Health Insurance Idea for Gymnastics Industry

The topic that I'd like to start a discussion on deals with affordable health insurance issued by gymnastics businesses to their full time employees. 

As a professional in this industry for quite a while now, I've worked in many different gyms in a large area, and have experienced several different types of "benefit packages" from my employer.  When accepting a full time postion anywhere, regardless of whether it's in the gymnastics industry or in any other industry, health insurance is (hopefully) at the top of everyone's list of importance.  However, the cost to provide quality health insurance is steep for small businesses (and every gym in America, regardless of size is considered a small business to Uncle Sam and the Insurance Companies).  With so few employees to buy into a health insurance plan, the cost to provide a standard "80/20" plan (employer pays 80% and employee pays 20%) is very high and almost out of reach for any gym.

Two things result from this scenario:

1. Gym purchases a plan that is void of true coverage from an unknown insurance company
2. Gym doesn't offer full coverage for employees

Both of these scenarios are scary to me!  I am no longer a full time employee of a gymnastics facility, and this is a big reason why. 

I currently teach PE in one of the nation's largest school districts and coach part time.  My health insurance is awesome now, with top tier coverage and small copays.  The reason for this is because I pay into a health insurance plan that is the same for ALL of the county employees.  Therefore, the insurance company providing the coverage receives a substantial amount of money from each employee, allowing the cost of coverage to be lessened greatly.  It is less risky for an insurance company to insure an entity with many participants than it is to insure another entity with few participants.  Plain and simple, and this will never change (and believe me, the Democratic alternative.....Socialized Medicine.......... won't work either!)

So, the gymnastics industry's problem is that it presents itself to the insurance companies in small packages.  Meaning, each gym goes out and buys coverage for only their employees and pays top dollar for less coverage than a larger entity like a public school district would, simply because of the number of people buying into the coverage plan.  

How can we change this?

I've thought a lot about it, and believe that if gym owners would band together, either state by state, region by region, or even nationally, and buy into ONE health insurance plan like CareFirst Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the affordability would be much better, the coverage would be much better, and gyms would be able to entice and keep good coaches and employees by offering better benefits than another employer and lower overhead costs for running their gym, which ultimately results in better profits and better employee performance.

By banding together all or as many as agree to participate, the number of people (coaches/owners/employees) that pay into one plan increase dramatically, and the premiums decrease dramatically because the risk for the insurance company to offer such coverage is reduced dramatically.  Plus, if you work with your spouse, as many owners and coaches do, your premiums are even lower because you're both paying into the same system!

Your thoughts?

MikeP

So are you proposing like an unofficial gymnastics union? I think that would be great and I think a lot of gym owners would band together since it it such a small community.

But I do have one question. What subset of the coaching staff will receive these benefits? Is it only for full time team coaches? What about people who coach almost full-time or full-time in only the recreational program? How would you prevent high turnover from younger "coaches" looking to get health insurance, but not staying with a program for a long time?

Theeli

Not a union per say, because that would entail paying union dues, and legal issues, etc...too much for me to worry about.  Plus, certain states like VA (where I'm from) are considered "Right to Work" states, where employees cannot legally strike and have a guaranteed job back.  My thought was that if gyms and gymnastics related employees simply pay into a larger, global, possibly USA Gymnastics sponsored plan as opposed to individual gym plans, then the cost of providing and attaining health care would be considerably less. 

This would help a gym owner's profit margin, and help employees' security.  I don't think it should be limited to just full time "team coaches" either.  Why discriminate.  If an employee (full time coach, part time coach, rec teacher, secretary, etc...) is willing to pay and join the system, then that would simply add more subscribers to the plan, further lowering the cost.   I know that the health care provided to my through the public school system that I work for has many levels at which you can join, and is further stratified by the level or type of employee is paying into the system (20 hours or less, full time, etc...)  Employees that are not full time can attain health care, but pay more per month than a full time employee, which is fair because the full time employee is more productive for the "company" than a part time employee. 

I think two things need to occur for this "plan" to be accomplished:

1. A governing body in charge of the gymnastics agrees to act as an umbrella for the plan.  I see USAG as the obvious choice.
2. An insurance company has to recognize and tailor a plan for this "umbrella organization" of gyms, which I don't think will be a problem.  After all, they are in the business of selling health care. 

I think the biggest hurdle in this whole process is convincing a well situated gym and comfortable employees to simply "change".  My experience has taught me that "change" is difficult for the gymnastics industry no matter what angle you look at it.  This is a sport that prides it's history, and is ruled by "heroes from the past".  Convincing them to essentially fix what is, in their minds, not broken is the major task. 

That sounds like a great idea and I understand what you are saying about change.

Is there anyone out there with professional experience in the insurance industry or in USA Gymnastics that can shed some light?

I'm assuming that it would be as easy as setting up a group policy under one entity like USAG and anyone with a membership number in USAG can buy into the system.

Thoughts anyone?

MikeP