SBAM and MichBusiness launch Association Health Plan solution for Michigan small businesses

Lansing and Warren, MI – Oct. 1, 2018 – Two of Michigan’s largest business associations are joining forces to launch an Association Health Plan (AHP) for Michigan employers called TranscendAHP. The announcement today by the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) and the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MichBusiness) takes advantage of recent reforms made at the federal level to the Affordable Care Act and brings the potential of quality health care coverage at lower costs to small businesses across Michigan.

The health coverage partnership of two organizations like this is one of the country’s first under an Executive Order signed by the president in October 2017.

“Access to comprehensive health insurance programs continues to rank at the top of small-business owners’ concerns. Combined with a tight labor market, our members need options that allow them to compete with much larger companies for the talent they need to be successful,” said Jennifer Kluge, President of MichBusiness. “Working together with SBAM gives our members the best solution for the health care needs of their employees.”

SBAM President Rob Fowler said: “For decades, SBAM and MichBusiness have been working to offer small business owners across Michigan the best health insurance options with comprehensive coverage and quality networks. As a result of these changes from Washington and our historic partnership, this new AHP is the next chapter in that history.”

In June of this year, the U.S. Department of Labor published new regulations providing access to health coverage options for small business and their employees through Association Health Plans. AHP’s work by allowing small businesses, including self-employed workers, to band together by geography or industry to obtain health care coverage as if they were a single large employer. AHPs strengthen the negotiating power of small businesses by creating larger risk pools and greater economies of scale.

SBAM and MichBusiness selected Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network as their provider of fully insured health insurance products. Doing so gives members of the two associations access to the Blue Cross network of health care providers.

Fowler and Kluge added that TranscendAHP is a new option for the health care needs of Michigan small businesses, giving them access to plans previously available to only larger employers, an option made possible by their organizations’ relationship with Blue Cross Blue Shield. 

This new AHP solution is available to businesses with 1–50 employees and certain membership requirements are necessary. Both organizations encourage small businesses to ask their health insurance broker for more information or visit https://transcendmichigan.org/.