Alaska Group to offer health coverage to employees of not-for-profit

The Foraker Group, an organization that supports not-for-profit organizations in Alaska, on Thursday announced that it will offer health insurance to employees of private, not-for-profit organizations in the state, the Anchorage Daily News reports.

The coverage will be offered through Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska and will be funded with $2 million from the Rasmuson Foundation. The program will not use state money.

Employees will be able to enroll in a plan that has a $1,500 deductible, a tax-free health savings account and requires employers to contribute $750 per year to the HSA; or a plan that has a $2,500 deductible, covers catastrophic health costs and provides discounts on prescription drugs. Under both plans, employers must contribute at least 75% of the cost of premiums for individuals and 50% of premiums for family coverage. Both plans cover preventive care and will offer dental and vision coverage. To encourage enrollment, the first 2,000 employees who enroll in the $1,500 deductible plan will receive an extra $500 for their HSA over two years.

Initially, premium rates will be calculated separately for all participating not-for-profit organizations. If at least 1,500 people enroll in the program within a year, the groups will be considered jointly as an association, which will allow them to receive a more stable group rate over time, according to Foraker President Dennis McMillian (Demer, Anchorage Daily News, 7/18).