Archive for the ‘Broker Updates’ Category

Covered California for Small Business 2021 Reminders and Updates

To ensure your success in 2021, below are important reminders and updates from Covered California for Small Business (CCSB).

Reminders

• Exclusive Tax Credit
  Attract new small businesses and retain existing clients with a federal tax credit that is only available through CCSB. Your small groups may be eligible for up to 50% credit of premiums as a for-profit employer and up to 35% credit of premiums as a non-profit employer. To qualify:
  • Groups must have less than 25 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs);
  • Pay an average wage of less than $55,000 per year; and
  • Pay at least half of their employees’ health insurance premiums.
  • Learn more about the tax credit, and download the Employer Tax Credit Flyer and How to Apply for a Tax Credit Flyer.
  • Check out Claremont’s Tax Credit Solution for brokers with tips on how to sell the tax credit to your clients and downloadable resources.

Updates

• • New Business Submission Deadlines for 2021
    • The submission deadline for January 2021 effective dates has been extended to January 15, 2021.
  • Covered California IFP Website relaunched with a new look and improved navigation.
    • The Covered California for Small Business website address has not changed.
  • MyCCSB Portal Guides
    • Agents and employers can access helpful guides in the MyCCSB portal for adding or terminating an employee and/or dependent.
    • PDF documents and videos of these step-by-step guides are available. Simply log into your MyCCSB account, and click the “Technical Guides/Videos” link on the bottom left footer of the web page.

Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

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Cigna + Oscar 2021 Updates and Reminders

With rates comparable to Kaiser, and networks that include UCSF, Stanford, and Sutter, offer Cigna + Oscar (C+O) to your small group clients (1-100 employees) based in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties (only 50% of the enrolled group must live in the Bay Area – down from 70%). And take advantage of their two new Broker Bonus Programs.

Updates

2021 Broker Bonus Programs

• First Case Bonus
  Earn a $1,000 bonus when you enroll your first C+O group with four or more eligible employees. Effective dates from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021 are eligible.
• 4 for 4 for $4K Bonus
  Earn a  $4,000 bonus when you enroll at least four C+O groups with four or more eligible employees per group. Effective dates from October 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021 are eligible.
• Download the flyer to learn more.

Product Reminders

• 30%+ savings on bronze plans.
• 15% savings between Open Access Plus network and Local Plus network with the only difference being PAMF/Sutter.
• 24/7 free and unlimited virtual urgent care for all members.
• Dedicated care guides for all members. Members know their care teams by name and face.
• Large group formulary with Express-Scripts and Accredo.

2021 Forms and Notices

To learn more about Cigna + Oscar, check out our recorded webinar and web page.

Contact your sales team or quote@claremontcompanies.com to start quoting Cigna + Oscar now!

Get a Quote

Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

Blue Shield 2021 Updates

To support your efforts in 2021, below are the updates and changes announced by Blue Shield of California. Make sure to take advantage of their broker bonus programs.

COVID-19 Treatment Cost-Share Waiver Extended

• Waiver of copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles for COVID-19 treatment has been extended through January 31, 2021. 
• Covered services include any treatments for COVID-19 from doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals in a plan’s network from March 11, 2020, through January 31, 2021. The waiver applies to these plan types:
  – Fully insured and flex-funded employer-sponsored plans.
  – Plans purchased through Blue Shield directly and through Covered California.
  – Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans.
  – Self-insured employer-sponsored plans where the plan sponsor elects to pay for copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for COVID-19 testing. These plans are not required to cover these costs. Blue Shield will communicate directly with self-funded clients regarding options for cost-sharing waivers.

Vantage Medical Group Added to Trio HMO Network

• Effective January 1, 2021, Vantage Medical Group will be joining the Trio ACO provider network which serves the Inland Empire.
  
  • Vantage Medical Group, which recently rejoined the Prospect Medical Group family of independent practices, is located in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Relaxed Participation Requirements Extended

• Relaxed Participation Requirements for small businesses has been extended to December 31, 2021. For more details, download the flyer.

 Teladoc Visits

• Teladoc virtual appointments will continue to be offered at no cost to members as part of their health plan coverage, with some variance by market segment.
• All fully-insured group health plans and IFP will have a $0 copay for both Teladoc general medicine and Teladoc mental health visits. This applies to all groups, regardless of renewal or effective date.
• $0 copay includes HDHP, effective January 1, 2021.

Specialty Benefits

• With Blue Shield’s Bundled Savings program, dental and vision plan rates are 10% lower when offered alongside Blue Shield medical coverage. This perpetual program has been in place since January 2019. Download the Bundle and Save brochure to learn more.

myStrength

• A new self-service, digital behavioral health tool is being offered to enable members, age 13 and over, to manage their behavioral health needs in the comfort of their homes 24/7/365.
  • Beginning January 2021, myStrength will be available to fully-insured Trio and Tandem members upon new enrollment or renewal.
  • This tool provides access to programs and techniques to help manage stress, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and more.
  • More details can be found on the myStrength website.

