Continue earning more with these extended bonus programs
We are pleased to announce two of our Producer Rewards programs have been extended through 2024 – the Small Business Incentive Program and our Direct Elite Rewards.
- The Small Business Incentive Program is an easy way – with one-point equaling one dollar – to earn when enrolling members. An updated program flyer is available now.
- The Direct Elite Rewards program gives direct-selling brokers $100 per member for new small business membership coming direct to Blue Shield. See our updated 2024 flyer here for additional details.
For 2024 rewards programs, commission schedules, and a payout calendar visit the Broker Connection
Rewards and Commissions page (authentication required).
Blue Shield president and CEO Paul Markovich talks industry priorities for 2024 and beyond
Blue Shield’s Paul Markovich took the stage recently at the J.P Morgan Healthcare Conference for a discussion and Q&A with leading healthcare executives on prioritizing the issues facing the industry.
He opened by sharing what he believes to be two fundamental reasons for the industry’s deficiencies:
- Health care is unaffordable, and prices continue to rise at astronomical rates.
- The healthcare system is deeply unpopular in this country, and only becoming more so.
“We are going to hit a tipping point,” Markovich said. “The fundamental question that will be asked: Are you a part of the problem, or are you a part of the solution?”
You can read the full article
here and on our
News Center.
Back to our regularly scheduled updates, with new EET features coming soon
Annual Open Enrollment is wrapping up and we are returning to our regular schedule of launching new Employer Enrollment Tool (EET) features and system enhancements – built and implemented to improve your user experience.
Up next is a Thursday, February 15 update including:
- Group contacts: You will be able to update, remove, or add all group contact types. Watch the tutorial video here.
- Terminate employees in bulk: Submit multiple subscriber cancellations in just one transaction. Use the tool to select the subscribers, or use the Excel template, and upload to the tool. Tutorial available here.
- New EET User Guide: Download the updated version here.
System updates include:
- Second writing producer access: Brokers listed as the second writing producer on a group's contract will have the same editing capabilities as the first writing producer and general agent.
- Automatically provisioned access: You will not need to request access.
- Loss of coverage: For member plan changes, loss of coverage will be available to select as a qualifying event.
- Cancel reason update: For dependents, only cancelations have been updated to reflect dependent scenarios from the prior employee cancel reasons.
- Group name change: New document will be required for comprehensive group name change. Changes that fall into the comprehensive change level will now require the following four documents for the pend review:
- IRS documentation of new name and EIN; or W9 or SS-4.
- Payroll or W4 for all employees.
- Documentation supporting the change.
- Examples include purchase, merger, or partnership agreement, corporate documentation.
- Applications and refusals.
- Note: This is for new employees only, if applicable.
To avoid disruption, we ask that you
do not access the EET from 8 p.m. on February 15 to 3 a.m. on February 16 PST. Another reminder will be sent closer to the release date.
FYI: Coverage termination requests updated to within 60 days
Our 2024 Small Business Plan Administrator’s Guide includes new timelines for coverage changes and cancellations. Now, cancellation requests must be submitted within 60 days of the termination date. Plan administrators can easily cancel employee and dependent coverage once enrolled on Employer Connection.
Additionally, groups eligible for Cal-COBRA will need to submit the Cal-COBRA Employer Notification of Qualifying Events form within 60 days. Review the full Plan Administrator’s Guide on Broker Connection here, with page 15 feature cancellation information.
New on-demand webinars and pro tips for your enrollments
Digital enrollments are the future of our business. We continually work to refine our systems and processes while providing the support you need to master our digital tools. Moving forward, Employer Enrollment Tool (EET) training content will be shifted away from live webinars in favor of on-demand instructional videos.
New on-demand videos will start with basic information (like navigation and essential actions) before expanding to cover all features of the tool. Bookmark our video library on Vimeo to access all training and tutorial videos in one place.
Our new tool FAQ is full of pro tips curated from months of your usage and feedback – everything from trending questions we receive to obscure exception scenarios are included. Access the FAQ document here.
The EET guide now covers new features launched this month as well as updates to existing sections. Download the updated guide or find it on the dedicated resource page.
We appreciate your continued use of our digital tools and your feedback as we tailor our services to fit your needs.
Your Q2 2024 cycle launch recap!
Here you’ll find the essentials of the cycle launch, with the full alert available here.
Rates available now: We are pleased to announce the Q2 2024 rate book is now available on the dedicated Rates page of Broker Connection. Our second-quarter 2024 rate action is a statewide average of 2.0%. Closed rate books and more information about our rates can be found on Broker Connection Small Business rates.
April, May, and June renewals: Groups renewing in April, May, and June are available now through Shield Renewals. Group-level changes can now be made using Small Group Online Renewal (SGOR). To review exact renewal and enrollment dates for Q2, plus enrollment materials and updated rates books, visit our Renewal Center page on Broker Connection.
Group renewal information is available as a microsite for each group, and these can be accessed through Shield Renewals. You can also access the medical choice chart option, (which provides information about your clients’ current and new plan rate) to buy up or buy down and check if Trio or Tandem is available. The choice chart will include the rate differential if you choose to move your client.
Tools for the trusted advisor: 1095s, Broker Chat, and EyeMed
Being a subject matter expert for your clients is fundamental to your work and, when the subject is Blue Shield of California, we want to ensure you are always prepared.
- 1095s: Blue Shield of California mailed IRS 1095-B forms on January 23, 2024, to fully insured subscribers who resided in CA, full-time or part-time, in 2023. This form is also available to subscribers and eligible plan members when logged in to their Blue Shield account. 1095-B’s are for individuals to validate health coverage when filing state and federal taxes.
- Live Agent Chat is available now: You can solve your client’s challenges, upload supporting documentation, and get help navigating our self-service capabilities with our secure chat platform. Watch this chat demonstration video for more info. Our team is available 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST Monday to Friday.
- Digital member ID cards are now available for download and to forward directly to your clients. This self-serve option is available from your online Client List after you log in to Broker Connection. Click here for further guidance on the process.
- EyeMed became the administrator of all Blue Shield of California vision plans on 1/1/24. Members will continue to have access to national retailers and the Vision Member Service number (877-601-9083) will remain the same. Read the full article on the transition from our December 2023 newsletter.
- Doing business with Blue Shield of California: resources for our Small Business brokers.
- The Contact Sales & Support page on Broker Connection lets you to easily find the dedicated Account Executive and Sales Executive in each region.
- Small business plan documents (SOB, SBC, EOC) for medical plans, pharmacy plans, dental plans, and life insurance plans are available in one location for each line of business.
- The Blue Shield News Center is your go-to source for the latest news and services from Blue Shield of California. Stay up to date by following us on LinkedIn and subscribe here to have News Center alerts delivered directly to your inbox.