Archive for the ‘Broker Updates’ Category

KFF 2023 Employer Health Benefits Survey

Average premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance jumped 7% for both individual and family plans this year — a significant increase after last year’s negligible growth. As disclosed in the 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey, rising employer healthcare premiums have resumed, a reminder that while there has been great progress expanding coverage, people continue to struggle with medical bills.

The 25th annual KFF 2023 Employer Health Benefits Survey, conducted between January and July 2023, of 2,133 randomly selected private and non-federal public firms of three or more workers, provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing provisions, offer rates, wellness programs, and employer practices. This year’s report also looks at abortion coverage, mental health and substance use services, and wellness programs.

Key Findings

• The average annual premium for employer-sponsored health insurance in 2023 is $8,435 for single coverage and $23,968 for family coverage. A 7% increase over last year.
• Covered workers contribute 17% of the premium for single coverage and 29% of the premium for family coverage, similar to the percentages contributed in 2022.
• Deductible amounts have been growing relatively slowly. The average deductible in 2023 for single coverage among those with a deductible ($1,735) is similar to the amount last year ($1,763) and only 10% higher than the amount five years ago.
• 30% of covered workers at small firms are enrolled in a plan where the employer pays the entire premium for single coverage. This is the case for only 6% of covered workers at large firms.
• PPOs remain the most common plan type. In 2023, 47% of covered workers are enrolled in a PPO, 29% in a high-deductible plan with a savings option (HDHP/SO), 13% in an HMO, 10% in a POS plan, and 1% in a conventional (also known as an indemnity) plan.
  
• Employers may be reluctant to reduce the value and attractiveness of their coverage offerings during this long period of low unemployment and intense competition for labor.

Additional Findings

• Employer-sponsored coverage availability.
  
  • While nearly all large firms (200 or more workers) offer health benefits to at least some workers, small firms (3-199 workers) are significantly less likely to do so.
  • In 2023, 53% of all firms offered some health benefits, similar to last year (51%).
  • Across firms that offer health benefits and firms that do not, 53% of all workers are covered by health plans offered by their employer –  similar to last year.
• Telemedicine.
  • Among firms with 50 or more workers offering health benefits, 91% cover the provision of some health care services through telemedicine in their largest health plan, similar to 2022 (90%). Large firms are more likely than small firms (50-199 workers) to cover telemedicine services (97% vs. 89%).
  • Overall, 28% of firms say that telemedicine will be “very important” in providing access to enrollees in the future, and another 32% of firms say that it will be “important.”
• Health and wellness programs.
  Most firms offering health benefits offer programs to help workers identify and address health risks and unhealthy behaviors. 62% of small firms and 80% of large firms offer a program in at least one of these areas: smoking cessation, weight management, and behavioral or lifestyle coaching.
• Mental health.
  The sufficiency of mental health providers in plan networks remains a concern for employers in 2023, with only 59% of large employers offering health benefits believing that there are a sufficient number of behavioral health providers in their plan’s network to provide timely access to services for workers and their family members.
• Disease management programs.
  Among firms that offer health benefits, 36% of small firms and 64% of large firms offer disease management programs. These programs aim to improve health and reduce costs for enrollees with certain chronic illnesses by educating them about their disease and suggesting treatment options.

Check out the KFF 2023 Employer Health Benefits Survey to stay updated on the latest employer-sponsored coverage trends and help employers recruit and retain workers with quality plans that employees value. Contact us today to develop tailored benefits solutions that address your clients’ needs.

KFF 2023 Employer Health Benefits Survey

Questions?
Contact The Answer Team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

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Claremont Welcomes Rebecca Hernandez

Claremont is excited to welcome Rebecca Hernandez as the newest member of the Service Team. Rebecca brings with her 6 years of industry experience. Most recently she held the position of Small Business Senior Renewal Specialist with eHealth Insurance, where she provided service in all 50 states, to over 9,000 groups. “Rebecca is the perfect addition to help round out our team,” says Laura Hogsed, Service Manager. “Her experience in renewal analyzation is a great asset which will take our ability to provide wholistic service to our brokers to a higher level.”

In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys taking Zumba classes, gem collecting or listening to self-improvement books.

You can reach Rebecca at rhernandez@claremontcompanies.com or 925.296.8822.

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Blue Shield of California Q1-2024 Updates

Blue Shield of California remains committed to providing your small group clients with comprehensive benefits that prioritize the well-being of employees. Here’s a summary of the changes for the first quarter of 2024.

Q1-2024 Rates

• Rates are now available through PRISM, our free and easy online quoting system.
• The Q1-2024 rate action is a statewide average of 3%.
• More information can be found on Broker Connection.

