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The CEMA marketplace offers numerous
advantages for members, according to
Bucci. “The number one advantage is that
members trust the association,” he said.
Turning to the association for suitable
plans that members know will be ACA-
compliant is more reassuring than entering
the marketplace at large. NEFI’s Michael
Trunzo agreed, stating, “The industry trade
associations in New England are working
diligently to make sure their members have
the correct information and viable choices
for healthcare and other employee benefits.
Turning to us for help should be intuitive.”
Another big advantage is that the CEMA
marketplace offers choice, thus enabling
employees to become consumers. Every
product available in the state exchange is
also available in CEMA’s marketplace, but
there are also plans that are not offered
statewide. “It broadens the spectrum of
variety, which is important for the future of
employee benefits” Bucci said.
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In addition to the wider range of
healthcare plans, the CEMA marketplace
also offers additional coverages such as
dental, disability, critical illness, life and
many more. Sorting through options is also
easier with CEMA, because the marketplace
is administered and staffed with benefits
consultants who can advise companies. The
CEMA marketplace also accommodates
brokers, so marketers can participate in the
marketplace without leaving an existing
broker relationship.
The Obama administration made a mis-
take, in Bucci’s opinion, by leading people
to believe that they could keep their current
healthcare plans. The reality is that both a
carrier and an employer have the option
of discontinuing any plan at renewal, so
it was inevitable that some plans would
be withdrawn, given the change in federal
regulations. And despite contingency mea-
sures that the administration is considering
or offering, the damage to the employee
benefits market is done.
The CEMA Health & Employee Benefit
Marketplace website (
com) offers a consultative approach to
choosing coverage that helps companies
find the right coverage options. The
employer begins the process by choosing
carriers along with a range of plans and
benefit options. Once the company has
made its choices, employees can visit the
site and choose from the available options.
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With the arrival of Obamacare, Bucci
anticipates that some companies will switch
to a “defined contribution” model in which
the employer allocates a benefits contribu-
tion to each employee, and the employee
is free to choose the coverage they want.
Depending on what the employer makes
available, employees within the same com-
pany could make very different selections.
One employee might put all the money
towards a high-end family healthcare plan,
while another might choose a less robust
healthcare plan while also taking a dental
and vision plan.
“This is fabulous news for employers and
employees,” Bucci said. “It’s going to take a
lot of pressure off employers to make those
decisions and empower employees to be
consumers.” He predicted that defined con-
tribution would evolve into the mainstream
method of employers offering employee
benefits, because it affords employers and
employees more flexibility in plan design.
While employees may have options,
they probably will not have a choice of
healthcare insurance carrier, because most
carriers do not want to split business within
an employee group, Bucci said.
As the Obamacare implementation
unfolds, Bucci recommends that employers
work with a broker to understand what
they must do to be in compliance. They
need to determine what benefits to offer
full-time and part-time employees, and they
need to offer coverage to new employees in
90 days or less. Employees may be anxious
about their healthcare, so employers should
communicate thoroughly, he said.
Employee Benefits
