Coming Soon: A New Healthcare Exchange Just for the Restaurant Industry

A company in Washington, DC has launched a health insurance marketplace to help local bars and restaurants provide coverage to their employees. According to the Washington Post, the company — Industree Exchange — aims to provide affordable options for restaurants to comply with the Affordable Care Act. The law requires "businesses with 100 or more full-time workers...provide health-care benefits by Jan. 1."

According to Industree's website, the plans it offers feature "custom designed benefits specifically for the diverse needs of the demographics within the restaurant industry." In addition to full-time coverage options which often cost around $400 per employee per month, there will also be a range of "skinny plans" that offer basics like flu shots and prescription medication for around $61-$91 per month. Industree's president Alisia Kleinmann tells the Washington Post that she created the exchange because "a lot of what's out there is completely unaffordable to a huge part of the restaurant industry, specifically the back-of-the-house guys."

The restaurant industry is notorious for not providing workers with health insurance. A few years ago, the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United released data that revealed that 89.7% of restaurant workers did not have employer-provided health insurance. Also around 87.7% did not have any sick days, though that appears to be changing. New York City recently mandated that businesses with five or more employees are required to provide workers with paid sick days.

· Restaurant-Specific Insurance Exchange Debuts in D.C. [Washington Post]
· Industree Exchange [Official Site]
· All Health Insurance Coverage on Eater [-E-]