WASHINGTON BUSINESSES CAN PURCHASE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ONLINE AT COSTCO

April 17, 2006

Costco Executive Business Members in Washington will be able to purchase and administer employee benefits insurance online. Concero Technology, a Portland, Ore.-based provider of employee benefits insurance portals, announced that it has expanded the wholesaler giants’ healthcare packages.

Costco Wholesale members can now obtain quotes and enroll for health and dental insurance, and address various administrative issues online. In addition, members can view monthly invoices online, as well as pay their premiums electronically.

Washington is the fifth state in which Concero has enabled Costco to provide online small business benefits packages. Oregon, California, Hawaii and Nevada have similar programs; Washington is the first state in which Costco includes dental insurance as an option. It plans to implement dental and other products and services in other states in the future.