Q1-2024 Renewals

• January 2024 renewals are now available. February and March 2024 renewals will be available on November 9th.
• Visit the Renewal Center page on Broker Connection for more information.

Medical Plans

• 2 new Virtual Blue^SM plans are available:
  – Virtual Blue Platinum Tandem PPO 250/20
  – Virtual Blue Silver Tandem PPO 2700/75
  Virtual Blue plans are now offered on all 4 metal tiers.
• There are minimal portfolio and plan design changes for 2024.
• The 2024 medical plan names have been mapped to the 2023 plan names.
• 2024 Medical Plans at a Glance provides a list of all 2024 plans with descriptions, value-add, and select benefit cost shares.
• 2024 Medical Plan Cheat Sheet is an easy to share list of all 2024 plan offerings.
  
• Q1-2024 Medical Sales Guide provides comprehensive information about selling Blue Shield of CA products and the value proposition.

Dental Plans

• 13 DPPO plans and one DINO plan will be withdrawn from the Specialty portfolio January 1, 2024.
• The dental plan mapping grid for withdrawn plans.
• Q1-2024 Specialty Sales Guide includes all the dental and vision plan offerings.

Vision Plans

• EyeMed is the new vision network provider, replacing MES Vision. EyeMed and MES have been working together to ensure a smooth transition.
• Portfolio vision changes include:
  • Optometric out-of-network (OON) visits now match ophthalmologic cost share.
  • Eyeglass frame OON allowance has increased.
  • All vision plans include both Standard and Progressive lenses (no-line bifocals) benefits.
  • Contact lens benefit updates:
  – Electives – reduce OON allowance to match OON frame allowance.
  – Non-elective (medically necessary) – same cost share for hard and soft contacts.
• Q1-2024 Specialty Sales Guide includes all the dental and vision plan offerings.

Small Business Incentive Program

• The bonus program is in effect from February 1, 2024 through January 31, 2025.
• Brokers can earn points for every new Tandem and Virtual Blue PPO membership for renewing groups.
  • 100 points per new enrolled member in a Tandem PPO or Virtual Blue plan as part of the initial sale.
  • 50 points per new enrolled medical member on all plans, excluding Tandem and Virtual Blue PPO plans as part of the initial sale.
  • 10 points per new enrolled member in a small business dental plan.
  • 5 points per new enrolled member in a small business vision plan.
  • 5 points per new enrolled member in a small business life insurance plan.
  • 2x points for each new member enrolling in all three: dental, vision, and life (40 points total).
• The current Small Business Incentive Program is good through January 31, 2024. The new program above includes a change in points earned for non-Tandem and Virtual Blue plans.

Renewal Rewards Program

Brokers can earn points for every new Tandem and Virtual Blue PPO membership.

• 100 points per new enrolled member in a Tandem PPO or plan. February 2023 – January 2024 effective dates.
• 100 points per new enrolled member in a Virtual Blue plan. March 2023 – January 2024 effective dates.
• Specialty plans. February 2023 – January 2024 effective dates.
  • 10 points per new enrolled dental member.
  • 5 points per new enrolled vision member.
  • 5 points per new enrolled life member.

Bundled Saving Program

The 10% specialty discount is a perpetual program that is applied when a dental and/or vision plan is added to a new or existing small business medical group.

Relaxed Participation Promotion

The Relaxed Participation Promotion has been extended through December 31, 2024.

Enhanced Plan Comparison Tool

• Download market-ready slides for presentations (PPTX compatible) in addition to PDFs.
• Compare up to six plans at a time, instead of four plans.
• Compare year-over-year for dental plans and include the withdrawn plans. There’s an option to auto-select a mapped dental plan or a new plan for the withdrawn dental plans.
• New Blue Shield brand style.

More information and plan summaries can be found in Blue Shield’s Q1-2024 Medical Sales Guide and Specialty Sales Guide.

Contact us today for a Blue Shield quote.

Get a Quote

Resources

• Q1-2024 Medical Sales Guide
• Q1-2024 Specialty Sales Guide
• 2023 Broker Renewal Guide
• 2024 Medical Plans At-a-Glance
• 2024 Medical Plans Cheat Sheet
• 2024 Medical Plan Names
• Small Business Incentive Program
• Blue Shield News Center
• Product Cycle Updates
• Employer Connection Plus (EC+)
• Employer Enrollment Platform Resources
• Broker Communications
• Broker Connection
• Plan Comparison Tool and Network Comparison Tool
• Small Business Plan Documents
• Relaxed Participation Program
• Teledoc
• Wellvolution Mental Health
• Mandates
• Renewal Center
• Broker Bonus Calculator
• Forms and Applications
• Blue Shield Small Business Library
• Small Business Service Support

COVID-19 Resources

• 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

Contact us today for a Blue Shield quote.

