SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The League of California Cities® announced today that it is working with Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ:WLTW) and Connecture, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXR) to give cities more health care options to offer to their employees and retirees through the League of California Cities’ Health Benefits MarketplaceSM (HBM). The HMB launched in August and is a consumer-driven platform that lets cities redesign their approach to medical insurance and gives retirees and active employees coverage choices that align with their individual needs.
“California city officials have expressed the need for solutions to the ongoing pressure they face in reducing Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liabilities and providing competitive health benefits to active employees and retirees,” said Chris McKenzie, executive director, League of California Cities. “The Health Benefits Marketplace provides cities with flexibility to leverage technology to enable greater health care choice as well as help manage OPEB liabilities and rising health care costs by decoupling and unbundling active employee and retiree costs.”
Reducing OPEB liabilities and providing health benefits to active employees and retirees is a challenge for many cities. The HBM provides cities with an efficient tool to leverage technology to enable greater health care choice as well as help manage OPEB liabilities and rising health care costs by allowing cities to handle retiree health benefits separately from health benefits for active employees.
Medicare and early-retiree coverage on the HBM is provided by Willis Towers Watson on its OneExchange™ marketplace. OneExchange lets cities achieve an immediate reduction in retiree health benefit costs, including long-term liability and the administration of health plan management. Retirees enjoy the value and transparency of a robust marketplace, meaningful choice of individual plans, and the expert assistance of licensed benefit advisors to help them choose coverage that fits their needs.
Active employee coverage is offered through the Smart Choices Marketplace from Connecture, Inc., which helps cities and employees manage benefits costs. The integrated benefits administration system enables city human resources staff to manage life change events, compliance, and employee enrollment more effectively – moving from a paper to paperless process. Active employees receive greater choice in health plans, cost transparency, and an engaging, personalized benefits shopping experience that helps them enroll easily in benefits based on their specific needs.
The HBM also offers an optional wellness platform provided by WellRight. Regulatory reporting services for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) are provided by Accord Systems.
Diversified Benefit Strategies serves as the League’s private exchange consultant.
“The League went through a rigorous selection process to choose its partners for the Health Benefits Marketplace,” said Barry Eyre, Lead Consultant from Diversified Benefit Strategies. “Willis Towers Watson and Connecture have proven to be excellent partners in the creation of a highly flexible platform designed to meet the needs of public agencies in California.”
To learn more about the League’s Health Benefits Marketplace visit www.cacities.org/hbm.
About the League of California Cities
Established in 1898, the League of California Cities is a nonprofit statewide association that advocates for cities with the state and federal governments and provides education and training services to elected and appointed city officials.
About Willis Towers Watson
Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ:WLTW) is a leading global advisory, brokering and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson (WTW) has 39,000 employees in more than 120 countries. WTW designs and delivers solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expands the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. WTW’s unique perspective allows WTW to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas — the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, WTW unlocks potential. Learn more at willistowerswatson.com.
About Connecture, Inc.
Connecture, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXR) is a leading web-based consumer shopping, enrollment and retention platform for health insurance distribution. Connecture offers a personalized health insurance shopping experience that recommends the best fit insurance plan based on an individual's preferences, health status, preferred providers, medications and expected out-of-pocket costs. Connecture's customers are health insurance marketplace operators such as health plans, brokers and exchange operators, who must distribute health insurance in a cost-effective manner to a growing number of insured consumers. Connecture's solutions automate key functions in the health insurance distribution process, allowing its customers to price and present plan options accurately to consumers and efficiently enroll, renew and manage plan members. Learn more at www.connecture.com.
About Diversified Benefit Strategies
Diversified Benefit Strategies is a consulting firm focused on the employee benefits marketplace. DBS assists private sector companies, municipalities and unions, to implement creative benefit solutions to address their unique needs. DBS’ work includes private exchange consulting, running competitive request for proposal (RFP) processes, comprehensive evaluation of private health insurance exchanges, and negotiation of private exchange terms and contracts on behalf of plan sponsors.
