Note: Effective 2023 Aetna will be replacing Blue Shield
The County of San Mateo offers employees choices in Health coverage under two primary carriers. We offer plans with Kaiser and Blue Shield.
- Kaiser HMO and Kaiser HDHP
- Blue Shield HMO, Blue Shield HMO Trio, Blue Shield PPO and Blue Shield HDHP (not available after 2022)
- Aetna (effective 2023)
All of your medical plan options provide access to quality care and cover a similar list of procedures. It’s the details of how you share the cost of care – your bi-weekly contribution amount, and your co-payments and coinsurance – that differ.
Open Enrollment Information
Once a year in October, employees may change from one plan to another or add dependents. During the year new dependents may be added within 31 days of marriage, birth, adoption or formation of domestic partnership, and children of domestic partners. After 31 days, the dependent cannot be added until the next open enrollment.
The different plans that we currently offer for both Kaiser and Blue Shield are defined below:
HMO Plans |
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Blue Shield HMO |
All medical services are coordinated through a Primary Care Physician (PCP) in the Blue Shield HMO network. Any specialty care you need must be coordinated through your PCP and will require pre-authorization from Blue Shield. Most services and medicines are covered with a small co-payment. |
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Blue Shield HMO Trio |
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Kaiser HMO |
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PPO Plans |
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Blue Shield PPO |
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HDHP Plans |
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Blue Shield HDHP |
Works in conjunction with a Health Savings Plan (HSA). You use the same PPO Network that you would under the standard PPO plan. All your preventative services are covered in full. You pay for the entire cost of non-preventative services until you satisfy your annual deductible after which, you pay 10% of the cost for non- preventative services until you reach your Calendar Year Maximum. |
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KAISER HDHP |
Works in conjunction with an HSA. You use the same Kaiser facilities that you would under the standard Kaiser plan. All your preventative services are covered in full. You pay for the entire cost of non-preventative services until you satisfy your annual deductible after which, you pay 10% of the cost for non-preventative services until you reach your Calendar Year Maximum. |