Small employers and their employees and families need continued access to high-quality, affordable health insurance through Association Health Plans (AHPs).
Let’s keep people insured!
Nearly 500,000 people now have coverage through their employer’s Association Health Plan.
- AHPs cover the uninsured: The vast majority of small employers participating in Association Health Plans did not have prior coverage.
- A significant majority of participating employers renew their coverage year over year; demonstrating continued affordability and ensuring people have the coverage they need year after year.
- AHP coverage includes Affordable Care Act (ACA) consumer protections: The plans have always been guaranteed issue and – guaranteed renewal.
- AHPs are more popular than ever for small employers: Even though not required by the ACA, small employers continue to maintain coverage for their employees and families through AHPs.
- AHPs support a key goal of the ACA: Providing even the smallest employers with better access to affordable, quality health insurance coverage.
Collectively, for more than 60 years, Association Health Plans have opened doors for many small businesses that, in the past, had been unable to offer health insurance. Here are 12 important truths about Association Health Plans (AHPs)
- Our AHPs comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA does not disallow AHPs.
- Washington State law expressly allows our AHPs.
- Our AHPs do not discriminate or exclude any individual or employer for any reason. All eligible employees and dependents may enroll or renew coverage in their employer’s AHP plan.
- Our AHPs plans offer high-quality care and benefits and are fully-insured.
- Our AHPs cover important services such as full spectrum of care for women, cancer screenings, preexisting conditions, prescription drugs, preventive care, mental health services and much more.
- Our AHP doctor and hospital networks are the best and broadest available.
- Our AHPs help the very smallest employers gain access to coverage. Employers with as few as 2 employees are eligible to enroll.
- AHP’s expand health care access and choices for small employers, their employees and families.
- Our AHPs do not rely on tax payer funding, saving valuable resources for education, safety-net programs and infrastructure.
- AHPs pay all applicable state and federal taxes and fees.
- Small businesses rely on our associations for support and services not available to them on their own.
- AHPs foster a competitive health insurance marketplace, driving costs down for everyone.