Vail Valley Partnership announces One Valley Healthcare Program

The Vail Valley Partnership, the valley-wide chamber of commerce, on Tuesday announced an ambitious healthcare program for its membership called One Valley Healthcare Program.

Here’s the press release from the Vail Valley Partnership:

Vail Valley Partnership Announces Industry-First Healthcare Program for Members

 In response to challenges of the exploding cost of healthcare coverage in the Eagle County, Vail Valley Partnership partners with other industry associations to offer an affordable and accessible solution.

(Edwards, CO): Today the Vail Valley Partnership (VVP) announces a new program for its members aimed at providing employer members, their employees, and self-employed industry professionals a viable, cost effective, and accessible healthcare program. Entitled the One Valley Healthcare Program, this innovative new program couples two preventative care options with a medical cost sharing program to cover significant and catastrophic medical events. The program is made available to VVP members through the Partnership participating in the Small Association Leadership Alliance Healthcare Program.

“Our team has been hard at work for over a year exploring various association healthcare programs. Three key criteria had to be met; 1) the program must be available and accessible in Colorado, 2) it must work for most of our members, and 3) have rates that provide meaningful reduction to the cost of healthcare burdening our community,” remarked Partnership President & CEO Chris Romer.

With savings of up to 60% over traditional group insurance, the innovative One Valley Healthcare Program makes a significant impact on the bottom line of member businesses and individuals in Eagle County.

Key components of the program include coverage for:

• Preventative care with 100% coverage for all mandated services
• Significant and catastrophic events
• Primary care and access to medical specialists
• Prescription drug plan
• Telemedicine

The One Valley Healthcare Program simplifies what has become so complex and provides a high-end, affordable healthcare solution for employers, employees and sole-proprietors. While not health insurance, the program offers preventative care options, provides a four (4) Year “Rate Lock” ensuring rate stability in an increasingly unstable market, and can lower healthcare costs by as much as 60% when compared to traditional group health insurance.

This program is great solution for Eagle County select businesses and sole-proprietors because it is:

• Available in all 50 states;
• Does not need an employer-sponsor, so individual employees can join;
• Available to full-time, part-time and seasonal workers;
• Available for hourly and salaried staff;
• The monthly costs can be paid by the employee or employer;
• Provides a terrific employee benefit at no cost to the company;
• Has the potential for saving up to 60% on their healthcare costs;
• Available in time for the fall 2018 open enrollment period.

Vail Valley Partnership sees this program as an additional offering in a growing number of benefit and cost savings programs available to our members and as an options multiplier for businesses and individuals looking for healthcare solutions.  Partnership president Chris Romer stated “We will continue to work with other association leaders in advocating for viable, nationally-available, Association Health Plans (AHP’s), Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWA’s) and other programs that can benefit our members and add to this offering when such programs become available.” Romer added, “to be clear, the Program is not insurance. That means the State’s consumer protections or oversight of the operation of the plan do not apply. The amounts to be paid to the plan are not Insurance premiums and therefore are not regulated. The promise of future benefits is not guaranteed and thus the State of Colorado’s Guarantee Fund does not apply.”

Information about the Partnership’s One Valley Healthcare Program can be found at www.OneValleyHealthcareProgram.com and membership information can be found on the Partnerships web site at www.VailValleyPartnership.com.