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California Carrier Partner Updates

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Here is an overview of updates from our California carrier, health plan, and administrator partners. For details, click on the related link (if any).

Bonus Updates

  • Aetna
    • Ongoing Broker Bonus: Aetna’s bonus of up to $100 on new employees (enrolled in groups of up to 100 eligibles) continues through 12/31/2024. Bonus amounts vary based on group size and employees enrolled. A bonus is payable on fully insured and Aetna Funding AdvantageSM plans. Extra credits apply for sales alongside Medical. Visit our Newsroom for details.
  •  Health Net
    • Small Group Broker Incentive: For sales with an effective date through January 2025, Health Net is offering a Peak Season Incentive. A special commission of 6% will apply for the life of each case with six or more enrolled subscribers. This offer does not apply to CaliforniaChoice business. Visit our Newsroom for more information.
    • 2025 Large Group Incentive: Health Net has announced that starting January 1, 2025, brokers will receive 2% of paid premiums received for 12 months for each new Large Group employer sold. Download the Health Net flyer for details by linking to our Newsroom post.
  • Humana
    • Disability Plans Bonus: Through January 1, 2025, Humana is offering a bonus of up to $400 per case on stand-alone Short- and Long-Term Disability plans or a $200 bonus per case when STD or LTD is bundled with other Humana coverage. Download the flyer.
  • Kaiser Permanente
    • Small Group Bonus: Kaiser Permanente is offering a Small Group bonus for new groups with effective dates through January 2025. Visit our Newsroom for more information.
  • United Concordia Dental
    • 2024-2025 Reward Programs: United Concordia Dental continues to offer bonuses for business effective through January 2025. Earn up to $20 per subscriber on Small Group business and/or up to $3,000 on Large Groups. Two flyers provide details: Small Business Reward Program; Large Business Reward Program.

Medical​ Coverage

  • Multiple Carrier and W&B Updates
    • All Carriers Available for Quoting: We are now quoting all of our carrier partners for Q1 2025. Login and quote now – or contact us for quoting assistance. We’re here to help.
    • W&B Quick Service Guide: Word & Brown has recently updated more than a dozen Quick Reference Guides. Topics include DE 9C, Cannabis, Common Ownership, Dental Participation, Owner Only Groups, Participation and Alongside Guidelines, Payroll, PEOs, and more. Visit our Insurance Forms Library to download the latest editions – and be sure to remove others from your retained PDFs and/or print copies that may be in your supply closet.
    • W&B Medical Proposal Request: Word & Brown’s Large Group Medical Proposal Request has been updated; download your copies from the online Insurance Forms Library.
    • Cigna + Oscar Alternatives: Ask your Word & Brown rep about special takeover promotions some of our carrier partners are offering for groups coming off Cigna + Oscar (with its pending exit from the California Small Group commercial market). Time is running low for year-end terminations.
    • 2025 Special Open Enrollment Window: The deadline to submit paperwork related to your 2025 Special Open Enrollment Window (SOEW) cases is Friday, 12/6/2024.
  • Aetna
    • Aetna Funding Advantage Available in California: Aetna Funding Advantage (AFA) is a new option for your California clients with 2-200 employees. Click here to read our Newsroom post.
  • Anthem Blue Cross
    • 2025 Plan Discontinuation: Anthem has announced nearly a dozen plan discontinuations for 1/1/2025. Three PPO plans and eight HMO plans are being withdrawn; ask your rep for details.
    • Sutter Health/Anthem Contract: Negotiations are ongoing regarding a possible new contract with Sutter Health; however, Anthem has announced plans to notify HMO members they will be reassigned to non-Sutter doctors effective January 1, 2025, if no agreement is made prior to the current contract end date of December 31, 2024. Stay tuned for further updates.
  • Blue Shield of California
    • 2025 Large Group Plans: New Virtual Blue PPO savings portfolios are expanding in 2025 for Large Groups. Ask your W&B rep for details.
    • Pharmacy Update: A new biosimilar medication for Humira (a rheumatoid arthritis treatment) will be available at a $0 copay for most Blue Shield members as of 01/01/2025.
    • New Rx Home Delivery: Blue Shield is adding Amazon Pharmacy to its member benefits starting 01/01/2025. The service will replace CVS Caremark Mail Service Pharmacy.
  • CalCPA
    • Quoting for 2025: CalCPA has rate and benefit updates for 2025. Two PPO plans (Gold PPO 30/650 and Silver PPO 50/2500) are being discontinued. Quoting is now available. Ask your rep for details.
  • ​​​​CaliforniaChoice
    • Cigna + Oscar Special Underwriting Promo: CaliforniaChoice makes it easy for groups with direct coverage from Cigna + Oscar to move to CaliforniaChoice. Read our Newsroom article about the special underwriting promo for 12/01/2024.
  • Centivo
    • Level Funding: Word & Brown is now working with Centivo to offer California groups a fully integrated, national health plan solution with Level Funded options, Rx rebates, PBM carve out, 100% surplus return, and more. Contact your W&B rep to learn more. 
  • Health Net
    • Don’t miss out on Hawaii: You could still qualify as one of Health Net’s top eight selling brokers in Individual & Family Plan (IFP), Small Group (SBG), and Large Group sales during the June 1, 2024-January 31, 2025, contest period. Ask us about qualification minimums. Sorry, your CaliforniaChoice business is ineligible.
    • Small Business Group 2025 Underwriting: Health Net has new underwriting guidelines for Medical and other products in 2025. Download the Enhanced Choice Guidelines.
    • Optional Chiro: In 2025, all Health Net plans will have a Chiro Rider option. The cost will be an additional $3.00 PMPM for HMO and PPO plans.
    • New Doula Program: Health Net is now offering a Doula Program as part of 2025 open enrollments. Download the English version or Spanish version of the consumer flyers to promote this new program to your clients.
  • Kaiser Permanente
    • API vs. Self-Service: Download W&B’s new comparison summary of Kaiser Permanente Self-Service versus Application Program Interface (API) submissions. The new piece highlights the capabilities and potential time savings. Download your copy today.
  • Nippon Life Benefits​
    • NLB Global: Nippon Life Benefits (NLB) Global offers tailored group benefits, including comprehensive Medical and Vision coverage, as well as robust Ningen Dock options (first dollar preventive coverage for expats), for employees of foreign-owned companies operating in the United States. Ask us about coverage details
  • Sharp Health Plan
    • POS Not Available to Wrap: W&B has received carrier notice that POS packages from Sharp Health Plan are not available to wrap with another carrier.
  • SIMNSA​
    • 2025 Coverage: SIMNSA Medical is on for Q1 2025 quoting. Contact your W&B rep or log in.
  • UnitedHealthcare
    • PPO Comparisons: UnitedHealthcare has released Q1 2025 PPO network comparisons for Northern, Central, and Southern California. Download copies from the Insurance Forms Library for the areas where you do business. A SoCal HMO comparison is also available.
    • Choice Simplified Package/Relaxed Participation: Ask your rep about the UnitedHealthcare Choice Simplified Package and a staff model carrier relaxed participation promo for 10/1/2024 through 7/1/2025 effective dates. There must be at least 25% participation between participating carriers with five employees enrolling with UHC, excluding COBRA participants. No minimum California employee enrollment is required. Download the updated Choice Simplified flyer from the W&B Insurance Forms Library for network and plan details.
    • ACEC California 2025 Plan: Watch for news from UnitedHealthcare about a new American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) Life/Health Trust plan for 2025. Governor Newsom signed legislation preserving the trust, and it will take effect January 1, 2025.
    • HMO Network Comparisons: UnitedHealthcare has published new Alliance HMO network participating physician group lists for Large Groups and Small Groups. New Harmony network participating physician lists are also available for Large Groups and Small Groups. Download yours today.

