Broker NEWSLETTER. One mission: you

Transcription

1 Broker NEWSLETTER One mission: you Spring 2017

2 Welcome After a long, busy winter, it s time to take a fresh look at things. While there is a lot of uncertainty in the industry as we all wait to see what will happen with healthcare regulations, you can rest assured that Blue Cross of Idaho is here to support you in any way we can. Whether it s providing the most up-to-date information possible, or offering ongoing educational webinars, we re dedicated to our partnership. As always, if you have questions about any of our products or programs, please feel free to contact our Broker Relations Team. Thank you, Terrie Havis Director, Broker Relations Weekly Webinars Now that we re past some of the busyness of January renewals and the Open Enrollment Period, we ve restarted our weekly webinar series. The intent of these webinars is to provide up-to-the-minute information on the health insurance industry and Blue Cross of Idaho specific information. While these are not required, we hope you find the information valuable and attend the sessions that pertain to you and the business lines you sell. We are bringing in subject matter experts to provide you with a variety of information, for all market segments. Please watch your for the weekly agenda and mark your calendars with the following dates and times. Weekly Monday, 2 p.m. (MST) Wednesday, 10 a.m. (MST) Others scheduled as needed One mission: you

3 Book of Business Moves One provision of the updated Agent/Agency Agreement (AA) is that Blue Cross of Idaho must approve any Book of Business (BOB) moves/transfers from one agent or agency to another before to the transfer. We created the Broker Book of Business Transfer Request Form (available as a fillable PDF), which is required for any BOB moves/transfers to be considered (even transfers within an agency). This form is available post-login on the broker portal under Reports and Commissions and Broker Commissions Information. Our intent is to protect our brokers and their clients. Often, requests are made and the purchasing broker isn t licensed or properly certified. We want to ensure the process runs as smoothly and quickly as possible. Blue Cross of Idaho requires both the buying and selling parties to be: 1. Actively licensed to sell disability (health) insurance in Idaho and not under investigation. 2. Your Health Idaho (YHI) certified prior to the BOB purchase or transfer if it includes individual non-group enrollment. 3. Medicare Advantage (MA) certified if the purchase or transfer includes MA members. MA certification occurs annually in the fall. Please contact brokerrelations@bcidaho.com for more information. Blue Cross of Idaho transfers business in our system only. Brokers must also contact YHI to transfer the business in their system. Please allow two weeks for the agreement to be reviewed. Broker Relations will contact the broker(s) in writing with our decision. Once approved, Blue Cross of Idaho requires 90 days to complete the BOB transfer. Welcome to Guided Healthcare Based on national research, Blue Cross of Idaho believes that our new coordinated care products will lower costs and improve health outcomes for our members. When discussing the new individual coordinated care products, you can help your clients maximize their benefits by assisting them in understanding a few key points. It is important for the client to choose a primary care provider (PCP) early on and establish a relationship with their PCP. Applicants can search for PCPs at bcidaho.com/findaprovider. Members can search for and select a PCP by logging into their account at members.bcidaho.com. Brokers may also update a client s PCP through the Broker Portal. Once logged in, select Change Member PCP under the Reports & Commissions drop-down. When care is needed, members can look to their PCP and work together to ensure the member receives the services they need. The PCP will organize care and provide a referral for care he or she can t provide. Remember, in an emergency or urgent care situation, your client can access the closest facility available. Our coordinated care plans treat emergencies and urgent care services as if they were in the member s provider network. Facilities that do not contract with either Blue Cross of Idaho or a participating BlueCard provider may bill amounts above the contracted allowance.

4 Balanced Funding Looking for a new funding option for your group health plan? Blue Cross of Idaho s Balanced Funding program is a selffunded health plan with the predictability of a stable monthly payment and protection against losses. Balanced Funding is available to groups with 51 to 250 enrolled employees. Blue Cross projects the group s expected claims and bundles it with specific and aggregate stop-loss insurance to create a level monthly payment. The monthly payment covers administrative costs and reinsurance, along with claims funding and claims run-out liability, based on enrollment. If the group s actual claims experience is lower than expected, and there is a surplus after fixed costs are paid, they could receive a surplus credit after the run-out period. For more information, please see our Quick Guide to Understanding your Blue Cross of Idaho Balanced Funding Self-funded Health Plan located on the broker portal or contact your sales manager or sales consultant. Private Exchange for Employers Blue Cross of Idaho s private exchange helps companies offer their employees a greater choice in health benefits, while giving employers a way to keep healthcare costs in check. The new program allows employers to offer employees a benefit allowance, called a defined contribution, for group insurance coverage options. Employees then compare plan options and select the best benefits to fit their needs. This option is now available to all group sizes. Specific information on the private exchange options is available on the broker portal. You can also contact your district sales manager or sales consultant for more information. Blue Cross of Idaho bcidaho.com

5 Automated Phone System Changes We heard your requests to improve our automated phone system and you can now reach our sales offices, Broker Relations Department, or Customer Service Department by calling You also have the option of connecting to a specific individual. Before being connected to a specific area, you will be asked for your six-digit broker ID number. For example, if your broker ID is BC, you would enter This allows us to better direct you to the correct area. As always, please feel free to send feedback to brokerrelations@bcidaho.com. Contact Us Sales Office For individual business support...iss@bcidaho.com For group business support...groupsales@bcidaho.com Enrollment & Billing Enrollment applications for existing groups......groupapps@bcidaho.com Broker Customer Service Hotline For all non-sales customer service issues, i.e. billing, claim or benefit questions Member Customer Service CVS Health Rx Customer Care MA Broker Relations Hotline To order supplies and for product and compliance questions MA Broker Assist Line For eligibility, enrollment, and benefit questions To send enrollment applications... mapp@bcidaho.com MA Member Services Broker Relations... brokerrelations@bcidaho.com or For questions on training, appointments, commission or other issues

6 P.O. Box 7408 Boise, ID Published by Blue Cross of Idaho by Blue Cross of Idaho, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement not take the place of the recommendations of your healthcare provider. Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or healthcare regimen. Blue Cross of Idaho makes no endorsements or warranties regarding any of the products and services included in this publication or its articles. Idaho Healthcare Summit Don t forget to register for the annual Idaho Healthcare Summit on May at Boise Centre in downtown Boise. The theme for this year s event is Idaho s Community Healthcare Crisis: A Call to Action. The event will offer those who attend the chance to get involved in a year-long process designed to help foster grassroots efforts to address problems in healthcare. Guest speakers include Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, and Tyler Norris, who has worked for years to create collaborative partnerships to improve the health of both people and places. The cost to attend is $199, which includes two lunches, one breakfast and the welcome reception. For more information, visit idahohealthcaresummit.com. Group Quoting System Updates In first quarter 2017, Blue Cross of Idaho made many improvements to the Group Quoting System. Here are some highlights: New link to the Census Input Sheet Simplified the process of uploading a group census by eliminating multiple steps View the group census from quoting screens Medical SBCs can be downloaded from Summary page Export quotes to PDF or Excel Unlimited number of options can be run on the same quote We hope these improvements make it easier to use our Group Quoting System. Always feel free to send feedback to brokerrelations@bcidaho.com.