BLUE CROSS DEBUTS BENEFITS GOAL TO MAKE INSURANCE AFFORDABLE FOR SMALL COMPANIES.Byline: Brent Brent, outer borough (1991 pop. 226,100) of Greater London, SE England. The area is a rail and industrial center. Its manufactures include automobile parts, clocks and watches, and electrical equipment. Hopkins Hopkins, city (1990 pop. 16,534), Hennepin co., SE Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis; inc. as West Minneapolis 1893, name changed 1928. The city manufactures machinery, computer and electronic parts, steel products, air pollution equipment, ophthalmic lenses, tools, Staff Writer THOUSAND OAKS Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. - Seeking to bring health insurance to small companies that would otherwise do without it, Blue Cross of California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). announced a new portfolio line on Tuesday. Double-digit hikes in health care costs for the past four years have prevented many small employers from covering their workers, with Blue Cross estimating that 38 percent of companies in the state lack coverage. Seeking to bring in industries that have traditionally not offered health benefits, such as the service and retail sectors, insurers have come up with low-cost plans specifically tailored to companies with fewer than 50 workers. ``Everyone has health care needs, but when they go without coverage, they end up in emergency rooms,'' said Brian Stassi, general manager of the small business division for Blue Cross. ``That drives up costs for everyone, so we want to expand the market so we can make it more affordable.'' The insurer's new portfolio, called BeneFits, differs from its other plans because it allows employers to pay only 25 percent of the premium or $50 per month, rather than 50 percent or $100 monthly. Additionally, only 60 percent of employees have to participate in the plan, rather than the standard 70 percent. ``Small companies are much less likely to offer insurance,'' said Marian Mulkey, a senior program officer for the California Health Care Foundation. ``Far and away, the main reason is affordability and cost. For a long time, all the major plans have been looking at opportunities in this market, so anything that reduces the premium will get employers to take a second look.'' With few large companies moving to California, plans must look increasingly to small employers to grow their business. Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California is a not-for-profit health insurance provider headquartered in San Francisco, California. An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Blue Shield of California is an incorporated, wholly owned subsidiary of California Physicians' added three PPO PPO abbr. preferred provider organization PPO Managed care Preferred provider organization, see there Infectious disease Pleuropneumonia-like organism, see there plans earlier this month, including a no-deductible plan and two high-deductible plans all aimed at small companies. Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. has more than doubled its offerings in the last two years, now offering 11 products for the market. ``A small employer has so many things to keep them in business, without the dollars that a major corporation has,'' said John Gustafson John 'Gus' Gustafson (born 8 August 1943, in Liverpool, Lancashire, England) is a bass guitar player who has been a part of various notable rock bands. He played in many bands from the 1960s onwards. Sang on the original soundtrack of Jesus Christ Superstar as Simon Zealotes. , Kaiser's manager of broker development in California. ``The cost is such a driving factor, it could be either they pay for it or they stay in business.'' Brent Hopkins, (818) 713-3738 brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com |
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