CalPERS\u2019 open enrollment period runs from Sept. 14 through Oct. 9.<\/p>\n
Switching to Sutter<\/p>\n
Last month, CalPERS staff recommended that the board not renew a contract<\/a> with UnitedHealthcare to offer two basic HMO plans to members, which covers about 94,000 members. These plans are not available to retired members.<\/p>\n Staff reported on Tuesday that UnitedHealthcare\u2019s 2027 proposed rate increases for the Harmony and Alliance plans were 21% and 23%, respectively. CalPERS projected rate increases for those plans were significantly smaller. Because of the discrepancy between the rate increases, staff encouraged the board to switch to an HMO plan offered through Sutter Health Plan.<\/p>\n In a statement shared after CalPERS\u2019 proposal to switch plans was made public, Steve Cain, CEO of UnitedHealthcare California, said that for more than a decade the company has delivered single-digit increases for CalPERS members.<\/p>\n \u201cUnitedHealthcare\u2019s proposed health premiums for CalPERS are competitive in relation to the benefits available under our plans and aligned with peer health plans within the CalPERS portfolio,\u201d Cain said.<\/p>\n Rob Jarzombek, the chief of CalPERS\u2019 Health Plan Research and Administration Division, said Tuesday that UnitedHealthcare\u2019s proposed premium increases would have resulted in an additional $167 million that CalPERS employers and members would have had to pay next year.<\/p>\n The Sutter Health Plan was chosen because it will minimize disruptions to members on the UnitedHealthcare plans and will allow most members to continue seeing their current providers, Jarzombek said Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are delighted to be working with such an exceptional partner in CalPERS to offer access to comprehensive coverage and high-quality, award-winning care,\u201d said Aparna Abburi, CEO of Sutter Health Plan, in a Tuesday statement. \u201cThis selection reflects the value of bringing care and coverage together in a way that makes the healthcare experience more connected, coordinated and easier to navigate for patients. Our clear focus is to make it easier for CalPERS members to continue to receive care from Sutter physicians and teams they know and trust.\u201d<\/p>\n CalPERS also recently added a benefit covering medical costs for in vitro fertilization across all basic plans, including PPO and HMO plans, beginning next July.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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