Employer Purchasing Pools

To access affordable health insurance products, some small employers and independent providers have formed purchasing pools, purchasing alliances, or health and welfare funds that give them the ability to negotiate better rates with insurance companies.

Examples

• The 1199SEIU Home Care Industry Benefit Fund in New York City, which covers over 75,000 workers and their families. More than 60 unionized home attendant agencies contribute to the fund.
• Michigan’s county-level Third Share Plans, which pool small employers and offer government-subsidized premiums to make coverage affordable.
• The Wisconsin TRIADA Professional Employer Organization, which offers employment services and health insurance to small home care employers in the Milwaukee area.

For general information on purchasing pools, visit the Institute for Health Policy Solutions and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Coverage Initiatives.