Ceridian Federal COBRA Continuation Services. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) BlueCross and BlueShield of Florida

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1 Ceridian Federal COBRA Continuation Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Prepared for: BlueCross and BlueShield of Florida Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 1

2 Ceridian Information Table of Contents Ceridian... 4 Who is Ceridian?... 4 Group Requirements... 5 Groups with Current COBRA Members... 5 Providing New Hire Information... 4 Qualifying Events... 4 Welcoming New Groups to Ceridian... 5 Ceridian Welcome Kit... 5 Ceridian Welcome Meeting Checklist... 5 General Information... 6 Ceridian s Address... 6 Ceridian s Customer Service number... 6 Ceridian Web Site... 6 Qualifying Event... 6 Qualifying Event Date... 6 Loss of Coverage Date... 6 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)... 7 Eligible Groups... 7 Services Provided... 7 Additional Services... 7 Cost for Service... 7 Goups with FCL Dental Coverage... 8 Ceridian Timeframe for Group Implementation... 8 Ceridian Timeframe for Membership Load... 8 How to Enroll COBRA members?... 9 Transferring Existing COBRA Members Sending New Hire and Qualifying Event Notices Group Notification Timeframes Ceridian and Member Timeframes COBRA Elections & Terminations Group Load Verification Member Load Verification Member Eligibility Verification & Discrepancies Additional Inquiries Waiving Ceridian Coverage Reinstating Ceridian Coverage Groups with Current Ceridian Contracts Accessing Ceridian s Website (WebQE) Group Login and Password Ceridian s Website Services Advantages of Using Ceridian s Website Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 2

3 Ceridian Website Assistance Reports Available on Ceridian s Website COBRA Payments Administration Fee Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 3

4 Ceridian Who is Ceridian? Ceridian is the nation s oldest and largest COBRA compliance vendor and also a Fortune 1000 company, employing more than 6,000 professionals nationwide. Ceridian serves millions of COBRA members and keeps employers in compliance with COBRA regulations daily. Ceridian manages: Eligibility Compliance Customer Service Billing Collections They keep all COBRA materials up to date to meet current compliance guidelines and requirements of the COBRA statute and related regulations. Continued on next page Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 4

5 Group Requirements Groups with Current COBRA Members For Ceridian to administer current COBRA members, The group or current TPA will be required to provide Ceridian with a list of current COBRA members, take overs, for initial group setup. Ceridian requires the group to include the following information with the list of current COBRA members: Member demographics Member social security number Member plan elections Qualifying Event Date(s) and/or Loss of Coverage Date COBRA paid-through date Qualifying Event Coverage Type (single, employee + child, employee + spouse, employee + family) Is the member approved for an 11 - month extension? Dependent information COBRA premium rates Providing New Hire Information Groups are required to enter their new hire information on Ceridian s website ( or submit paper forms. Qualifying Events Groups are required to enter their Qualifying Event information on Ceridian s website ( or submit paper forms. Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 5

6 Welcoming New Groups to Ceridian Ceridian Welcome Kit Once BlueCross BlueShield of Florida notifies Ceridian of a new group, Ceridian sends a Welcome Kit to the group. The kit includes: A Frequently Asked Questions brochure about COBRA Forms used in administering COBRA Sample reports available to the group Policy and Procedures on eligibility, billing and collections Ceridian calls the group to schedule a welcome call. At that time, Ceridian discusses the Welcome Kit and reviews the processes. Ceridian Welcome Meeting Checklist The agenda of items discussed in the Welcome Call between the group and Ceridian includes: Introductions Ceridian Q&A on Setup Information WEB QE (Ceridian s web site) Handling and Processing of New Hire Notifications Handling and Processing of New Qualifying Events Billing and Payment Process Monthly Reporting 800 Numbers Open Q&A Discussions Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 6

7 General Information Ceridian s Address CobraServ National Service Center PO Box St. Petersburg, FL Ceridian s Customer Service number :30a.m. 8:00p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday The IVR (voice response) is available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week, even on holidays. Ceridian Web Site is also available 24 hours Qualifying Event The Qualifying Event (QE) is the actual event that caused the member to be eligible for COBRA. Qualifying Event Date The Qualifying Event Date (QED) is the actual date that the Qualifying Event occurred, as determined by the sponsoring employer. Loss of Coverage Date The Benefit Termination Date (BTD) is the actual date that the member lost medical coverage as determined by the sponsoring employer if not defined in the plan documents. Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 7

