We are happy to be launching a new program to provide access to group health care. This email provides a short background, describes the basics of what the program is and is not, and aims to answer some of the questions we've heard so far.
Who: This program will be available to Members in the USA - whether Full Rate, Studio Affiliate, Student Members or Hardship Dues Rate Members. This program will not be available to free users of the website, or any individual who is not a member of the IGDA.
Why and How: In response to frequent requests by Members, the IGDA has been exploring options for providing access to health insurance at better rates than what you would obtain on your own. Naturally, there are many concerns that need to be balanced and addressed in providing such a program to a wide range of members. After several months of research, the IGDA has decided to partner with an established group called Health Benefits Professionals (HBP) & Association Health Programs (AHP) which provides programs for many associations.
When: The Program is scheduled to launch in early January of 2010.
What it is: In summary, this program will be what is known as a referral affinity style program. Through your membership in the IGDA, you will be able to connect with a representative from HBP-AHP and describe your health insurance needs - budget, spouse/dependants, chronic illness, etc. They will get you access to rates that you would not be able to obtain otherwise. The options presented to you will be specific to your needs, and will come from "A" rated carriers only. The goal of offering this program is to provide access to health insurance for as many members as possible with a level of flexibility that makes it an attractive option to the majority of our members.
Some of the benefits: - The rates offered through this program will generally be better than rates you can obtain on your own. - You have access to a trained Health Insurance professional to discuss your individual situation in confidence and determine the type of plan and options that are important to you. You can (and should) use this person to ask questions, get more information, and determine the best options for you based on your current life situation and future plans. - You can use this professional to support you in the event there are any future questions, challenges or concerns about your plan at any time. These folks can help you to cut through much of the red tape and get answers in a timely fashion. - You will be offered plans from multiple competing carriers, as this plan is not tied to a specific insurance company. This allows you to see different options and make selections that work best for your specific situation. - All of the carriers who will be presented to you are "A" rated carriers. This is important due to the number of scams out there, and the need for a carrier to be financially stable when you need to access the benefits of your insurance.
- Coverage will be available to IGDA members and their families, with minimal exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Members must pay the full cost so adding family members or having pre-existing conditions may dramatically affect your rates. What this program is NOT: - This is not an IGDA Group plan. Although the rates you will get should be comparable to what you would get as a group insured, the diversity of needs reflected in our membership makes a single group plan undesirable. If the IGDA had gone down this road (which was examined) there would have been real time delays as we put together a group, and less cost reduction until such a group had actually been established through participation and payment of premiums. - This program is not insurance provided by the IGDA. The IGDA will neither be your carrier nor your agent. The IGDA's role in this is to reflect the buying power of the membership in aggregate and pass the results of that buying power back to you in terms of the discounts you will receive. - This program is not a panacea or a silver bullet. There are some members who will have better rates through their company or their specific situations (example: subsidized COBRA). - This is not going to be Subsidized Insurance: The IGDA will not be paying any part of your premiums. This means that you may find cheaper coverage through your employer if they pay part of your premiums.
- As with all health insurance, your premiums may still be high if you choose super platinum levels of coverage, ppo options, low deductibles, have existing chronic illness, etc. These variables are in your hands, not decided on a group basis. - This program will be part of the Basic Membership Package. If the IGDA changes the membership structure, this will remain available at the tier of membership where it will benefit as many members as possible. - The IGDA can offer this program without needing to raise dues in the forseeable future. Your dues are not used to subsidize premiums. - This is not a move to unionize the IGDA. There are over 180 other associations working with HBP-AHP, both trade associations (that represent companies) and professional associations (that represent individuals). They are not unions. This is a benefit many kinds of organizations offer to their members. - This will not be right for everyone. We wish it were. Our goal is to be a benefit for as many as possible, but with thousands of members able to participate in this program, each with different life circumstances, it's just not possible to create a program that support everyone's needs. This program should meet the needs of many members. If it doesn't, we'll revisit the arrangement. We look forward to hearing feedback from those who take advantage of this benefit. - This program is specific to the US. If it succeeds, we will look into the options available to do something similar in the other countries where we have formal chapters. There are many special requirements and challenges in each individual country, and there may not be an option in every location. If you live outside the USA and are interested in working with us to set up something similar in your country, please contact the Executive Director, Joshua Caulfield, directly at joshua@igda.org.
- More information on this plan will be posted as it becomes available on our website. Some discussion has already occurred in the comments to the initial announcement on the IGDA Board Blog - http://www.igda.org/board-blog/igda-starts-healthcare-program
Thank you for your continued membership in the IGDA.
From the IGDA Board of Directors, |
