Cigna Administered by Oscar: New Group Insurance for AZ Small Businesses in 2-50 Space

Small business owners in Arizona, take note: there’s a new group insurance provider in town. It’s one that could help you save as a business owner while providing improved health insurance overage options to your employees.

Cigna Administered by Oscar is a health insurance company built on a full-stack technology platform, available for small businesses with 2 to 50 employees. This new offering is meaningful because previously in Arizona, Cigna only operated in the 20+ employee space. Now, businesses with smaller teams can access Cigna coverage for group health insurance in Arizona.

Here’s more information about how Cigna Administered by Oscar works and why you might want to consider this option if you’re an Arizona small business owner.

What Is Cigna Administered by Oscar?

Cigna Administered by Oscar has been available in Arizona since July 2021, after entering markets in states like Georgia, California, Tennessee and Connecticut. Small business owners in all 15 counties can deploy Cigna Administered by Oscar to their workforces.

To qualify for a Cigna Administered by Oscar plan in Arizona, there must be at least one qualified full-time (or equivalent of a full-time) employee at the business, other than the business owner or a spouse. You can also offer Cigna Administered by Oscar plans in addition to other insurance carrier plans and/or health savings accounts (HSA) you offer to employees.

Cigna Administered by Oscar includes two network options:

Open Access Plus (OAP) plans

Cigna Administered by Oscar’s OAP plan gives employees the ability to choose their healthcare providers. This Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan enables employees to access high-quality, cost-effective providers from a broad national network. Covered employees have access to Cigna’s networks of quality doctors, specialists and medical providers, without the need for referrals.

LocalPlus plans

Cigna Administered by Oscar LocalPlus plans provide access to a locally designed network of high-quality healthcare providers who offer cost-effective medical care. These plans have a narrower network of healthcare providers compared to the OAP plan, but Cigna Administered by Oscar’s LocalPlus plan tends to be a stronger offering than a traditional Health Maintenance Organization (HMO).

Each of these types of plans will have different advantages and considerations, depending on your budget and what kind of coverage you want to provide employees. We can help you compare your choices.

Other features that are offered by both types of Cigna Administered by Oscar plans include:

• $0 copay, 24/7 virtual urgent care doctor visits
• No specialist referral needed
• Behavioral health support via Cigna’s behavioral health network for mental health resources
• National network of radiology centers, dialysis centers and labs
• Access to clinicians and facilities, including substance abuse and mental health centers
• Low-cost prescription coverage, with $3 copays on most commonly prescribed prescriptions

If you want to learn more about how Cigna Administered by Oscar features apply to your unique business, contact AZ Health Insurance Brokers so we can walk you through your options.

Benefits of Cigna Administered by Oscar

Cigna Administered by Oscar opens up Cigna offerings to more types of businesses in Arizona. Small businesses are the most common type in the U.S. According to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, firms with fewer than 20 employees make up 89.1% of small businesses, while firms with fewer than 10 employees make up 78.4% of small businesses. Now more small firms in Arizona can access Cigna health insurance benefits.

Previously, there were only four carriers in the “community-rated world” in Arizona. What is the community-rated space? It’s a health insurance category where insurers aren’t allowed to vary their premiums within a geographic area based on factors like health status, age or gender. Community-rated insurance is guaranteed issue, which is an attractive offering for professionals, since they know they can get health insurance no matter what their current condition is.

Before Cigna Administered by Oscar debuted in Arizona, the only community-rated carrier options available were:

• UnitedHealthcare
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Aetna
• Humana

Compared to the above offerings, Cigna Administered by Oscar offers very competitive rates. If your small business is already offering group health insurance, you might want to talk to an Arizona health insurance broker to see if you can save on your employee health insurance plans.

Another potential benefit to choosing Cigna Administered by Oscar is the convenient technology platform the group plan provides. Most health insurance providers offer tech-friendly ways to access health insurance information. But

Cigna Administered by Oscar is unique in that Oscar’s digital member experience is focused on tech innovation.

Cigna Administered by Oscar members can use the platform to access the following right from their smartphones or connected devices:

• Dedicated care guides, who help members find appropriate specialists and doctors and who can answer question right in the platform
• Plan guides, which explain health insurance costs and benefits
• Messaging inbox, so all health plan communication is in one easy-to-access location

Another neat feature of Cigna Administered by Oscar is that there’s an employee step goal tracking reward. Cigna Administered by Oscar members can earn $1 toward an Amazon Gift Card every day they reach their step goal, with the potential to earn up to $100 per year.

Innovative features like these help employees take a proactive approach to health. That can help keep your workforce healthy, happy and productive at work.

Is Cigna Administered by Oscar Right for Your Business?

The type of health insurance group plan that’s right for your business depends on a variety of factors, including the size of your team, how much you want to pay, what kind of coverage you want to provide to employees and more. At AZ Health Insurance Brokers, we help you understand your options so you can make the highest-quality, most cost-effective selection for your business.

It costs nothing to consult with us. Get a free business health insurance quote, for Cigna Administered by Oscar or other group plan types. Call 602.617.4107 to talk with one of our friendly team members now.