FMCA Insights
By Don Moore, F154921
National Vice President, Midwest Area;
Chairman, Membership/Member Services Committee
July 2003
As chairman of the Membership/Member Services Committee, I want to thank the other committee members for their assistance and for attending meetings with enthusiasm. Jim deBord, F16686S; Roger Merrill, F11560; Jim Moir, F102582; and Janet Stubbs, F107765, are the faithful folk who also serve on the committee with me.
The committee reviews and updates member benefits on a regular basis. FMCA’s member benefits program is designed to provide members with peace of mind and to help protect their financial independence. To learn details about all of your member benefits, check the January 2003 issue of Family Motor Coaching, where all of the benefits are listed and described. In addition, member benefits seminars are offered at FMCA’s international conventions and area rallies. Member benefits also are described on our Web site, FMCA.com.
In addition to focusing on member benefits, the Membership/Member Services Committee has been considering ways to retain existing FMCA members and gain new ones. At our most recent meeting in Cincinnati this past May, we recommended several plans to accomplish this, which are subject to approval by FMCA’s Governing Board.
One plan is to offer a year’s free dues to each member who recruits five new members in the 2004 calendar year. (Members working the FMCA booth at RV shows and other functions would be excluded.) We also recommended, on a trial basis, placing a “last issue” notice on Family Motor Coaching magazines sent to those whose memberships are about to expire.
On the commercial side, we recommended a program that would give $5 cash to commercial member campgrounds for each new family member they recruit. We would support their efforts by supplying them with FMCA membership brochures and a brochure holder for their counters.
One of the most popular FMCA benefits is Family Motor Coaching magazine. The magazine brings you travel information and technical features, information about the latest motorhome designs and new products, reports about chapters and association activities, articles by national officers and committee chairmen, and much more. I have had members tell me that the magazine alone makes their dues worthwhile.
FMCA has signed an agreement with MEDEX Assistance Corporation through 2005 to provide active family, life, and associate members with coverage under the new MEDEX Plus program. Members receive this coverage automatically; no signup is required. MEDEX is an emergency medical air and ground evacuation program that provides transport to the nearest appropriate facility if an FMCA member is involved in an accident or suffers a sudden, unforeseen illness while traveling, and adequate medical facilities are not available in that area. The program also includes other travel assistance benefits. Coverage is provided while traveling in the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico, as long as you are 100 miles or more from home. MEDEX must approve and coordinate all services, so it is very important to remember to contact MEDEX by phone prior to making any arrangements and give them the FMCA group number 7030. The MEDEX phone number is (800) 527-0218. The group number and the phone number appear on the card that is printed on page 195 of the January 2003 issue; the card also is available at area rallies and conventions. Please carry the card with you in your wallet or purse along with your other insurance cards.
Among FMCA’s insurance-related benefits is the Deductible and Co-Insurance Reimbursement Insurance Plan. This plan covers the deductible or co-insurance portion of your medical or dental insurance payment if you suffer a sudden and unforeseen illness while traveling and you are 100 miles or more from home. We now offer members the opportunity to purchase an additional $2,000 in coverage, which raises the annual maximum reimbursement level to $3,000 per person.
Mail forwarding is another great member benefit, and many FMCA members use it when they travel for a few months or as they spend the winter in a warmer location. Members pay only the cost of their own postage; there is no other fee.
One very valuable benefit is the long-lasting friendships FMCA members make with other members, all of whom share the same interest in the motorhome lifestyle.
I have mentioned only a few of the benefits that are available to you as an FMCA member. I encourage you to become familiar with your benefits. Doing so could save you money. We all hope we will never need to use the insurance coverage benefits, for example, but we must be prepared, just in case.