Enroll in the AHA Homebrew Club Insurance Program
Homebrew club insurance open enrollment is open and runs to September 1, 2021. The insurance policy period will run from September 1, 2021 to September 1, 2022. Sign-up your club through West’s Insurance club enrollment form.
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By John Moorhead, American Homebrewers Association
The AHA’s general and liquor liability insurance for homebrew clubs is facilitated through West’s Insurance Co. and is the only plan of its kind that will cover your club’s meetings and events up to $1 million per occurrence for the very affordable annual premium of $4.40 per member. More than 375 homebrew clubs signed up for coverage last year, representing approximately 14,100 homebrewers around the United States.
Following the AHA’s pledge to provide free insurance to clubs with high rates of AHA membership, 55 of those clubs also received checks reimbursing their premium payments, as 75 percent or more of those clubs’ members were also AHA members. As a result, the AHA reimbursed over $6,300 in total insurance premiums to eligible clubs during the 2020–2021 policy period.
The Diablo Order of Zymircale Enthusiasts (DOZE) in Walnut Creek, Cali. was one of the 55 clubs to hit 75 percent AHA membership and receive free insurance.
“As the club treasurer, I really appreciate seeing the money [from insurance premiums] come back from the AHA [to the homebrew club],” explains Gordon Mauger, DOZE Club Treasurer. “We do pride ourselves as a club that promotes the homebrewing hobby…we encourage all of our new and existing members to join the AHA. We inform them they will get some great membership benefits and that the AHA is working to promote and support the hobby at a national level.”
Check out my tips on how to get free homebrew club insurance from the AHA!
The AHA’s club insurance program had grown every year since 2014, except for 2020 when many homebrew clubs could not meet in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the program launched in 2014, many other homebrew clubs found themselves paying exorbitant fees for basic insurance packages that didn’t fully cover many of their group events.
“Our club used to get insurance on the open market. It was about $900 to insure our board of directors and $1,700 for the whole club,” said Roxanne Westendorf, current AHA Governing Committee chair. Roxanne is the former president of the Bloatarian Brewing League in Cincinnati, Ohio. This club now gets general and liquor liability coverage for less than $500 for all 100+ club members through the AHA.
“The club insurance program has saved our club a lot of money and given us the alcohol coverage that we couldn’t get before!” Roxanne continued. “We participate in both the general and liquor liability and the D&O insurance programs.”
In addition to the general and liquor liability insurance coverage, the AHA also makes a directors and officers (D&O) insurance plan available through West’s Insurance. During the 2018–2018 policy period, 39 clubs signed up for D&O coverage, which offers added liability protection for club leaders in elected positions. The AHA does not provide reimbursement for the D&O plan.
Homebrew club insurance for the 2020/2021 policy is open, and the deadline to sign up is September 1, 2021. The insurance policy period will run from September 1, 2021 to September 1, 2022. Clubs that hit 75% AHA membership and become eligible for premium reimbursement will automatically be mailed a check from the AHA.
Clubs that miss the September open enrollment deadline will have the opportunity to sign up again for the late-enrollment 9-month policy that begins on December 1, 2021, for $4.40 per member, or they can sign up for the 6-month policy period that runs from March 1, 2022 to September 1, 2022, for $2.20 per member.
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