Friday, 28 September 2018

Health Association Plans

Health Association Plans and the >> ACA


Perhaps of all the policies affecting health insurance in the United States, few have had as profound an impact as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Nicknamed “Obamacare” by supporters and critics alike, this law has dramatically changed how Americans buy insurance in the past few years, as well as what options they have for getting it.

A recent decision by the Trump Administration is broadening the options for small business health insurance, which could result in the Affordable Care Act’s Obamacare exchanges taking a serious hit. The new regulations of Association Health Plans (AHPs) provide an alternative option for affordable coverage, though at the risk of undermining critical parts of the original law.

What are association health plans <<<

Association health plans are a form of health insurance that covers groups of small businesses and individuals. Typically used by industry associations, professional organizations, chambers of commerce, and other institutions associated with a certain line of work, these plans offer greater flexibility over what and who is covered. In particular, they do not require businesses to cover all the same health issues that must covered under ACA marketplace plans.

Over the past year, the Trump Administration has taken a number of steps to promote association health plans, making changes that will make joining an AHP easier. In particular, it issued n executive order in October of 2017 that encouraged oreemployers to create and join these associations with other businesses in their industry or in close proximity to them. Then in June of this year, the White House released official rules to back up this order. It established that association health plans will be regulated in the same way that large employer plans are, and that they need not cover the ten essential benefits specified under the Affordable Care Act.

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