The Akron Legal News

Thanks to new federal health-care law CBA will offer individual health coverage

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: October 2, 2014

In response to the enactment of federal health-care reform, the Columbus Bar Association has expanded its presence in the insurance market.

“We have been offering insurance benefits to Columbus Bar members since 1989. It’s been a great member benefit, but we’ve struggled to find an affordable option for individual coverage,” said CBA Executive Director Jill Snitcher McQuain.

“The Affordable Care Act presented us with an opportunity to finally begin offering individual coverage.”

The CBA has partnered with Willis and ConnectedHealth to deliver an exchange platform that allows members to define their own plans.

“One of the effects of the ACA has been that many employers are moving to a defined contribution program, where each employee is given a specified amount of money to obtain coverage on their own through the exchange,” Snitcher McQuain said.

“Our new program gives these members a place to go to explore the plan that best fits their individual needs.”

Users can log on to www.cbalaw.org and create personalized plans based on whether they wish pay a bigger premium, have a lower deductible or add ancillary coverage, such as life, disability, dental or eye care.

According to the site, the process can take as little as 12 minutes.

“The platform was just rolled out earlier this month and we are continuing to try to spread the word before open enrollment begins on Nov. 15,” Snitcher McQuain said.

“We want people to begin exploring their options, so they can be ready to commit as soon as they become eligible.”

Some CBA members may be eligible to apply for benefits now if they have experienced a “qualifying life event” such as the loss of coverage through an employer, the loss of a job, marriage, divorce or the birth/adoption of a child.

Members have 60 days after the qualifying event to submit an application for coverage.

“We are going to roll out the group exchange platform as well in the near future. We expect a significant number of our members to start taking advantage of these benefits when open enrollment begins in November,” Snitcher McQuain said, adding that CBA officials are confident the program will be well received.

She pointed to the site being easy to navigate, the rates being affordable and the ability to customize coverage plans.

“For example, some members may not want eye and dental, some may just want health coverage that’s the least expensive (while) some may want the most robust coverage they can get,” Snitcher McQuain said.

“The beauty of the Columbus Bar program is that each individual can choose what’s best for their own individual needs. And, members can use the site to help identify whether they are eligible for any government subsidies. This should be a great benefit to our newer lawyers, who may be experiencing financial difficulties as they repay their law school loans.”

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