What is CoreChoice? Affordable Coverage for Business Owners Nationwide

Key Takeaways

• CoreChoice is a membership program that connects eligible business owners to national health plan coverage through the Anthem BlueCard PPO network
• No underwriting and no minimum participation or contribution requirements, so businesses of any size or structure can join.
• Eight medical plan options with deductibles from $0 to $6,000, including an HSA-qualified plan, plus Rx coverage and 100% preventive care in every plan.
• Optional voluntary and ancillary benefits, like life, accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage, layer on top of the medical plan.
• Decisely also supports group plans and ICHRA, so its CoreChoice recommendation is based on fit, not a single product to sell.

The Coverage Gap That Small Business Owners Keep Running Into

Health plan costs have climbed for years, but the pressure has landed hardest on the businesses with the least leverage to absorb it. For business owners who fall outside the traditional group model, whether because their headcount is too small, their team is spread across states, or they don’t have the infrastructure to stand up a group plan, the options have historically been thin: pay marketplace rates that shift every year, or go without.

That gap gets more expensive in 2026. With enhanced ACA premium tax credits expired as of January 1, individual marketplace enrollees are absorbing a much larger share of their premiums, and small business owners who buy coverage on the individual market are feeling that increase directly. This is exactly the kind of market where a program built around group buying power, national network access, and no medical underwriting has real value.

That’s the gap CoreChoice was built to close.

What CoreChoice Actually Is

CoreChoice is a health plan program administered through the Amalgamated Local 426 Health and Welfare Fund, network by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. It’s important to understand the structure here: CoreChoice is the program manager, and members aren’t purchasing a commercial Anthem policy. Instead, affiliate members join the fund and gain access to the same national Anthem BlueCard PPO network that large, self-insured employer plans rely on.

Membership works through participating associations, so eligible business owners join as affiliate members rather than enrolling in a standalone individual policy. There are no union duties or responsibilities attached to that membership, just access to the health and welfare fund’s plan offerings. 

For businesses that have been priced out of group coverage, or that never had enough consistent headcount to qualify for one, this structure opens a door that was previously closed.

What’s Included in a CoreChoice Plan 

(note: could use cards for these bullet points like we have on the homepage for a more interactive post)

Every CoreChoice plan is built around a consistent set of protections, regardless of which of the eight medical plan options a member selects:

• No underwriting, so eligibility isn’t determined by a business’s claims history or an individual’s medical background.
• No minimum participation or contribution requirements, which matters for businesses too small to meet a traditional group plan’s enrollment threshold.
• Eight medical plan options with deductibles ranging from $0 to $6,000, including an HSA-qualified plan for members who want to pair coverage with a tax-advantaged savings account.
• Prescription drug coverage included in every plan, with no separate Rx plan to shop for.
• 100% coverage for preventive and wellness care, so routine visits and screenings don’t eat into a deductible.
• ACA-compliant coverage, meeting the same standards Decisely applies across every plan type it supports.
• Concierge support and technology access, giving members a place to go with questions about claims, network providers, or plan details. Concierge service is available as an upgrade for members who want more hands-on support.
• Coverage in all 50 states through the Anthem BlueCard PPO network, which matters for businesses with remote employees, multi-state operations, or owners who travel for work.

Plans are set for the 2026 year, with rate structures designed to hold up better at renewal than many small group plans have in recent years.

Optional Voluntary and Ancillary Benefits

CoreChoice members can also add voluntary and ancillary coverage on top of their medical plan, including life insurance, accident coverage, hospital indemnity, and critical illness protection. These supplemental benefits are optional, but for business owners trying to build out a more complete benefits package without taking on group plan complexity, they’re a meaningful way to extend protection for less than a standalone policy would typically cost.

Who CoreChoice Is Built For

CoreChoice is designed for business owners with an active business and a valid federal tax ID (FEIN), across a wide range of industries. That includes healthcare and medical practices, professional services firms like accounting, legal, and financial advisory, trades and service-based businesses, real estate teams, automotive shops, and hospitality operators. It’s also a strong fit for high-income independent professionals, including wealth advisors, realtors, and tax advisors, who need real coverage but don’t have a natural path into a large group plan.

Professional employer organizations (PEOs) are part of this picture too, though the relationship works a little differently than a typical health plan sale. Rather than purchasing the membership directly, PEOs are positioned to distribute CoreChoice as an option to their payroll clients, extending access to a national PPO plan without having to build that infrastructure themselves.

Enrollment That Doesn’t Wait for an Annual Cycle

One of the more practical advantages of CoreChoice is timing. Members can join by the 15th of any month and have coverage start on the 1st of the next, rather than waiting for a single annual open enrollment window. For a business that’s growing, restructuring, or simply realizing mid-year that its current setup isn’t working, that flexibility removes a real barrier to getting covered.

Why Work With Decisely on CoreChoice

Decisely works with businesses across group health plans, ICHRA, and programs like CoreChoice, which means the recommendation you get isn’t tied to a single product. If a business has the headcount and consistency for a traditional group plan, that’s often still the strongest option. If it doesn’t, or if the owner is an independent professional without a natural path into group coverage, CoreChoice’s national network access and lack of underwriting can be the better fit.

If you’re a business owner exploring your options, a PEO looking to extend a national health plan to HR and payroll clients, or an association exploring a member benefit, reach out to Decisely to talk through whether CoreChoice, a group plan, or ICHRA fits your team best.