Want more information about the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program?
More Pennsylvania employers and unions will receive help providing health coverage to early retirees and their families.
Nearly 1,000 additional employers and unions have been approved to participate in the Affordable Care Act's Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, bringing total participants to 3,000 to date; applications still being accepted
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced additional employers and unions accepted into the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, including a number of applicants in Pennsylvania. Nearly 1,000 large and small businesses, state and local governments, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and unions have been accepted into the program and will begin to receive reimbursements for their early retirees' medical claims this fall. The approvals announced today bring the total number of approvals to nearly 3,000 organizations. HHS announced the first round of nearly 2,000 approvals in August.
"I am incredibly pleased to see so many employers embrace this important new program to maintain coverage for people who often have a difficult time finding affordable coverage," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The Affordable Care Act helps large and small businesses to provide security to early retirees and their families."
Secretary Sebelius made the announcement from the Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA) manufacturing plant in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania – one of the now nearly 3,000 organizations participating in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program.
Created by the Affordable Care Act as another bridge to the new health insurance Exchanges in 2014, the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program provides $5 billion in financial assistance to employers and unions to help them maintain coverage for early retirees ages 55 and older who are not yet eligible for Medicare. Businesses and other employers and unions that are accepted into the program will receive reimbursement for medical claims of their early retirees and their spouses, surviving spouses, and dependents. Savings may be used to reduce employer or union health care costs, provide premium or out-of-pocket relief to workers, retirees, and their families, or both. The program ends on January 1, 2014, when the State-based health insurance Exchanges will be up and running.
HHS' Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight has approved nearly 3,000 employer and union plans, representing a broad range of employers and unions from all 50 States and the District of Columbia, for participation in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, with more applications being reviewed every day. In Pennsylvania, the following 165 organizations have been approved to date, including 62 new organizations.
1. Accuride Erie L.P.
2. Adams Electric Cooperative, Inc.*
3. Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts
4. Air Products and Chemicals, inc.
5. Alcoa Inc.
6. Allegheny College*
7. Allegheny County Schools Health Insurance Consortium*
8. Allegheny Technologies Incorporated
9. Allegheny Technologies Incorporated*
10. AmerisourceBergen Corporation
11. Arkema Inc.
12. Armstrong World Industries, Inc.*
13. Asbestos Workers Philadelphia Welfare Fund
14. Bank of New York Mellon Corporation *
15. Bayer Corporation*
16. Bensalem Township School District
17. Berwind Corporation
18. Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc.
