A multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) is an arrangement that covers employers with 2 to 50 employees. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce (Ohio Chamber) is the sponsor of the Ohio Chamber Health Benefit Program (“OCHBP”), which is a self-funded non-plan MEWA that allows smaller companies to access health benefits with rates and premiums that are usually available to larger companies. Health benefits under the OCHBP are provided to eligible employers by the OCHBP Trust (“OCHBP Trust”). UnitedHealthcare provides claims administration and stop loss protection to the OCHBP Trust.

Any Ohio Chamber member company located in Ohio in good standing with 2 to 50 eligible employees may apply.

Participating employers are required to maintain membership with the Ohio Chamber, which is the sponsor of the OCHBP. Benefits are provided by the OCHBP Trust, which is governed by a Board of Trustees elected by participating employers.

The OCHBP Trust harnesses economies of scale that allow small businesses to band together to obtain health benefits at rates comparable to larger self-funded single employers. Each participating employer is the sponsor of its own group health plan under ERISA and must assume certain responsibilities under state and federal benefits law; including reporting, disclosure, and fiduciary provisions. Participating employers, however, are able to leverage the expertise of the benefits administrator, UnitedHealthcare, in meeting these benefit plan obligations.

The OCHBP Trust offers a new way to provide your employees with health benefits and has some great financial benefits for you. It’s a self-funded MEWA designed for Ohio Chamber member companies with small business needs in mind. It was sponsored by the Ohio Chamber to help its small business members and their employees with the increasing cost of healthcare benefits.