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CalPERS approves modest health-premium changes, drops UHC basic plan and contracts directly with Sutter in some counties
Summary
CalPERS board member Yvonne Walker told stakeholders the average health-premium increase is about 4.9% this year, CalPERS declined the UnitedHealthcare basic plan after a 30%+ price proposal, and the system is contracting directly with Sutter to preserve provider access in six counties.
CalPERS board representative Yvonne Walker told a stakeholder webinar that the board approved health-plan rate changes this year and the average increase is about 4.9%, a number she called a relief after higher increases in prior years. "I am happy to report. We don't have a 10% increase. We don't have a, a 30% increase. For this year, we are down. I think it's, the average increase is about 4.9%," Walker said.
Walker said CalPERS chose not to offer the UnitedHealthcare basic plan because UHC proposed a more than 30% increase that staff could not justify. "They wanted an increase of 30 plus percent... and our team went over all the numbers," Walker said, and staff recommended not offering that basic plan. Walker added that CalPERS is contracting directly with Sutter — covering six counties — to ensure continuity of care for members who used UHC providers.
The board also described network adjustments including Kaiser’s entry into parts of northwestern Nevada (by ZIP code) and additional benefits such as family-planning and doula coverage. Walker urged members to review open-enrollment materials and said CalPERS and CalHR will post details and host webinars to explain plan changes prior to the September open-enrollment window.
