Employee Benefits Review

Unique Opportunity for Healthcare Savings for Companies with Five to 50 Benefits-Eligible Employees

With the full implementation of the health care reform law fast approaching on January 1, 2014, the market for small groups (2-50 employees) is shifting considerably. Major California carriers such as Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net and United Healthcare are making extraordinary offers of guaranteed rate concessions for groups with as few as five enrolled employees.

The current special rating program guarantees "lowest possible" small group premiums (rate adjustment factor = 0.90) to qualifying groups, with no health questionnaires required.  This is truly a unique opportunity for small firms to lock in lower medical plan rates for the next 12 months.

To illustrate, in September of 2011 we completed an employee benefits audit for a Bay Area law firm. At the time they had five employees enrolled with Anthem Blue Cross with a rate adjustment of 1.10 ("standard" rates plus 10%). Per the current special rating program, Blue Shield will now guarantee that same firm a rate adjustment factor of .90 ("standard" rates minus 10%), which accounts for an 18% reduction in fees with no health questionnaires required.

Please contact your DZH Phillips CPA if you would like to initiate a review of your current health insurance program.  As a no-cost service to our clients, DZH Phillips will provide a professional "second opinion" on your current employee benefit program to determine if your group can benefit from this special rating opportunity.