Interested in Exploring an Option for Better Group Health Insurance?
Click here to downtown the form: Association Health Plan Census Template w Gusto
We are excited to announce that Shop Local Raleigh is exploring the potential of offering a group health plan to our employer members, also called an Association Health Plan.
We are hopeful that, by banding together under a “large group” type plan, many Shop Local Raleigh member groups will have access to higher value health plan options than what might be obtained through the traditional market. To request group rates from a Health insurance carrier we are required to submit a census of all interested member employer groups, listing their employees and dependents, and employer location. To assist with the collection of this information, we have partnered with Marsh (Marsh & McLennan Agency), a third-party insurance and retirement benefits consulting firm.
If your company is interested in participating in the group health plan, you must complete a census. Per the insurance carrier guidelines, member companies that do not submit a completed census may not be eligible for coverage during the first plan year effective date. However, submitting a census does not obligate you to enroll in the plan. The larger our eligibility census, the better our buying power. That said, we strongly encourage all Shop Local Raleigh members to participate in this survey.
Our active members will be eligible to participate in the new plan. The exceptions (those not eligible) will be:
Companies that do not directly participate in the Shop Local Raleigh industries, and Single-person companies. In other words, each company that participates must employ at least one non-owner employee on a full-time basis and enrol a total of 2 non-related employees.
What should I do next? Complete the Census
Per carrier guidelines we will need to collect the master census by Wednesday, May 27th, 2026.
Health Census Template Instructions
Complete the spreadsheet with all employer information.
Enter all benefit-eligible employees and dependents if applicable.
Remember, there is power in numbers. The more employees we have on our final census the better!
When downloading the census template, the server may prompt you to “login.” You can disregard this prompt as the template can be downloaded without a login.
The deadline to upload your employee Census is Wednesday, May 27th, 2026. We will send further information once all census data is compiled, and group rates are determined.
Questions?
For more information, please contact:
Sam Eller
Consultant, Employee Health & Benefits
Marsh McLennan Agency
Sam.Eller@MarshMMA.com
919-632-6211
Again, we are enthusiastic about this possibility for a bold new member benefit!
