Health Coverage for Association Members Dropped
Kaiser Permanente is restructuring its guaranteed association health plans to place members in appropriate health insurance plans and will not renew some members' coverage, Kaiser officials said, the East Bay Business Times reports. Last year, Kaiser informed about 2,600 people that they would no longer be offered coverage through their small business associations.
According to Kaiser, most of those whose insurance policies will not be renewed belong to associations that have fewer than 1,000 members, the minimum required by the state for guaranteed coverage.
Kaiser officials said they are offering individual plans for people in associations that do not qualify for coverage through the guaranteed association plans, and small group businesses have been offered small group plans. Kaiser intends to continue providing the guaranteed association insurance plan for its 19,000 qualifying members.
Kaiser Director of Exchanges and Performance Reporting John Newman said placing members in appropriate coverage plans will create a more equal risk pool (Thomas, East Bay Business Times, 3/10).