Resources & Insights.
Guides, checklists, calendars, and plain-language answers for California employers — everything we use with our own clients.
Blue Shield of California: Q1 2027 Small Business update
Announced for Q1 2027: Small Business covers 1–100 employees. The statewide average rate action is 3.4% — not your group’s renewal quote. Review the actual renewal before making a decision.
Read Blue Shield’s official Q1 2027 product-cycle updateAnnounced renewal release dates
- January 2027 renewal kits are scheduled in Shield Renewals.
- January renewal group-level changes are scheduled to open in the Employer Enrollment Tool. These dates apply to January renewals, not all Q1 renewals.
Effective January 1, 2027
- Rx Spectrum’s tiered pharmacy network expands across HMO and PPO off-exchange and Mirror plans.
- The telehealth deductible is waived on HDHPs; this is a deductible waiver, not a blanket promise of free telehealth.
- Select mental health and substance-use outpatient services move to no cost share where applicable. Confirm the services and plan-specific terms.
- Some Mirror HMO/PPO and HSA plan names and cost shares change. Compare the renewal documents, not the plan name alone.
2027 Mirror HMO changes
- Mirror Platinum 90 HMO 0/20 → Mirror Platinum 90 HMO 0/25
- Mirror Gold 80 HMO 250/35 → Mirror Gold 80 HMO 325/40
- Mirror Silver 70 HMO 2500/55 → Mirror Silver 70 HMO 2500/60
These are Mirror HMO changes, not a statement that all off-exchange HMO plan names change.
Virtual Blue: mapped at 2027 renewal
Standalone Virtual Blue PPO plans are withdrawn for 2027 and mapped at renewal to the listed equivalent PPOs. Groups may opt out of the mapping and choose another marketed plan.
- Virtual Blue Platinum PPO 250/20 → Platinum PPO 250/15
- Virtual Blue Gold PPO 1500/45 → Gold PPO 1000/30
- Virtual Blue Silver PPO 2850/75 → Silver PPO 2550/75
- Virtual Blue Bronze PPO 7500/75 → Bronze PPO 7500/65
Before you select the renewal
Some plans may lose Medicare Part D creditable status at renewal. For Medicare-eligible employees and dependents, review the plan’s renewal status and applicable notice requirements or plan-selection options; do not assume last year’s status carries forward.
- Review January renewal kits when released and confirm the effective date and actual group quote.
- Compare plan mapping, member cost-sharing, and the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC).
- Verify providers, participating pharmacies, and the drug formulary for the proposed plan.
- Review Medicare-creditable status and the employer’s notice or plan-selection next steps.
Source: Blue Shield of California’s official Q1 2027 Small Business product-cycle update, reviewed October 12, 2026. General benefits information, not a client-specific recommendation or legal advice.
California group renewal research
Start with the state sources, then compare the options for your group. A product filing or rate review is not your final renewal quote: confirm the effective date, provider network, drug formulary, Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC), and actual employer and employee costs before deciding.
Official California sources
Start with what your renewal needs.
Health Net Is Exiting California Group Health Insurance
Affected employer HMO, PPO and POS group medical coverage ends February 28, 2027. Key dates, who is and isn't affected, what to evaluate, and a practical four-step transition plan.
Open article GuideHealth Net Alternatives for California Employers
The replacement carrier options available to California groups leaving Health Net — how to compare networks, formularies, plan design and timing instead of shopping on premium alone.
Open guide ChecklistHealth Net Transition Checklist
A week-by-week checklist for employers moving off Health Net before coverage ends — confirm your sunset date, market the group, handle continuity of care, enroll, and verify payroll.
Open checklist GuideHealth Net Employee Notice Templates
Free copy-and-paste employee communications for a carrier change — announcement letter, employee FAQ and payroll deduction notice, with the bracketed fields to fill in.
Open guide ArticleHow to Change Employee Benefits Brokers in California
What a broker-of-record change actually does, why carrier-filed small-group rates generally don't move with your broker, when to start relative to renewal, and the full transition checklist.
Open article ArticleYear-End Benefits Checklist for California Employers (2026)
Ten things California employers need to close out before December 31 — open enrollment, ACA, FSA/HSA, CalSavers, SDI, and more.
Open article Calendar2026 Compliance Calendar
Every federal and California benefits and payroll deadline for 2026, month by month — with the weekend/holiday shifts already applied.
Open calendar GuideCalifornia Required Benefits Guide
What California law actually requires employers to provide — SDI, paid sick leave, CalSavers, COBRA/Cal-COBRA, ACA, and more.
Open guide ChecklistCA Benefits Compliance Checklist
A practical walkthrough to run before every renewal. Print it, mark it up, and confirm nothing is missed.
Open checklist GuideOpen Enrollment Guide
A 90-day roadmap for a clean open enrollment — timeline, required notices, communication plan, and post-OE reconciliation.
Open guide GuideYear-End Benefits Guide
Close out the plan year correctly: 2026 contribution limits, ACA reporting, W-2 and 1099 deadlines, and California-specific filings.
Open guide GuideHSA vs FSA Guide
Side-by-side comparison of HSAs, Health FSAs, and Dependent Care FSAs with 2026 limits and real employee scenarios.
Open guide FAQRenewal & Open Enrollment FAQ
Straight answers to the questions employers and employees ask most during renewal season.
Open faqEmployee benefits support near you.
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