19. Board of Trustees Operating Engineers Local 66 Welfare Fund*
20. Board of Trustees Southeastern Ironworker Health Care Plan
21. Bucknell University
22. Building Trades Health and Welfare Fund
23. Burnharn Holdings, Inc.
24. Carmeuse Lime, Inc.
25. Carpenter Technology Corporation*
26. Carpenters Health & Welfare Fund of Philadelphia & Vicinity
27. Central Susquehanna Region School Employees' Health & Welfare Trust*
28. Central York School District*
29. CENTRIA *
30. Ceratizit USA, Inc.
31. Cigna Corporation*
32. Citizens & Northern Corporation*
33. City of Chester*
34. City of Lancaster
35. City of Philadelphia
36. City of Pittsburgh
37. City Of Reading*
38. City of Sharon
39. City of York School District*
40. Columbia Borough School District
41. Comcast Corporation
42. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
43. CONSOL Energy, Inc.*
44. Cork & Seal USA, Inc.
45. County of Allegheny
46. County of Berks*
47. County of Blair*
48. County of Delaware*
49. County of Lancaster
50. County of Schuylkill*
51. County of York*
52. Cranberry Area School District
53. Crayola LLC
54. Dallas School District
55. DENTSPLY International Inc.
56. Dickinson College*
57. Dover Area School District*
58. Downingtown Area School District
59. Duquesne Light Holdings, Inc.
60. East Penn Mfg. Co., Inc.
61. Elizabethtown Area School District
62. Elizabethtown Borough Office
63. Elkern Metals, Inc.
64. Evonik Rohmax USA, Inc.*
65. Fairview School District*
66. FMC Corporation
67. Fort LeBoeuf School District
68. Franklin County Career and Technology Center*
69. Geisinger System Services*
70. Giant Eagle, Inc.*
71. GlaxoSmithKIine LLC*
72. Graphic Communications National Health and Welfare
73. H.J. Heinz Company
74. Hanover Public School District*
75. Harbor Creek School District
76. Hempfield School District
77. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
78. Highmark Inc.
79. Hospital Service Association of Northeastern Penns
80. IAFF, Local 22, Joint Health Benefit Trust
81. IBEW No 743 & Nation*
82. Independence Blue Cross*
83. International Union of Operating Engineers Welfare Fund of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware
84. Iron Workers Welfare Plan of Western Pennsylvania
85. IUPAT District Council No. 21 Welfare Fund
86. Juniata College
87. Keystone Foods LLC
88. Lampeter-Strasburg School District
89. Local 6 BC&T Workers International Union AFL-CIO
90. Longwood Gardens, Inc.
91. Lower Paxton Township
92. Magnesita Refractories Company
93. Matthews International Corporation
94. Millcreek Township School District
95. Millcreek Township Supervisors
96. Mine Safety Appliances Company*
97. Montgomery County Community College
98. Neville Chemical Company*
99. New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.*
100. Northeast Pennsylvania School Districts Health Trust*
101. Northeastern School District*
102. NOVA Chemicals Inc.*
103. Oglebay Norton Company
104. Ohio State Plumbers & Pipefitters Health & Welfare Fund
105. Oil City Area School District
106. Painters District Council No. 71 Health & Welfare
107. Penncrest School District
108. Pennsylvania House of Representatives*
109. Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co.
110. Pennsylvania State Education Association
111. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
112. Penske Truck Leasing, Co. LP*
113. Pequea Valley School District*
114. PG Publishing Company*
115. Pittsburgh Corning Corporation
116. Pleasant Ridge Manor*
117. Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Local 354
118. Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 47 of Northwest PA W*
119. Plumbers Local Union No. 690 Health Plan
120. Pottsgrove School District*
121. PPG Industries, Inc.
122. PPL Services Corporation*
123. Public School Employees' Retirement System*
124. Republic Retiree VEBA Benefit Trust
125. Retirees of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
126. Ridley Township*
127. Saint-Gobain Corporation*
128. Sheet Metal Workers Health Fund
129. South Western School District*
130. Southco, Inc.
131. Spang & Company
132. Stearnfitters Local Union No. 420 Welfare Plan
133. Steelworkers Health and Welfare Fund
134. Sunbury Generation, LP*
135. Sunoco, Inc
136. Teachers Protective Mutual Life Insurance Company
137. Teamsters #261 & Employers Welfare Fund*
138. Teleflex Incorporated
139. Temple University
140. The Beistle Company
141. The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church
142. The Hershey Company
143. The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
144. The Pennsylvania State University
145. The PNC Financial Services Group
146. Township of Haverford
147. Township of Haverford*
148. Township of Marple*
149. Trustees of the IBEW Local Union No. 380 Health and Welfare Fund
150. Trustees of the UFCW Local 23 and Employers Health Fund
151. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
152. TSK Partners, Inc.
153. TWU Westchester Private Bus Lines Health Benefit Trust
154. UFCW Local 1776
155. United Refining Company
156. United States Steel Corporation*
157. University of Pennsylvania Health System*
158. Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania
159. Upper Darby Township*
160. USW Retirees of the Dana Corporation Health Care Trust
161. Villanova University
162. Wabtec Corporation*
163. Warren County Courthouse*
164. Wattsburg Area School District*
165. Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
*Indicates newly approved applicant.
HHS has set up a website, www.ERRP.gov, where sponsors can begin submitting information today to qualify early retirees, spouses, surviving spouses, and dependents for claims reimbursements. Starting in October, sponsors with approved applications who submit funding requests will begin to receive reimbursement for eligible claims.
Employers and unions interested in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program should visit www.ERRP.gov or call 1-877-574-3777 or 877-574-ERRP. Employers and unions can find the application form and application instructions, as well as other relevant guidance and regulations from HHS, online.
More information about the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, a full alphabetical list of participants, and an interactive map displaying participants by state is available online. Going forward, this list will be updated regularly. To find this information, please visit:
http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/early_retiree_reinsurance_program.html