Insurance Forum

[insurehound]

What is going on here in CA? Anthem is purging some of their good plans and now Blue Shield doing the same? They are getting rid of most of the Shield Spectrum plans!

[DS4]

Originally Posted by insurehound

What is going on here in CA? Anthem is purging some of their good plans and now Blue Shield doing the same? They are getting rid of most of the Shield Spectrum plans!

BlueShield of Ca is closing 7 plans to new enrollment.
Do you see the common coverage component of the 7 plans being closed??
As of 3.01.10, BS of Ca will only have 3 plans that cover maternity.
The 2400HSA was the only salable plan of the bunch and with the addition of the 1800HSA, I won't miss any of them.

[scagnt83]

Thats interesting. Do you think this due to your states current economic difficulties, the national political climate, or other?....

Dropping matternity coverage? Is there a baby boom in cali? You guys getting busy more than us over here on the east coast???

[Dave020]

Originally Posted by scagnt83

Thats interesting. Do you think this due to your states current economic difficulties, the national political climate, or other?....

Dropping matternity coverage? Is there a baby boom in cali? You guys getting busy more than us over here on the east coast???

Other.

This action is HIPAA-related (GI) and in direct response to the actions of Anthem Blue Cross on January 8th (related to preparatory actions Anthem took late last fall) with regard to the HIPAA portfolio.

[DS4]

Originally Posted by scagnt83

Thats interesting. Do you think this due to your states current economic difficulties, the national political climate, or other?....

Other. Lack of demand.
6 of the 7 plans had OV copays, Rx copays.
All had maternity.
For the past several years, all my sales have been HSA's.
What Dave said above also.

[Dave020]

It all went down like this:

Fall 2009 - Anthem whacks Share PPO plan portfolio and creates 2 new plans (3500, 7500)

Jan 1, 2010 HIPAA portfolio - (rate guides were provided for 2010)

Anthem:
PPO Share 1500
PPO Share 2500
PPO Share 5000
Basic 1000 PPO

Blue Shield:
Spectrum PPO 1500 (twice, once each registration)
Spectrum PPO 2000 (twice, once each registration)

Jan 8, 2009 (released Jan 11, 2010 quietly - new rates released and drop date of 1/15 for old plans (note: advisory on this e-mailed out 1/16 (one day after sunset ;-)))

(New) Anthem HIPAA (1/15 and after):
Select HMO (replaces PPO Share 1500)
Saver HMO (replaces PPO Share 2500)
PPO Share 5000 (DOI remains)
Basic 1000 PPO (DOI remains)

Jan 19, 2010 - word on change from Blue Shield who just release rates for 2010 HIPAA effective 2/1/10. No one can comment until Friday (today).

Jan 22, 2010:

Blue Shield whacks the Spectrum PPO portfolio and makes the following adjustments to the HIPAA portfolio effective 3/2/10:

PPO 5500 (replaces Spectrum PPO 1500)
HMO Access + (replaces Spectrum PPO 2000)
Spectrum PPO 5000 (replaces DOI 1500 PPO)
Spectrum Savings HSA 4000 (replaces DOI 2000 PPO).



All of that within 10 business days.

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Just the opposite here. Anthem adding plans including a 50% co-insurance plan that makes the Assurant Right-Start look decent!

[scagnt83]

thats just craziness

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by CHUMPS FROM OXFORD

Just the opposite here. Anthem adding plans including a 50% co-insurance plan that makes the Assurant Right-Start look decent!

I wish Anthem would add a 20% co-insurance option on their co-pay plans here and offer an unlimited Rx rider. Right now the $2500 and $5k deductibles on co-pay plans are 100% co-insurance....they would be totally killing the market if they did what I just suggested.

[insurehound]

Dave, sorry I am a bit slow. What does HIPAA have to with this? Are they taking a beating on GI?

Spectrum 2000 was one of our top sellers as we felt it was good, solid all-around plan. Seems like quality is disappearing.