This installment addresses MEPs providing

health and welfare benefits, particularly multiple employer

welfare arrangements ("MEWAs"). In concept,

MEWAs are designed to give employers access to low

cost health coverage and may represent the only available

option for small employers who are unable to obtain

insurance coverage due to underwriting risks.1

However, MEWAs have a long history of abuse, which

has made them the focus of many policy discussions and

much regulatory scrutiny