AAFD Health Benefits Upgrades Offer Franchise Owners New Health Care Options

In the Face of Great Health Care Uncertainty, AAFD Health Benefits Gives Business Owners Alternative Options

PALM DESERT, December 1, 2017 – The American Association of Franchisees and Dealers has announced major upgrades to its AAFD Health Benefits programs. The past few years have seen great upheaval in the health care insurance market, with mixed messages coming from Washington and insurers raising rates and dropping out of insurance markets altogether. In light of these ongoing changes, many franchise owners are struggling to afford insurance for themselves and to offer health benefits to their employees. To help alleviate these challenges, the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers (AAFD) has announced that it is upgrading its AAFD Health Benefits Program and will now offer its members several alternative health options, including Limited Medical Benefit Plans and Short Term Medical Plans. The AAFD continues to offer AAFD Health Savings Accounts, our FREE WellCard Health Discount Card, and our health insurance marketplace through eHealth.com.

Both the Limited Medical Benefit and Short Term Medical Plans are new health care options offered through  our authorized broker, SimplHealth.

“We understand how expensive health insurance can be for franchise owners who don’t have the luxury of receiving insurance through their employer,” said Robert Purvin, Chairman of the AAFD. “Our goal at the AAFD is to offer our membership affordable options that will provide them with a health safety net so that they don’t have to worry about being one illness or injury away from losing their business and their dream.”

Steven Chapkin, CEO of SimplHealth added,

“We are excited to work with the AAFD to give their members more health choices. Our plans can provide members with up to four 90 day periods of short term coverage to help them transition from the corporate world to the world of business ownership;  we also offer Limited Medical Benefit coverage as a complement for franchise owners who have a high deductible health plan. Finally, our plans also allow owners to offer reasonably priced coverage to their employees.”

The Limited Medical Benefit Plans offered through SimplHealth provide predictable, fixed first-dollar payments for different medical expenses as well as specific value-added benefits, including a fracture benefit, mental health benefit, substance abuse benefit, and accidental death coverage. It offers you a choice of five PPO plans, each providing a different level of payments tied to monthly premium costs. While it is not major medical health coverage, a Limited Medical Benefit Plan can act as a low-cost, basic health plan alternative to insurance that is either too costly or not available to business owners. It can also work to bridge the deductible gap for franchisees who have high deductible health insurance plans. This coverage is currently available in 28 states.

The Short Term Medical Coverage can act as a temporary stopgap health plan for an individual or family that does not currently have health insurance. It offers four comprehensive health insurance plans and is appropriate for individuals who have aged out of dependent coverage on their family’s health plan, must endure a waiting period before getting coverage, or for those who do not have coverage available in their area. The plans allow for as little as 30 days of coverage or up to four 90-day coverage periods. This coverage is currently available in 23 states.

The AAFD Health Savings Account (HSA) and the AAFD WellCard combined with our new programs to make up AAFD Health Benefits, a suite of products designed to make health care affordable. The AAFD WellCard functions as a health discount card, offering all AAFD members and their family members savings of up to 65% on drug prices and 30% on medical visits. The card links AAFD members to a national network of over 59,000 pharmacies and 350,000 physicians. This is a free benefit for being a member of the AAFD and can be accessed by logging into the member portal at www.AAFD.org.

The AAFD HSA allows an individual to save up to $3,500 a year, tax-free. This money can be spent on any type of medical cost, from office visit co-pays, to prescription costs, blood tests, x-rays, and more. The money can be invested and rolled over if it is not fully used each year.

AAFD Members interested in learning more about any AAFD Health Benefits Plans can visit www.aafd.org/HealthBenefits

The AAFD Health Benefits suite of programs join a growing list of branded programs that the AAFD offers its membership, including its Franchisee LegaLine^SM network of qualified franchise attorneys, Platinum Payroll Service, AAFD Meeting Call^SM, conference and webinar services, AAFD Payment Processing, and AAFD Telecommunications. In addition, the AAFD has previously cemented relationships with large retailers and service providers to offer its membership discounts on a variety of products and services, including office supplies through Office Depot.

To learn more about the AAFD or to participate in any of these health care programs, visit the company’s website at www.AAFD.org.

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About the AAFD

The AAFD is a national non-profit trade association representing the rights and interests of franchisees and independent dealers throughout the United States. The AAFD is focused on market driven reform to achieve its mission to define and promote collaborative franchise cultures that the AAFD describes as Total Quality Franchising. Since its formation, the AAFD has grown to represent more than 50,000 franchised locations throughout the United States. The AAFD has members in all 50 states and represents more than 100 different franchise systems.

The AAFD’s Fair Franchising Standards, Fair Franchising Seal, Trademark Chapters, and emphasis on Marketplace Solutions led to the Association’s recognition as a growing force in franchising. The AAFD’s Branded Partner programs add a new dimension to the value of AAFD membership. The AAFD provides a broad range of member services designed to help franchisees build market power, create legislative support of interest to franchisees, provide legal and financial support, and provide a wide range of general member benefits.

About SimplHealth

SimplHealth was founded on one premise:  Everyone deserves a health plan that provides straightforward, predictable coverage for a portion of the cost of medical care.  After eight years – through two administrations, numerous proposals, counties hours of debate, and hundreds of votes – healthcare reform legislation remains out of reach and a near constant cause of concern and confusion for many Americans.  SimplHealth cuts through all the noise with a number of straightforward, basic solutions designed to minimize your out-of-pocket cost or act as a short-term stopgap for people transitioning from the corporate world to small business ownership.

Health plans offered through SimplHealth are underwritten by Companion Life and Standard Life & Accident, both A-rated by A.M. Best