By Quin Welch, Building Kentucky
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Kentucky Chamber are celebrating the fifth anniversary of their landmark partnership, ChamberAdvantage, an innovative health plan that has transformed access to affordable health coverage for small businesses across the Commonwealth.
“At a time when affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing both employers and Kentuckians, ChamberAdvantage is making a real difference,” said Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts. “By giving thousands of small and medium-sized businesses access to stable costs and high-quality coverage, this partnership is helping keep healthcare costs manageable for Kentucky businesses and the Kentuckians they employ. We are proud to be able to provide this benefit for chamber members across the Commonwealth.”
Five Years of Impactful Results
Since its launch, the ChamberAdvantage program has demonstrated measurable progress in expanding access to affordable health coverage and stabilizing costs for Kentucky employers:
- More than 53,000 Kentuckians are now covered through the plan, representing 4,200 employers and 32,300 employees statewide.
- Since 2020, the program has generated an estimated $400 million in employer savings, helping strengthen local businesses and communities across the Commonwealth.
- 110 local chambers of commerce across the Commonwealth have at least one employer enrolled in the program, underscoring ChamberAdvantage’s reach as a truly statewide health coverage option.
- The top participating chambers include the Kentucky Chamber, Bowling Green Chamber, Commerce Lexington, Greater Louisville Inc., Jeffersontown Chamber, Northern Kentucky Chamber, and Paducah Chamber.
- The average employer covers 12 employees and family members, illustrating the program’s impact on small and mid-sized employers, the foundation of Kentucky’s economy.
Launched in October 2019, ChamberAdvantage was created to help small and mid-size employers better manage healthcare costs by allowing them to band together under a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA). By pooling their employees into a larger risk group, participating businesses gain access to competitive group rates, flexible benefit designs, and innovative cost-management tools, including Anthem programs that improve health outcomes while lowering expenses.
“ChamberAdvantage is a Kentucky success story,” said Harry Hayes, Director of Commercial Sales, Anthem BCBS Kentucky. “When we launched this program five years ago, healthcare costs were already rising at alarming rates. Unaffordable healthcare is inaccessible healthcare. That’s why we partnered with the Chamber to help thousands of small employers provide quality coverage that offers the predictability and affordability previously only available to very large employers.”
As healthcare inflation continues to climb, initiatives like the ChamberAdvantage are helping Kentucky employers manage costs and improve access to care.
“The ChamberAdvantage program has been transformational for organizations like ours,” said Tony Emberton, Financial Administrator of Potter Children’s Home and a member of the Kentucky MEWA Board of Trustees. “It allows us to provide high-quality health coverage for our employees at a cost that’s sustainable for our mission. That kind of affordability and stability is invaluable—and it’s exactly what Kentucky employers need to keep serving their communities.”
As Anthem and the Kentucky Chamber mark this milestone, both organizations reaffirm their commitment to continuing the ChamberAdvantage program. Through collaborative solutions and innovative care models, ChamberAdvantage will continue to help small businesses ensure Kentuckians have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare.
Employers may learn more about ChamberAdvantage by contacting their health insurance agent or Anthem representative at kychamber.com/anthem.
