And now Chambers across the state can once again pass this valuable opportunity along to members.
The Vermont Chamber is partnering with BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont to provide three separate plans for businesses ranging in size from 1 to 100 employees: the VACE Advantages 100 percent Health Savings Account, the VACE Advantage Copay, and the VACE Advantage Copay HSA. “We're excited to offer these three competitively priced insurance plans to our member businesses and organizations,” said Springfield Regional Chamber Director Caitlin Christiana. “These health insurance benefits will add to the many valuable services we provide to our members, as well as businesses considering joining the chamber.”
The intent is not to compete with Vermont Health Connect, but rather to complement the many fine plans the state offers already. The plans will be especially attractive to independent contractors, sole proprietors, young professionals, employee-based companies from 1 to 100, and those on the bubble, not receiving any financial or premium assistance from the state.
The statewide chamber organization plans to offer the plans immediately, with open enrollment starting Nov. 1 and ending Dec. 15. The chamber association also offers two very affordably priced dental plans and a vision program that are available to chamber members in Vermont.
Darcie McCann, director of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber, who has been working with the Vermont Chamber, The Richards Group, BlueCross BlueShield, and the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation to get these plans approved, said “At one time, our statewide chamber health insurance plan served more than 17,000 Vermonters and was an $81-million program. We know how to run an efficient, seamless, and affordable healthcare program and have an amazing team in place to handle the stream of businesses that we know will be interested in these plans.”
Interested businesses in the Springfield region should contact director Caitlin Christiana for more detailed information on the plans, a list of agents that can sign them up, or information on how to join the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce in order to obtain eligibility. Call 802-885-2779 or email caitlin@springfieldvt.com.
It's sad that Vermonters still have to count on outfits like the Chamber of Commerce to come up with health insurance plans to avoid bankruptcy due to medical issues. The Chamber has to rely on the altruism of Blue Cross/Blue Shield to offer them what it has determined might be good enough and affordable enough, and BCBS of course has to depend on the coverage providers' honesty when it picks the appropriate packages. All in all, a system designed to obscure cheating and reward dishonesty.
ReplyDeleteMedical expenses are still the cause of fifty percent of bankruptcies in Vermont, and the Chamber shouldn't have to find itself in the position of having to be a broker for its members. It will only find its reputation sullied as one member or another finds out that what was secured was either inadequate or ruinously expensive.
Single payer would have provided accountability, transparency, equity, affordability, and access. It also would have saved Springfield $500,000 in its insurance costs. A very toned-down version of it, Universal Primary Care, is in the hopper in the Legislature.