Prior to 2014, insurers could offer insurance coverage to groups of small employers that belonged to an Association Health Plan (AHP). Under the rules at the time, the insurer could offer discounts to small employers that were part of an AHP. Effective January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) required that all small group coverage (with the exception of grandfathered plans or plans in states where the rules were delayed) be guaranteed issued and included in the single small group rating pool. The ACA prohibited any variations to rates other than for age, geographic location, number of dependents and tobacco usage. These new rules prohibited carriers from offering discounts and therefore eliminated AHPs. ... |