News
The Latest Carrier Updates, Legal Alerts, Industry News and more.
Blue Shield Virtual Blue, Colonial Life Plan Takeover, Health Net and UHS Contract Update, Humana Vision, KP Plus, SHARP Health New 4-Tier Rx Benefit
Thursday, October 16 2025

Carrier Updates
Blue Shield announced starting January 1, 2026 all Small Group Off-Exchange PPO plans will now have virtual health care through the Virtual Blue program benefits, replacing Teladoc and NurseHelp 24/7 upon renewal. A notice of this change will be communicated to members who have utilized Teladoc and/or NurseHelp 24/7 in the past 12 months. Additional virtual care features include: • Preventive care: Connect to primary care healthcare professionals (MDs/DOs), often with a same-day appointment. • Specialist care: Specialists available in 20 specialties, appointments confirmed within three days. • Dedicated 24/7 Care Team: Doctors, behavioral health providers, nurses, and health coaches available to connect around the clock. More Details Click Here For More Information or Help Quoting Blue Sheld, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Representative.

Carrier Updates
Colonial Life is now offering a 2025 Takeover Package, where you can effortlessly transfer policies to Colonial Life while creating immediate value for employers and employees. Eliminate gaps in coverage, reduce administrative burdens and deliver enhanced benefits through a simplified, turnkey approach. Colonial Life developed a streamlined solution designed to help you: • Respond quickly when brokers are facing benefit or service challenges • Deliver strong, competitive value with minimal disruption • Maintain and strengthen the relationships you’ve worked hard to build See Full Details Click Here For More Information or Help Quoting Colonial Life, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Representative.

Carrier Updates
Health Net and Universal Health System (UHS) have reached an agreement to remain an in-network provider in their current participating networks. The following hospitals are owned and operated by UHS and are part of this agreement. The new contract is through October 10, 2028. • Corona Regional Medical Center • Palmdale Regional Medical Center • Rancho Spring Hospital • Inland Valley Hospital • Temecula Valley Hospitals For More Information or Help Quoting Health Net, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Representative.

Carrier Updates
As the busy season gets underway Humana's vision coverage is a great option for your clients. It provides members comprehensive eye care benefits in addition to savings with low-cost eye exams plus an average of 80% off retail prices with our fixed copays and allowances. Vision Plan Features: Humana members also have more than 175,000 access points nationwide which include retail options such as Walmart, Sam's Club, Target and more. Humana's Vision PLUS plans offer a $0 annual eye exam and an additional $50 materials allowance when the member receives treatment from a PLUS provider, which is a subset of the Humana Insight Network. Please note Vision PLUS is not available in NC, OR, RI, TX and WA. For More Information or Help Quoting Humana, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Representative.

Carrier Updates
You can now cover employees inside and out with Kaiser Permanente Plus™ (KP Plus). With KP Plus, not only do employees benefit from the true value-based care, they also have the flexibility to keep their favorite out-of-network, doctors with up to 10 physician visits or outpatient medical services, and 5 prescription fills or refills annually, without the need for referrals or prior authorization. Effective January 1, 2026, Kaiser Permanente will be offering these new plans which will include Kaiser Permanente Plus in the plan name. Kaiser Permanente will still have their regular plans that do not include this out of network benefit. Balancing Affordability, Provider Flexibility, and Quality Care KP Plus uniquely addresses these needs through: Ten covered out-of-network services and five prescription refills annually without referrals Convenient, all-under-one-roof access to high-quality care Generally lower monthly rates compared to typical PPO plans A focus on accessible, often $0 copay preventive services that reduce chronic conditions and higher-cost treatments Through their unique care-and-coverage model, payers and providers work together to prioritize health outcomes for patients. This means less time and money on unnecessary tests or treatments and an emphasis on preventive and proactive care – translating to a healthier workforce and savings in the long run. With the added simplicity of working with one provider for all your employee health benefit needs, KP Plus is a competitive and great option for employees. More Information Click Here For Help Quoting Kaiser Permanaete, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Representative.

Carrier Updates
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, small group non-grandfathered plans will switch to a 4-tier prescription benefit upon renewal. We will notify your employer clients affected by this change 90 days prior to their renewal. They will have the opportunity to review all available plan options before making a decision. If they do not renew, they can disregard the notice. Please note, SHARP Health is required to notify members whose medication will move to a higher tier 60 days before their new plan for 2026 takes effect. For More Information or Help Quoting SHARP Health, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Representative.

Carrier Updates
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released Revenue Procedure 2025-32, which increases the health flexible spending account (FSA) salary reduction contribution limit to $3,400 for plan years beginning in 2026, an increase of $100 from 2025. Thus, for health FSAs with a carryover feature, the maximum carryover amount is $680 (20% of the $3,400 salary reduction limit) for plan years beginning in 2026. When carrying over funds from 2025 to 2026, 20% of the $3,300 salary reduction limit for 2025 is $660. The Revenue Procedure also contains the cost-of-living adjustments that apply to dollar limitations in certain other sections of the Internal Revenue Code. Additional information on the topics below is available within our full alert. • Qualified Commuter Parking and Mass Transit Pass Monthly Limit • ACA Reporting Penalties (Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, 1095-C) • Adoption Assistance Tax Credit Increase • Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) Increase • Reminder: 2026 HSA Contribution Limits and HDHP Deductible and Out-of-Pocket Limits For the Full Report Click Here