Got a Small Group Lead? Get a Quote!

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1 INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL GROUP BUSINESS NEWS FOR COLORADO AGENTS JANUARY 2006 Got a Small Group Lead? Get a Quote! Drop us an at ISGquotes@anthem.com. your request to us at or toll free at Call the sales support team at or toll free at The High Price of Limited Benefit Plans With the ever-rising cost of health care, lower-cost health plans naturally become increasingly attractive to customers but they may come at a high price. Some insurers today are marketing individual health plans with very restrictive benefits to bring down premium costs. These may include limits to annual benefits, outpatient services or prescription drugs. It s important to talk to your customers about what they expect from their health insurance. Chances are they want protection in the event of a catastrophe. If your customers buy based on price alone, they may end up with a plan that isn t there for them when they need it most. Individual buyers are especially at risk as they re often not accustomed to making health plan purchasing decisions and may not fully understand what they re buying. This can present liability issues for the agent. Are you selling health plans that truly protect your customers? With the quality of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, you can feel confident you re helping your customers make a wise choice. New Vision Discounts through SpecialOffers@Anthem Are your customers taking advantage of the great discounts available at SpecialOffers@Anthem? As of January 1, 2006, this online program offers new vision discount services through EyeMed Vision Care. Members can receive discounts at nearly 10,000 locations, including offices of independent optometrists, ophthalmologists and opticians, plus retailers such as LensCrafters SM, Target Optical, and most Sears Optical and Pearle Vision locations. The new vision discount program features: 30 percent off retail prices for prescription eyeglasses, including standard plastic lenses, and choice of any available frame and lens options. Frequencies are unlimited. 30 percent off retail prices for prescription sunglasses and 30 percent off accessories. Where available, SpecialOffers@Anthem will continue to offer discounts on contact lenses and LASIK through TruVision. Members may take advantage of the SpecialOffers@Anthem discount programs just by presenting their health plan ID card. Changes to State-mandated Basic and Standard Plans We notified members in November about changes to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s state-mandated Basic and Standard PPO and HMO health plans in Colorado. These changes were effective for all Individual members on January 1, The changes will be effective for Small Group members at their renewal date in Medicare Supplement Plan Changes Changes for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s Medicare Supplement plans in Colorado were effective January 1, Depending on the plan, these changes may include a rate change, a change to the billing cycle or both. Rates for plans A, B, F, I and J increased. Members were notified in November. Changes to Colorado Individual HSA-compatible HDHPs Effective January 1, 2006, the prescription drug benefit for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s Individual HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) changed. Our HDHPs with a drug benefit changed from being copayment-based to having an integrated health and drug deductible. This means drug purchases will be credited toward the health plan deductible, and members must meet the deductible before the plan begins paying prescription drug benefits. Once the deductible is met, the plan will pay for prescription drugs at the coinsurance rate. Currently, our Individual HDHPs with a $4,000 or $5,000 deductible feature a drug discount card only, rather than a copayment-based drug benefit. Effective March 1, 2006, these plans will also change to include an integrated health and drug deductible. All members will have access to Anthem s negotiated drug discounts, which in most cases will be better than the discount received by using the drug discount card. We notified all affected plan members about these changes in late November. Set Your Sights High! Time is running out to qualify for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s 2006 top producer trips. Qualification is based on sales with effective dates between January 1, 2005, and January 31, The West Region Top Producer Gold Conference will be at the Fairmont Banff Springs Castle in Alberta, Canada. The Silver Conference will be at the Silverado Resort in beautiful Napa Valley, California. For more information, call agent sales support at or , or go to topproducers-westregion.com.

