Health care and its costs and variable coverages are issues of concern for all Americans but none more so than those in small to mid-sized businesses.
Recognizing this, IBOUSA, an association comprising independent billboard owners/operators, has spent the past year working to find a health care solution that would benefit a great many of its members and their employees and 1099 workers and their families.
IBO retained Sodality Health, an association healthcare consulting company, and together they sought to find or create a health care solution that would:
- Be substantially cheaper than other options
- Provide substantially improved coverage than other options;
- Provide coverage for employees and 1099s and their families.
- NOT require employer participation or payment BUT facilitate it if desired.
- Be available across the country.
- NOT require every employee or 1099 in a company to participate;
- Be financially stable, protected against actuarially aberrational claims that would otherwise threaten the plan;
- Be administered by a third party administrator experienced in managing national plans on large-scale
- Be clear and understandable to individual plan participants so that they become more educated, conversant and knowledgeable about health care, the cost and care of their plan’s coverage and the effects of their health care decisions.
When initial plans under consideration were scuttled by the national political environment and federal/state litigation, focus turned to plans that would be compliant with existing federal laws and regulations and not reliant or subject to changes to them that may or may not occur. In response, national health care specialists have developed viable health plans tailored to the needs of our members.
IBO has reviewed these plans extensively, is quite excited about it and has made it available to its members for their employees, 1099s and families; enrollment began Monday, November 18th.
In a nutshell, the plan is a follows:
a. A basic wellness plan that covers doctor visits, imaging, lab work, urgent care, prescriptions, etc. The premium for this coverage is less than $200 per person, regardless of age.
b. Three optional “major medical” supplements (with varying deductibles) with coverage in addition to the basic wellness including hospitalizations or treatments of serious or prolonged illnesses. The premiums for these supplements vary based on the age of the plan participant and are 20% – 50% less than comparable coverage plans otherwise available.
c. Additional supplemental coverage for dental, vision, disability and life insurance. The premiums for these are also less than comparable coverage plans otherwise available.
The plan, regardless of whether just the base or with supplements, is supported by the HealthJoy app that is tailored to each participant and provides up-to-date information on the plan as well telemedicine options and information on doctors, hospitals and other health care facilities.
The plan is available to any employees and 1099s of any IBO member (and their families) and need not be adopted by all such employees and 1099s of an IBO member. IBO also has membership levels for designers, agencies, service providers and subcontractors which will make the plan available to them as well.
For more information about the IBO plan, please contact Chris Cowlbeck at IBO (chris@ibousa.org). For more information on association health plans and whether a plan like this may work for your association, please contact Scott Henderson at Sodality Health (scott.henderson@sodalityhealth.com).
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