Get a Quote

Questions?
Contact The Answer 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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MetLife – The Critical Role for Disability Insurance

In the ever-evolving landscape of employee benefits, the demand for disability insurance (DI) has surged 9% year-over-year, making it the fasted-growing benefit. In fact, 60% of employees now consider disability insurance a “must-have” benefit, second only to medical insurance. 

Now more than ever, inclusive benefits packages are essential. It’s worth noting that employees from historically marginalized backgrounds, such as women, Black and Hispanic employees, and LGBTQIA+ community members, are more likely to consider DI indispensable. And employees with DI are 26% more likely to view their benefits package as inclusive.

Despite this increased demand, there remains a significant gap between interest and access. Currently, only 35% of employees have access to DI, down from 58% in 2019. What’s more, less than 3 in 5 employees are satisfied with their benefits that allow them to take time away from work, which hinders their ability to balance their professional and personal lives.

This “must-have” benefits gap directly impacts talent management. Employees with access to DI report greater benefits satisfaction, improved financial and mental health, and enhanced loyalty, compared to employees without access to DI.

Strategies to Boost Talent Management Outcomes with DI

1. Offer Access to DI: Providing access is the critical first step in meeting employee demand.
2. Educate Employees on All Options: Clear communications ensure employees understand the benefits available to them. Employees who fully understand their benefits are 2.4 times more likely to be satisfied with their benefits.
3. Champion Work-Life Balance as a Core Workplace Value. Messaging should showcase how the company holistically supports employees both on and off the job.

In today’s competitive job market, a healthy work-life balance is critical and benefits that enable employees to take time away from work have never been more essential. Offering these benefits not only boosts recruitment, retention, engagement, and loyalty but also gives your clients a competitive advantage. Learn more.

Don’t miss this opportunity to offer valuable DI coverage and help your clients demonstrate their commitment to the well-being of their employees, thereby fostering a more loyal and productive workforce.

Contact us today for a MetLife disability insurance quote!

Get a Quote

Questions?
Contact The Answer Team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

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CaliforniaChoice 2024 Broker Webinar

Staying current in the evolving health insurance landscape is key to your success. To get exclusive need-to-know updates for January 1, 2024, join the CaliforniaChoice broker webinar on October 11th at 10:00 am.

This 30-minute webinar will give you:

• An overview of January 1, 2024 changes and how they’ll impact your business.
• Important reminders on recent portfolio updates and the value to your clients.
• A Q&A session to get your pressing questions answered.

By attending, you’ll gain exclusive intel to outpace your competitors in 2024. And you’ll leave informed and equipped with the knowledge to thrive next year and beyond. 

Register now for this must-attend webinar! Seats are limited.

Register Now!

What makes CaliforniaChoice different for your clients:

• Employers define what they can afford, and employees use that amount toward the health plan options they like best.
• Easy administration – everyone is on one monthly bill.
• Outstanding A+ rated customer service.
• Free services like HR support, FSA, and COBRA administration.

With CaliforniaChoice, employees get:

• The freedom to choose the health plan they want – it’s their choice!
• A huge selection of HMO, PPO, EPO, and high deductible plan options.
• Access to 80,000+ doctors and 400+ hospitals.
• Big discounts on dental, vision, hearing, Rx, wellness products, entertainment, and more.

Contact us today for a CaliforniaChoice quote!

Get a Quote

Questions?
Contact The Answer 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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Humana Bundling Bonus Extended to January 2024 Effective Dates

Dental Bundling Bonus

Humana has extended its Dental Bundling Bonus to include initial effective dates of coverage through January 31, 2024. To earn a bonus, sell a new Humana dental plan alongside at least one additional specialty line of coverage with the same employer group.

• Groups with 5-49 eligible enrolled employees (must be at least 5 enrolled):
  – $200 bonus for dental + $100 for vision + $100 for life + $300 for disability coverage.
• Groups with 50+ eligible enrolled employees:
  – $300 bonus for dental + $200 for vision + $100 for life + $500 for disability coverage.

Specialty Lines of Coverage

• Group Term Life (Including AD&D)
• Group Term Supplemental Life (Including AD&D)
• Group Vision (Including Voluntary Vision)
• Group Dental (Including Voluntary Dental)

To learn more, download the Dental Bundling Bonus flyer.

Specialty Growth Bonus

Intended for specialty lines of coverage of all sizes, the Humana Specialty Growth Bonus is paid once annually, within 60 days after the January 31, 2024 program end date.

2023 Enhancements

• Earn new business points for each specialty line renewed with clients that currently have medical coverage. Those renewed lines will still count in your premium persistency calculation in your Specialty Growth Bonus payment.
• New business points increased from .5 to 1 point per line of coverage for <10 enrolled employees.
• Bonus percentage increased from 4% to 5% for plans with <25 insured lives for producers that achieve “Peak” persistency and are at the “Elite” compensation level.

