NEA Member Benefits has sent the message below to NEA members. The NEA MB Member Assistance Program webpage referenced in the message provides information on financial accommodations being offered by NEA MB’s major business partners to NEA MB program participants. NEA MB will continue to monitor developments and seek ways to support members and state & local affiliates during this unprecedented and challenging time.  With NEA Member Benefits, “it’s all about the member.”

Dear NEA Member,

We understand the current outbreak of COVID-19 is having a big impact on your students and on your life – both personally and professionally. We know educators like you are being asked to adapt to extraordinary circumstances at work while managing disruption and other challenges at home.

We remain committed to serving you. Our staff and many of our partners are working remotely to continue to assist you. We understand that many members’ incomes may be disrupted, and we would like to remind you to please visit our Member Assistance Program for more information at https://www.neamb.com/pages/coronavirus-assistance.

In addition to visiting our website at www.neamb.com, please don’t hesitate to call our Member Advocacy Center at (800) 637-4636, or email us at ask-us@neamb.com, with questions about our products or services. The Member Advocacy Center is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to1:00 p.m., EDT.

We wish you and your family safety, wellness and calm during these challenging times.

Please take care,


NEA Member Benefits team

California Casualty is dedicated to preserving the health and safety of IEA Members and our employees. We are monitoring this ever-changing public health situation by the hour. This is an unprecedented time for everyone – a time that, for many, is filled with uncertainty. Our hearts and thoughts go out to each and every one of you.

Our primary focus is to minimize disruptions to our policyholders as we respond to concerns about the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). California Casualty remains committed to doing everything we can to serve your members, while keeping our employees safe.   

IEA Members can expect to continue to receive excellent service from California Casualty. The best ways to reach us include:

• Contacting us by phone at 1.800.800.9410. You can make a payment, file a claim, manage your account balance or ask a question.
• Managing your policies online through the “Manage Your Policy” section of www.calcas.com website. You can pay your insurance bill, manage your policies, file a claim, or connect with us.
• New Accounts Representatives are available for purchasing a policy or requesting a quote, you may call 1.866.680.5142, please select option 2.
• Online “Click-to-Chat” option is also available for service.

California Casualty is following recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), taking advantage of technology and making operational modifications as this situation evolves. We have cancelled all non-essential business travel, meetings and conferences for all employees, including our local field representatives. Our service centers are utilizing social distancing, undergoing deep cleaning, along with deploying telecommuting options for employees who may need to work from home to help ensure their health and safety and that of their family members. We are encouraging company communication with clients via virtual meetings through teleconference calls and video conferences.

Thank you for your patience as we all pull together in support of our communities, customers and employees. 

You have seen from other communications from the IEA that the state office in Boise is closed due to the virus.  As a consequence, the two staff members of IEA Member Benefits have had to vacate the building.  However, at the state level and the national level, adjustments have been made to insure that all of our members continue to receive the valuable benefits that come with their membership.  Those two IEA Member Benefits staff are working remotely from their homes and can continue to provide assistance if necessary.

Director Dick Chilcote can be reached at email:  dchilcote@idahoea.org; Member Benefits Associate Collette Elton can be reached at celton@idahoea.org.  They have had to abandon their office phones to work from home so if you have a specific question that needs some further explanation by phone, in your email please include your phone contact.  The NEA Member Benefits staffer, David Glenn, who works with Idaho can be reached by phone at 1-800-360-1296.  All three can assist if you have questions. 

And…there are several online references to inform you about your benefits:

NEA Member Benefits: www.neamb.com

IEA Member Benefits: ieamemberbenefits.org

One of the most popular benefits for members is the Educator Access Discount Program.  With this benefit you can get discounts on hundreds of thousands of purchases locally, nationally, and online.  We have been informed that you can continue to receive those discounts uninterrupted (if you can find a discount at a location that is open 🙂).  This benefit continued unabated even through the recent earthquake in Salt Lake City where the benefit is headquartered.

You will find other stories in this month’s newsletter about how your benefits are being modified to insure that your membership remains valuable.

You may have noticed that the logo of the Idaho Education Association has been changed.  Through consultation with the IEA’s Director of Digital Communication and Technology, the IEA Board of Directors has adopted the new logo.

In order for members and others to more easily recognize the relationship between the IEA and IEA Member Benefits, the IEA Member Benefits Board of Directors has adopted the new look.

The logo can come in various colors.  Be watching for the change and be prepared to take advantage of the many benefits the logo represents.