Chamber Health Insurance Is Back and Blue
We were disappointed when the Chambers of Kansas Community Health Plan didn’t pan out at the beginning of this year. However, our Chamber didn’t give up on finding a way to offer our members this great benefit of group health insurance. Now, we’re excited to be partnering with over 40 other Chambers in Kansas to bring Chamber Blue of Kansas health insurance to our members.
WHAT IS CHAMBER BLUE OF KANSAS HEALTH INSURANCE?
Chamber Blue of Kansas health insurance is a large group health insurance policy administered through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. The goal of the policy is to help small, medium and even larger businesses lower their health care premiums while at the same time offering a variety of robust plans. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield estimates, the plan has the potential to have between 3,000 and 6,000 policies. That means that the plan would have great “buying power” to help keep costs lower and, most importantly, steadier from year-to-year.
WHEN WILL THE PLAN BE AVAILABLE?
The plan is currently scheduled to become active on January 1, 2023. For those that enroll, member materials and ID cards will be distributed in December of 2022.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
Plan pricing will be given to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield once you complete the interest survey in August 2022. The interest survey will allow BCBS to collect some basic information such as your participating employees’ names, dates of birth and zip codes, and it will allow them to estimate how much participation the plan will have. Based upon the current estimated participation, BCBS will then give you the proposed rates for the plan.
You do NOT have to be a current member of the Iola Chamber of Commerce in order to participate in the survey and receive estimated rates. You are also NOT OBLIGATED IN ANY WAY to accept the rates and participate in the plan. However, in order to accept the proposed rates and move forward with enrollment, you must have joined the Chamber as a member.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO JOIN?
In order to be eligible to enroll in the plan, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must participate in the interest survey this August 2022.
- You must be a member of the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism by the time you accept proposed rates and start your process toward enrollment.
- You must employ two or more W-2 employees unless your business files as an S-Corp or a C-Corp.
- You must have 70% of eligible employees enroll in the group health plan.
- You must pay 25% of the lowest cost plan offered.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?*
Take the Interest Survey below to get started. By taking the interest survey, this allows you to get estimated rates on the plan. You will then have the option to accept the rates and move forward with enrollment, or decline the plan.
If you want a little more information before you take the interest survey, please check out the following resources:
Iola Chamber of Commerce
*THE FIRST YEAR IS THE BEST YEAR TO START THE PLAN BECAUSE BCBSKS WILL NOT REQUIRE HEALTH HISTORIES IN YEAR ONE AND YOU ARE GUARANTEED ADMITTANCE. AFTER THE INITIAL INTEREST SURVEY AND AFTER THE RATE STRUCTURE IS CREATED, BUSINESSES WILL THEN BE RATED ON THEIR HEALTH HISTORIES AND MAY NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE PLAN.
Take the Interest Survey
Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey:
Completing this survey allows your business to be eligible to enroll in Chamber Blue effective January 1, 2023. If your business is currently enrolled with BCBSKS, you simply will include your business information and group number. If your business is not currently enrolled with BCBSKS, please complete the census which will include the name, date of birth, gender and zip code for each employee, spouse and dependents covered under your current plan or those you believe will want coverage under this plan.
The deadline is August 18, 2022.
The survey is to be completed one time per business by the person responsible for the decisions of the health benefits for your company. It is not to be passed to the employees to complete.
