Oscar Health is moving its Florida-based employees from traditional group medical plans to Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense arrangements — formerly known as individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements — in 2027.
The company confirmed the move, called CHOICE 4 Oscar, to Becker’s on Sept. 24, adding the Florida transition “is the first step in bringing this model to more employees over time.”
“CHOICE 4 Oscar is an essential step in achieving our vision to lead consumer healthcare. You will live the future we are building, strengthen our CHOICE value proposition and define what it means to give people power over their healthcare,” Oscar CEO Mark Bertolini said in a recent email to employees that was shared with Becker’s.
Oscar recently rolled out a structural shift and new brand architecture. Oscar Health serves as the parent company to Oscar Insurance, the carrier-agnostic Lucie Health Marketplace storefront and the Trove Group insurance agency, the company told Becker’s on Sept. 18. The pivot intends to reflect a consumer healthcare focus, rather than Oscar being primarily known as a health insurer.
The CHOICE 4 Oscar push follows CMS’ rebrand of ICHRA as CHOICE. This was not the first attempt to do so: An aligned provision was ultimately excluded from the finalized HR 1. Oscar leaders, including CHOICE Vice President Andrew Reeves, were present at the September renaming event.
“CHOICE arrangements are becoming a more serious benefits strategy for employers navigating rising healthcare costs and increasingly diverse workforces,” Mr. Reeves said on LinkedIn. “They can be a great choice for employers and when designed thoughtfully, they can create greater predictability for employers and more choice for employees.”
The benefits model first surfaced under a 2017 executive order from President Donald Trump, and the model went live in 2020.
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