ONLY 231 days left until Christmas!!!

EMI is making a change in contract periods effective immediately. EMI traditionally has had static renewal dates of either 1/1 or 7/1, regardless of the effective date. That made the first-year contract length either long or short depending on the groups effective date (excluding January 1, and July 1).

Going forward, all renewal dates will be based on a 12-month contract. 

Any quotes issued with a January or July renewal date will be honored.

Payments and cost shares are better organized, clearer, and easier to understand. Members can view, download, and print ID cards from their member portal at azblue.com.

Members can register at azblue.com/MyBlue with their Social Security Number and date of birth before their ID card arrives.

On their portal they can download, save or print their digital ID card to access care immediately.

Benefit costs are better organized to make them easier to understand

Network Prefixes Changing in 2025

Your employees may have a new network prefix. Here’s what that means:

• Members will need to show their new ID card to their provider the first time they get care.
• If a claim is denied, they can call the Customer Service number on the back of their ID card to ask if the claim shows their new network prefix.

Flyer attached. Link to BCBSAZ Mobile Wallet ID Card video instruction.

Even with solid coverage, many employees are still avoiding care — not because of the plan itself, but because they can’t afford the upfront costs.

That’s why HealthEquity launched the Health Payment Account (HPA) — a zero-interest, no-credit-check line of credit employees can use for medical expenses and pay back over time through payroll deduction. There’s no financial risk to the employer, and HPA can be added at any time.

• Works standalone or alongside an HSA, FSA, or HDHP
• Can be implemented mid-year — no plan redesign needed
• Helps reduce care avoidance and boost benefit engagement

Some brokers are offering HPA as a standalone solution. Others are pairing it with HDHPs or HSAs to improve participation and outcomes. Either way, it’s creating strong client conversations.

Please note an updated version of the Simplified Underwriting Risk Review form is now available. Ensure you are using the latest version by following the steps below:

• Log into TrustmarkSB.com and go to the Materials Library.
• Search for "Simplified Underwriting Risk Review" to find the latest version.
• Verify that you are using version 1133-2 (4-25).
• Discard any older versions of the form.

Note: Older versions will not be accepted for groups with effective dates after 08/01/2025. Learn more about our Simplified Underwriting.

And just a reminder… If you need the following product, we are happy to help: