SBAM joins national employer coalition to protect Association Health Plans

The Small Business Association of Michigan has joined a national coalition of employer groups to protect Association Health Plans, which have been successfully creating new insurance options for small businesses in Michigan.

The Coalition to Protect and Promote Association Health Plans includes 25 like-minded organizations from across the country that believe employees of small businesses and independent contractors deserve quality coverage with strong consumer protections. In addition to national associations, SBAM is joined in the coalition by the Michigan Dental Association and the Michigan Business and Professional Association.  

SBAM launched its Association Health Plan in January, known as Transcend AHP, creating an opportunity for small business owners and sole proprietors the ability to offer insurance coverage to their employees. TranscendAHP was one of the first Association Health Plans launched nationwide. Since its launch, more than 400 businesses and 200 sole proprietors have enrolled and 20 chambers of commerce and trade associations have endorsed Transcend for their members.

Transcend has saved participants in Michigan thousands of dollars on purchasing health insurance. Since a federal judge ruled association health plans illegal in March, SBAM has been advocating for the ruling to be overturned

The coalition filed an amicus brief last month with the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit supporting the Department of Labor’s final AHP rule, which allows plans like SBAM’s Transcend to exist. SBAM will continue to advocate for TranscendAHP and Association Health Plans on behalf of its members. For more information, visit https://www.sbam.org/transcendahp.

The Small Business Association of Michigan focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community through advocacy, collaboration and buying power. Today they serve over 27,000 members in all 83 counties of Michigan. SBAM is located in Lansing, just one block from the Capitol.