Employer NEWSLETTER. Winter 2015

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1 Employer NEWSLETTER Winter 2015

2 Dental Blue Connect Expands Dental Blue Connect is now available for groups of all sizes. We partnered with industry leading Willamette Dental Group to offer the dual option dental plan which helps members keep control of their healthcare costs while getting access to top dentists at Willamette Dental Group clinics across the Northwest, including five in Idaho. With Dental Blue Connect, your employees can take advantage of having no annual maximum and no deductible, as well as predictable, low out-of-pocket costs. The plan even offers orthodontic benefits for patients of all ages. Dental Blue Connect takes a proactive approach to dental care, and patients have consistently given Willamette Dental Group top marks when it comes to satisfaction with care. In fact, Willamette Dental has an average score of more than 90 percent in patient satisfaction surveys. For more information about Dental Blue Connect, contact your account representative or local district office. World-Class Care Around the World International business means working internationally, and now with GeoBlue, your employees living overseas can have easy access to top quality care wherever they are, with the ease of administration you ve come to expect from Blue Cross of Idaho. GeoBlue is the exclusive international provider for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Associations, giving members access to thousands of carefully selected providers and hospitals around the world. The GeoBlue plan eases the Coverage that fits administrative process of filing claims while making sure your employees can take full advantage of their healthcare benefits while you are better able to keep your costs in check. GeoBlue uses the latest in technology, as well as a cultivated network to cater to the health, safety and convenience of members around the world. Additionally, GeoBlue plans can be purchased for short term periods, perfect for employees traveling for work, or just for those heading overseas on vacation. For more information about GeoBlue, contact your account representative or local district office.

3 Prior Authorization Changes We re changing the way we notify members of pre-authorization request approvals. (Re) Introducing Healthy Backs For years, Blue Cross of Idaho s Spine Centers of Excellence program helped many of our members avoid surgery for back pain by outlining a course of physical therapy. But beginning in early 2016, that program will have a new name and even better benefits. The Healthy Backs program will still help members explore non-surgical options to deal with back pain, but now the program includes 10 physical therapy sessions outside of each plan s physical therapy allotment. Additionally, a Blue Cross of Idaho wellness coach will help support members throughout the program. Members must be referred to the program by a participating physiatrist before enrolling, and the program is only available within the state of Idaho. The Healthy Backs program is included in all fully insured plans, but selfinsured plans must opt in to receive it. For more information about Healthy Backs, talk to your account representative or visit members.bcidaho.com/healthy-backs. Beginning January 1, 2016, members will no longer receive a letter notifying them when a pre-authorization request is approved, instead, they ll be able to get all the information they need online. Members can check the status of requests by logging into their online accounts at members. bcidaho.com. Members will still receive a letter if a request is denied. They can also request a hard copy of any request approval by contacting the Blue Cross of Idaho Customer Service Department at the number on the back of their member ID cards. Why go digital? Cutting back on our printing and mailing costs keeps administrative costs down, and we re able to pass the savings on to our members as part of our ongoing campaign to keep healthcare prices as low as possible. Blue Cross of Idaho Welcomes New Lewiston District Sales Manager Sam Canner Blue Cross of Idaho is pleased to welcome Sam Canner as the new Lewiston District sales manager. Sam has worked in the insurance and financial services industries for 10 years, and most recently served as a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Lewiston. Previously, he spent four years as a property/casualty broker specializing in commercial insurance with Stonebraker McQuary Agency based out of Clarkston, Wash. Sam earned his bachelor s degree in business marketing from the University of Idaho in He is a Lewiston native and lives there with his wife, Bethany, and children Sophie and Sammy.

4 ACA Tax Help It s time to start planning for upcoming tax requirements surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Blue Cross of Idaho will provide data support to groups responsible for 1095-C reporting. This member-specific data by group will be available through the Dynamic Reporting Tool (DRT) at bcidaho.com/employers beginning in January. If you have questions about the DRT, want to make sure you have access to it, or to request data support for C reporting, please contact your account representative. You can also find more detailed information on our new healthcare reform webpage at reform.bcidaho.com. Select Action Alerts and then the 2015 Tax Reporting Bulletin. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has also released the final forms and instructions regarding ACA minimal essential coverage (MEC), as well as applicable large employer reporting. These forms are due in January 2016 for 2015 coverage. Available forms include: Forms 1094-C and 1095-C for applicable large employer reporting and self-insured large group MEC reporting Forms 1094-B and 1095-B for insurance carrier and small employer MEC reporting Accompanying instructions Visit the IRS website for details on changes to the forms and instructions. You can find information at irs.gov/ form1094c, irs.gov/form1095c, irs.gov/form1094b and irs.gov/form1095b. Changes include new information on multi-employer arrangements and reporting COBRA coverage, as well as reporting coverage for individuals who have both medical and a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). You can always find more information about ACA regulations and tax reporting requirements at our new healthcare reform webpage at reform.bcidaho.com. Blue Cross of Idaho bcidaho.com

5 New Director of Pharmacy Management We are happy to welcome Steve Olson as the new director of Pharmacy Management. Steve took the post in September, bringing more than 20 years of pharmacy experience to Blue Cross of Idaho. Most recently, Steve served as the clinical account executive at Express Scripts/Accredo. Before that, he served as director of pharmacy at both St. Peter s hospital and PrimeWest Health. Steve has also worked as the clinical pharmacy manager at WellPoint Next Rx and as president and CEO of Alternative Infusion Services. Steve earned his bachelor of science degree and his doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. Blue Cross of Idaho Introduces Spanish Speaking Customer Service Line As part of our ongoing mission to provide the best customer service experience possible, Blue Cross of Idaho now offers a Spanish language customer service line for some of our large groups. Now, members who prefer to speak Spanish when calling our Customer Service Department can do so without being transferred to a third-party interpretive service as done in the past. This new service offers all our members more personalized service while saving them time and hassle when they call with questions. Watch for updates and possible expansion of this service.

6 3000 E. Pine Ave. Meridian, 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. Meet Your Wellness Coaches Getting and staying healthy can be a challenge for all of us, but that s where the Blue Cross of Idaho wellness coaches come in. Our coaches work with individuals to create personal health plans that help them succeed in reaching their health goals. This personalized benefit gives your employees access to certified health and wellness coaches who specialize in nutrition, weight management, exercise and tobacco cessation. For more information about our wellness programs, contact Karri Ryan at or kryan@bcidaho.com. Blue Cross of Idaho wellness coaches (left to right): Jody Jensen Huerta, Megan Hornung, Sarah Kempton, Danielle Fischer and Chelsea Stone by Blue Cross of Idaho, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association