AWB HealthChoice
AWB HealthChoice Compare it before your December 1 renewal.
AWB HealthChoice is the Association of Washington Business health plan, insured by Premera Blue Cross. If your business is an AWB member, we can get an AWB HealthChoice proposal and set it next to your other options on one census.
By Brandon Hoobler, Washington Insurance Brokers. In insurance since 2009. Information current as of October 2026.
The short answer: AWB HealthChoice is the association health plan of the Association of Washington Business (AWB). It’s fully insured by Premera Blue Cross and open to AWB members in nine industries with at least two eligible employees. The plan renews every December 1 and needs 30 days’ notice to cancel, so early fall is the time to compare it with small-group, level-funded and ICHRA options.
We’re an appointed AWB HealthChoice producer, so we can quote it for eligible members, but we aren’t owned by or endorsed by the Association of Washington Business.
What AWB HealthChoice is
An association health plan lets members of a trade association buy group coverage together. AWB launched HealthChoice in 1996. It’s fully insured, so the insurer, not your business, pays the claims.
| AWB HealthChoice | |
|---|---|
| Structure | AWB HealthChoiceThe AWB HealthChoice Employee Benefits Trust: nine industry trusts, each with a trustee elected from participating employers. |
| Medical insurer | AWB HealthChoicePremera Blue Cross. In Clark County, AWB works with LifeWise Health Plan of Washington (announced in 2024). |
| Medical plans | AWB HealthChoiceSummit PPO and Source PPO plans with $500 to $8,150 deductibles, and health savings account (HSA) plans with $1,700 to $5,500 deductibles, on Premera’s Heritage and Heritage Prime networks, with no referrals needed. |
| Required package | AWB HealthChoiceMedical, vision (VSP) and life/AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment, MetLife, $15,000 minimum) come together. Dental from Delta Dental of Washington or Willamette Dental is optional. |
| Administration | AWB HealthChoiceProPoint, an AWB affiliate, is the trust’s exclusive producer and appoints outside producers, the licensed agents who sell the plan. Vimly Benefit Solutions handles billing and eligibility on one monthly bill. |
Who can join
AWB’s underwriting guidelines require:
- Membership: AWB membership in good standing, re-checked before each renewal.
- Industry: manufacturing, professional services, retail and wholesale, hospitality, construction, agriculture, communications, technology or transportation. ProPoint can confirm your fit.
- Size: at least two eligible employees enrolling, each working 20 or more hours a week. Owners working 20 or more hours can be covered.
- Location: at least half of enrolling employees live and work in Washington.
- Contribution and participation: you pay at least 75% of the employee-only cost, and at least 75% of eligible employees enroll (70% of eligible dependents). If you pay 100%, everyone eligible enrolls.
- Waiting period: coverage starts no later than the first of the month after 60 days from hire.
Two more rules matter when you compare: Premera is the only medical carrier unless the trust approves otherwise in writing, and a competing medical plan needs the trust’s written acceptance.
How AWB HealthChoice is priced
In Washington, employers that buy through an association “are not small employers”, so small-group rating rules don’t apply. To be rated as a large group, an association plan’s members need more than 50 eligible employees combined, among other tests (WAC 284-43-8140).
AWB says all participating employers’ claims are pooled into a “manual rate,” then adjusted for each employer “based on that participating employer’s risk” (AWB’s 2018 letter to the U.S. Department of Labor). Its trust guide says, “Each participating employer is rated based on its own unique characteristics.” AWB adds that no individual employee is “singled out and rated based on his or her own claims,” and that members aren’t turned down over employees’ health history.
Per AWB’s guidelines, your industry code, actual enrollment, your contribution and combining commonly owned companies can all affect your rates.
Small-group plans work differently. Rates can vary only by area, family size, age and wellness programs, and the experience of all small groups is pooled (RCW 48.21.045). An older adult’s rate can’t exceed three times a 21-year-old’s (45 CFR 147.102).
Either method can come in above or below the other for a given group. Washington’s insurance commissioner notes that association plans “can consider someone’s health condition when setting premiums.” It suggests asking, “Will my employees or I pay more based on age, gender or health?” Ask how your AWB rate table is built, then test it against other quotes on the same census (a list of employees with ages, ZIP codes and coverage levels).
The December 1 renewal calendar
AWB’s documents set these dates:
- “The annual AWB Trust renewal date is December 1,” and a new group’s rates hold until then.
- Medical plan changes happen only at that renewal. AWB suggests raising them with your agent at least 30 days ahead.
- Your producer gets the renewal by DocuSign and forwards it to you.
- Cancelling group coverage requires 30 days’ notice.
AWB’s separate guide for older, grandfathered groups describes 12-month rate periods, so if your group has been on the plan a long time, check your renewal date.
Our suggested timeline (planning advice, not AWB rules):
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| By early September | What to doSend your census, plan summary and contribution, and request small-group and level-funded quotes. An ICHRA starting December 1 needs employee notice by September 2 (90 days ahead). |
| September to October | What to doReview quotes. Level-funded underwriting can take longer. Add your AWB renewal when it arrives. |
| By November 1 | What to doDecide. If you’re leaving, get the new plan approved, then give AWB HealthChoice the required 30 days’ notice, in writing for your records. If you’re staying, return the renewal confirmation on time. |
| November | What to doEnroll employees and update payroll. |
| December 1 | What to doThe new plan year starts. |
See our 90-day renewal timeline for the general version.
