The ISBA is requesting that members complete a census so the Association can explore options that may include potentially offering an association health plan.

Creating an association health plan could allow members that are smaller employers to obtain coverage on terms similar to those currently available to large employers.

To determine whether an association health plan is feasible, the ISBA has partnered with Mercer, the Association’s long-term employee benefit consulting firm, to gather information about its members through a short census.

Those who complete the census are not obligated to participate in an association health plan. However, it is beneficial for the Association to receive as many responses as possible in order to obtain competitive offerings.

The census opened on Oct. 3 and will close Dec. 15. The data collected will be used only to get quotes from several large-group health insurance carriers.

After the census closes, Mercer will provide the data to several insurance carriers to obtain work to secure an association health plan offering. Mercer will receive responses from those insurance companies in early 2020 and will send them to ISBA leaders, who will evaluate the options.

The ISBA will then select potential offerings for members and will likely offer an association health plan in mid-2020.

Association health plans offer a number of benefits, including flexible plan offerings that work best for a firm’s employees, more affordable coverage, creating a stronger employee/employer relationship, and stabilized premiums.