Financial Planning Association members now have access to group health insurance through a program set up by the FPA, the association announced Tuesday.

The FPA Group Health Plan is being offered to members and their employees through Ryan Insurance Strategy Consultants and underwritten by National General. It is a self-funded plan that is expected to have premiums 25% lower than those offered through the Affordable Care Act, the FPA said.

The plan was two years in the making and was developed at the request of members. It is available in most states for FPA members with two to 50 employees. Plans can be customized for firms with different co-pays and deductibles. Coverage will be provided for dental and vision, critical illness and accidents, life and disability insurance and long-term care insurance. The group plan will offer AETNA Signature Administrators PPO medical network.

“FPA is thrilled to be one of the first-to-market with a national group health plan to help our members address their personal health care needs, but also stay competitive, attract the right employees and grow their businesses,” FPA Executive Director and CEO Lauren M. Schadle said in a statement. “Designed to meet the growing needs of our members, this new benefit is another example of how the FPA drives member value to help practitioners create scalable businesses and achieve desired outcomes.”

The benefit was offered through a test program earlier in the summer to some FPA members and met with a favorable response, the FPA said.

The plan will be governed by individual state laws and is not available in Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York and Washington, D.C. In the coming months, as the group health plan grows a base of insureds, FPA and Ryan Insurance Strategy Consultants will work to open those markets, the FPA said.

Ryan Insurance will be available to assist FPA members with needs assessment, evaluation of existing coverage, gathering and analyzing insurance quotes, providing recommendations and executing the underwriting process. 

“The new FPA health plan offers more choices, lower premiums, and easy access to custom quotes,” says John Ryan of Ryan Insurance Strategy Consultants. “This, combined with the expert benefit specialists ready to help members make the best plan selection, makes for an outstanding member benefit offering.”

FPA members who want to begin the enrollment process can call Broker Source at 1-913-333-3381 or get a quote at this website. FPA members interested in learning more about the plan can participate in an informational webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 2:00 p.m. EDT, or contact FPA at [email protected] or call 1-800-322-4237.