Anthem Monthly Updates
Small Group 1-50
May 2017
January Grandmothered Renewals
We receive questions on off cycle changes as we get closer to calculating the January renewal groups. The last date for off cycle benefit changes will be 6/1/17. We will be releasing the renewals around Labor Day, and will follow up in future updates with any additional information on the release. Attestation forms for groups needing to move to KEY will be due by the end of June. We can take the information now if you have it, but not later than 6/30/17.
Dual Option down to 5 lives-New for ACA Groups
All NEW groups are now eligible for dual option down to 5 enrolled lives starting for 5/1/17 effective dates for ACA.
* You must have 5 enrolled in plan to eligible.
* This is for dual only.
* You must have at least one member enrolled in each plan.
* 10 percent difference in premium between plans
There is no change to the requirements to add a triple option. 10+ enrolled is still required. .
Ohio Welcomes a New Small Group Specialty Sales Executive
The Anthem Sales team is pleased to announce that Stephanie Ellis has taken the role as the Small Group Specialty Sales Executive. In her role, Stephanie will be responsible for dental, vision, life and disability sales for the Small Group market in Ohio.
Stephanie has more than 12 years of experience in the insurance industry. She began her career as a captive agent with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kentucky. She has since had success as a broker in Louisville, Kentucky, and most recently as a Sales and Retention Executive for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana.
Her background in the various sales segments equips her with the tools and knowledge to help you find the right fit for your small group clients' dental, vision, disability and life needs. Stephanie is based out of the Mason, Ohio office and is responsible for all Ohio regions.
2017 Small Group Broker Guide for Dental, Vision, Life and Disability
It's here! Your guide to everything about den
tal, vision, life and disability - the 2017 Small Group Broker Guide is now ready for you to use.
This guide gives you relevant information at your fingertips, everything you need to know in one handy document. Use it to help you present, quote and implement dental, vision, life and disability benefits for your small group clients.
Here's an overview of what the guide contains:
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More choices: strong and competitive stand-alone products, the benefits of combining dental, vision, life and disability with one of our health plans, and our voluntary options
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Money talks: an overview of our small group discounts and producer commission schedules
* Let us help you: details about Connect, underwriting and quoting a plan: dental, vision, life and disability small group plan designs
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Want to know more? contact information at your fingertips
Employer Access for Groups
EmployerAccess enables you to manage your company-sponsored health plan efficiently using a simple, secure website. From one convenient location, you can manage the following:
* Enrollments and cancellations
* Changes of address
* Online bill pay
* Transaction history
* Activity reports
With instant access to accurate information, you'll save time by getting the information you need faster and by eliminating duplicate work. And you don't have to wait to get started. You can register yourself online today.
Use of New 2017 Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)
The date for the implementation of the 2017 revised Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) template is fast approaching. As a reminder, the revised SBC template must be used for groups beginning open enrollment 4/1/17 and after (meaning, effective dates beginning 5/1/17) and Individual business does not transition to the new template until the open enrollment for plan year 1/1/18 effective date.
Revised SBCs, using the new 2017 Federal template, will be posted for groups on the Document Posting Site (DPS) between 3/20/2017 and 4/1/2017. It is critical that you utilize the new SBC template once they are all available for effective dates of 5/1/2017 and later:
* If you are looking to provide an SBC during this interim two week period, please ensure it is on the revised 2017 template.
* If you have already provided an SBC, for a group effective 5/1/2017 and after, you must provide a new SBC using the revised 2017 template
DPS link is provided below for your convenience:
New Outreach Campaign
Misuse of emergency rooms (ERs) for non-emergency medical concerns is a big cost driver for our clients and members. The average cost to go to the ER for a non-emergency is $1,2001. Yet 66% of members go to the ER whenever they (or someone they care for) are sick and the doctor's office is closed.2 And, 25% believe the best place to go is the ER, regardless of how sick or injured they are, no matter the time of day.2 This not only costs members more - in terms of both time and money -- but also ties up emergency staff unnecessarily. That's why we're launching a new campaign designed to reduce avoidable ER visits.
This new campaign uses targeted direct mail and email materials to help members understand when they should use the ER and when it may make more sense to use another quick care option, like an urgent care center, walk-in doctor's office, or retail health clinic. These other options can be a great way for members to avoid long waits and big bills while getting quick care for non-emergencies like sprains, stitches and rashes. Campaign materials also include money-saving tips and Anthem resources to help members make wise decisions based on their unique health care needs.
Take a peek at a few of our campaign samples
here and
here. Actual materials received by members may vary based on how they've used the ER in the past.
Cleaner Submissions!
The cleaner the new business submission, the faster we will be able to implement the group.
Here are some commonly missed items:
* ER application needs
TAX ID or encrypted TIN
* Emails for missing information - Reply to the Implementation Coordinator that sent the request for missing information (instead of the general email box)
* When possible put employee names on quote vs. showing employee 1, 2, 3
* Legible applications
* Specify Calendar Year or Plan Year on the employer application
* Complete General Agreement on the group application
* Missing contract code on employee applications
* Missing Wage and Tax form - and reconciled for FT/PT/termed employees (REMINDER: we count belly buttons at Anthem)
* If group would like a class of employees to have a different waiting period, a list of classes/employees is needed
* Use DOB (vs. age) when quoting to ensure the rate tables are accurate
* Social Security numbers on all members on each application
* Section D of the enrollment application - Gender/DOB
* Email address on Employer application in Section A
Anthem is moving to new secure email service provider
As of February 24, 2017, we are moving to a new secure email service provider, called Proofpoint. Using Proofpoint is easy. The first time you get a secure email from us after the switch takes place, you will be prompted to register by setting up a user name and password for the new system. Then you can open the secure email within 60 days. This service protects your and your clients' information. It is available to you at no charge, and no additional software is needed on your part.
Criteria for selecting a new password:
* Passwords must be 7 to 20 characters long
* At least one digit (0-9) is required
* At least one symbol character is required
* Your username may not appear in the password
* The next time you want to read a secure message, you will be prompted to log in using your user name and password. If you forget your password, use the Forgot Password link on the log-in page. A link is sent to your email address to reset your password.
You can respond to messages from us, as well as compose and send a new, secure message to us. For security reasons, additional recipients cannot be added to the distribution list. The message cannot be forwarded, and you cannot Reply to All.
Always remember to log out of the secure system as soon as you finish reading and responding to your messages.
This change applies only to emails that must be sent as secure, encrypted to protect sensitive information. Regular emails are not impacted.
If you need technical assistance while using the new system, contact our agent technical support team at
[email protected]. Or call 1-888-268-4361.
Quick Reference Links
We are often asked what tier specific drugs are listed in or where a specific form can be located. The following links will take you to where you need to be to obtain this information:
