2023 Bonus program for new sales and retention

The 2023 open enrollment bonus program to our top 2,000 brokers is based on your total IFP book of business as of 9/1/2022. In addition, if you are among the top 2,000 Brokers, you will have access to concierge-level Broker support. If you were eligible to participate in the Blue Shield Broker bonus program and concierge-level support, you received an invitation via email on October 26, 2022.

For 2023, we are launching a new sales bonus program designed for all other brokers. The program is 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! For more details on this opportunity, please see the "all other broker" bonus section below.

TOP PRODUCERS

Both Trio and PPO bonuses start with your 11th new member, with a rewarding $100 bonus PER MEMBER. That amount can increase by up to an additional $75 if you also bundle our dental, life and vision coverage – $175 total per member!
Top 2,000 brokers with a minimum book of business of 125 IFP members as of 12/31/2022 and achieve a minimum 85% retention rate of those members measured on April 30, 2023, are eligible to earn a per member bonus that increases with your persistency rate. CAP for the retention bonus is $100,000.
Retention bonus is only available for our top 2,000 brokers.
Combined bonus cap (new sales + retention) remains high at $500,000 for 2023.

2023 New Sales Bonus

2023 Retention Bonus *

* Retention bonus is only for the top 2,000 brokers and is paid each September. The retention bonus cap for 2023 remains at $100K

All Other Brokers New Sales Bonus*

* All Other Brokers bonus's gate of 20 sales can be met by using a combination of Trio/PPO medical sales

2023 Commission schedule

Below is a summary of our commission structure for 2023. It is unchanged from 2022.

2023 IFP Commission Percentages (table)

For complete details, the new 2023 commission schedule will be available in November, along with our 2023 open enrollment bonus program flier.

Final notes

Remember to use the broker renewal tool to make it easy to assist your clients in changing or renewing off-exchange plans. Also, keep in mind that broker bonuses are a one-time payment, separate from your monthly commission payments.

As we experience changes in the California IFP market, we remain committed to you and your clients. Every day, you help make Blue Shield of California one of the state's most sought-after health plans to cover Californians. We couldn't do it without you.

Connecting with our membership during open enrollment

Just as important as the tools we provide you, we also have resources for members. This year we are hosting our Navigating Healthcare Currents Together series for member outreach and webinars.

Presented by our Outreach Managers, we’ll discuss meaningful topics that directly impact members during Open Enrollment and beyond.

Discussions will include:

Legislative updates
What's new for 2023
New and additional plan benefits
Specialty Product overview and updates

We ask that you encourage your clients to join one of our upcoming webinars. Together, we can help members find the health coverage solutions that best fit their needs.

Broker Training: Learn how to maximize your commission earnings

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 gained from our recent roadshows, plan pricing information, regional and competitive strategies, and more.

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.

Something to smile about

Dental coverage offers much more than professional cleanings and cavity checks for a bright smile. Regular dentist visits can detect and treat gum disease – called periodontal disease – which is linked to other health problems. You can help your clients cover themselves and their families with a Blue Shield of California dental plan to keep them healthy and smiling.

People with severe periodontal disease are 2x as likely to develop type 2 diabetes¹
Periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss²
91% of Americans are living with tooth decay³
59% of Americans say cost is the top reason for not visiting the dentist⁴

This is also the time of year to remind clients to visit their dentist to maximize their annual benefits. To learn more about our dental products and how your clients can make the most of their coverage, register for one of our new training sessions specifically focused on specialty plans.

“Periodontal Disease and Incident Type 2 Diabetes,” Demmer, Ryan et al. Diabetes Care, 31(7), July 2008.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, July 2018.
“Dental Caries and Tooth Loss in Adults in the United States, 2011-2012,” NCHS, May 2015.
“Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States,” 2015, ada.org.

Building your book with Share a Quote

Share a Quote is our off-exchange tool that enhances your ability to interact with your clients during the 2023 quoting process.

Available through Broker Connection, Share a Quote lets you share and compare in real-time quotes for up to four medical and four dental and/or vision plans at one time. Quotes may be sent to clients via email directly from the quoting tool and linked to their customized quote, where they can make their plan selection and complete their application.

Share a Quote is a comprehensive online self-service tool that also provides access to a robust quote tracking and reporting system. Quickly and easily see the status and progression of your outstanding quotes and applications. For example, you can see how many of your shared quotes converted into submitted applications allowing you to plan strategic follow-ups to close more sales.

