Given new regulation, enrollment in association health plans is expected to grow by millions in coming years. Businesses and the self-employed have read news stories that these plans can dramatically reduce insurance costs but the articles often fail to address questions such as: How exactly can association plans achieve savings? Who can join an association health plan? How can businesses collaborate to provide low-cost health coverage to their employees? What are the benefit requirements for association plans? Can freelancers, sole-proprietors, and contractors be covered? How do you decide between fully-insured and self-insured plan funding? Association Health Plans & The Future of American Health Insurance not only answers these questions but also considers near-term changes expected for insurance markets as well as the future of national health reform. Topics ranging from benefit obligations and third-party administrators to new federal regulation are explored in straight-forward and clear discussions. Written with wit and humanity, each chapter avoids politicized commentary and, instead, provides clear, actionable information. By the end of the book, readers will not only understand the mechanics of association health coverage but the major tasks entailed in the creation of a new association health plan. Armed with this information, readers can decide if they wish to pursue cost-saving health insurance designs that were previously limited to large companies.