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NBVA president Daniel L. Case We don't need the experts in this country to tell us that we have a national healthcare crisis on our hands. And statistics like the fact that more than 64 million workers go without healthcare insurance in this country (including full-time and part-time workers) are not far-away statistics that don't mean anything: they are statistics some of us in the bulk vending industry are living.
The Cause The healthcare crisis in this country boils down to the often-times double-digit increases in health insurance costs in the last decade. The National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC) reports that due to the rapidly rising costs of healthcare insurance, millions of workers don't have the opportunity to get healthcare coverage: a third of firms in the U.S. could not offer coverage in 2003. Two-thirds of uninsured workers in 2001 worked for employers who could not offer health benefits. And further, even if employees are offered healthcare coverage on the job, they can't always afford their portion of the premium. Employee spending for health insurance coverage (employee's share of family coverage and deductibles) has increased 126 percent between 2000 and 2004.
Consider also that our total national health expenditures have increased overall by 7.7 percent in 2003 (over 2002 figures), and in 2004, employer health insurance premiums increased by 11.2 percent.
These figures represent increases that are more than four times the rate of inflation. Going Without: the Only Option? As the only cost-effective option, many small business owners and/or their employees simply choose to go without healthcare coverage. As I mentioned, more than 64million workers in this country go without healthcare coverage, which means that the number of people in the workforce without healthcare coverage actually surpasses the number of people who have healthcare benefits.
As a professional association representing many small business owners and members of the United States workforce, the National Bulk Vendors Association (NBVA) has been actively searching for a cost-effective healthcare option for its members, and I am pleased to unveil a new series of medical plans and discount programs that were designed with our members and their situations in mind.
Medical Plans and How They Can Work for Members The healthcare solution we determined would work best for our members was created in conjunction with Aegis Administrative Services, Inc. They have devised a program that consist of what is known in their company as Mini-Med plans, and they have pulled together several versions created exclusively for the NBVA. As members of the NBVA, we receive better rates for these plans than general subscribers would.
The Mini-Med plan offers a beginning level of healthcare coverage, at an affordable cost for small business owners or even individuals. The plans offer the basic range of necessities, including:
In addition, there are no deductibles or coinsurance dollar amounts to pay; rather the Mini Med plan provides subscribers with a payout of a specified dollar amount for benefits covered. For example, one person's plan option may allow them four doctor's office visits per year, at $100 provided to them for each visit, whether the doctor's visit costs $70 or $110. That dollar amount is paid directly to the subscriber, not the doctor's office.
Another benefit of this Mini Med plan is total freedom of choice in regards to healthcare providers; in other words, there are no “out of network” charges.
According to Geri Ann Cangelosi, the creator of these plans for the NBVA from Aegis Administration, Inc., these special plans for NBVA members have taken approximately 6-7 months to create. The agency has also created a special members-only web site, where members can compare rates and plans, enroll in the plan options of their choice, and search for providers in their area. In addition, NBVA members will have access to 24-hour customer service (for discount benefits), via telephone.
Discount Programs and How They Can Work for Members In addition to the basic healthcare coverage options and benefits, the Mini Med plan options have been bolstered to include discount programs to provide access to benefits such as: dental, vision, pharmacy, tax and legal programs, to name a few. These discount programs do not represent insurance, per se, but rather offer the subscriber moderate to significant discounts for benefits at the time of service.
For added convenience, NBVA members can enroll for these discount programs at the same special web site where the general Mini Med information can be accessed.
The Mini-Med Plans: More Information There are three plan options available for NBVA members at this time (there will be additional plans added in the early part of the 2006 year): the Aegis Assurity Plans A, B and C. The essential difference is the number of discount programs available with each, and the amount reimbursed for medical benefits.
Though providing necessary access to basic medical coverage and supplementary healthcare benefits (i.e. dental, vision and pharmacy), Mini Med plans are not meant to replace major medical coverage. However, these plans can supplement major medical plans that may have high deductibles, or be sold on a stand-alone basis to provide basic services (such as doctor visits, for example) for those who are currently going without any healthcare coverage.
Executives at Aegis Administrative Services have often advised utilizing these plans to supplement major medical by raising the deductibles of major medical healthcare coverage, and then purchasing a Mini Med plan, as a cost effective way to get more comprehensive healthcare coverage.
In addition, these plans are guaranteed to issue for NBVA members, which means that while there is a pre-existing condition clause associated with these healthcare plans, individuals who may not be eligible for traditional healthcare coverage can still receive coverage, with no waiting period (with the exception of coverage for the pre-existing condition). However, after 12 months, benefits for the pre-existing condition are covered as well.
Aegis Administrative Services, Inc. has been working with national insurance carriers for years, and the plans are able to offer healthcare coverage to NBVA members in all 50 states.
In Conclusion As the representative voice for our members of the bulk vending industry, we are proud to offer these plans for our members, and hope they will provide a new series of options that does not include going without any healthcare coverage at all, or, in the best case scenario, providing options that can bolster and enhance major medical plans currently in use, with an overall lower cost.
For more information, members can look for more expansive information included in the next newsletter (Volume I, Issue III), mailed to members at the end of November, or contact the NBVA offices directly at: (312) 521-2400 or visit the association web site: www.nbva.org. |
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First Look
discusses new insurance options available
for NBVA members: small business owners and their employees