8 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Eligible Groups What groups are eligible for Ceridian services? Groups, that currently have BCF plans Services Provided What are the full services provided by Ceridian? Ceridian performs many of the COBRA Administration functions for the group beginning on their effective date with Ceridian, including: Sending General Notices of COBRA Rights and Obligations (General Notice), such as Newly Covered Employee, Newly Covered Spouse, New Hire, and Initial Notices of COBRA Rights, via United States Postal Service (USPS) first-class mail with proof of mailing once the group notifies Ceridian of the addition of an employee and/or spouse to the plan Sending Qualifying Event Notices via USPS first-class mail with proof of mailing once the group notifies Ceridian of a new qualifying event Systematically archiving all Qualifying Event Notices and General Notices that were sent to employees and spouses, and dependents Additional Services What additional services can Ceridian provide for the group? Ceridian can also administer COBRA continuation with other group health plans for an additional fee. They can also complete Open Enrollment services for eligible COBRA members for an additional fee. Cost for Service What are the costs for these services? The contract to administer COBRA to BCF groups is between Ceridian and BCF; therefore, Ceridian COBRA services are provided at no cost to BCF groups Please note: if a group has additional non-bcf carriers, Ceridian can provide these same services for additional COBRA-eligible health plans provided by other carriers at an additional cost to the group. Please contact Ceridian at for pricing information. In addition, if group has FCL dental but no medical, Ceridian will bill the group to administer their other group health plans. Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 8

9 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued Groups with FCL Dental coverage Can Ceridian provide services for groups that have dental only coverage? If the group has FCL dental but no BlueCross BlueShield of Florida medical plans, Ceridian will bill the group to administer the dental plan Group Implementation What is Ceridian s process for implementing a new group into their system? Stage Description 1 Receive GSS on group 2 Ceridian makes the first contact with the group 3 Ceridian then: Sends a Welcome Kit to the group Conducts a Welcome Call to introduce themselves and briefly discuss the services they provide Schedules an Implementation Call 4 Ceridian conducts the Implementation Call, discusses details of the process and procedures with the group, and gathers any additional information needed, such as current COBRA participant information, and additional products Ceridian can offer to the group. 5 Ceridian completes the group setup and any additional services/products requested by the group, and enroll current COBRA participants into the Ceridian system. Ceridian Timeframe for Membership Load What is Ceridian s turn around time for loading a member s qualifying event? The turn around time for loading a member depends on how the information is received. If the group utilizes WebQE, member information is automatically loaded into the system and will generate an election packet the next business day, as long as the member information is accurate and the participant has not been a participant with Ceridian prior. If the information is inaccurate or the participant has been with Ceridian prior, the member record is kicked out of the system and must be manually reviewed. If the member information is faxed, then the process for loading the member is manual and takes longer to process. Groups are strongly urged to use WebQE. Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 9

10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued How to Enroll COBRA members? Transferring Existing COBRA Members A Participant Update Report is sent via fax or mail when a participant has elected and paid for coverage or cancels coverage. The Participant Update Report should be faxed to the carrier to have the coverage updated appropriately. How does the group transfer their existing COBRA population to Ceridian? The group provides current COBRA member information to their Ceridian Implementation Analyst so that Ceridian may invoice these members for their remaining period of coverage under COBRA. There are two ways for groups to submit data to Ceridian: Stage A B Description Make copies of the COBRA Continuant Takeover Form enclosed in the Ceridian Implementation Kit Complete the forms Fax or mail them to Ceridian Fax: (727) Address: Ceridian COBRA Services Center th Street South St. Petersburg, FL Create an electronic file using Ceridian s specifications Send the file electronically via file transfer protocol (FTP) to Ceridian (The group must contact Ceridian if interested in this method of data transfer) Note: is not a secure method of transfer. Ceridian does not accept electronic files sent via . Note: The group can use a different method every time member information is submitted to Ceridian. Continued on next page Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 10

11 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued Sending New Hire and Qualifying Event Notices How does the group send new qualifying events and newly covered employee and spouse information to Ceridian? There are three ways for a group to submit new qualifying events and new hire data to Ceridian: Stage A B C Description Complete the Qualifying Event form or the New Hire Notification form online at Submit the form electronically on website Make copies of the COBRA Qualifying Event form and/or the New Hire Notification form (enclosed in the Ceridian Implementation Kit) Complete the appropriate form Fax or mail them to Ceridian at: Fax: (727) Address: Ceridian COBRA Services Center th Street South St. Petersburg, FL Create an electronic file according to Ceridian s specifications Send the file electronically via file transfer protocol (FTP) to Ceridian (The group must contact Ceridian if interested in this method of data transfer.) Note: is not a secure method of transfer. Ceridian does not accept electronic files sent via . Group Notification Timeframes What are the group s required timeframes for submitting Qualifying Events and General Notices to Ceridian? The group has 30 days to notify Ceridian of Qualifying Events. General Notice requests are required within 90 days of the beginning coverage under the plan. The group is still responsible for complying with the federal COBRA statute and COBRA s supporting regulations. Continued on next page Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 11

12 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued Ceridian and Member Timeframes What is Ceridian s timeframe to send the Qualifying Event Notice to the member? What is the member s COBRA election timeframe? Ceridian sends the Qualifying Event Notice to the member within 14 days of receiving notice of the qualifying event from the group. The member must elect COBRA within 60 days of the date coverage was lost or within 60 days from the notification date of COBRA rights, whichever is later. COBRA coverage may be declined and accepted later, as long as the decision to accept is within the 60-day election period. COBRA Elections & Terminations Who does the member contact regarding COBRA election or termination? The member contacts Ceridian if they choose to elect or terminate their COBRA coverage at via the IVR or via the web or by mail. Group Load Verification How can I verify if group information has been loaded into Ceridian s system? For any questions regarding the group setup, please contact Ceridian Client Services at between 8 AM and 6 PM Eastern. The Client Services Representative can search Ceridian s system using the group name and/or group number to locate the account for you. Please note: The GSS is received via from BCBSFL and Ceridian will need time to enter the group information into the Ceridian system. Continued on next page Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 12

