It is my understanding that our illustrious U. S. Congress and Senate have written laws that prohibits REALTORS from forming a group in order to obtain reasonable health insurance.  We constantly hear how "Health Care" is one of the major topics to be discussed by the incoiming adminisration yet with the stroke of a pen they could make reasonable health care available to at least a million licensed real estate agents.  That won't happen until enough voting voices are heard from us REALTORS!

It is my understanding that one of the new board members for the NAR is taking to Washington a proposal to do exactly this.  The need is there for Group Health for Realtors and Vicki Cox Golder is taking that message to Washington Big Time in 2009.  Our State Representative for the AAR was the guest speaker for our Realtor Dinner this year and this is the message next years leaders want Washington to hear. Let us hope that will happen. 

Do we as Brokers / Realtors need to begin our own formal campaign with local representatives? We all appreciate everything NAR is doing on our behalf, but maybe we individually need to be heard also!

There are several requirements that insurance companies require an employer to have in order to offer Group Health insurance.

Several key factors to consider.

1. Realtors are usually 1099 employees, therefore you are not on a Wage & Tax report; like a W-2 employee.

2. The "employer" is required most times to contribute 50% of the employees premium, and most realtors are 1099 and not W-2.

3. Anyone with a pre-existing condition can become a Realtor and join the group plan, if there was such a plan, therefore there would be "adverse selection."  The group rates would be very expensive.

4. Some state realtor associations have had agreements with specific insurance companies. After 12 months, the insurance company has withdrawn from the partnership with the realtor association.

5. You can create a Group plan in most states with only 2 employees, and most insurance companies Guarantee Issue groups 2-50 lives, with a large rate up.

This may not be the information that many of you want to hear, but its realty and thats why I specialize is assisting REALTORS in several states with their health insurance needs.

If you are in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, and Florida, feel free to call me.

Michael J. Connolly III

800-921-6911

HEALTHPLANS123.com

Michael Connolly is correct, as much as we would all like to have better options for Health Care and certainly be able to leverage the sheer number of Realtors accross the country, I do not find it likely that this is coming any time soon.

On top of what Connely stated,.. my understanding is that with a Group policy,.. the employer is the one who actually cuts the check for the insurance since the plan is under the employers name. This would mean that NAR would need to be the one cutting the checks and recieving the money's for the health insurance,.. providing there was even a way around the empoyment issue.

There is no way NAR is or can be prepared to do this and the magnitude of the reponsibility is huge.

Best solution is to start your own group policy for your own company,.. and let';s face it,.. even if you work for a large brokerage,.. what you really are is a sub-contractor with your own business anyways.

What is driving the cost of insurance up, are the number of people who use the current healthcare system and never pay. These costs are carried over to those that do,.. I suppose it is the most accurate example of what "Share the wealth" really looks like.

Best of luck in all of your quests.

What Michael describes in his reply is the insurance industry's ability to "Cherry Pick" who they will supply with insurance -- which is one of the reasons our medical/insurance system is broken.  If Realtors, as a group, were to enroll  ourselves and our families by the hundreds of thousands then the cost for all of us would go down because you'd be including everything from brand new healthy babies to the old geezers with pre-existing conditions.  With a half million-plus in our "group" the costs would get spread over everyone.  Insurance companies don't like this -- they'd rather only insure healthy people, and why not?  Healthy people don't make claims.  As our new President fights to reform health insurance delivery -- universal, employer mandated, making it OK for large Associations to be called a "group", whatever -- get prepared for the insurance industry spokespeople to scream and kick and call it "socialized", etc.  I don't care what it's called, I just want EVERYONE to be able to get health insurance -- if they can get it at a reasonable cost that's even better.  I've already written my representatives in Congress and the Senate.  Associations need to be able to offer group health plans.

As a victim of the health care/health insurance system... I have to ask this:

Given the facts, what is the point of NAR going to Washington?