Group Underwriter - Large, Senior

About the role

The Mid Market Accounts Underwriting team serves group health care for mid-sized employers from 250 to 3,000 employees. Partnering with our large group sales organization, we work with California's and the nation's largest and most sophisticated employers and benefits consultants. The role reports to the underwriting manager and is part of an underwriting team responsible for balancing operating income and membership goals while protecting the company’s bottom line from loss.

Our leadership model focuses on developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for personal, professional, and financial growth. We seek leaders energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, achieving results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Apply appropriate actuarial factors and rating methods to determine potential exposure to Blue Shield’s products.
• Collect, review, and assess customer-specific data including financial condition, employee demographics, and past claim experience to determine degree of risk, appropriate benefits, and rates.
• Review requests for quotes, develop and review bid specifications, benefit plan design features, and financial alternatives for complex, fully insured cases as well as alternative funding arrangements (e.g., ASO, minimum premium, etc.).
• Participate in discussions and negotiate with sales representatives on new and renewal business. May be included in discussions with brokers, consultants, and employers.
• Review and approve rates in sales requests and update financial and tracking databases.
• Provide underwriting knowledge sharing, education, advice, and coaching to other underwriters and departments.
• Prepare ad hoc statistical reports.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 5 years of prior relevant experience.
• Strong knowledge of medical underwriting principles, practices, and techniques. Able to solve complex problems with sometimes ambiguous information.
• Comprehensive knowledge of medical products including their financial drivers and funding arrangements such as fully insured, ASO, minimum premium, and refund accounting.
• Excellent negotiation and customer service skills.
• Ability to perform as a team member and collaborate with other teams/departments.

Schedule

This role follows a hybrid workplace model, requiring employees to be in-office two days each week. Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.

Pay

Pay range for California: $90,860.00 to $136,290.00.

Pay range for Bay Area: $102,424.00 to $153,636.00.

Note: This range represents the pay range for this and many other positions at Blue Shield that fall into this pay grade. Salaries are based on candidate experience, location (California, Bay Area, or outside California), and current employee salaries for similar roles.

About Us

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies.

At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience.

Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company, and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light.

Our values: Honest, Human, Courageous.