Small Employers Have Options Through BPA

Partial Self-Funding for Smaller Employers

Through a strategic alliance with Key Healthy Partners, BPA now offers smaller employers a form of self-funding that functions very much like an insured policy, where the employer pays a monthly premium. The big difference, however, is that unlike an insured policy, the employer retains any unspent claim funds. This approach allows even small employers, those with as few as 25 employees, to establish a monthly health plan budget and take advantage of the economic benefits of self-funding.

With Healthy Partners, an employer funds the plan by paying an amount each month during the twelve-month plan year. Part of the monthly payment is used to pay the fixed costs such as stop-loss insurance premiums, and part is used to fund expected claims up to the employer’s funding limit. Unlike traditional insurance, if claims do not exceed the amount funded by the employer, the unspent claim funds are retained in the employer’s claim account. In any given month, if actual claims exceed the cumulative amount funded by the employer for the year-to-date, stop-loss insurance funds the claims that exceed the employer’s funding limit.

An Easy Alternative for Small Groups

A Healthy Partners plan is easy to set up and simple for the employer to operate. Each month, the employer makes a payment and updates BPA on any plan enrollment changes that have occurred. BPA provides ID cards and a plan document, processes all claims, produces checks, provides customer service, and offers secure 24/7 internet access to detailed information about benefits, eligibility, and claim status.

Healthy Partners is designed to allow employers with as few as 25 employees enrolled in their health plans to consider this unique partially self-funded approach. With Healthy Partners, a monthly funding level is established that can be budgeted – much like a premium. This approach allows smaller businesses to take advantage of the economics of self-funding. Often the fixed costs of operating a self-funded plan are lower than the fixed costs that are included in a group health insurance premium.

It is easy to obtain a Healthy Partners proposal from BPA. Simply call us at (800) 277-8973 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it today.