washington business
“ As we’ re structuring our compensation package for our employees who are coming on board, a cornerstone of that is health insurance, and not just any health insurance, it has to be high-quality, easy to use, a great network, and we have that with HealthChoice.”
— Junus Khan, founder and president, Carbitex
Not only are small-business owners purchasing coverage for their employees, but many of them are on the plan themselves. About 40 % of people covered under HealthChoice were previously uninsured.
“ Because we can aggregate small employers and negotiate on behalf of a larger population, we can get much better pricing. We can also bundle ancillary benefits, such as dental, vision, life and employee assistance programs, with pricing and plan designs that a smaller employer may not be able to obtain on their own,” Brown said.
In the case of HealthChoice, nearly 90 % of participating small employers renew their coverage each year. This high retention demonstrates just how much small companies rely on their AHP coverage year after year. In fact, many employers on AWB’ s HealthChoice plan have been enrolled for 20 years or more, including Alta Group Inc., a Seattle-based sales organization that serves the outdoor professional and retail industries.
“ Being able to offer health benefits is extremely important to us. Our broker recommended HealthChoice 20 years ago, and it has been a great choice for us,” said Alta Group President David Haavik.“ I have never heard a complaint from any of my employees in all these years.”
Employers with two or more employees are eligible to participate in HealthChoice, which is underwritten by Premera Blue Cross. By adding health care benefits, these small employers are now better able to compete for top talent.
“ People like and want to keep their employer-provided coverage,” Brown said.“ It’ s a huge factor. It’ s very obvious that it’ s extremely important to people, so we want to help make sure people have access to coverage.”
a big win for employers
Washington-based Carbitex produces carbon fiber composites used in footwear and other products. Founder and president Junus Khan started the company in his garage, and as it took off, he knew he needed to offer health insurance if he wanted to attract qualified employees. After speaking with several insurance agents and reviewing multiple plans, he decided to go with HealthChoice.
“ As we’ re structuring our compensation package for our employees who are coming on board, a cornerstone of that is health insurance, and not just any health insurance,” Khan said.“ It has to be high-quality, easy to use, a great network, and we have that with HealthChoice.”
HealthChoice offers a variety of options, including 14 traditional preferred provider organization( PPO) plans, four health savings account( HSA) plans and three health maintenance organization( HMO) plans.
“ Excellent customer service is a top priority for us,” Brown said.“ We help small employers navigate the system so if they need support, they’ re not out there struggling, trying to figure out who to call. And we pick up the phone!” Carbitex pays for 100 % of the employee’ s insurance premium and 50 % of their family’ s premium.“ It’ s something that we love to offer to the extended Carbitex family,” Khan says.“ In addition to all the specific benefits around HealthChoice— the ease, the affordability, the coverage— we know that AWB as an organization stands behind it, and that extra level of confidence goes a long way for us.” Brown notes that AWB stands behind both its product and its members.“ The employers participating in the plan have AWB behind them if they need help with a regulatory issue or other matter,” Brown said.“ They receive additional services beyond access to affordable, high-quality health care benefits. Small employers are the backbone of our economy. We rely on them for crucial products and services that we all use every day. They’ re our members, and we care about them and their success.”
30 association of washington business