Ancillary & Other​ Coverage

  • Ameritas
    • Forms Update: The Ameritas microsite for Word & Brown brokers offers the most up-to-date Ameritas forms for California Small Group (2-100). Ameritas forms are not part of the Word & Brown Insurance Forms Library. 
  • BEST Life
    • Voluntary Highlights: BEST Life reminds brokers that Dental, Vision, Life, and Short-Term Disability plans all come with voluntary enrollment options for groups starting with a minimum of 5 enrolling employees. Ancillary groups of 10+ enrolling automatically receive a two-year rate guarantee. Contact your W&B rep for participation and product details.
  • Blue Shield of California
    • Dental Plan Withdrawal: Effective January 1, 2025, Blue Shield is withdrawing the SmileSM Deluxe 50/1500/Ortho/MAC, Smile Deluxe Gold 50/1500/Ortho/U85/NR, and Ultimate Dental Plus PPO for Small Business 50/2000/Orto/MAC/NR plans.
  • ChoiceBuilder
    • Dental, Vision, + More in One Package: If your clients are looking for ancillary, don’t overlook the options from ChoiceBuilder for groups of up to 500 employees. Your clients can choose from nearly 40 options for Dental, Vision, Chiro & Acupuncture, and Life. Both voluntary and employer-sponsored coverage are available. Ask us or your CHOICE Administrators rep for details.
  • Humana
    • Opt-in Only EAP: Humana is offering an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as an opt-in only option for 2+ groups in California bundling Dental and/or Vision with Humana Life products. Ask your rep for details.
  • Lincolm Financial Group
    • Reduced Group Size: Effective immediately, Lincoln Financial is going down to 50+ eligible lives for Accident Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity coverage. Two different plan options are available for each line. Must be paired with two core lines of coverage (Life, Disability, Dental). List or self-bill is acceptable. Group/broker must be leveraging a Lincoln Insurtech benefits administration partner (ADP, Benefitfocus, Bswift, Businessolver, Ease, Employee Navigator, Plansource, Selerix, or Workday). Minimum 5+ lives participation.
  • MetLife Dental
  • UnitedHealthcare 
  • Word & Brown
    • Delta Dental Quoting: Word & Brown has reduced the number of Delta Dental plans being quoted, based on feedback from Sales and Delta. Only top-selling employer-sponsored plans are now available for quoting through Word & Brown.
For details on any of these California updates, contact your Word & Brown representative.
 

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