The Deadline to Submit Your Data for 2021 Is Aug. 31
It is almost Open Enrollment Season for American Pharmacies’ Mutual Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA), our group health insurance plan. Now is your opportunity to sign up for the MEWA for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2021, but the deadline to submit your pharmacy data is Aug. 31.
Since 2019, the APRx group health program has nearly doubled in size to more than 600 enrollees. APRx members, employees and dependents currently enrolled in our professionally managed group plan are enjoying robust benefits and competitively priced premiums for health, dental, vision, life and AD&D coverage provided through United HealthCare, as well as voluntary benefits through MetLife.
Providing health insurance to employees through small group plans can be volatile and expensive with high cost-sharing, premiums and deductibles. By joining the larger APRx group plan, your pharmacy and employees could see a significant reduction from your current insurance premiums. Check the estimated 2021 coverage and monthly premiums for our six health plan offerings to see what your savings could look like. (Actual premiums for 2021 will be determined later this year.)
If you have not yet taken advantage of this opportunity, now is the time to join our highly successful benefit program. Increasing enrollments for the 2021 plan year will help APRx continue to improve the program:
- Decreasing the risk of spikes in premiums. As the MEWA grows, we hope to see stabilizing premiums as the cost of health care is spread across a larger group.
- Once the MEWA program reaches a sufficient size, we can create our own self-funded arrangement. This will give us more control over plan design and allow us to use member input to create plans and coverages that better suit our group’s needs.
- Self-funded plans also can help make coverage more affordable. A self-funded arrangement will allow us to assume financial responsibility for claims payments, administrative costs and reinsurance, which could lower premiums even more.
NEW for 2021 -- Simplified Enrollment and Call Center Support
We are using a new online enrollment system this year to ease the burdens of enrollment and daily administration. We also will have a call center to help APRx members understand benefit options and choose the best plan for their personal situation. The online system and call center will be available year-round to assist you with any benefits-related issues.
HURRY -- Data Submission Deadline is Aug. 31
The deadline to join the MEWA is quickly approaching! APRx must submit employee data for underwriting by August 31. If you are interested in participating in the MEWA program for 2021, please contact Rida Ashraf, APRx Benefits Manager and Paralegal, by email at rashraf@aprx.org or APRx General Counsel Miguel Rodriguez at mrodriguez@aprx.org before August 31. Rida or Miguel will reach out to you to provide additional information about the MEWA program, answer any questions you may have and collect census information.
What Pharmacy Owners Are Saying About the Program
"Very pleased with the health plan, the employees are loving it [...] the premium before the program for the group thru BC/BS was $725 to $750 but now for comparable coverage, the premium is reduced to $440 to $450 per employee."
- Paula Perrone, Perrone Pharmacy | Fort Worth, TX
"They cut the premium in half and I have saved quite a bit of money."
- Chuck Eubanks, TylerRx Pharmacy | Tyler, TX
