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New Cigna + Oscar (C+O) small group sales and renewals will not be offered in 2025. At C+O’s request, all plans and rates have been removed from the quote engine. However, you can still quote or renew your C+O groups through December 15, 2024 by contacting us at quotes@claremontcompanies.com or 800.696.4543. Please note: the last day of coverage will be December 14, 2025.
For assistance, please contact our Quotes team at quotes@claremontcompanies.com or 800.696.4543.
Login To PrismOne year into the pandemic, employers are just now understanding its long-term effects. Business models have shifted to meet market needs and the effects have pushed employees into placing more value on protection, safety, preparedness, and their own well-being.
Businesses need resilient employees who can endure the pandemic’s lasting stress and adapt to a changing workplace. To help employees become more resilient, employers are recognizing they need to create a holistic employee experience that addresses workers’ changing priorities regarding safety, mental health, and more.
MetLife’s report, Redesigning The Employee Experience: Preparing The Workforce For a Transformed Experience, provides insights from their 19th annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study 2021 to help you tailor your strategies to guide businesses toward the right path to recover and thrive in 2021 and beyond.
Inside the Report, You’ll Learn:
Key Findings:
Download the MetLife Report for insights, guidance, and expertise to share with your clients and prospects. Contact us today to develop tailored benefits solutions that address your clients’ needs.
Questions? Need a Quote?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
The Q2-2021 Cigna + Oscar small group competitive rates are now available to quote. Download the 2021 Plan Grid and Q2-2021 Rate Sheet. See how their rates stack up against competitors in the chart below.
The Cigna LocalPlus® network in Northern California has been expanded! With 63 hospitals and more than 23,000 primary care providers and specialists, Cigna + Oscar plans offer members easy access to even more quality providers like UCSF, Stanford, John Muir, and Dignity.
In their Northern California service area, most hospital facilities in Cigna’s Open Access Plus network are also included in the LocalPlus® network, so your groups will get affordable access to a broad network of top-notch providers. And your clients will also now have access to Cigna + Oscar’s brand new, robust network of hospital facilities in Southern California.
Explore the 2021 Cigna + Oscar LocalPlus® network coverage.
Service areas for groups with 1-100 employees (effective April 1, 2021):
With Cigna + Oscar, your groups get quality care and all of these (EPO) plan features:
With rates comparable to Kaiser, and networks that include UCSF, Stanford, and Sutter, Cigna + Oscar brings together the power of Cigna’s nationwide and local provider networks, and Oscar’s member-focused tech-driven experience, to deliver small group health insurance that understands the unique needs of California small businesses and their employees.
To learn more about Cigna + Oscar, view our recorded webinar and web page.
Note: to enroll your groups, you will need to have an appointment with Cigna. Check out the Cigna + Oscar Appointments Guide for full instructions.
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
Help your clients add value to their benefits program by offering employees coverage for their furry family members.
Keeping pets healthy and happy is a top priority. But even one unexpected trip to the vet can wreak havoc on an employee’s personal finances. And when a pet is ill or injured it can be stressful and distracting.
The long-term cost of caring for a pet will vary, but medical bills are inevitable. Finding the right pet insurance policy can help employees balance taking care of their furry family members with their own financial well-being.
With MetLife Pet Insurance coverage for dogs and cats, pet parents get reimbursed for covered unexpected expenses, so they can stay focused and productive at work.
Features Include:
How it Works:
Pet insurance is automatically added to new business and at the anniversary or renewal to clients (51-99 employees) with MetLife core coverage starting with March 1, 2021 business.
To learn more about this exciting value-add discount program, download the flyer and visit MetLife.
Why Pet Insurance Matters
Download the MetLife Pet Insurance Value Story flyer to learn more.
MetLife’s broad range of products and service solutions help provide income protection, maximize productivity, and minimize administration for employers of all sizes. Help your clients stand out from the competition with a more attractive benefits package.
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
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Your success is important to us, and we’re actively working on new solutions to support you throughout the year. To get the latest news via text messaging in the future, simply provide your cell phone number here.
Starting April 1, earn a $350 bonus for every Cigna + Oscar group with four or more enrolled employees. Effective dates from April 1, 2021 to December 15, 2021 are eligible. Learn more.
