Part of the mission of a Chamber of Commerce is to support small business and encourage entrepreneurialism. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce has recently teamed up with a major health insurance provider, Blue Cross and Blue Shield to do both. The chamber has developed a series’ of affordable health insurance products geared towards the needs of small businesses, offered in conjunction with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine.

The healthcare insurance plans are part of a suite of health insurance options offered by the Maine “Blues” as part of their BlueOptions family of products, and are known as Chamber BlueOptions. The health insurance plans have been embraced by area Chambers of Commerce throughout the state since their introduction at the beginning of the year, and participation by chamber members continues to be brisk. Unlike previous healthcare insurance plans offered to the members of the Chambers, the BlueOptions products offers employers many more choices of health insurance plans to offer to their employees. There are 5 different health insurance products available targeted at companies with from 2- 50 employees.

The President of the Maine State Chamber said this is a breakthrough in showing how Municipalities and health insurance companies can work together to encourage entrepreneurialism, support small businesses, and specifically provide for the healthcare insurance needs of the small business owner.  Over the past several months that the health insurance plans have been available almost 2500 employees of small businesses have signed up through the chambers offering the plans. Almost 20% of those had no health insurance coverage prior to participating in the Chamber BlueOptions program. The program has definitely found a way to get more people in the state of Maine quality health insurance.

The suite of five affordable health plans include three PPO health plans with different deductible levels to suit the financial needs of various employees, an even more affordable HMO health insurance option, and a consumer driven high deductible health insurance plan coupled with a Health Savings Account. The plans are offered through the Maine State Chamber Purchasing Alliance, and are available to any small business that belongs to the State Chamber or a regional, or local Chamber of Commerce.

A spokesman for the Alliance said the plans not only provide small businesses with much needed options for affordable health insurance, their availability encourages membership in the chambers.