The 2023 Open Enrollment dates for the Police and Fire Health Plan sponsored by PORAC are scheduled for September 18th through October 13th, 2023. New enrollment and changes made during Open Enrollment will take effect January 1, 2024.
The Police and Fire Health Plan proudly serves approximately 12,900 members and their families for a total of approximately 26,600 covered lives. This Health Plan is one of the most comprehensive health plans available in the CalPERS System. The IBT has a dedicated staff whose only job is to make sure you and your family receive the best care and service available.
The Insurance & Benefits Trust of PORAC is committed to serving its members and looks forward to serving you and your family’s insurance needs now and into the future. In order for the Plan to be sustainable, the IBT must review the Plan’s annual experience to set rates while remaining competitive.
The cost of medical services continued to rise in 2022 and into 2023 and the health insurance industry continues to see an increase in services and costs.
According to Mercer Marsh Benefits, the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor, there are several factors that are influencing the 2024 health plan rate changes in California and across the US. One being the return of typical medical trends following the COVID-19 pandemic. Per-person medical cost increases are back to pre-pandemic levels; COVID-19 continues to impact claims experience as insurers report an increase in later-stage diagnosis of illness due to deferred care. In addition, mental health gaps persist as many insurers report not providing plans that cover mental health services.1
These factors all contribute to high experience and high medical costs which translate to higher costs to insure individuals.
In 2022, the Health Plan paid over $139 million in medical claims and year-to-date for 2023, the Health Plan has paid over $62 million in claims.
The experience of all regions and plans will be thoroughly considered by the Trustees as they meet to review the experience for the past year. The rates should be finalized and published in the August 2023 issue of the PORAC Law Enforcement News magazine. Please watch for that issue to review the 2023 Health Plan rates.
If you were previously covered by the Police and Fire Health Plan, but are not now, or you wish to be covered or make changes to your coverage, open enrollment is the only time to do so.
We encourage you to contact your Human Resources Department or CalPERS, if you are retired, and make the switch over to have access to one of the most comprehensive health plans offered under the CalPERS umbrella.
As always, the IBT thanks PORAC members and its participants for supporting the IBT’s benefits.
Featured in the July 2023 issue of PORAC Law Enforcement News.
1. Mercer Marsh Benefits (2022, August) “Global Insurer Survey Report, MMB Health Trends 2023: Navigating Cost Trends and Using Innovation in Employer-Provided Healthcare.” Retrieved from Mercer.com ↩