LANO Announces New Group Health Partnership

Small staffs and modest budgets can make affordable health insurance a difficult benefit for many nonprofits to provide their employees.

According to a 2009 study by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, health insurance concerns now impact nonprofits in several ways. They represent a vital benefit to offset relatively low worker pay scales. Yet fast-rising premiums limit access and risk sustainable coverage as nonprofit revenues continue to decline.

Consequently, many nonprofits have ceased or reduced health insurance coverage, or have shifted costs increasingly to their employees.

The same study finds that fewer than half of nonprofits with annual budgets under $500 thousand (a category representing the majority of LANO members) currently provide employee health insurance.

To meet this pressing need for Louisiana nonprofits, and as part of an ongoing review and revision of its member benefits, LANO is pleased to announce a new partnership with group health insurance provider Group Brokerage, Inc.
Baton Rouge-based Group Brokerage, Inc. offers statewide reach and strong ability and expertise in serving small groups—specializing in organizations with two or more employees. The company represents major state insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of LA, United Healthcare, Humana and Coventry Healthcare. It provides a complete range of group and individual health insurance policies with both full and limited coverage options.

As a special benefit to LANO members, Group Brokerage, Inc. has allied with the Louisiana Dental Plan (LDP), Louisiana's oldest and largest discount Preferred Provider Network (P.P.N.), to offer a unique menu of dental and other healthcare-related products and services at its lowest available rate.

For a full listing of LANO member benefits offered by Group Brokerage, Inc. and LDP, download the LANO 2010 Group Health flier or email info@lano.org, writing Group Health in the subject line.

For a special review of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (signed into law on March 23, 2010), see the LANO Public Policy page Healthcare Reform and Nonprofits. The new US law provides unique tax incentives to nonprofits that extend health insurance to their employees, a change sure to boost interest in securing this important benefit for Louisiana's nonprofit workers.