New Book, Website Address Shifting Health Insurance Market

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Health care thought leader and researcher, Kev Coleman, published a new book today addressing the near-term evolution of America's health insurance landscape. "Association Health Plans & The Future of Health Insurance" sheds light on a new regulation transforming association health plans and the possibilities these new plans present for both businesses and individuals. Additionally, the work predicts important insurance market developments within the next 24 months and discusses the unfinished project of national health reform.

The publication of this book coincides with the launch of Coleman's new website, AssociationHealthPlans.com. The website is the most extensive online resource for information relating to association health plans. It serves small businesses and freelancers exploring association insurance as well as the national associations, benefit consultants, insurance companies and other third-parties facilitating this emerging market.

"Regardless of political party, it seems most Americans agree that American healthcare can be improved, most notably the cost of health insurance," Coleman writes in his new book. He is confident that such cost reductions are coming. "Positively, my optimism rests on America's ongoing capacity to innovate and, negatively, its inability to sustain a high rate of healthcare expenditure growth indefinitely." Notably, Coleman's assessment of cost-saving tactics include contrarian analyses of commonplace recommendations such as "pay-for-performance" provider reimbursement.

In addition to suggesting future health reforms, Coleman discusses a new regulation that has opened up cost-saving "large group" insurance designs to smaller businesses and the self-employed through association health plans. Large group health plan designs already cover tens of millions of Americans nationwide. While these large group designs have greater benefit flexibility than benefit plans for small groups and individuals, they are still subject to numerous benefit requirements, including pre-existing conditions, maternity benefits and preventive care. Consequently, these new association health plans will cost less than small group and individual Affordable Care Act plans but include consumer protections lacking in other low-cost coverage options such as short-term health insurance and health care sharing ministries.

AssociationHealthPlans.com answers a variety of questions facing those interested in launching new association plans including:

• What are the conditions an association must satisfy in order to offer a health plan?
• How can the self-employed and people working part-time in the "gig economy" access these plans?
• How does association size and funding mechanism (i.e. fully insured vs. self-insured) affect benefit requirements and potential savings?
• What kind of third-party resources can be employed to run an association health plan?

"According to the Department of Labor, the association insurance market will apply to 11 million small business employees, freelancers, and family members," Coleman said. "It is imperative that health benefits decisionmakers be equipped to understand the advantages and trade-offs involved in this coverage, and AssociationHealthPlans.com satisfies that need. We'll continually expand its resources and serve as a hub for the latest news and commentary on association health plans."

AssociationHealthPlans.com is the leading online resource supporting the emerging association health plans market. AssociationHealthPlans.com is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.  

CONTACT: Amy Fletcher Faircloth
[email protected]
(720) 460-0276

SOURCE AssociationHealthPlans.com