Question of the Week

 

Can we require that all employees establish HSAs with the same HSA trustee or custodian? What if they already have an HSA with a different provider?

 

Answer

  

  

Regence BlueShield News:

2015 Prescription Benefits For Individual and Small-Group Plans

Most 2015 formulary changes reflect brand removals when there is a generic equivalent available and where the brand is seldom used. Medications that were either under review by Regence's Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee or no longer have a generic available have been added to the 2015 formulary.

 

If significant negative changes are identified, a member notification will be sent out. If there is a positive change, such as a new generic, a member communication won't be sent.

 

Optimum Value Medication List for select HSA plans

The Optimum Value Medication List is a list of preventive medications used for specific chronic conditions. This list is built into small-group health saving accounts (HSAs) and select Individual HSAs. It consolidates and replaces the older value-based lists. The drugs shown are first-dollar coverage with regular cost shares.

Transplant Waiting Period Removed For Individual and Small-Group Members

On July 30, 2014, the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) determined that the 90-day waiting period for transplants conflicted with the Essential Health Benefits section of the Affordable Care Act. Regence has removed the waiting period for Individual and small-group (1-50) members, effective retroactively to Jan. 1, 2014. This means any medically necessary, pre-authorized care for transplant services for Individual and small-group members may proceed immediately without a waiting period.

 

Regence contacted providers and are reaching out to affected members by letter and a follow-up phone call. Contracts for new business have been updated and endorsements filed. Regence is awaiting final OIC ruling on whether the waiting period for transplant services will be removed for groups of 51+.

 

Premera Blue Cross News:

Removal of Organ and Bone Transplant Waiting Period

Consistent with recent guidance from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), Premera Blue Cross is updating its contracts to remove the waiting period for the organ and bone transplant benefit. This impacts the following plans:

• Individual plans (non-grandfathered)
• Metallic small group (1-50) plans
• Fully Insured 51+ large group (non-grandfathered)
• Self-Funded 51+ large group (non-grandfathered)

For large and self-funded (51+) groups the removal of transplant waiting periods will be applied as the default effective 1/1/2015.  Groups will have to customize if they wish to opt out of this.

 

Administratively the change is being applied retroactive to July 3, 2014, which means that transplant waits will not be imposed on members, even if their contracts state otherwise. The contract update (removal of the waiting period provision) will appear as groups renew, starting Jan. 1, 2015. For individual plans, the contract language change will be made uniformly as of Jan. 1, 2015.

 

UnitedHealthcare News:

New Health and Wellness Digital Experience to Drive Consumer Engagement

Earlier this year, UnitedHealth Group announced that it acquired a majority stake in Audax Health Solutions, also known as Rally Health, which share common goals of improving health care, making the health system work better and encouraging consumers to take better control of their health. 

 

Beginning Nov. 3, 2014 through 2015, UnitedHealthcare will provide it's members with access to the RallySM digital health and wellness experience, an innovative, consumer-engagement platform designed to make it easy for individuals to better manage their health. The Rally platform replaces the current experience on the Health and Wellness tab of UnitedHealthcare's member portal myuhc.comŽ and represents an advancement in the way UHC seeks to inspire consumers to actively engage in their health using engagement, incentives and social features. 

Text4Baby Offers Free Flu Shots At Rite Aid Pharmacies

This flu season, Text4Baby has partnered with Rite Aid pharmacy to help give moms access to free flu shots. Starting now and going through January 2015, moms enrolled in Text4baby will receive a text message offering the free flu shot. After replying "yes," moms will receive a coupon code that can be redeemed for a free flu shot from any Rite Aid pharmacist.

 

Text4Baby is a free text-messaging resource for moms-to-be and new moms through baby's first year of life. We hope that you'll help spread the word about this free community resource. You can share this flyer with your employees to detail how a mom-to-be or new mom can receive a free flu shot. 
 

Anyone in the community can take advantage of this program whether they're insured or uninsured.
 

 

Health & Wellness