APHT is not a health insurance company. APHT is a fully self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA)

APHT is not a health insurance company. APHT is regulated as a MEWA.  In this instance, the MEWA is formed by a trade or professional association (LSMS, as defined below), which through a trust instrument (APHT), establishes a health plan, and which is governed by both federal law, through the U.S Department of Labor, and Louisiana state law, through the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

In 2021, with the support of the Louisiana State Medical Society (LSMS) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA), we created APHT,  a fully self-funded MEWA. As a MEWA, in order for APHT to offer insurance to its member-employers, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) established that “there must be a bona fide group or associate of employers acting in the interest of its employer-members to provide benefits for their employees.” In the case of APHT, that association is LSMS. Since its formation in 1878, LSMS has been the trusted advocate for Louisiana’s medical community. Today, LSMS represents 6,000 physicians, residents, and physicians-in-training throughout the state. Any employer who wishes to purchase health insurance with APHT must be a member in good standing with the LSMS.

If you are a licensed physician in the state of Louisiana and are not currently a member of the Louisiana State Medical Society, you may apply for membership directly on their website.