Nov 29, 2023
Amwins Connect is pleased to announce the following updates for Q1 2024 in California.
Please bookmark this page! Additional updates will be added here as they become available.
Contact your Amwins Connect Regional Sales Manager if you need more information.
Regulatory Updates
- DHHS Announces Civil Monetary Penalties
- IRS Announces 2024 HSA and HDHP Limits
- IRS Announces ACA Affordability Percentage for 2024
- New IRS Filing Requirement for ACA Reporting in 2024
Medical & Ancillary Carriers
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- CaliforniaChoice®
- Choice Builder®
- Cigna + Oscar
- Covered California for Small Business
- Health Net
- Kaiser Permanente®
- MediExcel
- Sharp Health Plan
- Sutter Health Plus
- UnitedHealthcare
- Western Health Advantage
Aetna
Aetna small group ACA has issued a rate and portfolio update for Q1 2024.
- Rate Impact: HMO 2%; PPO 1.81%
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: Plans have been updated to meet actuarial value requirements for 2024. The Bronze MC 100/50 7350 plan has been discontinued as it was a duplicate. Mental health office visits have been aligned with the PCP cost share by plan.
- Network Updates: The HMO Basic and AWH Southern CA OAMC networks will not be offered in 2024. Existing members will be transitioned to a different network at renewal.
- Underwriting Changes: no changes
- Quoting Available: September 27
Anthem Blue Cross
Anthem has issued a small group medical rate update, and plan benefits have been updated to meet actuarial value changes.
- Rate Impact: 0.8% average increase for HMO plans; 2.0% average increase PPO plans
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: There are no new or discontinued plans for 2024. Plans were updated for actuarial value. New dental enhancements are coming January 1.
- Network Updates: No Changes
- Underwriting Changes: No Changes.
- Quoting Available: September 11
Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California has announced their Q1 2024 Updates.
- Rate Impact: statewide average of 3.0%
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: Two new Virtual Blue plans have been added. Some HMO and PPO plans have been impacted by cost share and/or name changes. Thirteen DPPO and one DINO plan will be withdrawn from the ancillary portfolio as part of their product transformation and portfolio simplification efforts. There have been several vision portfolio changes.
- Network Updates: The new vision vendor is EyeMed, which will be taking over from MES Vision.
- Underwriting Changes: No changes.
- Quoting Available: October 5
CaliforniaChoice®
CaliforniaChoice® has announced its Q1 2024 updates.
- Rate Impact: varies by plan and region
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: Five new plans will be offered (4 from Cigna + Oscar, 1 from Kaiser); five other Cigna + Oscar plans have been discontinued. All plans have benefit changes; see the summary document for specifics.
- Network Updates: Kaiser has removed one zip code. UHC Alliance has removed one zip code and added another. UHC Harmony has removed 2 zip codes and added 2 others. UHC SignatureValue has removed 7 zip codes and added 2 others.
- Underwriting Changes: No changes.
- Quoting Available: October 16
Choice Builder®
Choice Builder has announced their Q1 2024 update.
- Rate Impact: Anthem is the only carrier with a rate impact.
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: EyeMed Standard Progressive Lenses are now covered in full.
- Network Updates: No changes.
- Underwriting Changes: varies by carrier
- Quoting Available: October 11
Cigna + Oscar
Cigna + Oscar has announced its Q1 2024 update.
- Rate Impact: average change of 0.1% for Open Access Plus PPO, -0.5% for Open Access Plus PPO HSA, 0.2% for LocalPlus PPO, and 0.8% for LocalPlus PPO HSA
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: a $3500 HSA option has been added to both Open Access Plus and LocalPlus.
- Network Updates: No changes.
- Underwriting Changes: No changes.
- Quoting Available: October 9
Covered California for Small Business
Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) has announced their Q1 2024 update.
- Rate Impact: varies by carrier
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: A new Kaiser plan is available, with and without infertility. Several other plans have changes and updates.
- Network Updates: No Changes
- Underwriting Changes: No changes. Don't forget that CCSB accepts several categories as valid waivers, including IFP coverage
- Quoting Available: varies by carrier
Health Net
Health Net has announced several changes and updates for Q1 2024.
- Rate Impact: 2.4% average increase for HMO plans; no changes for PPO plans. Dental rates have also changed.
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: adding two new HMO plan designs and one new PPO plan design. No plans are being discontinued. In addition, the chiro rider will be available for all plans, and all small group plans will have telehealth provided by Teledoc.
- Network Updates: No Changes
- Underwriting Changes: No Changes, and several promotions will remain available.
- Quoting Available: September 7
Kaiser Permanente®
Kaiser Permanente® has announced their January 2024 rates and benefits.
- Rate Impact: HMO will have an average 8.7% increase; HMO HSA an average 9.5% increase and PPO an average 9.5% increase.
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: several plans have benefit changes; some changes will require plan name changes. There is a new Platinum 90 HMO 250/30 plan.
- Network Updates: No Changes
- Underwriting Changes: Underwriting changes are pending review and will be updated once complete.
- Quoting Available: September 22
MediExcel
MediExcel has announced their Q1 updates.
- Rate Impact: Full network HMO plans have a statewide increase of 5.8%
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: plans will remain the same in 2024 with no benefit changes.
- Network Updates: no changes
- Underwriting Updates: the DE-9C requirement has been eliminated for groups 5+. The Platinum 90 and Gold 80 plans will accept groups with one enrolled employee.
- Quoting Available: November 9
Sharp Health Plan
Sharp Health Plan has issued a rate update for January 2024.
- Rate Impact: 0.1% HMO; 2.1% HMO HSA; 5.3% POS
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: plans have been updated to meet actuarial value requirements for 2024.
- Network Updates: no changes
- Underwriting Changes: DE-9C is no longer required for groups with 5+ enrolled subscribers. Groups with 5+ enrolled subscribers now have a participation requirement of 25% less valid waivers.
- Quoting Available: October 13
Sutter Health Plus
Sutter Health Plus has issued a rate and benefit update for Q1 2024.
- Rate Impact: 3.6% average for HMO plans and 2.6% average for HMO HSA plans
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: a new portfolio of plans will be available, replacing the 2023 portfolio.
- Network Updates: No Changes
- Underwriting Changes: No Changes
- Quoting Available: September 5
UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare has announced updates to rates and plans/portfolios for Q1 2024.
- Rate Impact: 3.6% average for PPO plans; 5.6% average for Navigate plans; and 1.1% average for HMO plans
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: 57 plans in Choice Simplified; 12 plans in the MultiChoice State Package; the Silver PPO Non-Diff remains available in both packages for employees outside Idaho
- Network Updates: Doctors Health Plan is being discontinued. Members will be migrated to Choice plans.
- Underwriting Changes: No Changes
- Quoting Available: ETA of October 18
Western Health Advantage
Western Health Advantage has announced their Q1 2024 Update.
- Rate Impact: average of 3.1% for HMO plans and 2.4% for HMO HSA plans
- Portfolio/Plans/Benefits: Two new plans have been introduced and three plans have updated plan names.
- Network Updates: No changes.
- Underwriting Changes: No changes.
- Quoting Available: October 6