2 Brought to you by your Craig German Craig German Region 2: Metro Denver West and South Anthem Dental: A Smile of Confidence Convenient, affordable dental coverage is an important part of a total health care package. It helps cover the cost of essential preventive care and necessary procedures and brightens employee satisfaction and well-being. Our Anthem Dental PPO and PPO Plus plans feature all the comprehensive benefits your clients expect for diagnostic, preventive, basic, major and orthodontic services plus a provider network to fit members needs. Blue View Vision: The Best in Sight More than 64 percent of working Americans wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, while over 80 percent of workers over age 44 need corrective eyewear to perform their jobs. Blue View Vision offers a choice of two full-service vision plans (Blue View or Blue View Plus) designed especially for small businesses. The EmployeeElect application combines enrollment applications for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s health and specialty products, including dental and vision, in one form, so it s never been easier for your clients to enroll in specialty coverage. Simplified Billing Your Small Group clients on EmployeeElect plans can now receive one combined bill for their Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield health and specialty coverage. This simplified billing can be a real selling point for you as you talk with your Small Group clients about EmployeeElect and our specialty products. Tonik: Sell the Plans. Sell the Experience Tonik, a new Individual health plan designed to capture the 205,000 Coloradans between the ages of 19 and 29, has arrived. For more information about Tonik, go to tonikhealth.com. Health Savings Accounts and Want to learn more about health savings EmployeeElect stand approach to HSAs and will bring you This course provides an easy-to-under- Continuing education credit is available. up to speed on our EmployeeElect health Space is limited, so be sure to. plan portfolio, which offers unique advantages and a custom fit for small businesses. Date: January 24, 2006 Date: February 14, 2006 Date: February 28, 2006 For Large Group information, contact Jackie Helton at for a seminar in one of the : : a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday Seminar Location and Date

3 Brought to you by your Donna Wilson Donna Wilson Region 1: Colorado South Application Drop Off If you re dropping off applications at the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield building at 700 Broadway in Denver, please take them to customer service on the first floor. For Individual applications, ask for delivery to Sommer Martinez on the ninth floor. Small Group applications go to Tamara Long on the sixth floor. Please don t leave applications at the security desk on the first floor. Care Outside of Colorado When your clients ask, Am I covered when I travel? you can say, yes! At no additional cost, the BlueCard program provides coverage for your PPO clients who become sick or have a medical emergency while traveling across the country or around the world. They have access to doctors and hospitals almost everywhere, giving them peace of mind that they ll be able to obtain care when and where they need it. For non-emergency care, members may find names and addresses of nearby participating doctors and hospitals at Or, they may call BLUE (2583). Members are responsible for getting preauthorization for some types of care and services, or making sure the provider obtains it. The preauthorization phone number is on the back of the member s health plan ID card. Don t Forget About ehealth Website Tools to Educate and Inform Our ehealth tools and resources can help your clients manage their health care activities and expenses and become more informed about their health care options. Through MyAnthem, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s personalized website, members have quick and easy access to claims, benefits, and customized health and wellness information all in one convenient place. MyAnthem allows members to: Check eligibility, claims and benefits; use the Healthcare Advisor TM to learn about health conditions and medical procedures and to select a hospital; order a replacement health plan ID card; select or change their PCP; and review the list of drugs on our formulary all through MyServices. Search our online directory for a provider or pharmacy through MyProviders. Find health and wellness information through MyHealth. Look for health-related merchandise discounts through MySpecialOffers. Date: January 31, 2006 Location: Pueblo Convention Center 320 Central Main Street Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation Want to learn more about health savings Continuing education credit is available. Space is limited, so be sure to. Date: February 16, 2006 Location: Pueblo Convention Center Want to learn more about health savings 320 Central Main Street Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation Continuing education credit is available. Space is limited, so be sure to. Date: February 22, 2006 Date: January 24, 2006 Location: Wyndham Hotel Location: Wyndham Hotel Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation for a seminar in one of the : : a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday Seminar Location and Date For Large Group information, contact Jackie Helton at

4 Brought to you by your Rob Kosick Rob Kosick Region 3: Metro Denver East and North Persistence Will Get You Everywhere Call on good prospects as many times as it takes to sell them. About 80 percent of sales are made on the fifth call or later, yet studies have shown: Up to 50 percent of America s salespeople call on a prospect just one time, then quit. Eighteen percent call on a prospect twice, then give up. Seven percent call three times and then call it quits. Five percent call on a prospect four times before quitting. Only 20 percent call on a prospect five or more times before they quit. Here s what s interesting: It s that 20 percent who close 80 percent of the sales in America! You don t have to become a dynamic personality to sell. You don t have to put pressure on prospects or out-talk other salespeople to sell. The most effective thing you can do is to apply your own selling savvy, which adds strength to your persuasion, and then just keep selling! Last Chance to Renew on EmployeeElect Don t forget your clients who renewed in November and December and who are interested in Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s new EmployeeElect suite of products may move to an EmployeeElect plan for February 1. Also, in the coming months watch for the renewal packets for your renewing groups. They ll contain a lot of valuable information to help ensure a smooth renewal and transition to EmployeeElect. Tonik: Sell the Plans. Sell the Experience Tonik, a new Individual health plan designed to capture the 205,000 Coloradans between the ages of 19 and 29, has arrived. For more information about Tonik, go to tonikhealth.com. Health Savings Accounts and EmployeeElect This course provides an easy-to-understand approach to HSAs and will bring you up to speed on our EmployeeElect health plan portfolio, which offers unique advantages and a custom fit for small businesses. Date: February 14, 2006 Date: February 28, 2006 for a seminar in one of the : : a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday Seminar Location and Date For Large Group information, contact Jackie Helton at

