It’s no secret that employee benefits can be expensive and managing costs is more important than ever. CaliforniaChoice is a small business health exchange that helps you save money on health care, and offer more choices than any single health plan.

Whether you want to retain your current employees or are recruiting for open positions, offering employee benefits can make all the difference. The MetLife 2021 Employee Benefits Trends Study – the first to look at employee and employer expectations in a pandemic-affected world – found several important trends to consider, including:

• Employees want a holistic wellbeing protected by employers (72% say safety and protection are more important now than ever before)
• Employers need to adapt to a flexible workplace (creative solutions are needed to foster collaboration – and employees who have flexibility are 86% more productive)
• Benefit approaches must change to meet employee needs (80% say workplace benefits can play an important role in putting them on a path toward a more resilient future)

Health Insurance Valued by Employees

According to employee surveys – year after year – one of the most valued and appreciated employee benefits is health insurance. In the MetLife survey, health insurance ranked at the top of employees’ prioritized benefits list – with 85% considering it a “must have” and 10% saying it’s nice to have; just four percent said it was unneeded. A 401(k) or other plan ranked second, with 78% calling it a “must-have” benefit.

Controlling Your Costs

If you are looking for ways to help you keep your best workers, and attract new employees, the right benefits can help. With CaliforniaChoice, you can you can set your employee benefits cost to fit within your budget and give your employees the freedom to select a health plan that fits their needs.

Through CaliforniaChoice’s Defined Contribution, you choose a Fixed Percentage of costs (from 50% to 100%) for a specific plan and/or benefit, or you can choose a Fixed Dollar Amount for each employee. (Your contribution must be the same for all employees.) Your employees then apply your contribution to whichever health plan and benefits they prefer. If your employees select a plan that costs more than your contribution, they simply pays the difference.

When you renew your CaliforniaChoice coverage for your employees, you have the option to adjust your employer contribution – up or down – giving you complete control over what you spend on employee benefits for another year.

CaliforniaChoice offers 75+ coverage options from nine different health plans across California. One employee might select an Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plan from Anthem Blue Cross, Oscar, or Cigna + Oscar, while another chooses an HMO from Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, or UnitedHealthcare. A third employee might select coverage from a regional plan like Sutter Health Plus, Western Health Advantage, or Sharp Health Plan.

Not Just Great Coverage

As you compare health coverage options for your employees, it is important you look at the “big picture.” Beyond the HMO, PPO, EPO, and High Deductible Health Plan options, and the provider networks offered by those plans, CaliforniaChoice offers you and your employees access to valuable extras through the Member Value Suite and Business Solutions Suite – both at no cost.

These programs include discount health and wellness services, savings on movies, theme parks, water parks, sporting events, travel, museums, aquariums, zoos, and retail, home education and audiobooks, a prescription drug card that can often reduce your out-of-pocket costs to less than your Rx co-pay with insurance, and more. Depending on your group size, your organization may also qualify for a Premium Only Plan, Flexible Spending Account, and COBRA billing services at no charge.

Finding a Broker Is Easy

If you are not already working with a health insurance agent, or if yours does not specialize in employee benefits, visit the “Find a Broker” section of the MyCalChoice website. The services of a broker will not cost you anything – and using one could actually save you both time and money.