Amazon Pharmacy Launch

• Amazon Pharmacy announced operations as a home delivery option for both Prime and non-Prime members, building upon its existing platform to offer a digital interface for prescription ordering and a customer profile.
  • Fulfillment of prescriptions is through the PillPack pharmacies which are already contracted with Blue Shield.
  • Prescriptions fulfilled through Amazon only include up to a 30-day supply at one time.
  • Blue Shield’s mail order pharmacy, CVS Caremark, is still available for members who would like to receive up to a 90-day supply of prescriptions.
  • Participating Blue Shield retailers such as CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens Pharmacy, and Albertson’s companies are offering free home delivery to members.

 Broker Bonuses

• Brokers can earn $50 per new member and $50 more for each member, new or renewing, who enrolls in a Trio HMO or Tandem PPO plan.
• Brokers can also earn $25 per member when using the Employer Enrollment Tool for medical coverage.

COVID-19 Resources

• COVID-19 Resources for brokers and employers.
• COVID-19 Resources Broker Connection
• COVID-19 FAQs
• COVID-19 Member Resource Page
• California Coronavirus Response Website
• California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) FAQs
• DMHC COVID-19 Response and Guidelines
• CDC COVID-19 Testing Overview

Blue Shield Resources

• Blue Shield News Center
• Product Cycle Updates
• Employer Connection Plus (EC+)
• Broker Communications
• Broker Connection
• Plan Comparison Tool
• Small Business Plan Documents
• Mandates
• Renewal Center
• Forms and Applications

Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

BRI FSA COVID-19 Relief

COVID-19 relief for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) was introduced in the recent federal government year-end spending bill signed by President Trump on December 27, 2020.

The year-end spending bill provides five opportunities for employers to ease concerns over losing FSA funds. In many ways, the guidance temporarily suspends the “use-or-lose” aspect of an FSA. The temporary rule:

• Allows plans to permit Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) to carryover unused benefits up to the full annual amount from 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022.
• Allows plans to permit a 12-month grace period for unused benefits or contributions in Health and Dependent Care FSAs for plan years ending in 2020 or 2021.
• Extends the maximum age of eligible dependents from “under 13” to “under 14” for Dependent Care FSAs.
• Allows plans to permit a prospective change in election amounts for Health and Dependent Care FSAs for plan years ending in 2021.
• Allows Health FSAs to pay expenses for terminated employees that had unused benefits at the time of term.

To learn more, check out this BRI article and FSA Relief Considerations Q&A video.

Contact us at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com for assistance when you’re ready to enroll a group in a BRI plan.

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.

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BASIC Broker Webinar Series

Join one or all of BASIC’s upcoming webinars and share them with your colleagues.

Reduce Your Compliance Risk With BASIC ACA Elevate: 2020 Filing Data

• Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2021
• Time: 11:00 am to 11:30 am PST
• Place: Online
• Cost: Free

It’s more important than ever to secure a compliance expert to assist with ACA Filing, especially Applicable Large Employers (ALEs). Join BASIC Regional Director Dave George as he highlights the features and benefits of BASIC ACA Elevate – ACA Filing for 2020. No CE credits are available. Register now.

Register Now

1.0 HRCI & SHRM Credits: Understanding the FMLA – Employer Requirements

• Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2021
• Time: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm PST
• Place: Online
• Cost: Free

Understand the FMLA and its requirements, including the most common FMLA mistakes made by employers and their associated risks as Joe Aitchison covers specific employer best practices and how FMLA and COBRA interact. More information on how the FMLA relates to COVID-19 will be provided should the FFCRA and other emergency expansions be extended. The 60-minute webinar will be followed by a Q&A.

Agenda

• FMLA –  From the DOL’s perspective.
• FMLA compliance.
• Top employer mistakes.
• Employer best practice recommendations.
• FMLA & COBRA
• Q&A

The webinar is approved for 1.0 HRCI and 1.0 SHRM-CP credits for advanced professional credentials for HR professionals. Credits are only available for live attendance. Register now.

Register Now

1.0 HRCI & SHRM: 2020 ACA Filing

• Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2021
• Time: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm PST
• Place: Online
• Cost: Free

Join experienced employee benefits attorney, Catherine Rische, as she covers ACA filing requirements and what employers need to do if they receive an IRS penalty notice. This webinar is perfect for first-time filers, employees of a growing company preparing to file for next year, and even those who have been filing for years. A Q&A will follow the 60-minute webinar.

Agenda

• What’s new/changed for the 2020 calendar year filings.
• Common employer mistakes.
• IRS 226J letter – employee goes to the exchange.
• ESRP penalty assessment.
• We didn’t report, so what happens? IRS 5699 letter.
• What’s important for payroll?

The webinar is approved for 1.0 HRCI and 1.0 SHRM-CP advanced credits for HR professionals. Credits are only available for live attendance. Register now.

Register Now

To learn more, check out the BASIC website and contact us at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com for assistance when you’re ready to enroll a group in a BASIC plan.

