NEWSROOM

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 Advantage^SM plans. Extra credits apply for sales alongside Medical. Visit our Newsroom for details.
• ​Delta Dental
  • Small Business Broker Rewards: Delta Dental’s Small Business Broker Rewards program offers added comp on new and retained business for groups of 2-99 lives. Read our Newsroom post for details.
• Health Net
  • Small Group Broker Incentive: For sales with an effective date of September 2024 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: 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. Click here to access the flyer.
• United Concordia Dental
  • 2024-2025 Reward Programs: United Concordia Dental has bonuses for business effective July 2024 to January 2025. Earn up to $20 per subscriber on Small Group business and/or up to $3,000 on Large Groups. Two flyers offer details: Small Business Reward Program; Large Business Reward Program.

Medical​ Coverage

• Multiple Carriers​

  • 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).
  • COVID Numbers Up: California and other states are experiencing a seasonal surge in COVID-19 cases. Check out the results of W&B’s latest COVID-19 CARRIER SURVEY to see how our carrier partners are covering lab tests or over-the-counter tests for COVID-19.
  • MLR Rebates: Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Insurance Rebate checks are being this month by affected insurers and health plans. As you know, in the Individual and Small Group markets, insurers must spend at least 80% of premium income on health care claims and quality improvement efforts, leaving the remaining 20% for administration, marketing expenses, and profit. The MLR threshold for Large Group plans is 85% (with 15% allowed for admin, marketing, and profit. Insurers in the Individual market may issue rebate checks or premium credit. For employer-sponsored coverage, the rebate may be shared between the employer and the employee depending on how the employer and employee share premium costs.
• Anthem Blue Cross​
  • Contract Renewal: Anthem, Alta Hospitals, and Southern California Hospital System have successfully reached a new provider network agreement. It allows Anthem members to use Los Angeles Community Hospital (and its related facility in Bellflower), Norwalk Community Hospital, Foothill Regional Medical Center, Southern California Hospital, Culver City (and its related SNF facility), Southern California Hospital, Hollywood, and Southern California Hospital, Van Nuys.
  • 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.
• BEST Life​
  • Q4 Reminders: BEST Life reminds brokers that new ancillary groups of 10+ enrolling automatically receive a two-year rate guarantee. Members also have access to Working Advantage, a discount platform offering savings on airfare, hotels, theme parks, and more. Ask us for details or download the Working Advantage flyer.
• 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.
  • Network Update: Although Providence Health rescinded its contract termination with Blue Shield in May, several Providence medical groups have been removed from the IFP Trio HMO network, effective 8/1/2024. Those impacted medical groups include St. Jude Heritage Medical Group; St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group; Mission Heritage Medical Group; Providence Affiliated Physicians St. Jude; Providence Affiliated Physicians St. Joseph; and Providence Affiliated Physicians Mission.
  • Stanford Network Termination: Hospitals, facilities, and professional providers in the Stanford Health network are no longer available in-network for Blue Shield members.
• ​​​​CaliforniaChoice
  • Cigna + Oscar Special Underwriting Promo: CaliforniaChoice is making it easy for groups with direct coverage from Cigna + Oscar to move to CaliforniaChoice. Read our Newsroom article about a special underwriting promo for 7/1/2024 to 12/1/2024 effective dates.
• Centivo – New Carrier Partner​
  • Take Advantage of Our New Contract: Word & Brown is the first GA contracted in California to offer Centivo, a fully integrated, national health plan solution with Level Funded options, Rx rebates, PBM carve out, 100% surplus return, and more. Ask your W&B rep for details or sign up for our 9/30 webinar. 
• Health Net​
  • Elite Partners Program: Health Net is offering a trip to Hawaii in 2025 for the top eight selling brokers in Individual & Family Plan (IFP), Small Group (SBG), and Large Group sales written during the June 1, 2024-January 31, 2025, contest period. Ask us about minimums to qualify. CaliforniaChoice business is ineligible.
  • Small Group Renewals: November and December renewals are now available in the Health Net online broker portal. You can pull up your Q4 cases using these step-by-step instructions.
• Landmark Health
  • 2025 Rate Decrease: Landmark Health will reduce its rates for new and renewing businesses on fully insured employer contributory Chiropractic and Acupuncture plans effective January 1, 2025. This action follows a previously announced rate increase effective 11/1/2024. Ask your rep for details.
• Sutter Health Plus​
  • 2025 Portfolio Update: Sutter Health Plus is updating its portfolio for 2025; materials are available on the Sutter Broker Portal and in the W&B Insurance Forms Library.
  • South Sonoma County Expansion: Sutter Health is expanding its services in Rohnert Park, including primary care, urgent care, and other services. Get the details in the Vitals newsletter.

Ancillary & Other​ Coverage

• Mutiple Carriers​
  • CDN Alternatives: Ask your Word & Brown rep about options available from Ameritas/LIBERTY, Delta Dental, Guardian, and United Concordia Dental who are offering specials for clients facing the loss of Dental coverage due to the market exit by California Dental Network (CDN) 
• 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.
• Anthem Blue Cross​
  • DHMO: Download Anthem’s Dental Net DHMO highlights and rates through 12/31/2024.
• Blue Shield of California​
  • Dental Plan Withdrawal: Effective January 1, 2025, Blue Shield is withdrawing the Smile^SM 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 2-500 Employees: Don’t overlook the ancillary options from ChoiceBuilder for your groups of up to 500 employees. Choose from nearly 40 options for Dental, Vision, Chiro & Acupuncture, and Life Insurance from eight carriers. Both voluntary and employer-sponsored coverage are available. Ask us or your CHOICE Administrators rep for details.
• Delta Dental​
  • DeltaVision: You can now offer Dental and Vision benefits in one convenient package from Delta Dental. Your clients will appreciate the shared expertise of Delta Dental and VSP Vision Care. Contact your rep to learn more or state a quote
• Humana​
  • Launch My Group (LMG): Dental options and plan summaries for Humana groups – of up to 299 eligibles – are now available using the Launch My Group online tool. Log in to Humana.com to learn more, or contact your rep.
• MetLife
  • ​New Group App: MetLife has released a new Employer Master Application form for those interested in Small Group DPPO and DHMO coverage. Download your copy now.
• Principal ​
  • Dental: Quoting is available for Principal Dental with rates effective through January 31, 2025.