Rising medical costs, expensive prescription drugs and hospital consolidation are driving premiums higher. But are insurance companies simply taking advantage of small businesses? Many California small businesses are experiencing substantial increases in their group medical insurance premiums. Renewal increases of 15%, 20%, 30% or even more are becoming increasingly common. [...]
The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) recently released its 2026 Regional Market Report on Los Angeles County. The report provides a detailed look at how the Los Angeles health care system has changed since CHCF’s previous study in 2020–21. While much of the report focuses on Medi-Cal and the [...]
Health Net has announced that it is ending its California commercial group health insurance business. This includes both small business and large group medical plans. If your company's Health Net medical plan is scheduled to terminate on February 28, 2027, now is the time to begin planning for replacement [...]
Business owners often ask how to select the best broker for their company's group medical insurance plan. If you search online, you'll find hundreds of articles that recommend looking for a broker who can analyze claims, negotiate rates with insurance companies, develop a multi-year cost-management strategy, or reduce premiums [...]
Some small California employers (1-100 employees) that offer medical insurance coverage through Sutter Health Plan have received 4th Quarter 2025 rate increases of 50%. I have been a health insurance agent/broker since 1993, and I have never seen a rate increase like the one that Sutter has delivered. Sutter [...]
Medical, dental and vision insurance paid for employees by the business are fully tax-deductible business expenses for Federal and California State income taxes. Is health insurance tax deductible? Business owners can also deduct the premiums they pay for medical, dental and vision insurance, but they take the deduction on [...]
Kaiser Permanente group medical insurance covers more people in California than any other insurance company. One challenge, however, is when members move out of California, such as when young adults go off to college, it is difficult to access care. Thankfully, Kaiser health insurance now offers their “care away from [...]
NOTE: The answer to this question requires compliance with both the HIPAA Nondiscrimination Requirements and the IRS Section 125 Nondiscrimination Rules. IRS Nondiscrimination Rules apply when employees make pre-tax paycheck contributions for employee benefits using a Section 125 Premium Only Plan (POP). If you are a client of Benefits [...]
What is “Open Enrollment” and Why is it Important for Group Medical Insurance Plans Details on Open Enrollment and Group Medical Insurance Plans We often get asked when employees can enroll in a company’s health, dental or vision plan and why can’t they enroll at any time of [...]
We often get calls from disgruntled business owners and HR people who are upset with their current employee-benefits insurance broker and are looking for an alternative. There are many reasons you may want to change your company’s “Broker of Record” (the technical term for changing your agent) for group medical, [...]