THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (10/15/00)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

Branch billing vs direct billing

by Martha Lysko
UNA National Secretary

Since January 1999, when Ukrainian National Association Inc. switched to the new Life Insurance Administration system, it became possible to put members on direct billing versus traditional branch billing. Almost immediately some branches went to the new system; currently many branches are on direct billing.

Though this change is mandated by insurance authorities, it also is a response to demands of the membership and in part is a reflection of current trends in the insurance industry. A recent survey of fraternal societies showed that all the societies surveyed were on direct billing or were in the process of changing to direct billing. The survey was limited to societies with between 14,000 and 60,000 members. Large fraternals have been on direct billing since the 1970s and smaller fraternals don't have the computer capabilities to go on the system. It is also true that other Ukrainian fraternal societies are not yet on direct billing although some members are billed directly.

We have been writing about direct billing and discussing it since January 1999 at district meetings. By January 1, 2001, all branches of the Ukrainian National Association will be on direct billing.

The benefits to UNA and the membership of being on direct billing can be summed up in one word: savings, both in money and time. UNA now sends all bills to the secretary, the secretary sends it to the member, and the member sends it back to the secretary. Then the secretary returns the payment to UNA. It used to be that most members of a branch lived in the same area as the location of the branch. The secretary came regularly to the church hall or club, as did the members, and many paid their premiums directly to the secretary. The current scenario is that the members of the branch often live far away from the branch; the secretary does not live near the local church or club and sometimes lives part of the year in Florida. Our younger members who live in the computer age and do most of their banking on line want at least to have the capability of direct payment or electronic transfer.

Many secretaries fear that without premium collection the branch will cease to exist and they will have no direct contact with the membership. The collection of premiums never was, nor should it now be, the only activity of the branch. Maintaining contact with the branch members through branch activities brings better results. The time that the secretary spends collecting premiums can be better spent in organizing new members. The rewards for organizing are greater, the branch gets more members and the UNA grows.

Branches on direct billing will receive money for branch activities. Going back to our beginnings, we realized that the branches grew and prospered because they were the centers of activity in our communities. A recent survey of other fraternal societies revealed that branches today continue to have activities, which not only benefit the community but also promote organizing efforts.

Activists promote UNA at Jersey festival

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. - The Ukrainian National Association participated in the annual Ukrainian Festival held here on September 23, by having an information table open to the public with information about the UNA, its fraternal activities, publications, insurance and financial products, membership benefits, as well as information about Soyuzivka.

The UNA also raffled off six prizes in order to draw people to its information table.

Manning the UNA table were Eugene Oscislawski, UNA advisor and chairman of the Northern New Jersey District Committee, and Andre J. Worobec, fraternal activities coordinator, UNA advisor and Northern New Jersey District treasurer.

The winners of the UNA raffle were announced to the public. Wolodymyr Potezny of New Providence, N.J., won first prize, "History of Ukraine, by Mykhailo Hrushevsky; Stephan Goras of Jersey City, N.J., won second prize, a free year's subscription to The Ukrainian Weekly; Andrij Popiw of Scranton, Pa., won the third prize, the UNA centennial alarm clock.

Mary Gorga of Colonia, N.J., Emilia Kowalchuk of Toms River, N.J., and Anna Prociuk of Union, N.J., each won a UNA T-shirt, the fourth, fifth and sixth prizes.

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