What Employers Should Look for When Choosing an Insurance Broker

Posted by SutterHealthPlus on Apr 17, 2018 in News

In this article published in the April 17, 2018 issue of the Sacramento Business Journal, the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Sutter Health Plus Account Executive Scott Carpenter shares his thoughts on maximizing the value of a broker.

Regardless of company size or industry, insurance brokers can serve as an employer’s go-to expert and adviser on the always-changing health benefits landscape. Read More about What Employers Should Look for When Choosing an Insurance Broker

Customer Service Trends in the Marketplace

Posted by SutterHealthPlus on Mar 5, 2018 in News

In this article published in the March 2018 issue of California Broker, Sutter Health Plus Vice President of Sales Rob Carnaroli discusses how brokers can keep sophisticated buyers up-to-date on emerging customer service trends.

The current health care environment is in a constant state of change—continually  serving up challenging yet exciting opportunities for everyone in the industry. The most successful brokers and producers today partner with health plans that can quickly identify and adapt to ever-changing trends in the marketplace while still managing to deliver optimal client satisfaction. From best in class metrics to digital innovation, all eyes are focused on creating an ideal customer experience. Read More about Customer Service Trends in the Marketplace

Sutter Health’s CEO of Health Plan Products Joins Keynote at World Health Care Congress Event

Posted by SutterHealthPlus on Feb 13, 2018 in News, Uncategorized

Phil Jackson

The 15th Annual World Health Care Congress (WHCC) will convene April 29 through May 23 in Washington D.C. with over 1,500 business leaders across health care—from health plans, health systems, employers, government, think tanks, solutions companies and more. The WHCC will feature in-depth sessions showcasing new data, strategies, and best practices to improve delivery, quality and cost-effectiveness of care.

Please join Sutter Health’s CEO of Health Plan Products, Phil Jackson, on Monday, April 30, from 8:25 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time as he shares key insights on the WHCC keynote panel: Make Value-Based Care a Reality. Jackson will discuss strategies designed to help identify and improve the consumer’s evolving needs for quality health care, while creating the potential to drastically reduce systemic costs. Additionally, he will address topics such as population health initiatives, connected health and the power of behavior change. Read More about Sutter Health’s CEO of Health Plan Products Joins Keynote at World Health Care Congress Event

Eleven Network Hospitals Honored for Reducing C-Sections

Posted by SutterHealthPlus on Feb 8, 2018 in Quality

California Health and Human Services award recognizes hospitals meeting national goal

Eleven hospitals in the Sutter Health Plus network were recognized by the California Health and Human Services Department (CHHS) for reducing cesarean section (C-section) births for first-time moms with low-risk pregnancies. The network hospitals were named to the state’s 2017 Hospital C-section Honor Roll.

The agency announced the honor roll recognition on behalf of Smart Care California, a coalition of public and private health care purchasers that collectively cover 16 million people statewide—or 40 percent of all Californians.

The following hospitals in the Sutter Health Plus network were named to the 2017 Hospital C-section Honor Roll:

• Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley
• Eden Medical Center, Castro Valley
• El Camino Hospital, Los Gatos
• Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto
• Joseph’s Medical Center, Stockton
• Sutter Davis Hospital
• Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz
• Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
• Sutter Roseville Medical Center
• Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
• Sutter Solano Medical Center

Nearly one of three American babies enters the world through a surgical birth. Cesarean delivery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the United States. When complications arise during pregnancy, C-sections can save the lives of mothers and infants, but some women undergo the surgery for no medical reason, exposing both mother and baby to potentially avoidable complications.

Even for low-risk, first-birth pregnancies, there is a huge variation in hospital C-section rates. Rates in California hospitals range from less than 15 percent to more than 60 percent. To respond to the rise in unnecessary C-sections, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted the Healthy People 2020 target of reducing nationwide C-section rates for low-risk, first-births to 23.9 percent. The Smart Care California honor roll acknowledge hospitals that have achieved—and in many cases gone beyond—that goal.

Sutter Health Plus Year in Review 2017

Posted by SutterHealthPlus on Jan 10, 2018 in Access, Affordability, Feature, News

HMO exceeds annual goals—adds 28,000 members, expands to new communities, refines customer experience

Sutter Health Plus is pleased to announce 2017 as a year of significant growth with a focus on enhancing the member experience. Over the past year, membership increased 37 percent, with 80 percent of members renewing coverage.

Now serving nearly 80,000 members, the not-for-profit HMO remains an important part of Sutter Health’s strategic vision to transform health care in Northern California. Since its inception in 2014, the health plan expanded into three additional geographies, most recently offering coverage in Santa Cruz County. The Sutter Health Plus network includes 30 hospitals, 10 walk-in care facilities, dozens of urgent care centers and more than 7,000 providers. Read More about Sutter Health Plus Year in Review 2017

10 Tips to Better Brand Your Business

Posted by SutterHealthPlus on Jan 9, 2018 in News

In this article published in the Jan. 9, 2018, issue of BenefitsPRO, Rob Carnaroli, Sutter Health Plus Vice President of Sales, provides tips on how brokers can best serve customers by sharing their knowledge about the market landscape. 

Being a broker today is a challenge. Health care insurance laws are changing from one day to the next, employers are balking at rising costs, and employees are disgruntled and ready to jump ship.

The silver lining is that all of these challenges create an opportunity for brokers to step in and provide solutions. 2018 is poised to be a year of major changes, and the best brokers will find themselves coming out on top. Read More about 10 Tips to Better Brand Your Business

Sutter Health Plus Launches Redesigned Website

Posted by SutterHealthPlus on Dec 27, 2017 in News

Sutter Health Plus is proud to announce the launch of a newly redesigned website, sutterhealthplus.org. The site’s contemporary design features easy-to-use navigation tools to help visitors quickly find what they need.

“We recognize the importance of giving our customers a positive, seamless experience—in person, over the phone and online,” said Monica Majors, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Health Plan Products, Sutter Health. “Redesigning our website is more than creating a new look and feel—it’s about optimizing the experience for all of our visitors.”

Designed with the customer experience at the forefront, the Sutter Health Plus website is optimized for mobile, tablet and desktop viewing. It uses the same technology platform as Sutter Health’s newly redesigned website that launched in September. Additionally, the provider search is more robust with new search capabilities, filtering, and physician panel status designations.

“One of the strengths of our affiliation with Sutter Health is access to the industry’s top subject matter experts and the ability to leverage resources and economies of scale. The launch of the new site wouldn’t have been possible without Sutter’s support and partnership,” continued Majors.