Finding the right health insurance for your employees can be a challenge, especially when you’re trying to balance your budget with the different needs of your team. That’s where CaliforniaChoice can make a difference.

What Is CaliforniaChoice?

For more than 30 years, CaliforniaChoice has helped California small businesses offer employee health benefits with more choice, flexibility, and cost control. Instead of putting everyone into one health plan, CaliforniaChoice gives employees access to 7 leading health plans and 100+ coverage options through one program.

Why Small Businesses With 1–20 Employees Choose CaliforniaChoice

Here are five reasons small businesses with 1-20 employees choose CaliforniaChoice for employee health insurance

1. Choice of 7 Health Plans: HMO, PPO, and HSA Options

Your employees aren’t all the same. They have different doctors, families, budgets, and health care needs. With CaliforniaChoice, employees can choose from a variety of HMO, PPO, and HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans, depending on what’s available in their area.

For example, one employee may want a PPO because a preferred doctor is in that network. Another may prefer an HMO with a lower premium. Someone else may want an HSA-compatible plan to pair with a Health Savings Account.

CaliforniaChoice includes plans from:

• Anthem Blue Cross
• Health Net
• Kaiser Permanente
• Sharp Health Plan
• Sutter Health Plan
• UnitedHealthcare
• Western Health Advantage

Plan availability varies by location, but the goal is simple. Give employees more ways to find coverage that works for them.

2. Defined Contribution for a Predictable Benefits Budget

One of the biggest challenges of offering employee health insurance is knowing how much it will cost your business. CaliforniaChoice offers a Defined Contribution model that gives you more control over your employer contribution.

You can choose to contribute a fixed dollar amount or percentage toward coverage, based on the many options available through the program. You can structure your contribution around a specific plan, coverage tier, benefit level, all eligible plans, or the lowest-cost plan. Employees then use your contribution toward the coverage they select. If they choose an option that costs more than your contribution, they pay the difference through payroll deduction. Your contribution can also be reviewed and adjusted at renewal, helping you plan your employee benefits budget from year to year.

3. Optional Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance Coverage

Health insurance is important, but employees often want more than Health coverage. CaliforniaChoice gives employers access to optional benefits that can help round out an employee benefits package, including:

• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Chiropractic and Acupuncture coverage
• Life and AD&D insurance

Adding voluntary benefits can give employees more ways to personalize their coverage while helping you build a more competitive benefits package.

4. Prescription, Fitness, and Pre-Tax Savings Programs

CaliforniaChoice also offers value-added programs that can provide savings beyond traditional Health insurance. Depending on your program, you and your employees can access benefits and discounts such as:

• Prescription savings through the California Rx Card, with potential savings of up to 80%
• Discounted pet insurance through MetLife and Spot
• Fitness savings, including gym memberships for $28 per month and discounts on select fitness products
• Hearing care savings on services and products
• Cal Perks savings on entertainment, travel, theme parks, sporting events, and more
• Premium Only Plans (POPs) that allow eligible employees to pay certain insurance premiums on a pre-tax basis
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for eligible groups with 15+ employees

These extras can add value to your benefits package without necessarily requiring your business to pay for each benefit.

5. Employee-Paid Voluntary Benefits at No Cost to You

Some employees may want additional protection beyond their health care. Through the CaliforniaChoice Member Marketplace, employees can also choose voluntary benefits such as Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, and Legal Plans.

These benefits are employee-paid, so there is no additional premium cost to your business. It’s another way to give employees more flexibility to build a benefits package around their individual needs.

One Bill, One Website, One Program to Manage Benefits

More choices for employees don’t have to mean more work for you. CaliforniaChoice brings Health and optional benefits together through one program, with one bill, one website, and one place to manage your group coverage. And you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

Your broker can help you compare your options, build a contribution strategy, and find coverage that fits your business and employees. If you don’t already have a broker, we make it easy to connect with one here.