Small Employers & Association/Trust Plans • June, 2015
Will your company be affected? As it currently stands, employers with 1-50 total employees are considered “small” by Washington State statute when purchasing group medical insurance. In 2016, this definition is scheduled to be expanded to include employers who have 1-100 total employees. At the same time, the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner is sparring with Association & Trust medical plans, threatening to close those programs.
What this really means…Whether your medical plan is moved from “large” to “small” status, or your Association/Trust loses the ability to offer you “large” group medical coverage, you will be looking at a similar outcome. Fewer plans, less plan design flexibility, more restrictive prescription plan coverage, and a more complicated rate structure