Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the Retailers Association of Massachusetts announce partnership to help small businesses
Five popular health plan options from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will soon be available to thousands of small businesses statewide through the Retailers Association of Massachusetts’ group purchasing cooperative.
The lower cost health care plans will offer additional savings of 3 percent and will be coupled with an enhanced wellness program to encourage employees in small businesses to become healthier and more engaged in their health care decisions, the two groups said.
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts intends to offer small employers multiple affordable health plan options from Blue Cross.
“Employer choice models, where employers set a monthly dollar contribution and employees choose what coverage works best for them, have long been available to large employers, but not small businesses and they allow for savings and real choices for these consumers,” said Jon B. Hurst, President of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. “Blue Cross’s unique plans are a great option for our members and will help them become more knowledgeable health care consumers while becoming healthier by participating in our wellness programs.”
Employers participating in the Retailers Association of Massachusetts co-op will be able to select among a portfolio of New England-wide HMO Blue Options and Hospital Choice Cost Share tiered network products as well as Consumer Driven Health Plans that offer members both additional savings opportunities and choice in where they choose to seek care.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston.
D.C. Denison can be reached at denison@globe.com.
