State regulation of stop loss narrows markets

A quiet battle at the state level may make it more difficult for you to be creative in the small and mid-market spaces.

In this week’s episode Brooks Goodison, president of Diversified Group, joins us to discuss how renewed interest in partially self-insured plans in the small to mid-market has drawn the attention of state regulators. In this first segment of a two-part discussion on ShiftShapers, Brooks helps us sort through the changes underway that target groups that want to move away from fully-insured plans.

New York, Maryland, Connecticut and other state regulators are changing stop-loss insurance regulations in ways that would severely impact the number of employers able to take advantage of partial self-insurance options. Some believe that these regulatory moves are nothing more than an attempt to force membership into state exchanges. Others believe that only large and jumbo groups should be permitted to partially self-insure.