New State Bar group health plan offers more options and additional coverage

July 12, 2005

Effective Aug. 1, State Bar members will have a new group health plan available to them.

According to State Bar Insurance for Members Committee Cochair J. Thomas Jacobs, "This new program will be especially helpful for smaller firms. It offers plan benefits not available to the general market such as allowing spouses of retired members and widows/widowers of members to continue with the group coverage, groups of one (for solo practitioners), dependent coverage to age 25, and a health savings account."

The Professional Alliance Group Health Program is available exclusively through Professional Insurance Programs Inc. of Milwaukee and is underwritten by Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corp. (WPS) domiciled in Madison. Although this is not a guaranteed issue program, those currently participating in the State Bar's group health insurance program will automatically be accepted into The Professional Alliance Group Health Program without additional underwriting. As new participants are added, they will be fully underwritten and an offer made with a 12-month rate guarantee. Professional Insurance Programs Inc. has been laying the groundwork to develop a program for firms throughout Wisconsin since 1995.

"We commend WPS for its creativity, flexibility and, most importantly, its open-minded approach in developing a program for the association marketplace; a marketplace that has few remaining viable group health programs," says Jacobs. "The committee has worked diligently with WPS and Professional Insurance Programs, and we are very pleased to introduce this benefit."

For information regarding the plan options and rates, call (800) 637-4676, email info@insuranceformembers.net, or visit www.insuranceformembers.com.