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Covered California for Small Business –
New Blue Shield Plans

Starting July 1, Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) is offering new Blue Shield plans, providing more options for enrollees. These plans include the Access+ HMO Network with Platinum, Gold, and Silver metal tier options, as well as the Bronze Trio HMO 7000/70. The two most popular Blue Shield High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP), Silver Full PPO Savings 2300/25% and Bronze Full PPO Savings 7000 plans, are also now available.

All of these plans offer benefits such as Wellvolution, Teladoc Mental Health, Nurse Help 24/7, LifeReferrals 24/7, and the Blue Card program for when members are outside of California.

For assistance, please contact our Quotes team at quotes@claremontcompanies.com or 800.696.4543.

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Should clients contribute to their HSA before contributing to their 401K or IRA?

There are compelling reasons to do exactly that:

  • An HSA is triple tax-advantaged – contributions, earnings, and withdrawals are generally tax-free, whereas with traditional retirement accounts (401K, IRA) only two of those three are tax-free.
  • The funds are portable should the account holder change employers.
  • Funds can be used to pay qualified expenses for spouse and tax dependents.
  • Funds can be used to pay for Medicare premiums and qualified long-term care premiums.
  • Even if funds need to be withdrawn in an emergency for non-medical expenses, the penalty (only if prior to age 65) and tax consequences are the same as for traditional retirement accounts.

There is one situation where the decision becomes a bit more difficult. That is if the employer offers a matching contribution to a traditional retirement account. It’s tough to turn down that “free money.”

As with all matters related to tax and finance, it is strongly recommended that you do not provide advice unless you are certified to do so. That said, if you are not a tax or finance professional, you could certainly encourage your clients to solicit the professional opinion of their tax or financial advisor on this matter.

Please note that this FAQ is meant to be informational only. It is not tax advice and Claremont Insurance Services is not a tax advisor.

Resources
Employee Benefit News recently published two helpful articles: “The Case for an HSA-First Investment Strategy” and “How HSA Savings Can Be Used for Long-Term Care in Retirement.”

In our library, you’ll find carrier forms, applications, enrollment kits, broker bonuses, marketing resources, and more (video tutorial). However, not all carrier forms are available online.

If you don’t find what you are looking for, contact our team for help at 800.696.4543 or materials@claremontcompanies.com.