It’s no secret that today’s health insurance marketplace can be complex, chaotic and confusing. And as a practice owner, you certainly know that trying to control health insurance costs can be a challenge.
But we found some information that might surprise you. It’s not very well publicized but it could be extremely helpful if you want to gain more control over your health insurance costs.
Digging Deep For Hidden Benefits
At TMA Insurance Trust we are dedicated to helping Texas physicians find the best insurance that fits their needs. In order to find the most suitable health insurance options we take the time to ask questions and do extensive research and analysis.
Most practice owners are too busy to undertake this type of time consuming research. But it can often reveal opportunities that are not obvious to those who don’t specialize in the health insurance field.
You May Be Eligible For Group PPO Health Insurance
As part of our research, we uncovered two little-known waivers to regulations in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These waivers can be very valuable as a way to help you get more control over health insurance costs.
Whether you are the owner of a small practice or a partner in a group practice they could make it possible for you to qualify for ACA compliant group PPO health insurance.
How The Waivers Work
Many practice owners would like to have access to high quality group PPO health insurance. But they may feel it’s not financially viable for them or their practice. The waivers could change that. Here’s how:
Generally, with current ACA regulations, if a group plan is offered, 75% of employees must participate in the plan. And employers must pay 50% of employees’ premiums.
With the ACA waivers:
- Practice owners would not be required to pay 50% of employees’ premiums – as you are currently required to do. You could contribute as much – or as little – as you want.
- And you would not need 75% of employees to participate. There would be no minimum number required to participate.
This means you could be eligible for group PPO health insurance for yourself alone – which may mean lower costs and better benefits than with an individual HMO plan.
You Must Sign Up Soon
To be eligible for the waivers you must have a tax I.D. number and one full-time employee. Also, the waivers are only available for a limited amount of time – you must sign up for them before the end of the group Special Enrollment Period which runs from November 1st – December 14th, 2018. Don’t delay; make sure you and your employees are properly entered in the carrier’s system and everyone can receive their ID cards in time for any January appointments or medication refills.
A TMA advisor will be happy to give you more details and fully explain the waivers.
Fewer Hassles, More Control
Bringing these waivers to light is one more way we have been able to show our support for practice owners. We respect the hard work you do and recognize that you should be spending your time helping patients – not shopping for health insurance.
It is our proud job to do the legwork and to help take the hassle out of finding the right plan for you or your practice. We would be very pleased to discuss ways to help you achieve more control over your health insurance costs. So feel free to reach out to us.
But remember, you must sign up for the waivers by December 14th 2018. So let’s start talking soon.
For over 60 years, TMA Insurance Trust advisors have been serving Texas physicians, their families and staff. TMA Insurance Trust prides itself on offering unbiased information and strategies to members, along with exclusive group rates on a range of the highest-rated plans in the industry.