With Cigna + Oscar, your groups get quality care and all of these (EPO) plan features:
With rates comparable to Kaiser, and networks that include UCSF, Stanford, and Sutter, Cigna + Oscar brings together the power of Cigna’s nationwide and local provider networks, and Oscar’s member-focused tech-driven experience, to deliver small group health insurance that understands the unique needs of California small businesses and their employees.
To learn more about Cigna + Oscar, view our recorded webinar and web page.
Note: to enroll your groups, you will need to have an appointment with Cigna. Check out the Cigna + Oscar Appointments Guide for full instructions.
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
Due to the pandemic, dentistry has changed and the effects on how dental procedures are performed and access to care may be permanent. Below are the evolving trends and how Blue Shield of California is addressing this changing environment.
Dental Care Trends
Dental Provider Trends
How Blue Shield is Addressing These Trends
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
The passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act on March 27, 2020 expands how you can use Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) funds. However, FSAs do not allow certain types of purchases, including the three mentioned below.
1. Masks
Even though recommended by the CDC, masks are an ineligible expense and cannot be purchased as an over-the-counter item using an FSA card. Learn more.
2. Multivitamins
Over-the-counter vitamins and supplements are not considered an eligible expense because of how the IRS determines eligibility. They are considered a dual purpose item and require a doctor’s note before purchasing. You’ll then need to submit a claim.
FSA funds can be used to purchase doctor-prescribed specific supplements with a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN).
3. Weight Loss Items
When signing up for a weight loss program and purchasing items to support your health journey, you must have an LMN to back up your purchase. This includes scales, weight loss program costs, and supporting material such as training videos or online coaches.
If your pre-tax benefits are administered by BRi, have your doctor fill out an LMN. Otherwise, it’s best to not use your FSA funds for weight loss.
Visit the healthcare.gov website for eligible FSA expenses.
If you’re a Benefit Resource Inc. client, view the Eligible Expenses Table through your online account. The list contains a breakdown of items and their eligibility status. Just log in to BRiWeb and view the Eligible Expenses Table in documents.
To learn more, visit Benefit Resource Inc.
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
Get The Latest News with Text Messaging!
Your success is important to us, and we’re actively working on new solutions to support you throughout the year. To get the latest news via text messaging in the future, simply provide your cell phone number here.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was reopened on January 11, 2021 with updated eligibility requirements and the possibility of a second loan for the hardest-hit small businesses. The new guidelines make it easier for businesses to obtain a first-draw PPP loan and a second-draw PPP loan to be used for eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses, including technology. Software and cloud upgrades, for example, are recognized as critical expenses, potentially including payroll, HR, and HCM platforms to digitize operations and support touchless, mobile-friendly solutions.
The PPP loan application deadline is March 31, 2021.
With the continued closures and operation restrictions, businesses have been forced to adapt and stretch resources to stay open. The good news, as of March 14, 2021, more than 7.8 million PPP loans had been approved, providing over $703 billion in relief. Unfortunately, lockdown and work-from-home measures brought about by COVID-19 have disproportionately affected small businesses – particularly in the leisure and hospitality sectors. And nearly a quarter of all small businesses (fewer than 500 employees), which employ roughly half of the country’s workforce, remain closed.
According to the Congressional Research Service, unemployment during the pandemic peaked in April 2020 at 14.8% and remained at a still-elevated 6.7% in December. With support from the Department of Treasury, the Small Business Association (SBA) originally began providing funds via the PPP program in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA), signed into law in December 2020, provided an additional $284 billion in funding, referred to as PPP-2.
With so much of the workforce working remotely and the need to limit in-person contact, organizations dramatically increased the speed of adoption of digital technologies and converted manual, paper-based procedures to digital – from timecards, submitting receipts for reimbursement, and manual paycheck delivery, to taking customer orders. What’s more, many of these changes will be long lasting. According to a new McKinsey Global Survey, companies have accelerated the digitization of their customer and supply-chain interactions and of their internal operations by three to four years. In fact, technology’s strategic importance has become a critical component of business, not just a source of cost efficiencies.
This digitization investment will keep companies agile so they can respond to crises as well as evolve customer and employee demands. Cloud solutions offer key benefits that are critical for small businesses — like scalability, flexibility, cost, innovation, maintenance, and security.
