Open enrollment ends soon!

Open enrollment is nearly over, and Individual applications must be submitted by January 31, 2023, to receive an effective date of February 1, 2023. We offer a range of cost-effective health plans to meet your clients' various needs.

Reminder: Payment is required at the time of application. Approved applications will feed directly into Facets and reflect an On Hold processing status until the initial binder payment is paid and has been posted into Facets. Once the binder payment has been satisfied, Facets will automatically change the member from “On Hold” processing status to “Normal.”

Due Date: Binder payments are required at the time of application. If a payment failed, is charged back, or a paper application was submitted, payment must be received and posted in full within 14 days of the date the application is loaded into Facets.

You can quickly find clients whose payment status is "Pending" using our Online Client Lists. You can then download your customer list, which contains the contact details for the members.

Promoting dental coverage for Children’s Dental Health Month

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and a great time to promote the value of dental (and vision!) coverage to your clients. Oral health is an indicator of holistic health in children as it is in adults. Cavities are one of the most common diseases for children in the U.S. and, left untreated, may lead to infections affecting a child’s eating, speaking, playing, and school attendance (CDC).

To find the right plan for your clients, visit our IFP dental plan page.

2023 Bonus program for new sales and retention

There is still time to take advantage of our 2023 Bonus program. It’s designed to increase your opportunity to earn additional income when you achieve new sales goals! And remember that the more you sell, the more you earn! Click here for complete details.

Network updates for San Diego County

We recently expanded our Trio HMO network in San Diego County to include the following UC San Diego (UCSD) Health facilities:

UCSD Health: Owen Clinic, La Jolla, Kearny Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Vista, Downtown, One Medical Downtown
UCSD Physician Network Primary Care: La Mesa, Sorrento Valley
UCSD Monica Perlman Clinic: Vista, Downtown, La Mesa, Mira Mesa

Please note that not all UCSD Health locations or providers will be in the Trio network. Our Find a Doctor tool is updated to reflect this network expansion; potential enrollees can check if their current primary doctor and/or specialist providers are part of the Trio network at www.blueshieldca.com/networkTrioHMO.

We’re also pleased to announce that we’ve reached contract agreements with Rady Children’s Health Network and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego County, keeping them in-network.

We feel these agreements are equitable and sustainably affordable for our customers and strengthen our presence in the county. We continue to work to secure and maintain the best provider network possible and help you serve your clients.

California’s new Parent Healthcare Act

Governor Newsom signed the Parent Healthcare Act (CA AB 570) in October 2021; it went into effect on January 1, 2023.

According to AB 570, all individual health insurance policies in California that are issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2023, must offer dependent coverage to any legally entitled parents or stepparents. In other words, qualified parents and stepparents must be eligible for CA individual health coverage.

Highlights:

This is for parents/stepparents who are not eligible for Medicare
The applicant must live within the service area (not necessarily the same address), and the underlying coverage must be available in that area; Trio is an example.
The applicant must meet the definition of a qualifying relative under Section 152(d) of the Internal Revenue Code
Must rely on the sponsoring child for 50%+ of support and the name as a dependent on the previous years’ taxes
May not have a gross income in excess of $2,000 per year
This does not apply to ANY employer-provided group health plans. It only applies to individual and family plans

For more information, please attend one of our upcoming broker training sessions.

2023 Special Enrollment Periods and Resources

Your clients may qualify for a health plan outside of open enrollment, if they have a qualifying event. Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) are available if they have recently experienced a qualifying life event.

Please review our new 2023 IFP Eligibility and residency policy for more information on plan eligibility, SEPs and qualifying events.

Please be advised the State of California and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have recently revised their emergency and major disaster maps for SEPs, including severe weather and wildfires. These events may be considered a SEP if they impacted a client's ability to complete their enrollment during OE.

We’ve sent email communications to members in affected areas with important information on maintaining care and receiving assistance.

Broker Training: What’s new in 2023

We’ve been working hard to make improvements and find efficiencies in working together and serving our mutual clients. Let us help you stay current with the latest regulatory/mandate information, new digital capabilities, qualifying events, and financial assistance programs for clients.

Register for one of our upcoming live webinars, and our expert sales team will share important insights, strategies, and more.

Upcoming topics will include:

2023 Special Enrollment Period
The Parent Healthcare Act (CA AB 570)
2023 Dental, Vision and Life

Our webinars are a great way to stay connected and get your questions answered firsthand. Visit our Broker Event, Webinar and Training page for more information and to register today.

Did you know? Updates to the 2023 Producer Agreement

Our Commission Schedule and Producer Agreement for 2023 are available now on Broker Connection, where you can also access sales materials, tools, and up-to-date information about Blue Shield of California.

Individual Family Plans
There are no commission changes for Individual Family Plans products. As a reminder, there are many incentive programs available to reward you for your energy and commitment.

We’ve also updated the Producer Agreement and Broker Payout Calendar for 2023. Thank you for your dedication and partnership – we look forward to working with you for a successful 2023.

Tools and resources
We recently updated our Broker Connection Job Aid, where we outline in detail:

Shield on Demand
The Account Management Tool
How to update your account profile
How to check Application Status
Online Client Lists (Broker Renewal Portal)
Commission statements

We want to provide you with all the resources you need to succeed. Please visit Broker Connection for a complete list of the tools and other resources available to help you be an expert guide for your clients when discussing Blue Shield of California plans.

Stay current on the latest health news from Blue Shield of California by visiting our News Center, or receive updates in your inbox by subscribing today.