Covered California To Launch SHOP Exchange Re-Branding Effort
On Thursday, Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee told board members that the exchange will be launching a re-branding effort for its insurance exchange for small businesses, the Sacramento Business Journal reports (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 4/17).
Background on SHOP
Under the Affordable Care Act, the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, allows small businesses to offer either a single plan to all of their workers or to select a benefit level and allow employees to choose among several plans offered at that level.
In June 2014, Lee announced that the state's SHOP exchange would expand to allow employers to offer health coverage in two benefit levels beginning Oct. 1 (California Healthline, 11/4/14).
As of March 1, California's SHOP exchange had enrolled 15,644 employees at 2,289 small businesses throughout the state, up 36% since August 2014.
Details of Re-Branding Effort
The marketing campaign will seek to re-brand the SHOP exchange as "Covered California for Small Business," as it is currently known in-house, according to the Business Journal.
The effort will focus on highlighting:
- Budget control;
- Choice options; and
- Tax credits.
While the re-branding effort is expected to launch Monday, Lee said a larger push for sign-ups will start in the fall.
Lee said, "We don't think there will be a lot of enrollments in [the] next few months, but October through December will be very important for the program."
Meanwhile, David Chase, California director of the Small Business Majority, said, "This fall will be a huge opportunity for the small business market," noting that "[r]e-branding is probably a good idea, given the rough first year" (Sacramento Business Journal, 4/17).
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