By Leslie Kilgore EBS STAFF
In Big Sky, running a small business isn’t just about serving locals and seasonal visitors, it’s also about navigating the complexities of employees, affordable housing, health insurance and payroll, all while trying to stay afloat in a competitive mountain town. That’s where partnerships like the one between the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and UnitedHealthcare come in. Together, they’ve created an association health plan that supports small business owners as part of a larger insurance group, giving them access to benefits and rates usually reserved for bigger organizations.
At the helm of this program is Carmen Cooper, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s Northwest health plans. With a decade-long career spanning account management to executive leadership, Cooper has spent her career helping small businesses and their employees gain better access to healthcare while building strong community ties. Explore Big Sky spoke to her about Montana, regional small businesses and what makes the Big Sky community so special.
This series is part of a paid partnership with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The following answers have been edited for brevity.
Explore Big Sky: Can you explain how UnitedHealthcare works with the Chamber and what that means for small businesses in the community?
Carmen Cooper: I support the Pacific Northwest health plans for UnitedHealthcare, and within that, we have a relationship and a partnership with the Big Sky Chamber, where we’re able to provide an association health plan. So through this relationship, we can provide any member of the chamber, even a very small business, the opportunity to be treated like a jumbo group.
We can combine all of the chamber members into a pool of employers, and we leverage the strength of that pool to help provide service at a more aggressive rate. So we save quite a bit from a premium perspective than if the group were standing alone.
EBS: Is this something unique to Big Sky or something other chambers do as well?
CC: It’s available to all chambers across the state of Montana that want to participate, which is pretty cool. I wouldn’t say that it’s a consistent offering from chambers in other states though. In other states, some chambers have health plans attached to them. Some sponsor health plans, meaning they advocate for a particular carrier, but they don’t necessarily have a formal arrangement in place. So it is actually kind of unique and one of the few association health plans in the state of Montana today.
EBS: What role did the chamber play in bringing the program together?
CC: Well, for one, Brad Niva is an incredible resource in the community of Big Sky, just to start there. And I think the genesis of this program was really out of Brad’s focus and wish for the businesses in the chamber to have something that differentiated the value of their memberships. Healthcare was something he thought would be a huge advantage to those businesses. So I think a lot of it started there. He’s been incredible and instrumental for this program and overall for strengthening the chamber’s value and presence in the community.
EBS: Can you tell us a little about UnitedHealthcare and how your region works?
CC: UnitedHealthcare essentially has local offices in each state for the most part. There are some exceptions, but we deploy local teams and create local opportunities for each region, and then we take advantage of the scale of the UnitedHealthcare enterprise. For example, one of our footprints in Montana is through an incredible representative who lives in the Bitterroot Valley, and he really supports businesses across the state through his teams.
I run our Pacific Northwest health plan that includes Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii and of course, Montana. And then that rolls up into a larger national footprint.
EBS: How did you find your way into the healthcare industry?
CC: I am coming up on my 10th anniversary with UnitedHealthcare, which is wild. I actually started at UnitedHealthcare as an account manager on the small group side. So think small businesses, which are under 50 employees, that are getting coverage through the exchange or otherwise. Over time, I had the opportunity to step into new roles and new responsibilities, and now I am in the CEO role.
I think health insurance found me, but my purpose kept me here. Ultimately, being able to help people has been one of the best parts of this job. Because I think health insurance is often there to support when people have the least capacity to deal with it.
It’s been an incredible journey to be a part of the solution to the healthcare challenge that we have overall in America right now, and to be able to make an impact in helping people get better access to care, more affordable care and higher quality care.
EBS: What makes your team successful?
CC: I think our team is really successful, mostly because of the empathy they have for others, and they enjoy helping people. We also have people on our team who focus on helping our members live healthier lives through wellness programs. For example, we have a program embedded in the chamber plans called UHC Rewards. Essentially, if you make healthy decisions–like if you walk 10,000 steps a day or get an annual checkup–we will reimburse you for some of your healthcare expenses, or in some cases, we will even just send a gift card as an incentive.
EBS: What has been your impression of the Big Sky and Montana community?
CC: I think there is a lot of support. One of my favorite events that we sponsor every year is called Digger Days, which raises money for Eagle Mount. Kids can engage with and watch heavy machinery at work. They can touch a tractor, ride in an excavator or sit in a dump truck. And there is no cooler event for a three-year-old little boy, like my son, or a little girl than getting to climb in a dump truck.
The entire event is run by volunteers, local contractors and construction crews. And multiple companies donate their machinery for the weekend. It’s a really incredible demonstration of what community in Montana looks like and how it comes together for important organizations and causes.
EBS: In such an important role of leadership and team building, what is some of the best business advice you’ve received?
CC: I think the best business advice would have to be around the concept of understanding that instead of working toward an end result, it’s often more about putting the effort in. If you hustle, everything will almost always fall in line. It’s not always about the result as much as it is about the effort. If I work hard, if I give it my all every single day, and I can put my head to bed every night knowing that I really tried and did everything I could, good things will follow.
EBS: That is really good advice, in so many aspects of life. On that note, can you think of what good things have come from your time spent in Montana? Is there a memory that stands out?
CC: Yes. It’s waking up at the Rainbow Valley Lodge in Ennis, having a hot breakfast, and then going fishing on a guided tour. I’m not actually very good at fishing, but the effort is there, and it makes you feel really good when the guides know all the flies and where to cast. Then in the afternoon, I love sitting outside on the porch and talking to the guides and hearing about their lives. Everybody is friends in Montana, and happy; it’s always nice to be a part of that when I visit for work or for fun.
