[arg_discuss] Fwd: IGDA: Healthcare Program

[Andrea Phillips]

Hi, guys,

I know not all of us are IGDA members, but the IGDA is actively working to
provide a good incentive for you to join if you haven't already. To that
end, the board and exec director have been busy planning a health insurance
benefit for members in the U.S., to become available in January. I thought
I'd pass along this very helpful email to the list to explain what's going
on to those of us who might have otherwise missed the news.

I'm really excited about this -- it's definitely one concrete way to make it
less scary to take on starting your own studio, that's for sure.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IGDA <igdahq at talley.com>
Date: Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Subject: IGDA: Healthcare Program
To: andrhia at gmail.com


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Dear IGDA Member,

We are happy to be launching a new program to provide access to group health
care. This email provides a short background, describes the basics of what
the program is and is not, and aims to answer some of the questions we've
heard so far.  *

Who:* This program will be available to Members in the USA - whether Full
Rate, Studio Affiliate, Student Members or Hardship Dues Rate Members. This
program will not be available to free users of the website, or any
individual who is not a member of the IGDA.
*
Why and How:* In response to frequent requests by Members, the IGDA has been
exploring options for providing access to health insurance at better rates
than what you would obtain on your own.  Naturally, there are many concerns
that need to be balanced and addressed in providing such a program to a wide
range of members.  After several months of research, the IGDA has decided to
partner with an established group called Health Benefits Professionals (HBP)
& Association Health Programs (AHP) which provides programs for many
associations.

 *
When:* The Program is scheduled to launch in early January of 2010.
*
What it is:* In summary, this program will be what is known as a referral
affinity style program.  Through your membership in the IGDA, you will be
able to connect with a representative from HBP-AHP and describe your health
insurance needs - budget, spouse/dependants, chronic illness, etc. They will
get you access to rates that you would not be able to obtain otherwise.  The
options presented to you will be specific to your needs, and will come from
"A" rated carriers only.

The goal of offering this program is to provide access to health insurance
for as many members as possible with a level of flexibility that makes it an
attractive option to the majority of our members.
*
Some of the benefits:*

 - The rates offered through this program will generally be better than
rates you can obtain on your own.

- You have access to a trained Health Insurance professional to discuss your
individual situation in confidence and determine the type of plan and
options that are important to you.  You can (and should) use this person to
ask questions, get more information, and determine the best options for you
based on your current life situation and future plans.

- You can use this professional to support you in the event there are any
future questions, challenges or concerns about your plan at any time.  These
folks can help you to cut through much of the red tape and get answers in a
timely fashion.

- You will be offered plans from multiple competing carriers, as this plan
is not tied to a specific insurance company.  This allows you to see
different options and make selections that work best for your specific
situation.

- All of the carriers who will be presented to you are "A" rated carriers.
This is important due to the number of scams out there, and the need for a
carrier to be financially stable when you need to access the benefits of
your insurance.

- Coverage will be available to IGDA members and their families, with
minimal exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Members must pay the full
cost so adding family members or having pre-existing conditions may
dramatically affect your rates.

*What this program is NOT:*

- This is not an IGDA Group plan.  Although the rates you will get should be
comparable to what you would get as a group insured, the diversity of needs
reflected in our membership makes a single group plan undesirable.  If the
IGDA had gone down this road (which was examined) there would have been real
time delays as we put together a group, and less cost reduction until such a
group had actually been established through participation and payment of
premiums.

- This program is not insurance provided by the IGDA.  The IGDA will neither
be your carrier nor your agent. The IGDA's role in this is to reflect the
buying power of the membership in aggregate and pass the results of that
buying power back to you in terms of the discounts you will receive.

- This program is not a panacea or a silver bullet. There are some members
who will have better rates through their company or their specific
situations (example: subsidized COBRA).

- This is not going to be Subsidized Insurance:  The IGDA will not be paying
any part of your premiums.  This means that you may find cheaper coverage
through your employer if they pay part of your premiums.

- As with all health insurance, your premiums may still be high if you
choose super platinum levels of coverage, ppo options, low deductibles, have
existing chronic illness, etc. These variables are in your hands, not
decided on a group basis.

*A few final details:*

- This program will be part of the Basic Membership Package.  If the IGDA
changes the membership structure, this will remain available at the tier of
membership where it will benefit as many members as possible.

- The IGDA can offer this program without needing to raise dues in the
forseeable future.  Your dues are not used to subsidize premiums.

- This is not a move to unionize the IGDA.  There are over 180 other
associations working with HBP-AHP, both trade associations (that represent
companies) and professional associations (that represent individuals). They
are not unions. This is a benefit many kinds of organizations offer to their
members.

- This will not be right for everyone.  We wish it were. Our goal is to be a
benefit for as many as possible, but with thousands of members able to
participate in this program, each with different life circumstances, it's
just not possible to create a program that support everyone's needs. This
program should meet the needs of many members. If it doesn't, we'll revisit
the arrangement. We look forward to hearing feedback from those who take
advantage of this benefit.

- This program is specific to the US. If it succeeds, we will look into the
options available to do something similar in the other countries where we
have formal chapters.  There are many special requirements and challenges in
each individual country, and there may not be an option in every location.
If you live outside the USA and are interested in working with us to set up
something similar in your country, please contact the Executive Director,
Joshua Caulfield, directly at joshua at igda.org.

- More information on this plan will be posted as it becomes available on
our website. Some discussion has already occurred in the comments to the
initial announcement on the IGDA Board Blog -
http://www.igda.org/board-blog/igda-starts-healthcare-program<http://IGDA.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d239b70fc6659f7d5fc1e4bd8&id=d38766e064&e=2a0f4a03f0>


Thank you for your continued membership in the IGDA.


>From the IGDA Board of Directors,


Tobi Saulnier
Chair
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-- 
Andrea Phillips
http://www.aaphillips.com
AIM: Andrh1a * Skype: Andrhia
Words * Culture * Interaction