Chamber Trust Partnering With Aetna On Small Business Health Products

HARTFORD — Aetna has begun offering a health insurance program specifically designed for the more than 40,000 Connecticut Chambers of Commerce members. Through the new “Integrated Benefit Solution,” Connecticut small businesses can obtain affordable health insurance and complimentary benefits through a single source.

“Aetna is committed to offering small businesses innovative health benefits solutions that enable these organizations to have greater financial security. We’re particularly pleased that this new product offering for small businesses is in our home state,” said Mark Bertolini, CEO and president of Aetna.

“We worked closely with Aetna to develop a program that would offer products and services that were valuable to small businesses in Connecticut,” said Michael Nicastro, president of the Chamber Benefits Centers Leadership Cabinet. “We know that health insurance can be a major issue for small businesses, and we feel like this option can have a really positive impact for many chamber members.”

As part of this program, chamber members can initially choose any Aetna Small Group plan design. This includes several consumer-directed, HSA-compatible options.

With these Small Group plans, chamber members will also receive access to Aetna’s industry-leading online tools, as well as other Aetna resources specifically designed for small businesses:

*The recently launched small business “tax credit calculator.” This tool may be able to quickly help small business owners determine if their companies are eligible for a tax credit through the Affordable Care Act.

*The Aetna Resource Connection, which gives participating small businesses access to discounts on a variety of services.

After selecting a Small Group plan, chamber members then have the exclusive opportunity to offer additional coverage by combining their health insurance plan with one of Aetna’s Hospital Indemnity Plan options. If purchased, these plans provide consumers with a flat dollar payment for a hospital stay, as well as a per diem payment for each day in the hospital.

These payments are often used for expenses directly associated with a hospital stay, such as deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance. The payments may also be used for indirect costs such as travel expenses, child or elder care, and loss of income — anything the member wishes.

Finally, chamber members can add an optional dental plan to their benefits package. They can choose from 100 percent preventive group dental coverage or the Vital Saving by Aetna discount program. The Vital Savings program provides discounts on dental services from participating Aetna Dental Access providers ranging from 15 to 50 percent.

“This is a comprehensive benefits package that will allow small employers in Connecticut to choose the options that best fit the specific needs of their business and their employees,” said Martha Temple, head of the New England market for Aetna.

The Integrated Benefit Solution is being sold by local agents who are also Chamber of Commerce members. Chamber members from any Connecticut Chamber of Commerce can receive a quote for their business by calling the Chamber Insurance Trust at 800-953-4467.

Chamber Insurance Trust (CIT) is a voluntary alliance of all participating Chambers of Commerce across Connecticut and western Massachusetts. Created to bring the combined buying power of thousands of chamber members, CIT’s complete range of insurance options offer small, midsized, and large businesses competitively priced benefit packages. From its inception in 1992, CIT serves more than 10,000 businesses from the Chambers of Commerce in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

For more information about the Chamber Insurance Trust insurance offering, visit www.citrust.com.