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As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century, much is happening in the medical care realm. The House and Senate have each passed different versions of health care reform and the final outcome awaits conference committee negotiations and final action by Congress early in 2010. It seems likely that something will be adopted, but what it will be is pretty much anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, the CalCPA Group Insurance Trust has just completed 50 years in the medical insurance business and continues to serve the needs of California CPA firms, their employees and dependents. The Trust is proud to have helped its customers control their medical care costs by keeping premium increases to roughly 7 percent per year for the past 6 years, at a time when average premium increases in the California small-group market have ranged from 9 to 14 percent.  The Trust is also proud to be the only entity of its type in the U.S. to achieve and maintain an A.M. Best rating (B++).

Because the ProtectPlus program is “for CPAs, by CPAs” we listen to members’ suggestions and beginning in 2010, several of our Preferred Provider (PPO) plans offer, as a standard provision, the first 6 office visits of the year free from copay.  This has been a popular feature and another way in which the Trust helps you save money on your healthcare.

Another 2010 money saver comes from a reduction in pharmacy copays from $15 to $10 for generic drugs. The use of generic drugs rather than much more expensive brand drugs is a major way to control growth in health care costs.

The Trust continues to see CPA firms moving to the use of high-deductible HSA-eligible plans as a way to control the cost of providing health care coverage for their employees.  As a result, the Trust increased the number of HSA-eligible plans and now offers three high deductible healthcare plans – with deductibles of $1,500, $2,500 and $2,850 – to provide a range of choices to employers.

We hope that 2010 is a year of prosperity and good health for all CalCPA members and their families and we thank you for your continued support.

Best wishes for a joyous and healthy New Year,
Gale L. Case
Chairman of the Board of Trustees

We simply want to wish everyone happy holidays, and the best for the New Year. We will be closed from December 24th, through November 4th, please forward any inquires to our plan administrators Banyan.

Customer Service: (877) 480-7923
Fax (877) 237-4519, or
Email: cpaprotectplus@banyan-llc.com

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Canned evaporated milk—not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk—is a standard ingredient in many pumpkin pie recipes. Making the simple switch from evaporated whole milk to evaporated skim milk lowers the saturated fat in your pie, while maintaining its rich texture.

8 servings
 / Prep Time: 30 minutes / 
Total Time: 3 hours (including pastry time)

Ingredients
Essential EatingWell Pie Pastry, (recipe follows)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 large egg whites, or 8 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
• 1 15-ounce can unseasoned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Prepare Essential EatingWell Pie Pastry; refrigerate as directed.
2. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
3. Whisk sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs and egg whites; whisk until well blended. Add pumpkin, whisking until smooth. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch circle. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and fit it into the prepared pie pan. Trim the pastry, fold the edges under and flute. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the crust.
5. Bake the pie for 10 minutes. Cover the edges with strips of foil to prevent over-browning.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325°; bake until the center barely jiggles when the pan is tapped, 55 to 60 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Loosely cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• Canned evaporated milk—not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk—is a standard ingredient in many pumpkin pie recipes. Making the simple switch from evaporated whole milk to evaporated skim milk lowers the saturated fat of your pie, while maintaining its rich texture.

Nutrition

• Per serving: 341 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 2 g mono); 95 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 3 g fiber; 231 mg sodium; 280 mg potassium.
• Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (174% daily value).
• 3 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
• Exchanges: 3 1/2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat characters. Most search engines use a maximum of 160 chars for the description.

We have undergone a lot of changes (new administrators, new website features, new plans for Open Enrollment) this year, but we know they are for the best, and mainly to make your experience with us that much better.

We have many things to be thankful for this year, and you are one of them. All of us here at CalCPA ProtectPlus want to wish you the best this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!

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