The CCAP Health Alliance and the Delaware Valley Health Trust (DVHT) have partnered to offer an alternative to the commercial health insurance market which provides Pennsylvania counties with upfront savings, enhanced benefits and long term cost stability.
Questions?
Questions concerning the CCAP Health Alliance program should be directed to:
Membership Listing
- Cameron County
- Clarion County
- Clinton County
- County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP)
- Elk County
- Forest County
- Potter County
- Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission (SAP&DC)
- Tioga County
- Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health and Development Services (CMP MH/DS)
- Westmoreland Industrial Development Corporation
Creation of Health Alliance
The CCAP Health Alliance has partnered with the Delaware Valley Health Trust (DVHT) to serve as the infrastructure and administrator of its health insurance program for Pennsylvania counties and county related entities. Membership in the CCAP Health Alliance is now open and proposals are available upon request.
Since 1999, DVHT has helped its municipal members defy the trends by providing a remarkably stable health insurance platform with rates well below the commercial carriers’, while maintaining benefit levels and even offering several plan enhancements. Through its partnership with the CCAP Health Alliance, DVHT is now able to extend its platform to Pennsylvania’s counties and county related entities statewide.
DVHT is an example of the power of collective action. As counties and county related entities contemplate how best to tackle the difficult budget challenges over the next several years, there is now an effective alternative to the annual +10-20% increases in the health benefits line item. The average rate increase for current DVHT members over the past 8 years has been about 6.5% per year.
Through this new partnership, the CCAP Health Alliance can offer a complete range of medical plans (HMO, QPOS, PPO and Indemnity), fully customized to meet the needs and interests of each individual county or entity. Participating counties and entities design their own benefit plans and coverage parameters. DVHT will maintain each county/entity’s current rate structure and guarantee rates for the calendar year.
For most applicants, the CCAP Health Alliance can now meet or exceed current commercial coverage at lower costs. More than half of DVHT’s current members were previously Blue Cross clients.
At no additional charge, standard coverage enhancements include the following:
- A Trust administered fitness reimbursement program for employee and spouseVision benefits built into the medical coverage
- Full access to Health AdvocateTM, a care facilitator for employees, dependents and family members
- A comprehensive Member Wellness Initiative
- COBRA Administration
- Ancillary Lines program providing discounted rates on life and long term disability coverage
DVHT will provide side-by-side coverage comparisons with your current program upon request and will accept partial group enrollments (subject to underwriting guidelines).
Program Governance
Risk Financing
As with other CCAP Insurance Programs, the CCAP Health Alliance is working towards a long-term solution to healthcare financing. DVHT’s risk sharing model offers a number of advantages, including:
- Excess funds are returned to the membership. A rate stabilization fund (RSF) is a unique tool allowing each member the option of applying credits to monthly premium, thereby reducing payments. Members also have the choice of rolling their credit balance over to future years. In effect, the RSF allows each member the discretion of choosing the most opportune time to apply its own rate relief. DVHT adds interest to any rolled over balance. To date over $20 million has been allocated to member RSF credits.
- An expense ratio well below commercial fully insured or self-insured programs, without brokerage commissions or premium taxes
- Investment income accruing only to the benefit of the membership
- Improved control of health insurance premium dollars, products, services and management. For example, utilization information and key underwriting data has become the property of the DVHT.
Network and Ancillary Lines
DVHT contracts with Aetna, Delta Dental and Guardian for access to their provider networks and discounts. Subscribers will receive the provider networks’ ID cards. DVHT will conduct an analysis that will show a high percentage overlap in provider participation between DVHT’s service providers and the incumbent providers. DVHT also contracts with Aetna for claims processing services and reinsurance support.
DVHT is also able to provide discounted fully insured rates for Group Life and AD&D, Long-term Disability and Short-term Disability coverage. By leveraging the buying power of DVHT and the CCAP Health Alliance, we can offer preferred pricing and coverage enhancements. Premium savings will range between 10% and 20%, and the package includes multi-year rate guarantees.
Governance
DVHT is owned, managed and controlled by its public entity members. Each CCAP Health Alliance member appoints a trustee to the DVHT board of Trustees. The DVHT board elects five officers who serve on an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee meets monthly with staff and directs the operation of DVHT. Additionally, the CCAP Health Alliance is governed by a thirteen member board of directors responsible for setting policy and overseeing the program’s administration.
The CCAP Health Alliance’s Legal Counsel is Barbara Zemlock.