PPP-2 funds can be used for both payroll and non-payroll expenses, including payroll costs, benefits, mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism in 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations, which includes payments for business software or cloud computing.
The following entities are eligible to apply for a First Draw PPP Loan through the latest wave of funding:
Second Draw PPP Loan Eligibility Requirements for Borrowers
Second Draw PPP Maximum Loan Amount
Second Draw PPP Full Forgiveness Terms
Second Draw PPP Loans made to eligible borrowers qualify for full loan forgiveness if during the 8- to 24-week covered period following loan disbursement:
To learn more, check out the Paylocity website.
Contact Claremont at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com for assistance when you’re ready to enroll a group in a Paylocity plan.
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
From February 2 to February 15, 2021, Blue Shield of California/Harris Poll surveyed 1,000 adults in California to gauge access to health care, comfort levels with workplace and public safety, and opinions of healthcare policy.
The Findings Include:
The poll represents Californians who are privately insured, uninsured, MediCal recipients, self-insured and more. It was conducted before Blue Shield of California was tapped by the State of California to oversee COVID-19 vaccine distribution as a third party administrator (TPA).
Access the article and infographic.
Access the Article and Infographic
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
Help your clients make the most of their accounts with the following tips and reminders.
Accountholders can make contributions to their 2020 plans until tax day 2021. View the video to learn how.
2021 HSA and High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) Contributions and Out-of-Pocket Limits
Sterling’s Year-End Statement will show you how much is left to spend in your account and your deadlines for spending and reimbursement. To access your Year-End Statement, log in to your FSA account and view “Statements” then select “Year-End Statements.” Click “Run Statement” to generate a report showing any remaining funds left to spend for 2020, and any associated deadlines for associated spending and reimbursement.
The statement may include information on Rollover, Grace Period, or Run-Out Period. Below are the Rollover, Grace Period, and Run-Out-Period definitions.
Rollover
If your plan has a rollover, you may move up to $550 of unused FSA funds to the following plan year. The rollover doesn’t affect the following plan year’s maximum contribution amount.
Grace Period
If your FSA plan has a grace period, you have up to two-and-a-half months at the end of your plan year to spend unused FSA funds and incur new FSA eligible expenses. For example: If you had a December 31 FSA year deadline, your grace period would allow you to use your FSA funds through March 15.
Run-Out Period
If your FSA plan has a run-out period, you have an extended period of time at the end of the FSA plan year to submit receipts for reimbursement. You can only get reimbursed for claims incurred during the previous FSA plan year. The run-out period varies with each plan.
For more FSA information, visit the Sterling Administration website.
Take the guesswork out of what is eligible with your FSA and HSA plans with Sterling Administration’s partner – the HSA Store and FSA Store. It’s an easy-to-use online shopping platform that offers 24/7 chat and online help.
Use these valuable coupons when shopping.
Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.
Please join us in congratulating Laura Hogsed and Karlee Navarro on their recent promotions, each to the new position of Assistant Manager, Service Team. As Assistant Managers, Laura and Karlee will be instrumental in helping clients receive the best service possible. They will assist in resolving complex matters, will manage workflow, and will solicit feedback from clients to improve on or develop new services while helping fellow team members realize their professional growth goals.
With over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry (seven years with Claremont) and with extensive knowledge of pharmacy benefits, Laura brings a wealth of knowledge to her new role. She is one of the most well-rounded members of the service team; if Laura does not have the answer (and that is rare) she can find it quickly. Laura enjoys the respect of everyone she works with, from clients to partners to teammates. We congratulate Laura on her promotion!
Karlee is the newest member of our service team, joining Claremont in 2020, and she has quickly made her mark. Karlee brings extensive experience from the brokerage side of the business where she managed a service team and a book of business while assisting producers as they pursued new opportunities. Karlee has deep knowledge in group benefits, understands and appreciates the broker’s and account manager’s perspectives, and has that unique “calm in a crisis” attitude that allows her to successfully work through the most challenging issues. We congratulate Karlee on her promotion!
You can reach Laura at laura@claremontcompanies.com or 925.296.8823 and Karlee at karlee@claremontcompanies.com or 925.296.8816.
Get The Latest News with Text Messaging!
Your success is important to us, and we’re actively working on new solutions to support you throughout the year. To get the latest news via text messaging in the future, simply provide your cell phone number here.