation. This is a great event and an excellent opportunity for you to market you company and for your clients
for market their business! The proceeds from the event will benefit the SVAHU Charity and our legislative efforts. For your spon‐
sorship or donation, your company name will appear in the event materials for all participants to see, will be announced that night
as your sponsorship or prize is announced, and will be printed in the SVAHU newsletter thanking all sponsors and donors to the
golf tournament.
We appreciate your consideration of this request and invite you to join us for this fun and exciting event and/or support this event
by becoming a sponsor, by donating a raffle prize or golfing (we will help put together foursomes for individual golfers). For more
info on any of these options, please feel free to contact List names posted on the SVAHU website under golf tournament. Sign Up
Today!
Tournament:
Time: 12:00 pm Shot Gun
Fee: $150
Tournament Fee Includes:
18 Holes of Golf (Scramble Format)
Golf Cart with GPS
Lunch
After Tournament Banquet
Tee & Raffle Prizes
Gifts from Sponsors
Tee Prizes
Sign Up Today!
Prizes, Prizes, Prizes
Besides the golf competition, there are many valuable prizes to
be claimed.
Golf Challenged??
Come out and join us for dinner and the conviviality. Lots of fun
for all and a very good buffet dinner. And don't forget the raffle
prizes; they are always great!
Proceeds from this event go to support our legislative programs and our charities. Thank you for your support and throughout the
year please continue to support our Golf Sponsors.
Sign Up Today!
Online Links:
2009 SVAHU Golf Tournament Registration Form ‐ http://www.svahu.org/documents/2009-SVAHU-Golf-Registration-Form.pdf
2009 SVAHU Golf Tournament Sponsorship Form ‐ http://www.svahu.org/documents/2009-SVAHU-Golf-Sponsorship-Confirmation.pdf
2009 SVAHU Golf Tournament Flyer ‐ http://www.svahu.org/documents/2009-SVAHU-Golf-Flyer.pdf
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January 2009
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January 2009
This space could be yours!
Advertising details for In-Touch
can be found at
http://www.svahu.org/documents/2009-SVAHU-In-TouchAdvertising-Agreement.pdf
Or call SVAHU at 877-748-0815
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