Bonus Program Highlights

• Tiered structure allows you to earn more as you climb to the next level.
• Opportunities for selling new and retaining existing business – and for case sizes big and small.
• Rewarded for multi-line sales year-over-year so you don’t have to start fresh each year.
• Earn up to 7% book of business revenue.

Eligible Products

• Group Term Life (Including AD&D)
• Group Term Voluntary/Supplemental Life (Including AD&D)
• Group Vision (Including Voluntary Vision)
• Group Dental (Including Voluntary Dental)

To learn more, download the Specialty Growth Bonus flyer.

Contact us today for a Humana quote and take advantage of the bonus programs.

Get a Quote

Questions?
Contact The Answer 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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Beam Benefits – New Disability Product

With Beam’s new disability plans, powered by The Hartford, you can easily offer employers flexible, best-in-class comprehensive disability coverage. Available for groups of 2-100 eligible employees, these guaranteed issue plans offer members income protection if they’re unable to work for an extended period of time due to an illness or injury. Benefits begin after 90 or 180 days and last through the duration of the disability or until the Social Security Normal Retirement Age (SSNRA).

Key Features

• 100% employer-paid or 100% employee-paid plan options.
• Ability to customize plan designs including benefit percentages, maximums, elimination period, and more.
• No medical underwriting is required if enrolling upon initial eligibility.
• Value-added services include the Ability Assist® Employee Assistance Program (EAP), HealthChampion®, identity theft support, and travel assistance.

To learn more, download these flyers:

• Beam Disability Coverage
• Beam Disability Product Summary
• Beam Quick Facts

With quoting available for October 1, 2023 effective dates, now is the time to create customized disability benefits packages tailored to meet your client’s needs and budget.

Contact us today for a Beam Benefits quote.

Get a Quote

Questions?
Contact The Answer Team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

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Ease – Employee Navigator Early Adopter Program

Employee Navigator has announced new training sessions for the Early Adopter Program. This voluntary program allows brokers to gain familiarity with Employee Navigator (EN) and will not affect your Ease subscription. Multiple brokers from your agency are encouraged to participate. 

To get started with Employee Navigator:

1. Complete the online form prior to October 12th to add EN to your Ease subscription.
   Only one person from your organization should submit the licensing request form, since EN will create a single license for your organization. Processing can take up to 5 business days. 
2. Register for a training session. Attend either the online training or in-person training – you need only attend one.
   Online training registration.
   – Sessions are Thursday, October 12th and Friday, October 13th from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm PT.
   In-person training registration. (Limited to 100 people and has a $100 fee per attendee.)
   – Sessions are Thursday, October 19th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and Friday, October 20th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (with an optional educational lab to get one-on-one instruction from 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm).
   – Location: 5280 Corporate Drive C-Wing Conference Center, Frederick, Maryland  21703
3. Complete the DocuSign amendment to gain Employee Navigator access. 
4. Finish the one-hour self-guided course to optimize your training time.

For details, visit the Employee Navigator Knowledge Base.

Contact us at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com for assistance transitioning from Ease to Employee Navigator.

Questions?
Contact The Answer Team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.

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Claremont Welcomes Pauline Gonzalez

We are pleased to welcome Pauline Gonzales to our Service Team as our newest Broker Service Representative. In this role, Pauline will provide invaluable support and guidance to our clients in a variety of areas such as eligibility, enrollment, support, quoting, carrier knowledge, Ease, and more.

With over six years of experience in the small business health insurance sector, Pauline brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. She most recently served as an Employee Benefits Account Manager at AssuredPartners, where she honed her skills in cultivating long-term broker and client relationships. Pauline is fluent in Spanish and brings exceptional communication skills in supporting brokers throughout the application process.

Pauline holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. This background gives her a holistic understanding of how to build successful, collaborative partnerships. In her spare time, Pauline enjoys cooking new recipes and spending time with her three children. 

You can reach Pauline at pauline@claremontcompanies.com or 925.296.8819.

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2024 Decrease in ACA Health Plan Affordability Threshold

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health plan affordability threshold for 2024 at 8.39%, a significant decrease from the 2023 figure of 9.12%.

The threshold is used in determining if Applicable Large Employers (ALE’s) health plans are considered affordable under the ACA employer mandate. This requirement does not apply to non-ALE businesses.

This is a significant reduction in the affordability threshold. Your ALE clients should be aware of the change, and may need to make changes to their health plan’s 2024 employee contribution in order to remain compliant.

For details, visit SHRM and Woodruff Sawyer, and the IRS website.

Contact us today for assistance with your ALE groups.

Questions?
Contact The Answer 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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