CBA Meeting Highlights New Healthcare Option

Dan Yunker, vice president and CFO, Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council informed  Chatham Business Association members about a new healthcare option called CO-OP. (Photo by Thelma Sardin)
Dan Yunker, vice president and CFO, Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council informed Chatham Business Association members about a new healthcare option called CO-OP. (Photo by Thelma Sardin)

Healthcare is a universal concern for business owners and employees alike.

Area business leaders convened for Chatham Business Associations (CBA) monthly membership meeting on Tuesday morning Good affordable healthcare was the meetings main focus.

Dan Yunker, vice president and CFO, Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) discussed with CBA members the benefits of a new type of health insurance called, Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OP).

CO-OP was developed by the Affordable Care Act that was enacted by President Barack Obama in2010.

The law aims to provide Americans with comprehensive health insurance reforms that hold insurance companies responsible, lowers health care costs, guarantees diversity, and enhances the quality of care.

According to healthcare.gov, CO-OP is a new type of non-profit health insurer that isrun by customer and provides consumer-friendly, inexpensive health insurance options to individuals and small businesses.

In addition, the federal government is offering loans to non-profit organizations to help establish CO-Ops.

Its a different health insurance company. It leverages technology and health care connectivity. It leverages improving quality to reduce costs, Yunker said of CO-Ops.

It creates a vehicle for business owners to make a decision if whether they are going to continue to sponsor employer sponsored coverage or [if] they are actually going to get out of providing employer sponsored coverage and assist their employees to move into public exchanges, he added.

Public exchanges are an avenue through which individuals can purchase CO-Ops.

Essentially, the exchange allows individuals to log on to a website and choose a customized health care plan. The individual will be able to pay for the plan through certain subsidies that are a part of the CO-OP.

Melinda Kelly, CBA executive director is a working with Yunker on a Chicago area CO-OP. Her role is to assist with community group relations.

These community groups will help us shape what this program is about, said Yunker.

Kelly said CBA strives to bring its members a diverse variety of information that will optimize the way they do business.

As you know its our function as an organization to bring those issues to the forefront [and] get your input as we shape our future. [It] gives us dialogue which as we talk to our policymakers and communities at large, Kelly said.

Log on to www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/co-op for further information on Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans.

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