(Posted 8/9/2006)

PURPOSE

The Western Conference is organized and operates for the sole purpose of furthering the education and training of member plans' Board members and senior staff in order to improve the provision of prepaid health care for plans' members.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Governance
The Conference is in the executive charge of a Board of Trustees.

Composition
The Board of Trustees shall consist of the following: a) the CEO of eligible Charter Plans named in the Articles of Association (Charter members); b) in addition, the Board may, in its discretion, authorize up to eight additional members over and above the Charter members. Such additional Trustees shall be elected by the Board for a term of three years. A Trustee who ceases to be a Plan CEO or whose Plan no longer is a member of the Conference will immediately forfeit his seat on the Board.

Charter Members
The following plans are the remaining eligible Charter members as of January 2006:

Wyoming Medical Service; North Idaho Medical Service Bureau; Medical Services Association (BC); Hawaii Medical Service Association; California Physicians' Service; Montana Physicians' Service; Arizona Medical Service; King County Medical Blue Shield; Medical Service Association of Utah; Medical Services Inc. (Saskatoon); Oregon Physicians Service.

Standards of Membership
The standards of membership may be amended only by the Charter members of the Board of Trustees upon motion supported by two-thirds of the Charter Trustees present and voting provided such motion shall have been presented in writing and distributed to all Trustees at least thirty days prior to the day on which such proposed amendment is to be voted upon.

Trustee Meetings
The Trustees meet three times a year to exchange ideas and discuss current activities in the health care field and to plan the Annual Program Conference.

Annual Leadership Conference
A major activity of the Conference is the Annual Leadership Conference, which is attended by Plans' Board members and senior staff. Sponsorship is rotated among Trustee plans with either a single plan assuming the responsibility or several plans joining together to present the Annual Conference. By tradition, the Arizona Plan sponsors the Annual Conference every seven years with the Hawaii Plan the sponsor the following year. The Conference's location is generally alternated between northern and southern locations.

Nominating Committee
The Committee is appointed annually by the Chairman of the Trustees subject to confirmation by the Trustees. The Committee proposes candidates for all Conference, Trustee and Committee offices, subject to confirmation by the Trustees. Conference officers are confirmed by those attending the Annual Conference. Trustee and Conference officers begin their term of office immediately following the Annual Conference meeting.

Workshop Committees
There are established two Planning Committees representing major plan functions. The Committees presently are:

• Internal Operations Conference (IOC)
• External Operations Conference (EOC)
  
  

The Planning Committees meet annually to develop and present educational workshops for plan personnel. A member of the Trustees serves on each Planning Committee to act as the liaison between the Trustees and the Planning Committee. Two annual workshops are held - Internal Operations and External Operations.