AWB HealthChoice vs small group, level-funded and ICHRA
There’s no single right answer. Each option prices risk differently, so compare them on the same census, effective date and contribution.
| Option | How it’s priced | Can fit when | Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWB HealthChoice | How it’s pricedFully insured by Premera; each employer rated on its own characteristics | Can fit whenYou’re an eligible AWB member, your employees use Premera’s network, and you want medical, vision and life on one bill | TradeoffsSingle medical carrier; required package; 75% contribution floor; plan changes only at December 1 |
| ACA small group | How it’s pricedArea, family size, age (capped) and wellness; your group’s health and claims aren’t used | Can fit whenYour group has higher expected claims, or you want a choice of carriers | TradeoffsAge still raises rates; renewals track the carrier’s small-group pool; 50 or fewer employees only |
| Level-funded | How it’s pricedSelf-funded: a set monthly payment covers expected claims, administration and stop-loss insurance for large claims | Can fit whenYour group is healthier and stable, and you’re fine with pricing based on your own claims | TradeoffsUnderwriting can decline a group or quote it higher; renewals follow your claims; a refund is possible, not promised |
| ICHRA | How it’s pricedAn individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement: you set a monthly allowance, and employees buy individual plans | Can fit whenYou want a fixed budget, or employees want to pick their own plan | TradeoffsEmployees face individual-market prices (Washington approved an average 22.2% increase for 2027 Exchange plans); 90-day notice; one class can’t get both a group plan and an ICHRA |
For a fair comparison, price the whole package (AWB includes vision and life) and check networks and prescriptions. To split employees between AWB and an ICHRA, ask the trust first. Our side-by-side renewal guide and association plans overview go deeper.
How we help as an appointed producer
We’re an appointed producer and an AWB member, so we can get AWB HealthChoice proposals for groups as small as two employees. We show them next to small-group, level-funded and ICHRA options on one census. Then we’ll tell you plainly where each lands, including when staying with AWB is the right call.
AWB HealthChoice is one of several association and trust plans we quote. Depending on your industry and memberships, we can also compare:
- Business Health Trust
- the Hospitality Health Insurance Trust
- Olympic Benefits Trust
- Vigilant Manufacturers’ Trust
- the Washington Automotive Industry Association Health Trust
- the Washington Farm Bureau Healthcare Trust
- the WTIA Employee Benefit Trust
- the Working Waterfront Coalition Health Trust
- Northwest Employers Marketplace small-group plans
Each has its own membership and eligibility rules. We don’t charge a fee for the review.
How to get a side-by-side quote
Call or use the quote form and tell us your renewal date. We’ll ask for:
- A census: each eligible employee’s date of birth, home ZIP code and coverage level, and who waives.
- Your current plan summary, or the AWB plan you’re considering.
- Your AWB renewal or quote, with your current contribution.
- Your dental, vision and life details, so we can price the whole package.
Level-funded carriers may also want health questionnaires or claims history. We’ll tell you how to send files securely.
Questions we hear
Do I have to be an AWB member to get AWB HealthChoice?
Yes. AWB requires membership in good standing and re-checks eligibility before each renewal.
When does AWB HealthChoice renew, and how much notice do I need to leave?
The trust renews every December 1, and medical plan changes can be made only then. Cancelling takes 30 days’ notice, so for a December 1 change, decide by about November 1, once your replacement plan is approved.
Is AWB HealthChoice a small-group plan?
No. Washington doesn’t treat employers that buy through an association as small employers, so small-group rating rules don’t apply. Each participating AWB employer is rated on its own characteristics, while small-group plans pool all small groups.
Who insures AWB HealthChoice, and is it sold as a package?
Premera Blue Cross insures the medical plans, and in Clark County AWB works with LifeWise Health Plan of Washington. Medical, vision (VSP) and life/AD&D (MetLife, $15,000 minimum) come as a package. Dental is optional.
Can you quote AWB HealthChoice alongside other options?
Yes. We’re an appointed AWB HealthChoice producer, so we can quote it for eligible members, but we aren’t owned by or endorsed by the Association of Washington Business. We can put it beside small-group, level-funded and ICHRA quotes on the same census.
Sources
Sources checked October 22, 2026. AWB HealthChoice terms can change, so confirm them with ProPoint. General information, not legal or tax advice.
- AWB HealthChoice underwriting guidelines (ProPoint)
- AWB HealthChoice Trust employer administration guide (ProPoint)
- Association of Washington Business: HealthChoice benefits
- ProPoint: AWB HealthChoice plans
- Federal Register: Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2024-03 (AWB HealthChoice), July 9, 2024
- Washington OIC: Association health plans
- RCW 48.21.047: Association plans
- WAC 284-43-8140: Association health plans offered as large group
- 26 CFR 54.9802-4: Individual coverage HRAs
Compare before your December 1 renewal
Send us your census and AWB renewal, or ask us for an AWB HealthChoice proposal. Call (206) 653-9636 or request a quote for a no-obligation review.