5 Brought to you by your Tammy Banich Tammy Banich Region 7: Outlying Areas Renewals As renewal time approaches, here are a few reminders to help make the process easier. If you had November or December 2005 Small Group renewals, we re allowing a special enrollment in January and February 2006 for groups to convert to one or more of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield s new EmployeeElect plans. We ll need new completed employer and employee applications, but completed health statements aren t required. Groups will receive the same risk adjustment factor they had with their November or December renewal, and they ll receive January rates and a new renewal date. Groups currently on PPO plans A, F, I or J may: Renew on their current plan with no paperwork required, OR Move to EmployeeElect, OR Move to a Basic or Standard PPO or HMO plan. Groups currently on Basic and Standard PPO and HMO plans may: Renew on their current plan with no paperwork required OR Move to EmployeeElect. For groups currently on plans other than Basic or Standard or A, F, I or J: Agents received notice in September that these groups were on plans being discontinued. Group administrators received notice in September that the plans are being discontinued. Subscribers received notice in October that their plan is being discontinued. The group s current plan will be mapped to the closest EmployeeElect plan. The group may move to the mapped or any other EmployeeElect plan(s). Want to learn more about health savings Want to learn more about health savings to-understand accounts? This seminar provides an easy- Continuing education credit is available. Continuing education credit is available. Space is limited, so be sure to. Space is limited, so be sure to. Date: January 24, 2006 Date: February 16, 2006 Location: Wyndham Hotel Location: Pueblo Convention Center 320 Central Main Street Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation Date: January 31, 2006 Date: February 22, 2006 Location: Pueblo Convention Center Location: Wyndham Hotel 320 Central Main Street Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; presentation for a seminar in one of the : : a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday Seminar Location and Date For Large Group information, contact Jackie Helton at

6 Brought to you by your Troy Muckerheide Troy Muckerheide Region 4: Colorado North FAQs Q: How do I get a group quote? A: The easiest ways are to a census to isgquotes@anthem.com, or fax your census to agent sales support at Q: How do I get supplies? A: Order supplies through isgsalessupport@anthem.com, or call agent sales support at Q: How can I get Individual applications processed more quickly? A: Give your prospects the option to complete their application online. If you don t have access online, please call me to have it set up. Underwriting s Top Reasons for Ordering Medical Records on an Individual Application Non-disclosure Epilepsy Symptoms with no diagnosis Hypertension Mental health disorder Undiagnosed symptoms (e.g., back pain) Claims history When underwriting requests medical records for an Individual applicant, the underwriter is asked to make the most appropriate and accurate underwriting decision for that applicant. It s always a good idea to let your clients know medical records may be requested for underwriting purposes, depending on the information in their application. Selling Price May Mean Selling Twice Are you selling health coverage based on price? Or, are you selling value, reputation and long-term rate stability? Selling value and long-term rate stability takes sales skills, but it s the best thing you can do for your clients in the long run. When carriers need to increase sales and market share, they lower or hold their rates. The problem is that pharmacy and claims costs continue to go up. As a result, the carriers are turning themselves upside down financially, leading to larger rate increases in the future. Tonik: Sell the Plans. Sell the Experience Tonik, a new Individual health plan designed to capture the 205,000 Coloradans between the ages of 19 and 29, has arrived. For more information about Tonik, please go to tonikhealth.com. Want to learn more about health savings Continuing education credit is available. Space is limited, so be sure to. Date: January 19, 2006 Location: Ptarmigan Country Club 5416 Vardon Way Ft. Collins, Colorado for a seminar in one of the : : a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday For Large Group information, contact Jackie Helton at Seminar Location and Date