Survey: How COVID-19 is Transforming Northern California Small Business Health Insurance Needs

To learn how COVID-19 has impacted the health of Northern California small businesses, and how they’re thinking about the health of their employees, The Harris Poll on behalf of Cigna + Oscar conducted a survey of over 1,000 U.S. health insurance decision-makers.

Insights from The Survey of San Francisco Business Owners:

• 63% have furloughed or laid off staff.
• 89% say employee health and well-being is more important.
• 78% say that providing health insurance to employees is a higher priority.
• 70% are considering/unsure about changing their health insurer.

To address your clients' needs and optimize your sales efforts, access the survey for more detailed insights.

Bonus Programs

Increase your earning potential with the Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) and Kaiser Permanente bonus programs. Plus, combine them to earn even more!

CCSB "A Partnership That Pays" Bonus
Place new CCSB small group business (July 1, 2020 – January 1, 2021 effective dates) and earn up to an $8,000 bonus per group, in addition to competitive commissions. You’ll earn $1,000 for groups with as few as six enrolled employees and up to $8,000 for groups with 51-100 enrolled employees. Best of all, the bonus is per group with no maximum number of groups!

Kaiser Permanente Small Group Broker Bonus
Earn a $100 bonus per enrolled subscriber for all new groups sold (December 1, 2020 - January 1, 2021 effective dates).

Learn more and view some examples.

Vision Benefits Update

UnitedHealthcare's Flexible Vision Network
Includes 66 retail chains that offer convenient evening and weekend hours. Plus, many of the retail stores offer consumer discounts, on-going promotions, and a large inventory.

Enhanced Maternity and Pediatric Vision Benefits 
Additional maternity and pediatric vision benefits are included at no extra cost to members.

Online Vision Providers: Warby Parker and GlassesUSA.com

• Warby Parker is a network option for UHC members to purchase eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, or contact lenses with vision benefits.
• Glassesusa.com offers over 7,000 styles of glasses and sunglasses, including well-known designer brands and established house brands. Ultraviolet, anti-reflective (anti-glare), and scratch-resistant coatings are included at no additional cost. Members can use the Virtual Try-On to see how the glasses fit.

Learn more about UnitedHealthcare's vision plans and benefits.

Section 125 POP Promotion

To help employees save on insurance premiums, offer your groups a FlexSystem Premium Only Plan (POP) and take advantage of the discounted set-up fee of $100 ($165 regular price) through Thanksgiving!

Under Section 125, a POP allows employer-sponsored premiums to be paid by the employee on a pre-tax basis —resulting in tax savings for the employer and employee. It’s a perfect solution for employers who don’t want to offer a Full Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Plan, but want to offer a tax savings benefit to employees. Learn more.

And The Winners Are...

We hope you had a fun Halloween! Our Claremont staff had a virtual Halloween party including a pumpkin decorating contest. Check out the winning entries!

Get The Latest News with Text Messaging!

Your success is important to us, and we’re actively working on new solutions to support you throughout the year. To get the latest news via text messaging in the future, simply provide your cell phone number here.

As always, we'll keep you informed about healthcare issues and news affecting you and your clients. Our knowledgeable team is here to help you succeed.

Questions?
Contact your Claremont team at 800.696.4543 or info@claremontcompanies.com.