Our Mission Statement
As the proven choice for qualifying private educational institutions, CARES collaboratively focuses on innovative, quality benefit choices, actively managing costs, and sustained, superior service.
Who We Serve
Any institution that is a member of and in good standing with the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, Inc.
Why CARES
CARES, (Collegiate Associate Resources of the Southwest) was founded in 2004 to enable private schools to pool their benefit resources through a tax-advantaged vehicle known as a VEBA trust. Through CARES, multiple employers are permitted to work together to provide health and welfare benefits through our affiliation with Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, Inc. ("ICUT").
According to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, CARES per member per month costs grew less than half the national average at 2%. This combination of membership and thought leadership reduces administrative costs through economies of scale, enhances design and contract terms, and enables greater predictability from year to year as we grow.
Great news!
The CARES board, which is made up of representatives from each of the participating universities, has been able to make significant strides in three important areas:
- First, we have refined our target market for participating colleges as those colleges and/or universities who employ between 100 to 1000 employees.
- Second, we have developed a value proposition that now includes all medical, pharmacy, preventive health, wellness and welfare programs,
- Third, we have created administrative simplicity and affordability while at the same time offering flexibility around each school’s unique culture, design parameters and subsidy levels.