To see how Share a Quote works, please register for one of our broker training sessions or review our Share a Quote tutorial (passcode: 9ZB.a+F6).

Expanding our networks in San Diego County

We are excited to share that UC San Diego (UCSD) Health will join our Trio HMO and Local Access+ HMO networks for San Diego County, effective January 1, 2023. This addition expands our members’ access to many providers in UCSD Health’s comprehensive network already available on the full HMO Access+ network.

Blue Shield members enrolled in a Trio, or Local Access+ plan can select primary care physicians at the below UCSD Health clinics and gain access to all contracted UCSD specialists and facilities.

UC San Diego Health - Community Group
- Vista | Downtown
UC San Diego Health - Monica Perlman Clinic
- Vista | Downtown | Mira Mesa | La Mesa
UC San Diego Health - One Medical
- Downtown | Carlsbad*
UC San Diego Health
- Owen Clinic | La Jolla | Kearny Mesa | Scripps Ranch
UC San Diego Health - Physicians Network
- College area | Sorrento Valley

Not all UCSD Health locations or providers will be in the Trio network or Local Access+ networks. Our Find a Doctor tool is updated to reflect this network expansion. Potential enrollees can use the Find a Doctor tool to check if their current primary doctor and/or specialist providers are part of their selected network.

You can also reference our Network Comparison Tool to see how UCSD Health complements the existing HMO network options for San Diego. UC San Diego Health is repeatedly the top-ranked healthcare system in San Diego, with a mission to deliver outstanding patient care through commitment to the community, groundbreaking research, and inspired teaching.

Our Trio HMO network allows Blue Shield members access to a select network of doctors, hospitals, and specialists committed to delivering a better healthcare experience.

*Local Access+ only

Did you know? Resources for IFP brokers - Broker Verification

New broker verification process
When calling Producer Services, our agents will ask for the last four digits of your Broker Tax ID number instead of the assigned Broker ID to identify you and locate your account.

This change is being implemented to better align you with your clients as the Broker of Record. If the tax ID number is unavailable, we can take other steps to find your account, but it may take slightly longer to process. Please try to have this information available when calling Producer Service for assistance.

The Producer Services team can be reached at (800) 559-5905 Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm.

New law from the California Insurance Commissioner
Starting January 1, 2023, a new law will require most types of insurance producers, as well as independent insurance adjusters, public insurance adjusters, and analysts, to include their license number on emails. (California Insurance Code section 1725.5, as amended by Senate Bill 1242 [Committee on Insurance, Chapter 424, Statutes of 2022]) This Notice answers some of the most common questions about the new law.

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.

Covered California’s open enrollment could be a life-saving choice

In September 2021, Yue Zhang was at a family birthday celebration when his vision became so blurred that he couldn’t drive himself home. He thought he just needed new glasses. After two weeks with a new pair, things hadn’t gotten better.

Using Blue Shield of California’s telehealth benefit, Zhang quickly connected with an Emergency Room (ER) doctor, who suggested he go to the ER immediately. He did and was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a bone marrow cancer that could have claimed his life if it had gone undetected - you can read the full story here.

Member resources and support during wildfires

Wildfires are being reported in some areas of California. We know how quickly situations like this change. We wanted to reach out with a list of our available resources for your affected Blue Shield of California members.

A reminder of the support available through Blue Shield:

Immediate assistance is available on our customer support line at (800) 393-6130 (TTY: 711).
We are allowing the immediate refill of prescriptions in mandatory evacuation zones.
Virtual care options may differ slightly depending on the plan. Some of these telehealth options are Teladoc^TM and NurseHelp 24/7. Members can visit blueshieldca.com to view their plan options.
Magellan Health, Blue Shield’s contracted managed care plan for behavioral health services, is providing free access to resources, materials, and counseling services at (800) 327-7451.
Vision Care plan members in affected areas can get replacement glasses and can use non-network providers as needed with claims paid at network costs. For Vision support call (877) 601-9083.
Displaced members may see an appropriate out-of-network provider at in-network benefit levels and may replace medical equipment and supplies, if needed. · Misplaced identification cards can be printed at blueshieldca.com, and members can access their I.D. cards digitally on our app.

Additional information

For fire status updates and locations, please visit CalFire.

Be informed. Learn about the air quality in your group’s area and encourage your clients to do so as well - https://www.airnow.gov.