Consumers for Quality Care Hosts Telebriefing on AHPs

By Consumers For Quality Care, on February 23, 2018

Consumers for Quality Care hosted a telebriefing on Thursday, Feb. 22, with speakers from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute and the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority, who provided an overview of the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed rule on Association Health Plans (AHPs), and discussed the policy implications with dozens of stakeholders who joined the briefing.

The DOL rule was released in early January and developed in response to the Trump Administration’s fall 2017 Executive Order directing the government to expand access to AHPs. Under AHPs, small businesses can join associations – based on certain types of professional, trade or interest groups – that offer insurance to members. These AHPs, however, have a history of insolvency problems, substandard coverage and generating fraud for consumers. Among other problematic components, the DOL proposal will also make it easier for AHPs to be classified as large group health plans, which are subject to fewer regulations, and take power away from individual states to regulate them.

Click here for an audio recording of the telebriefing and here to view CQC’s presentation.

You can also view CQC’s statement on the telebriefing here and view our fact sheet here. Our fact sheet includes information on how you can submit comments on this proposed rule to DOL before March 6th.