Executives at UnitedHealth Group Inc. like the idea of being offer to new types of association health plan (AHP) coverage, but they say their reaction to any particular AHP proposal will depend on the details.
The question came off today, as the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company held a conference call to go over its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2017 with securities analysts. President Donald Trump has called for expanding employers’ access to AHP programs. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed regulations that could make it easier for multiple employers to team up to buy coverage through an AHP.
(Related: 7 Facts About the Trump Team’s New Association Health Plan Proposal)
David Wichmann, the company’s chief executive officer, noted that the company already offers AHP coverage in the individual market, and that it also works with professional employer organizations, which, he said, have similarities with employer AHPs.
UnitedHealth supports the idea of expanding employers’ coverage choices by adding AHP options, Wichmann said.
“They must be designed carefully,” Wichmann added.