Access to quality and affordable health care is not a given in the United States, and we remember the LIUNA members who have gone on strike, sacrificed, and bargained for healthcare coverage for themselves and their families. Through negotiated payments from employers and members, members have quality healthcare that transfers with them from employer to employer and jobsite to jobsite. We won’t take good health coverage for granted.
While LIUNA members enjoy quality health care benefits, we recognize that millions of Americans still struggle with a broken health care system. Today, we continue pushing for critical improvements to America's health care system, policy changes that will make health coverage more accessible and affordable for all Americans.
Among the health care improvements LIUNA members support include reducing the age for Medicare eligibility, and other expansions of Medicare. We support efforts to drive down prescription drug costs, stop surprise medical bills, and control healthcare insurance premiums. We are also concerned about ill-conceived and downright cruel plans to limit and reduce health care coverage. Health care isa fundamental human right and not a privilege. LIUNA is taking up the fight against those who wish to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Multi-Employer Health and Welfare Plans Benefit Employees AND Employers
Multiemployer health plans like those jointly sponsored by LIUNA and its signatory contractors offer benefits like pooled resources for cost reduction, flexibility in plan design, and easier compliance with regulations, while also allowing for portability of benefits and service for employees moving between participating employers.
- LIUNA health and welfare funds have been in existence for many years and are time proven, effective and competitive.
- Reduction of administrative costs through oversight from highly experienced trustees and administrators.
- The employer shared responsibility requirement will be met by providing coverage to employees through a LIUNA health and welfare fund thereby eliminating any employer shared responsibility penalty.
- As larger entities, LIUNA multiemployer plans have access to investment and consulting advice which would be cost prohibitive for smaller plans and employers.
- Employer contributions to multi-employer plans are tax deductible.
- LIUNA health and welfare plans generally offer comprehensive provider networks which are something not all health care exchanges may be able to provide.
- LIUNA health and welfare funds have access to and the ability to join LaboreRx and medical stop loss programs – both intended to provide high quality products and services at reduced rates as a result of group purchasing power.
- Multiemployer health and welfare funds provide coverage that meets minimum essential coverage under ACA with minimal values exceeding the 60% threshold and, often, the 80-90% threshold, comparable to gold and platinum levels of health care exchange coverage.
- LIUNA’s health and welfare funds can provide assistance with the information that must be included in the employer ACA exchange notices to employees.