Association Health Plans – Will they provide options?
One of the questions I’ve been receiving over the previous few months has been about the Trump administrations executive order for Association Health Plans. In concept these plans are to allow small businesses in either the same type of work or the same geographic area to be able to band together to provide insurance to the group with lower rates. This executive order went through a commenting period then a final regulation period and has recently been released.
The final rules on this is very complicated. So complicated that many of the Associations that were pushing a new rule are backing off from establishing an Association Health Plan any time soon. Here is a good read from Politico on the subject: Politico
Based on what I’ve read and researched on the subject, it doesn’t appear that these will be a valid option for next years open enrollment (for plans starting 1/1/19) and that we will have to take a wait and see attitude. At the time I write this I have not seen a single Association indicate they would be creating a new plan for that time frame.