America's Benefit Specialist August/September 2023

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Martin, The government is trying to shorten short-term health plans back into the three-month-max cycles. This is the wrong thing to do! I even completely disagree with the someone’s idea of STPs being six-month cycles. I have put many clients on STPs, including myself and my family, because of the high ACA premiums for those of us who can’t get a subsidy. As a small-business owner: • We are too small to be on a group plan. • We make too much money to get a subsidy. • Without a subsidy, the Marketplace premiums are way too high. • The out-of-pocket max is way too high. In 2024, individual OOP max will be $9,450, leaving an $18,900 exposure to the families! Currently, for our family of three, the lowest premium on the marketplace is $1,500 per month, and that’s for a $9,100 deductible. In addition to that, there’s a family max OOP exposure of $18,200. The only thing that would be covered up front is preventive care. Any treatments required would all come out of our own pocket until we met the max OOP. We would have to pay $18,000 in premiums in order to get “free” preventive-care benefits. Our current premium on the short-term plan is $950 for a $2,500 deductible, and we still get preventive benefits. As long as we stay healthy, we can continue to renew short-term health plans. Having STH plans end and begin every three months is terrible for our clients. This poses a high risk to those who develop a health condition in the middle of the year outside of open-enrollment period because losing STH coverage is not an allowable SEP. This would leave the insured without health insurance coverage when they need it most. Even if the plan can roll into another three-month policy period, the OOP for deductibles and coinsurance starts over during each term. Which plan would Biden’s administration choose if they had a choice? Why would they care? They get group insur ance for FREE (that we also pay for). Leave short-term health insurance alone! It’s the only affordable way many of us have to healthcare coverage. Let’s get this information to anyone who can help us.

VOLUME 70, NO. 7

EDITOR Martin Carr (202) 595 0724

ADVERTISING SALES The YGS Group (717) 430 2238

GRAPHIC DESIGN The iMage Worx (703) 731 6515 theimageworx@aol.com PRINTER Walsworth (573) 442 8714 www.walsworth.com REPRINTS The YGS Group (717) 505 9701, x2205 Send editorial submissions to editor@nabip.org Back issues are $4 each. Call (202) 595 0724 MAILING ADDRESS 999 E Street NW, Suite 400 Washington DC 20004

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advertisements or published articles. Send editorial submissions to: America’s Benefit Specialist Editor, 999 E Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20004. America’s Benefit Specialist (ISSN 2475-5826, publication no. 238660), 2023, volume 70, number 7 Published 10 times per year (January/February, March, April, May, June, July, August/ September, October, November and December) by the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, 999 E Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20004. $25 annual subscription price is included in NABIP member dues. Periodical postage paid at Washington DC and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to America’s Benefit Specialist, 999 E Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20004.

Angie Pavelka Holdrege, Nebraska

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