13 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued Member Load Verification How can I verify if a member has been loaded into Ceridian s system? For questions about member information, please contact Ceridian s COBRA Customer Service department between 8 AM and 8 PM Eastern. A Ceridian COBRA Customer Service Representative can search Ceridian s system using the member s Social Security Number, name, or system generated ID to locate the account for you. Please note: If you are a broker and have specific questions regarding the participant population for your group, Ceridian will require a Confidentiality Agreement to be signed by your organization and the group you are representing. Member Eligibility Verification & Discrepancies Who is contacted about member discrepancies between Ceridian and BlueCross BlueShield of Florida? The member should contact Ceridian at to verify that they are in Ceridian s system. If Ceridian shows the member as active, the Ceridian representative will contact the group and submit a status report as a reminder to the group to have the member s enrollment updated. Additional Inquiries Where do I send additional inquiries about Ceridian and BlueCross BlueShield of Florida? (This section is to be used to comment about the process for escalating items to the Membership & Billing Representatives managing the day to day COBRA eligibility.) Continued on next page Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 13

14 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued Waiving Ceridian Coverage Are groups required to take Ceridian coverage? What is the group required to do if they choose to waive Ceridian coverage? Group may choose to waive Ceridian service, if approved by BCF. A group with fewer than 100 employees must have a Third Party Administrator in order to waive Ceridian s COBRA administration services. If group notifies Ceridian of its desire to waive, the BCBSFL Account Manager will confirm if there is a waiver on file. If not, group will need to contact its agent. Reinstating Ceridian Coverage If the group waived Ceridian services in the past, can the group take advantage of this offer now? The Group at the request of a representative of BlueCross BlueShield of Florida can request that their services for COBRA Administration with Ceridian be reinstated. Groups with Current Ceridian Contracts If the group has a contract directly with Ceridian, can the group take advantage of this offer? Yes. Upon receipt of the group s information from BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, Ceridian will contact the group to determine if they wish to cancel their existing direct contract and switch to the carrier contract. The group needs to provide written permission to Ceridian allowing the switch from the direct contract to the carrier contract. The group is also required to remit payment of the full balance of their direct contract before Ceridian can switch the group to the carrier contract. If the group has additional services for plans that are not provided by BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, the group should contact Ceridian for pricing to consider these services. Accessing Ceridian s Website (WebQE) How does the group access Ceridian COBRA web information? A group can access Ceridian s website (WebQE) once Ceridian has loaded at least one of the group s members into their system. At that point, the group can go to the Ceridian website at Ceridian provides the group with a login ID and temporary password for initial access. Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 14

15 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued Group Login and Password What is the group s login ID and password? The group s login ID is the group s Ceridian account number and the group s default password is the last 4 characters of the group s account number reversed. For example, if the Ceridian account number is , the login ID is and the password is The group is prompted to change the password on the first visit to the website. Ceridian s Website Services What services are available on Ceridian s website (WebQE)? WebQE can be utilized for the following: General Notice notification entry Qualifying Event notification entry Group access to participant data Online rate reports Online COBRA queries and status reports for the group Online COBRA monthly reports for the group Online COBRA election capability for participants Advantages of Using Ceridian s Website What are the advantages of using Ceridian s website (WebQE) to enter data? Using Ceridian s website, WebQE, to enter data is faster, more accurate and secure. The Ceridian web format automatically validates the data to verify that all required fields are completed, resulting in fewer calls and faxes for missing information. Member information entered on Ceridian s website, WebQE, is downloaded and letters are sent within 24 hours. With paper, the process is manual and takes more time. Ceridian Website Assistance Who assists the group with using Ceridian s website (WebQE)? Ceridian provides the group contact/authorized user with a user support manual for Ceridian s web site, WebQE. Please refer the caller to Ceridian s customer service department at Continued on next page Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 15

16 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Continued Reports Available on Ceridian s Website What reports are available on Ceridian s website (WebQE)? The reports available on Ceridian s website are: Queries and status reports allow the group to search for a current participant s status Rate reports shows the group s current plans, carrier codes, and rates COBRA reports monthly participants status report and premium distribution reports For more information about Ceridian s web reporting, call Ceridian at and request a copy of the Frequently Asked Questions Web Reporting document. COBRA Payments Where are member COBRA payments sent and who bills them? Ceridian bills the member and the member makes a payment to Ceridian. Members mail their payments to Ceridian at: Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services P.O. Box St. Petersburg, FL (Include Ceridian system ID# on the payment or, if not known, the member s Social Security Number) Administration Fee Who pays the additional 2% of the group rate known as the administration fee provided for by COBRA statute? The member is billed the additional 2% by Ceridian as part of the total premium due. Ceridian retains the 2% administration fee. Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services FAQ 16