California Carrier Partner Updates
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: We’re counting down on the Aetna bonus on new employees enrolled in groups of up to 100 eligibles; it’s ending on 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.
- BEST Life
- Broker Bonus Program: Brokers can earn up to $500 with Fast Cash Bonus from BEST Life – plus an additional $100 bundling bonus new case submissions with a 12/01/2024-02/01/2025 effective date. Download the flyer 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: Starting January 1, 2025, Health Net brokers can receive 2% of paid premiums 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, you can earn a bonus of up to $400 per case on Humana stand-alone Short- and Long-Term Disability plans or a $200 bonus per case when STD or LTD is bundled with Humana Dental 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 for you.
- 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).
- Updated DE 9C Promotions and Pre-Sale FAQ: Underwriting has published updated No DE 9C Promotions/Guidelines and our Carrier Pre-Sale FAQ. Download yours today and discard any prior versions on your desktop or in your files.
- Aetna
- IPA Updates: Aetna has added several new IPAs in Southern California: Alliance Health Systems (HMO, HMO Ded., and AVN); Blue Zones Marina, formerly Access Medical Alamitos, and Lakewood IPAs (HMO, HMO Ded, and AVN); and Blue Zones Health of CA (HMO, HMO Ded, and AVN). FYI, the Nuestra Familiar Medical Group IPA is now known as Prospect Nuestra Familia.
- Anthem Blue Cross
- 2025 Plan Updates: Anthem has announced nearly a dozen plan discontinuations for 1/1/2025. Three PPO plans and eight HMO plans are being withdrawn; ask your W&B rep for details, or download the 2025 Anthem Medical Benefit Guide for Small Group ACA plans.
- Sutter Health/Anthem Contract: Negotiations are continuing 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.
- New Rx Home Delivery: Starting in January, Blue Shield is adding Amazon Pharmacy to its member benefits. The service is replacing CVS Caremark Mail Service Pharmacy.
- Tandem Network Updates: Effective January 1, 2025, the Tandem network will no longer include Stanford and Cedars-Sinai facilities. University of California hospitals across California are being added for 2025.
- CalCPA
- Quoting for 2025: CalCPA is adding new plans for 2025 and discontinuing two PPO plans (Gold PPO 30/650 and Silver PPO 50/2500). Quoting is now available. Ask your W&B rep for details.
- CaliforniaChoice
- 7 Health Plans, 100+ Coverage Choices: With the Cigna + Oscar exit from the Small Group marketplace for 2025, CaliforniaChoice still has a broad roster of plans and options for your clients, wherever they are or do business in California.
- Plan Updates for 2025: A few of CaliforniaChoice’s participating carriers are making changes for the new year. Health Net’s Salud HMO y Mas Network is adding 20 ZIP Codes, Kaiser Permanente’s Full Network is adding 14 ZIP Codes, and UnitedHealthcare is making additions to its Alliance Network (one ZIP Code added), Harmony Network (one ZIP added and 437 removed in Areas 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9), and SignatureValue Network (one ZIP Code added).
- Centivo
- Level Funding: Don’t forget that 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
- 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: All Health Net plans in 2025 will have a Chiro Rider option. The cost will be an additional $3.00 PMPM for both HMO and PPO plans.
- New Doula Program: Health Net is 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
- 2025 Employer App: Kaiser Permanente has a new California Small Group application for 2025 Download your copy today.
- SIMNSA
- 2025 Coverage: SIMNSA Medical is on for Q1 2025 quoting. Contact your W&B rep or log in.
- UnitedHealthcare
- PPO Network 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 us about UnitedHealthcare’s Choice Simplified Package and a staff model carrier relaxed participation promo through 07/01/2025 effective dates. A minimum of 25% participation between carriers and five employees enrolling with UHC is required, excluding COBRA participants. Download the updated Choice Simplified flyer for network and plan details.
- HMO Network Comparisons: UnitedHealthcare has published new Alliance HMO network participating physician group lists for Large Groups and Small Groups. New Harmony network physician lists are also available for Large Groups and Small Groups. Download yours today.
- Rate Correction: Word & Brown has been advised that the Q1 2025 UHC DHMO 51-100 rates have been reduced slightly.
- Western Health Advantage
- Provider Network Update: MarinHealth Medical Center has given notice that it will no longer be a hospital partner to Meritage Medical Network, which is part of Western Health Advantage. The change is effective January 1, 2025.
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 no longer part of the
- Word & Brown Insurance Forms Library.
- Rate Updates: Ameritas Dental has no rate or benefit changes for Q1 2025. There are rates changes for Vision.
- 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
- Ancillary for Groups of Up to 500: If your clients want Dental, Vision, Chiro & Acupuncture, and Life, look no further than CHOICE Administrators. ChoiceBuilder offers your groups nearly 40 options. Both voluntary and employer-sponsored coverage are available. Ask us or your CHOICE Administrators rep for details
- Delta Dental
- CDN Solution: Delta Dental is making an exception to offer DeltaCare USA DHMO plans alongside another’s carrier’s DPO for eligible groups losing California Dental Network (CDN) plans. Ask your W&B rep about eligibility.
- Select Plan Quoting: Word & Brown has reduced the number of Delta Dental plans being quoted; only top-selling employer-sponsored plans are now available for quoting through Word & Brown.
- Guardian
- CDN Alternative: With California Dental Network plans terminating effective 10/01/2024, Guardian is offering a special DHMO rate match as well as a match on PPO rates and plan design when a PPO is a dual option with a DHMO. Commission match is available, up to a flat 10%. Option available to California situs groups under 1,000 lives. Ask us for further details
- Lincoln Financial Group
- Reduced Group Size: Lincoln Financial now goes down to 50+ eligible lives for Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity coverage. Must be paired with two core lines of coverage (Life, Disability, Dental). List or self-bill acceptable. Minimum 5+ lives participation. Ask us about using a Lincoln Insurtech benefits admin partner.
- MediExcel Health Plan
- Dental Plan Updates: MediExcel Dental Plan D100 has been discontinued for new business, but It remains available for renewals. Dental Plan D200 has been updated from three tier to four tier. There are no changes to the V100 Vision Plan.
- United Concordia Dental
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- EPO Update: United Concordia Dental’s new EPO product is now available for fully insured groups of 10+ employees. EPO members have the upfront cost of a copayment instead of coinsurance. No primary care dentist is required; no referrals to specialists. Available in most states. EPO/PPO dual option (with minimum of 10+ employees enrolled). Pricing is slightly higher than a DHMO, but lower than a PPO. A $50 deductible and $1,500 maximum apply to control costs.
- DHMO Transfer: If you have groups in need of replacement coverage if cancelled effective 10/01/2024, ask about a United Concordia Dental proposal including a full copay schedule, California DHMO provider directory (including providers in Mexico), and enrollment materials. It’s available to 2+ enrolled (for SoCal groups of 2-50 enrolled employees) and also available alongside another carrier’s PPO Dental plan. Ask us for details.
- UnitedHealthcare
- Dental and Vision Rate Cards: UnitedHealthcare has published five new Dental Rate Cards and a Vision Rates Card for 2025; click below to download your regional edition(s).
- Activate the Savings Promo: Through 03/01/2025, UnitedHealthcare is offering a promo if you add Dental and an additional specialty plan to your group’s Medical offering. Download the “Save a bundle” flyer for details.
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