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Blue Shield of California is negotiating in good faith with University of California Health (UC Health) and Hoag Clinic and facilities. The negotiations include provider groups, professional services, and facilities, with current contracts scheduled to expire June 30, 2025 . While negotiations are ongoing, Blue Shield is informing you of these negotiations at this time, as required 60-days notifications to impacted commercial HMO members will begin May 1, 2025 . Panels have been closed to disallow members from newly selecting a PCP with these provider groups. Find a Doctor will be updated with banner messages (est. 5/17) advising of the pending network change. For More Information or Help Quoting Blue Shield, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

Covered California for Small Business wants to assure brokers that the Scripps Health network remains accessible through plans offered via CCSB. Please remind your groups and clients and ensure they are aware of this when discussing coverage options. While the announcement indicates that Scripps Health is not a participating provider in Anthem’s plans sold through Covered California, they want to assure you that the Scripps network remains accessible through plans offered via Covered California for Small Business. For More Information or Help Quoting CCSB, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

Health Net offers value added benefits and wellness programs, included at no extra cost for members. These resources are designed to help with a variety of everyday concern whether it’s managing mental health, living a healthier lifestyle, referrals to legal aid, housing or other challenges. Health Net’s wellness programs connect you with professionals trained to help with both large and small issues. Click Here For More Informaiton For More Information or Help Quoting Health Net, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

Humana has announced that effective May 1st the implant rider is available on Humana’s PPO and TRP dental plans with five or more enrolled employees. This does not apply to their unlimited plan plans where the implant rider is available to 10 or more enrolled employees. The availability of the implant rider to groups with five or more enrolled employees makes Humana more attractive to your clients who want to offer a full-service dental plan to their employees. For More Information or Help Quoting Humanan, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

On May 15, 2025, the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department (collectively, the “Agencies”) released a statement regarding the Agencies’ recent request for abeyance of a lawsuit filed by the ERISA Industry Committee (“ERIC”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that challenged certain aspects of Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) Final Rule (“2024 Final Rule”) relating to nonquantitative treatment limitation comparative analyses (“NQTL analyses”). While the lawsuit is in abeyance, the Agencies indicted that they intend to review the 2024 Final Rule in light of President Trump’s recent Executive Order 14219 (“Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency Deregulatory Initiative”) which requires the Agencies to identify regulations which, among other things, may impose undue burdens on small businesses or significant costs on private parties. During this time, the Agencies will consider whether the 2024 Final Rule will be rescinded or modified through agency regulatory processes, including notice and comment periods. The statement also expresses the Agencies’ policy that the 2024 Final Rule will not be enforced prior to 18 months following the end of the ERIC lawsuit. As set forth in the statement, this only applies to provisions of the 2024 Final Rule that were added since the 2013 MHPAEA final rule was implemented by the Agencies. It does NOT impact the statutory provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“CAA 2021”) which imposes written MHPAEA comparative analyses on plan sponsors. Accordingly, employers are still required to maintain written NQTL analyses pursuant to the CAA 2021; however, the comparative analyses will not include some of the data collection, design and application, and fiduciary certification requirements included in the 2024 Final Rule at this time. To Read More Click Here

Anthem Blue Cross and Scripps Health have agreed to a commercial contract, effective retroactively to January 1, 2025. Ongoing discussions resulted in the successful negotiation of this contract. Scripps Health includes the entities listed below: Hospitals- 050424 - Scripps Green Hospital 050503 - Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas 50324 - Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla 050077 - Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego 005520 - Scripps Mercy Chula Vista Other Entities- HMO Medical Groups Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines (AAB) Scripps Coastal Medical Center Hillcrest (ABA) PPO Medical Groups* Scripps Clinic Scripps Coastal Medical Center *Note: The PPO MA is on an LOA which was NOT included in the hard term Anthem has initiated the process to notify all parties who received a hospital termination letter (members, clients, brokers, agents-ABC*, physicians, and HMO groups). *ABC communications (via Broker News and Employer Access) and letter copies will be shared when the mailing is underway. The Scripps Health HMO Medical Groups are available to all members for prospective enrollment by contacting Anthem using the toll-free customer service number, 1-844-971-0117, OR the toll-free member services number on their current ID card. For More Information or Help Quoting Anthem, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

Protect ACA Subsidies: There is a potential reduction in ACA subsidies on the horizon. NABIP has organized an advocacy campaign, and they need agents to participate. Congress is considering the Healthcare Affordability Act (H.R. 247 / S. 46) , which would permanently extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits , which expire at the end of 2025. If this legislation is not passed, the impact will be swift and severe for your clients, your business, and the broader health insurance marketplace. If these credits vanish, millions of Americans will see their premiums spike or lose coverage altogether. Clients you've helped enroll in affordable plans could be priced out overnight, seriously undermining your ability to serve and support them. The Healthcare Affordability Act would protect and improve affordability by: • Setting a 0% premium contribution for households earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level • Maintaining the existing income-based sliding scale for households between 150% and 400% • Eliminating the subsidy cliff by extending credits to those earning over 400%, capped at 8.5% of income These provisions have already helped more than 20 million Americans access affordable coverage since 2021. Without action, that progress is at risk. The result? Higher uninsured rates, disrupted care, and a destabilized individual market affect every professional in our field. As trusted experts in health benefits, you understand these stakes better than anyone. Now, Congress needs to hear from you. To Read More Click Here