Words matter. The meaning and use of words matter even more. That’s why discrimination can be a great thing – if you’re talking about insurance. Why? For one reason, folks who are careless should pay more for insurance than folks who are careful. Insurers don’t care why folks are careless; insurers want to be “discriminatory”…
President Obama surprised many folks today by proposing to allow small employers and the self-employed to form multiple employer plans without regard to the “common bond” standard required by the Department of Labor. The elimination of the “common bond” requirement would eliminate one of the highest hurdles to the creation of group benefit programs for…
And now for something completely different. Since 2004, Washington State has required all self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) to obtain a certificate of authority to conduct business in the state. The statute imposes strict standards of eligibility and detours from federal ERISA interpretations of “bona fide association” with its own unique statutory definition: “Bona…
The Washington Insurance Commissioner has requested legislation for registration of third party administrators to protect consumers. Third party administrators (TPAs) come in all shapes and sizes and just as many flavors. Insurers typically provide most services for administration of its own health plans. Many Insurers also sell administrative services to self-funded plans which would make…
