Health insurance

The alternative strategy is ideal for companies that like the idea of self-funding but want to keep the safety and stability of consistent premium payments.

The Affordable Care Act and association health plans still have a role to play in shaping the nation's healthcare landscape.

For companies, the arrangement can mean a healthier workforce, better care for their employees and less money spent paying for employees’ medical bills.

In a national plan, employers are pooled together to purchase stop-loss insurance. Companies pay smaller day-to-day claims as they come, but enjoy greater protection against catastrophic claims as well as the purchasing power of a large group.

Employees and others are ill-prepared to meet their long-term care expenses. But government regulations and insurer indifference are exacerbating the problem.

Prodding employers into insuring themselves has important benefits—and major drawbacks.

Employee Benefit News, in partnership with business intelligence data analytics firm miEdge, lists the top 25 large-group health insurance carriers in the United States.

As more employers move to self-insure, carriers are in search of new value propositions.

More are embracing the insurance model, as firms realize cost savings, plan flexibility and employee satisfaction that can manifest itself as soon as the first year after implementation.

As more employers move to self-insure, carriers are in search of new value propositions.