For individual California health insurance shoppers, an independent authorized agency like Vitality offers the widest range of the best and most affordable California health insurance plans to choose from. The same holds true for group health insurance California business shoppers looking for the best and most affordable group health coverage strategies from industry leaders like California Blue Cross company Anthem and Blue Shield of California!

In previous articles here at the Vitality Blog we’ve discussed the three group health plan portfolios – EmployeeElect, EmployeeChoice, and BeneFits – Anthem Blue Cross offers the marketplace. Today we’d like to begin our review of the Blue Shield of California group health plan strategies being offered to the group health plan marketplace.

If you’ve reviewed Anthem’s group health plans, you may note some similar themes in the Blue Shield offerings of PlanSelect and Suite Deal plan portfolios:   EmployeeElect has the ability to offer a lot of plan options; likewise PlanSelect features a wide array of plan strategies that range from PPO, POS to HSA-compatible and HMO. EmployeeChoice offers fewer plans but still provides the business owner with the power of choice when it comes to health coverage strategy options. So too the Suite Deal portfolio – which offers a reduced employee participation rate of 65% -  with its field of plan options down to 11 (of 13). Not sure you want to wade through all the plan options contained in the PlanSelect portfolio but still want a range of plan options to choose from? Suite Deal is for you!

PlanSelect features:

• The ability to pick one or (many!) more plan strategies from amongst 32 health plans!
• An array of plan options that range from Blue Shield HMO plans, an exciting variety of PPO plans, one of the largest collections of available HSA-compatible health plans in the industry, and two other options: The highly cost effective Active Choice First Dollar Plans and a Point of Service (POS) plan that delivers the convenience and predictable costs of a Blue Shield HMO with access to Blue Shield’s extensive PPO provider network.
• Pick the number you’re comfortable with for your employer contribution: You can pick a flat dollar amount minimum of $100 per enrolled employee or a minimum of 50% of total employee rates.
• Blue Shield even helps you categorize how these potential plan choices might work out:

o   A category of ‘most affordables’ that includes both Shield Spectrum PPO Value plans as well as Shield Savings HSA plans.

o   Plans with the richest or most generous benefits including the Shield Spectrum PPO Premier plans and the Access+ HMO Plan 15.

o   Plans with benefits employees are most likely to use, featuring the Active Choice Plan 750 SG and the Shield Spectrum PPO Plan 1000 – low deductible and a low rate – an all-around winner!

o   The plan strategies that put your employees in charge of the health care dollars they spend: The collection of Shield Savings HSA plans!

The Suite Deal plan portfolio features:

• A reduced participation requirement of 65% of employees.
• A suite of health plans offering a clear, concise set of choices for employee health coverage.
• An ability to also offer the Suite Deal medical plan package in conjunction with another carrier’s HMO.
• Easy flat dollar amount or percentage contribution from employer as with PlanSelect!

Suite Deal plans feature:

o   Affordable standard PPO plan option along with Shield Spectrum Value plan options.

o   The affordable and innovative range of Shield Savings HSA plans.

o   HMO plan strategies that deliver simplicity and predictable health care expenditures for the employee.

Seeking a 360^o health and life coverage approach for your employees? You can easily add affordable dental, vision, and term life insurance benefits to the Blue Shield medical plans you’ve read about here today! These add-ons are proven winners with employees who have been shown to use and appreciate these additional benefits. Happy, healthy employees are a boost to your company’s productivity – it’s a win-win for your business and your valued employee team! Remember too: Industry leader Blue Shield always provides important value added features like a strong provider network and great free health and wellness benefits to help your employees stay fit and pursue healthy lifestyle choices that ultimately saves your business and the employees money!

Another winning scenario for your business: The experience, expertise, and innovation the Vitality California health insurance team brings to the process of helping you create the health coverage strategy that is uniquely right for your company. Along with our Total Quality client services, our quotes for group health insurance California plans are always free! For more information or to get started on new, cost saving health plan strategies today, please contact us via the Vitality website or call us toll free at 800-607-1950.