CVMA sponsors group health insurance plan

Sacramento, Calif. - To make staff health insurance affordable for practice owners, the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) rolls out a cafeteria-style group insurance plan offering employee and family medical coverage to its 5,000-plus members.

While a smorgasbord of state laws stifle the development of nationwide healthcare programs, the CVMA joins the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA) as the only veterinary groups offering alternatives to the expensive rates incurred by small businesses. The state associations put their bulk memberships to work as bargaining tools, and so far, the leverage has lowered insurance costs.

CVMA Executive Director Dick Schumacher, DVM, estimates savings run an average 10 percent.

"This program allows veterinarians in California to offer healthcare benefits to their employees," Schumacher says. "In California, like anywhere else in the United States, benefits are valuable for keeping long-term employees."

Creating PacAdvantage

NJVMA made members privy to the most cost-efficient staff benefits available last June, when it partnered with Association Master Trust, a non-profit network of 20,000-plus participants within 10 state professional groups. CVMA now follows suit, aligning with ABD Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. to offer coverage for association members.

The program, called PacAdvantage, provides medical, dental and vision coverage as well as chiropractic and acupuncture services. Rates are guaranteed for at least 12 months.

"Surveys say health insurance is the number one thing employees look for," says Dr. Ed Branam, ABD managing director of association services. "It's a critical component to hiring and keeping high-quality employees. We offer a lot of options because we recognize that's what employees want."

Variety of plans

More options mean that one staff member can carry Blue Cross while another employee in the same practice might choose Cigna. The system is great for large hospitals, where staff members might otherwise have opted out because the plan didn't offer a particular carrier, Branam says.

"It's about giving employees what they want," he says. "We allow each employee to select individual plans in an individual program, depending on where they are located. In a metropolitan area, you might have three to five providers. It's extremely versatile per employee and per group."