With the new year fast approaching, health insurance carriers are releasing their plan designs for 2020. For brokers, that means keeping track of updated benefits, expanded perks and programs, and brand-new plans. These changes have the potential to throw established comparisons out the window, leaving you to start from scratch when determining the value of a given plan. But, our free plan comparison chart is a great place to start.
Get the download: 2020 health plan comparison chart
AllWays Health Partners 2020 plan comparison preview
About the chart
Back in October, we released a free worksheet to help brokers assess the value of the top small group health plans in Massachusetts. To keep up with the changing market, we looked at publicly available data for each plan’s 2020 designs and updated the chart accordingly. If a plan is no longer being offered, we substituted the carrier’s most similar offering.
The included plans are grouped by metallic tiers, but it’s important to keep in mind that these tiers aren’t a solid guide to comparing plans. That’s because plans from different carriers in the same metallic tier don’t always have comparable cost sharing. For example, a plan from the gold tier might have a lower premium than a silver tier plan. We recommend looking across the tiers to help your clients decide on the plan with the best value for their business and employees.
For more information about how we created this chart and how to use it, check out our previous post, How do Massachusetts’ top small employer health plans stack up?
What’s changed?
Some of the more interesting changes we observed when updating this chart were around benefit trends. From what we could see, some carriers are starting to introduce offerings with some elements similar to AllWays Health Partners’ Care Complement benefit. This benefit makes it easier for members to access alternative pain therapies and medications needed to manage chronic conditions.
By offering low or no-cost services in addition to preventive care, insurers can help break down the barriers members face when it comes to getting needed care. AllWays Health Partners is continuing to expand in this direction through a new pediatric benefit, which covers 3 sick visits and 3 behavioral health visits per year for members 18 and younger.
We also see more and more carriers expanding their fitness benefit programs. Whether that involves greater reimbursements for membership fees, more included family members, or discounts for personal training, insurers are continuing to think about how they can help members stay fit and healthy.
We hope this chart will continue to be a useful resource for you and your employer clients. Visit our health plan comparison page to download your own copy and start making comparisons for 2020.
