How SOCA's Benefit Plan Utilizes Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs)
There are many advantages to joining SOCA's network of benefits. Offering help with employee retirement plans, 401k plans, payment processing, worker's compensation consulting, energy solutions, and much more, SOCA provides small businesses with the resources they need to thrive.
One of the very best benefits of joining SOCA is access to Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. MEWAs are designed to keep healthcare costs low for small business owners while still providing great benefits that attract top talent and keep workforces healthy.
MEWAs help small businesses stay competitive with large corporations as they allow small businesses to offer superior health benefits across a large network, meaning these small businesses do not have to assume the same risks that otherwise come with health coverage.
In this post, we will cover some common topics surrounding MEWAs and explain how SOCA's Benefits Plan uses MEWAs to help your business thrive.
MEWAs and the SOCA Benefits Plan
The SOCA benefits plan offers your small business many tangible advantages that it can use to attract and retain employees, and keep health coverage costs low. Small businesses often have limited healthcare budgets and as a result, limited healthcare options.
The SOCA Benefits Plan through Anthem expands the options available to small businesses without expanding their budgets. A self-funded plan, our benefits plan lets small Ohio employers and sole proprietors in a SOCA chamber of commerce join together in a network that allows them to offer more health coverage while taking on a lower claims risk.
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In the next section, we will take a closer look at risk pooling and how it can save your business big on claims risks.
What is Risk Pooling?
In the realm of employee welfare arrangements, risk pooling plays a significant role in offering competitive rates and reducing individual risk. MEWAs, a part of the SOCA benefit plan, tap into the power of risk pooling to benefit its member businesses.
By pooling together multiple small employers within the plan, SOCA can spread the risk across a larger group. This pooling of risk helps to reduce the financial burden that individual employers may face in providing health and welfare benefits to their employees. The plan can negotiate competitive rates with healthcare providers and insurance carriers due to the larger pool of participants, resulting in potential savings for member businesses.
Additionally, SOCA's MEWA allows for a variety of plan designs and benefit options, providing flexibility for employers to choose the plans that best suit their workforce.
In partnering with Anthem, SOCA can tap into our comprehensive administrative services and health care provider networks. This ensures efficient plan management and access to a wide range of providers for employees.
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Next, we will discuss financial protections and how MEWAs can protect your budget from unforeseen healthcare costs.
Financial Protection and MEWAs
Being part of a large, self-funded pool under a multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) provides businesses with an added layer of financial protection. In the case of the SOCA Benefit Plan, this financial protection is backed by Anthem's coverage.
By pooling together multiple small employers within the plan, SOCA can spread the risk across a larger group. This means that if any individual employer faces high claim-related costs, the financial burden is not solely placed on them. Instead, the risk is shared among all the participating businesses in the MEWA.
Anthem provides stop-loss coverage to SOCA's MEWA plan. This means that if a member business's claims exceed a certain threshold, Anthem steps in to cover the additional costs. This stop-loss coverage provides a safety net for businesses, protecting them from excessive financial liability due to unforeseen medical costs.
In addition to the financial protection offered by the MEWA's structure, being part of a larger pool also allows for the negotiation of competitive rates with healthcare providers and insurance carriers. The increased bargaining power of the MEWA can result in lower premiums and potential cost savings for member businesses.
Next, we will explore how your small business can build customized benefits with your MEWA through the SOCA benefits plan.
How Can You Customize Benefits with MEWAs
MEWAs offer a unique advantage to businesses by allowing for a variety of health plan designs. This flexibility and adaptability are what make MEWAs an attractive option for businesses looking to customize their employee benefits.
With MEWAs, businesses have the freedom to choose from a wide range of benefit plans that best suit their specific needs. MEWAs provide the flexibility to design a benefits package that aligns with the goals and requirements of each business.
Furthermore, MEWAs also offer the advantage of pooling resources and leveraging the collective purchasing power of participating businesses. By coming together through a MEWA, businesses can negotiate competitive rates with healthcare providers and insurance carriers. The ability to negotiate better rates and terms allows member businesses to provide quality benefits to their employees while keeping costs manageable.
Curious about the perks of offering health coverage to your employees? Read this blog for more information!
Next, we will take a look at how MEWAs can ensure regulatory compliance to keep your business up to date on the latest changes in the healthcare industry.
Regulatory Compliance and MEWAs
MEWAs not only provide businesses with a wide range of benefit plans, but they also ensure regulatory compliance in the ever-changing healthcare landscape. As an alternative to ACA plans, MEWAs offer legitimate options that meet the requirements set by healthcare regulations.
One of the advantages of a MEWA is its ability to offer a variety of plan designs while still complying with healthcare regulations. This flexibility allows businesses to tailor their benefit plans to meet the specific needs of their employees while adhering to regulatory standards.
MEWAs also have comprehensive consulting services that help businesses stay in compliance with healthcare regulations. These consulting services, provided by companies like Hunter Consulting Company, assist businesses in understanding and implementing the necessary regulatory requirements.
By participating in a MEWA, businesses can have peace of mind knowing that their benefit plans are compliant with healthcare regulations. This not only protects businesses from potential penalties and fines but also ensures that employees receive the benefits they are entitled to under the law.
Your Business Thrives with SOCA's Benefit Plan
Healthcare coverage is expensive, especially for small businesses with a limited number of employees. For this reason, many small businesses look for cover, loss protection, and other benefits from their chamber of commerce.
If you are looking for the best healthcare coverage that lowers your business's financial risk and helps you attract top talent, then there is no better option than SOCA's Benefit Plan.
Through Anthem, SOCA's Benefit Plan provides your small business competitive rates, a fixed monthly payment, a customizable health plan, Anthem's broad Blue Access PPO provider network, an Essential Rx drug list, expanded wellness offerings, and more.
To discover the difference the SOCA Benefit Plan could make for your small business, click here to reach out to SOCA today!
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