Committee on the Environment

This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Committee on the Environment and Small Project Practitioners .
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Dear AIA Members,
I just wanted to give all a heads up warning to those of you who may subscribe to the AIA Trust Dental Plan.
I have been a subscriber to that plan for some years now, and only just discovered that I am paying more money in than I could ever possibly get back.
With the latest rise in premiums, my total annual cost has become $2067, and the maximum that the plan pays out is $1000 per person annually. It is only covering myself and my wife. When I checked with the AIA Trust on this they confirmed that this was the case, and apologized, but said that they had no better plan to offer.
To add to the injury, they only pay out a certain percentage of the amount that the dentist invoices; and they have never had to pay out the full $2000 - it's usually less than half of that.
I had really hoped the AIA would have my back on this one.
Buyer Beware!

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Richard Griffin AIA
Richard W. Griffin Architect
Salem MA
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Thanks for this Richard, and unfortunately, this is not a surprise.

Years ago I looked into a couple of options for different group benefits programs and found  that the Trust was inferior to others.I am in the process of starting up a firm again, and I will be starting my research again this week.

In the past I found other group benefits programs targeting various small business needs that were more "flexible" than the Trust; and their programs didn't just target one profession or trade. They offered the benefits to a small business that needed benefits, as long as they qualified as a small business. 

As I continue along the programs research vein, I will try to stay in touch.

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George Jennings AIA
G Booker 3
Tappahannock VA
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That's what you call a shell game, and honestly can't understand how the AIA can offer something clearly so fraudulent.  Thanks for warning others.

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Gregory Holah AIA
Principal
Holah Design + Architecture LLC
Portland OR
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This dental issue goes to the root question, how can an organization the size of the AIA not have a national medical and dental program that benefits the profession. We, as an organization, have many lives (as the industry likes to define groups) which combined should give us a powerful bargaining tool with the insurance carries.

Why not have our organization set up a national medical and dental insurance program that is both fair and reasonable? We are a profession with many small firms whose insurance costs have climbed 20% (and more) each year. When we started our firm we provided 100% coverage. The only reasonable coverage available now is a high deductible program.  


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Michael Lassel AIA, LEED AP
Principal
Lassel Architects
South Berwick ME
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As an AIA Trustee, I am distressed to learn you consider Trust programs to be 'inferior'. I can assure you that the Trustees, AIA members volunteering like myself plus one component executive, work diligently with independent consultants to evaluate marketplace offerings that we think would benefit the membership. We utilize strict criteria to ensure the financial stability of the companies with which we partner, we monitor every program throughout the year, and we evaluate all of our programs regularly, comparing with other programs.

 

Often and understandably, members are looking for the lowest price for their coverage or plan. While the Trustees appreciate a bargain and indeed consider pricing, we also put heavy weight on a company's financial rating, commitment to customer service, track record in the marketplace including with professional associations, capability to market the product nationwide, and a myriad of other requirements. For example, in the case of disability insurance, New York Life Insurance, an A+ rated provider, offers a policy through the Trust to the definition of an architect's job - extremely important if experiencing a disability for ensuring coverage. And frankly, most Trust programs are aimed at small firms which comprise the majority of AIA members and are whom the Trust can best serve. I would be interested in hearing directly from you of any specific concerns you have about Trust programs - please email me at AIATrust@aia.org.

Regarding the Dental program,  our executive director, Ann Casso, has had numerous conversations with our administrator  (who deals directly with Met Life, the insurer). We are asking them to initiate a different structure that addresses member + spouse and makes sense financially. If Met Life is unwilling to do that, the Trustees will consider discontinuing this program at their meeting next week. The Trustees, who are AIA members, work very hard to ensure quality programs with excellent value are offered to all AIA members - that in fact is the purpose of the Trust. It appears we missed the boat on providing value on this one and we will work diligently to correct our error.

Ed Hord, FAIA

AIA Trustee

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Edward Hord FAIA
Hord Coplan Macht, Inc.
Baltimore MD
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