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.

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MetLife Q4-2020 Small Business Index

MetLife recently released its Q4-2020 MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index.

Highlights Include:

• The view of the national economy continues to slowly improve. 29% of small businesses describe the U.S. economy as good, up seven points from September.
• Views of local economies remain steady with 32% of small businesses rating their local economy as in good health, similar to last quarter’s 28%.
• A majority (56%) of small business owners continue to believe it will take six months to a year for the small business climate to return to normal, a number that has remained statistically unchanged since late May.
• Most small businesses are reporting steady cash flow.
• 52% of small businesses anticipate an increase in their future revenues.
• 52% of small businesses still anticipate retaining the same size staff.
• Manufacturers and services anticipate better revenues. A majority (52%) anticipate revenue increases one year from now.
• Employers are concerned about employee mental health, morale, and well-being.

Read the full report to learn more.

Get The Full Report

Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

Apple Fitness+ Now available to UnitedHealthcare Motion Members

Starting in 2021, UnitedHealthcare Motion® members with an Apple Watch® will be eligible to sign up for Apple Fitness+ and get a five consecutive month subscription at no additional cost.

Members will have access to Apple Fitness+ digital studio-style workouts with real-time metrics from Apple Watch synced to their iPhone, iPad or Apple TV, so they can follow their workout progress on screen. And they can choose from 10 workout types, with new workouts added every week that can be completed anytime, anywhere. Members can handpick music from their favorite artists to stay motivated. What’s more, Motion members may earn financial rewards for participating in Apple Fitness+ workouts.

Eligibility

The Apple Fitness+ promotion is available to any Motion-eligible member who activates the offer between January 1 – June 30, 2021, and has registered for UnitedHealthcare Motion and paired an Apple Watch on the UHCMotion mobile app. Once members pair an Apple Watch, they’ll receive a notification on how to redeem the Fitness+ promotion code.

Check out the press release to learn more.

Start quoting UnitedHealthcare today!

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.

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MetLife – The Value of Dental Provider Networks

What makes a dental network great?

Employees rank dental coverage as one of their top five must-have benefits¹. But providing a quality dental plan requires more than simply looking at the size of the network. A strong dental provider network can increase satisfaction and savings for important and visible benefits.

The value of a dental network is not just about the number of providers. It’s also about:

• Discounts and Utilization Rates
  MetLife’s discounts average 30% to 45% below community average charges². And, with its high in-network utilization of 67% nationally³, it’s clear MetLife is offering deep discounts on the dentists that employees are seeing most often.
• Provider Quality
  A network is only as good as the quality of the dentists who participate. That’s why the vetting, education, and monitoring of network providers is essential to ensuring a stable network that helps provide employees with access to appropriate and consistent care. After extensive reviews to analyze the licensing, sanctions, malpractice history, and overall practice patterns of each provider,  MetLife typically rejects around 9% of provider applications upfront, higher than the industry average⁴. 
• Cost Protections
  Comprehensive cost protections help prevent dentists from inappropriately billing patients for dental services at the point of claim, which helps prevent the erosion of discounts and value. MetLife’s network providers are held to a discounted fee schedule so there are no unexpected costs, even if a plan participant exceeds the annual maximum benefit and frequency and age limitations.⁵

The combination of network size, discounts, quality, and cost protections gives a dental network the power to drive satisfaction and savings for both employers and employees. Help your clients understand the true value of provider networks by delivering the right dental plan – and network – to their employees. To learn more, download the MetLife flyer and visit MetLife’s website.

Start quoting MetLife dental today.

Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

¹MetLife Employee Benefits Trends Study, 2020.
²Based on MetLife internal data.
³Dental Actuarial Analytics, Dental PPO Network Study, 2018 edition.
⁴Ruark Consulting Dental PPO Network Study,2018 edition.

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.

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Webinar: COVID-19 and The Holidays

As cases rise in our communities, so do guidelines and restrictions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Join Joanna Mills, Director of Infection Prevention at John Muir Health, for a webinar on December 17th at 10:00 am to learn ways to stay safe this holiday season. A Q&A session will follow. Register now.

Register Now

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.

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ChoiceBuilder Group Size Expansion Up to 500 Employees

For business effective March 1, 2021, ChoiceBuilder is welcoming big groups (up to 500 employees) to their ancillary program.

Offer your larger groups the only place with dental, vision, chiropractic & acupuncture, and life insurance benefits in a single easy-to-manage program – with both employer-sponsored and voluntary coverage options. Plus, ChoiceBuilder can be offered alongside any medical plan.

It’s a great way to enhance your clients’ employee benefits package without the high cost of additional benefits or the difficulties of managing different services. There’s one application, one bill, and one point of contact for administration.

With more than 8,000 employers and 130,000 members across the state, ChoiceBuilder offers freedom, simplicity, and affordability. Download the flyer to learn more.

ChoiceBuilder Expansion Flyer

Start quoting ChoiceBuilder today!

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.

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