Few companies offer health benefits in Alaska: medical plan carriers have come and gone; only a handful remain.

• Author: Campbell, Melissa

A good benefits package is as import ant a tool to recruit and retain employees as is good pay. But premiums and health care costs have soared in Alaska as in the rest of the nation, and medical plan carriers have pulled out of this state to focus on other areas.

The state Division of Insurance Web site shows a few dozen health insurance companies that have worked in Alaska over the past several years, but have allowed their licenses to expire. The site lists more than a dozen health insurance providers that currently have approval to operate here, but according to Ron McCurry of the insurance brokerage company Alaska Employee Benefit Specialists, only a handful of good-quality carriers are active in pursuing Alaska business.

"It's tougher and tougher for small businesses because we don't have access to as many companies as we used to," McCurry said. "We're on the other side of the planet here from the rest of the world."

All the main carriers that operate here offer the same basic coverage, McCurry said. They all offer a host of different plans that cover a range of treatments. They have various levels for deductibles, co-payments and prescription drug plans.

"It's almost like they are being handed a big ala cart menu," said Jeff Davis, general manager for Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska.

(Only Premera followed through on requests for interviews for this story.)

Any business in Alaska has access to good coverage that includes medical, dental and vision. Coverage can also include retirement, disability and life insurance. However, these extra benefits come with a higher cost. And as businesses are faced with ever-increasing rates, employers are constantly looking to trim benefits as a way to trim costs. Vision often is the first to go, McCurry said.

Large companies generally can afford more options, including a level of self-insurance, essentially pooling money into an account to pay out in claims. This can ultimately reduce premium costs.

Small businesses are more limited, but still have a range of options.

"I think there's a perception that small employers don't have choices, but they do," Davis said. "The choices are expensive, though."

Premera ranks a small business as anywhere from two to 99 employees. Businesses can chose from more than 50 combinations out of three basic packages, Davis said: 10 deductible levels, 10 co-pay levels and 10 prescription drug plans.

All the carriers offer the same basic coverage, McCurry said...