Small Business Renewal center

What is renewal?

60 days prior to the end of your coverage, you will be notified that your group insurance policy is up for renewal. During the renewal period you may choose whether you want to renew your insurance under the same policy or modify your plans and coverage through Blue Shield. After you have confirmed your groups’ plans for the coming year, employees may make their individual plan selections. See “Manage Open Enrollment online,” below. 


Choosing and maintaining your coverage

Step 1: Choose your Blue Shield plan(s) 

Review your renewal information from Blue Shield. For support accessing your renewal, reach out to your broker, Blue Shield representative, or email producerservices@blueshieldca.com.

You have choices:

  1. If you want to keep your current plan(s) all you need to do is pay your bill and recertify (if required) as a small business.
  2. If you want to change your plan(s), ask your broker to email you a quote.

Step 2: Access your plan documents online and distribute to employees

It is your responsibility to make Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) plan documents available to employees during their enrollment window to inform their decisions. SBCs specific to your group are available on your Health Plan Document Center. You should receive an email from bscaplan.com with a link to your site.

You can also find SBCs for all our group plans at blueshieldca.com/policies.


Step 3: Manage open enrollment online

Log in to Employer Connection to make member-level changes during your open enrollment period. You will have until the last day of your renewal period month to update:

  1. Member Open Enrollment plan selections
  2. New Hire and Dependent additions
  3. Subscriber and Dependent terminations
  4. Life event changes
  5. Member information (e.g., addresses, phone number, name change, etc.)

Reference your Small Business Administrator's Guide (PDF, 599 KB) for information covering eligibility, health reform laws, access to care, contact information, employee status changes, Cal-COBRA and more.
 

What's new: plan updates, program changes, and more


Renewal date changes

If you would like to change the date of your group's renewal, please read the following information to determine eligibility and submit a renewal date change request.

You should review any plan changes when considering a new renewal date as new plan years are subject to plan and rate changes.

 

Considerations for eligibility: 

  • Your group must be with Blue Shield for a minimum of 6 months before requesting a renewal date change.
  • Renewal date changes are allowed once every 2 years.
  • Renewal extensions are not permitted.  This means that your group will need to renew twice, once in their current renewal month and again in the month you are changing to, which could mean multiple rate increases.
  • The new renewal date must be after your current renewal date.  Retroactive renewal date changes are not permitted.
  • The request must be received by Blue Shield at least 30 days prior to the requested renewal date.
  • The request must be made on company letterhead.

 

If your group meets each of these considerations and is eligible for a renewal date change:

  • Submit your request on company letterhead using the verbiage provided below to small.group@blueshieldca.com at least 30 days prior to the new renewal date.

Verbiage requirements:

  1. We waive our right to a 60-day advanced notice of any plan and rate increase.
  2. We understand we will be subject to the rates and plan designs that apply under the renewal date being requested.
  3. We understand that this is not an extension of our current renewal, we will renew once in our current renewal month and again in our new renewal month.
  4. We understand that once this change is approved, it is irrevocable.
  5. We understand we may not receive a renewal packet under our new renewal date requested.

 

 

© California Physicians' Service DBA Blue Shield of California 1999-2025. All rights reserved. California Physicians’ Service DBA Blue Shield of California is an independent member of the Blue Shield Association. Health insurance products are offered by Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company. Health plans are offered by Blue Shield of California.

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