Hiring isn’t easy right now. With California unemployment holding around 5.4% in early 2026, great employees have options. They are looking beyond just a paycheck. In an age where health insurance is expected, employers who offer extra benefits are getting employees’ attention.
Why Ancillary Benefits Matter in Today’s Workforce
Today’s workforce spans multiple generations and they all want flexibility. In fact, 61% of employees say supplemental benefits are part of their financial plan. That means offering just medical coverage may not be enough to stand out.
How CaliforniaChoice Works for Small Business Employers
CaliforniaChoice helps you offer more without losing control of your budget. Here’s how:
- You set your contribution (no surprise cost spikes)
- You choose coverage levels (from 10% to 40% cost-sharing)
- Employees pick what works for them (HMO, PPO, or HSA plans)
- Access to 7 top health plans with diverse doctor networks
The result? More choice for employees. More cost control for you.
With CaliforniaChoice, your employees have options.
- Statewide options
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Health Net
- Kaiser Permanente
- UnitedHealthcare
- Regional options
- Sutter Health Plan and Western Health Advantage (Northern and Central California)
- Sharp Health Plan (San Diego)
What Ancillary Benefits Does CaliforniaChoice Offer?
CaliforniaChoice makes it easy to expand your benefits package with options employees actually use:
- Dental (DHMO and PPO options)
- Vision (eye exams, glasses, contacts)
- Life & AD&D Insurance
- Chiropractic care (including acupuncture)
You decide whether to contribute. Or, offer them as voluntary, employee-paid benefits.
Ancillary and Supplemental Benefits
Easily add optional benefits for Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, and Life Insurance.
| Benefit | What’s included |
|---|---|
| Dental | MetLife DHMO — $5 office visits with no charge for oral exams, x-rays, and two cleanings per year. |
| SmileSaverSM DHMO — office visits, oral exams, x-rays, and two free cleanings per year. | |
| Ameritas PPO — low deductibles with the freedom to visit any dental provider, in- or out-of-network. | |
| Vision | Voluntary Vision Program — comprehensive vision benefits including prescription eyewear. |
| Chiropractic | Landmark Healthplan — chiropractic benefits including examinations, adjustments, and acupuncture. |
| Life & AD&D | Assurity Life Insurance Company — coverage from $10,000 to $100,000, including Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) and a living benefits provision. |
What is Supplemental Coverage and How Does it Help Employees?
Supplemental coverage fills the financial gaps that medical insurance leaves behind — helping employees cover out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays, and expenses
from unexpected events like accidents or serious illness. Through the CaliforniaChoice Member Marketplace, employees can also choose:
- Accident insurance
- Critical illness coverage
- Hospital indemnity plans
- Legal services
These plans help cover out-of-pocket costs that medical insurance doesn’t, giving employees extra financial protection when they need it most.
Built-In Value At No Extra Cost
CaliforniaChoice even includes perks that support both your business and your team:
- Pre-tax savings with FSA and Premium Only Plans (POP)
- COBRA administration at no cost
- Prescription savings (up to 80%, often lowering costs to less than the Rx copay)
- Discounts on fitness, travel, entertainment, and more
- Pet insurance savings and wellness perks
It’s a full benefits experience, not just a health plan.
Ready to Offer More?
Talk to your broker to see how CaliforniaChoice can help you combine health, ancillary, and supplemental benefits into one simple solution. If you don’t have a broker, you can search for one at MyCalChoice.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are ancillary benefits?
Ancillary benefits are supplemental insurance products offered alongside a primary Medical plan. They can include Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Disability insurance. Sometimes they can include additional products, too — like Accident, Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and other coverage. These plans can help employees cover costs and health needs that standard Medical plans may not cover (or may cover but still leave out-of-pocket costs for employees).
These added plans may be employer-paid or paid for entirely by employees. Sometimes, the costs are shared by the employer and employees, giving businesses flexibility in how to structure their benefits program.
What is the difference between ancillary and supplemental benefits?
Ancillary benefits are the add-on insurance products bundled with a Group Medical plan — like Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, and Life Insurance. Supplemental benefits are a subset of Ancillary coverage that employees choose individually to protect against specific financial risks, such as Accident, Critical Illness, or Hospital Indemnity plans. In short: all Supplemental benefits are Ancillary, but not all Ancillary benefits are Supplemental.
Can small businesses in California afford to offer ancillary benefits?
Yes. Ancillary benefits are one of the most cost-effective ways for small businesses to strengthen their benefits package. With CaliforniaChoice, you set a fixed contribution toward Medical coverage and can offer Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, and Life Insurance as voluntary, employee-paid benefits. That means there’s no added cost for you as the employer. Employees pay their premiums through payroll deduction, often at group rates lower than what they’d pay on their own.
What ancillary benefits does CaliforniaChoice offer?
CaliforniaChoice offers Dental (MetLife DHMO, SmileSaver DHMO, and Ameritas PPO), Vision, and Chiropractic Care including Acupuncture through Landmark Healthplan. Life and AD&D insurance through Assurity Life Insurance Company is also available from $10,000 to $100,000.
Through the CaliforniaChoice Member Marketplace, employees can add Accident Insurance, Critical Illness coverage, and Hospital Indemnity plans as well as Legal Services.
Do ancillary benefits count as part of a group health plan in California?
Ancillary benefits like Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance are separate from your Group Medical plan — they complement it rather than replace it. In California, Small Group Medical plans must comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Essential Health Benefits requirements. Ancillary products have their own coverage rules and can be added or removed independently. With CaliforniaChoice, both your Group Medical and Ancillary benefits are managed through one platform, one bill, and one point of contact.
