As the Trump administration has loosened restrictions on association health plans, more small businesses in Nevada have united to to offer insurance to their employees, reports the Reno Gazette Journal.
Six Nevada business associations began offering association health plans this year, a development that small-business owners say is helping them compete against larger companies for top talent.
"It's a real game-changer for small businesses, which are the lifeblood of the community," said Ann Silver, CEO of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce. "I think it levels the playing field as they compete for skilled employees, especially with recruitment and retention being a real challenge right now."
Though association health plans are seeing a resurgence in popularity, many have questioned why they fell out of favor in the first place.
Fraud was one reason. Poorly regulated plans left employees with millions of dollars in unpaid medical bills.
"They would skate between state and federal oversight and claim they fell under the other rule when one side asked them," said Barbara Richardson, commissioner of the Nevada Division of Insurance. "It happened to quite a few states, including ours."
Now that President Trump has dismantled the increased regulations brought on by that fraud, it remains to be seen how the plans will gain traction in the rest of the country.
"If you have a large gig economy or have a lot of small businesses, [association health plans] can work great," said Ms. Richardson. "Not a lot of states are in that position, but the plus for Nevada is that we have the experience. We have experience with good players, and our carriers understand it because they’ve been in this business."