Agent Tools, News Flash
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Golden Care USA Seminars
Date: 05/05/2008
May 5th, 2008
Gilston Agency
Thought for the week
Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
- Margaret B. Runbeck
BlueChoice HealthPlan
New Procedures for Carolina Advantage Enrollment/Change Form effective 6/1/08:
Health Questions section (Section F) of the Application needs to be completed by ALL applicants (2-50). Individual Health Statements need to be completed by applicants in groups with 2-19 lives (no longer includes 20-24).
BlueCross BlueShield
Blue Spectrum Products
Group & Individual Marketing BULLETIN- Volume VII, Number 11 - April 30, 2008
BCBS is excited to provide a spectrum of new products to expand your BlueCross selling power and competitiveness. On May 1, 2008, you may begin quoting Business Blue Complete (formerlyPreferred Blue), Business Blue Secure and Business Blue High Deductible Health
Plans (HDHPs) with an effective date of June 1. You may only quote for Business Blue Secure if you have completed either the classroom or Web-based training.
If you were unable to attend the classroom agent training, you may complete your training via the Web on LMS. To access LMS, log into My Business Manager on the Web site, www.SouthCarolinaBlues.com. Then click on the ”Learning Management System” link.
These Blue Spectrum brochures are now available on COIN for you to order and download. You can locate the Business Blue Complete (formerly Preferred Blue) brochure on COIN by entering 12962M in the search field, the Business Blue Secure brochure by entering 12960M and the Business Blue HDHP brochure by entering 12961M. BlueCross will continue to expand the Blue Spectrum product line later this year.
Carolina Care Plan
Need a Quote for a 51-99 Employee Group?
The Gilston Agency can now serve as your General Agency for 51-99 lives without having to split commissions. Please contact Kelly Watson for 51+ lives at 800.445.7866 ext 3015 or kwatson@dgilston.com
CCP has learned a lot of important lessons over the past several months. One being that in order to adequately gauge and price the risk of a prospective group they need some level of detail for the information provided. This will enable the underwriter to make an informed decision, allowing them to offer rates that are both accurate and attractive at the same time.
Therefore, beginning May 1, 2008, for June 1, 2008, effective dates and beyond, Carolina Care Plan (CCP) will no longer offer illustrative quotes. To receive a quote for a group with 51-99 eligible employees, the broker must submit the standard large-group enrollment application completed by each enrollee along with copies of the current plan and invoice. The enrolled census will then be run against a medical database to determine the appropriate rate required, and the proposal will be issued.
As a reminder, their standard enrollment application does not include a medical health questionnaire; however, the most aggressive rates are those based on reviewing completed medical health information questionnaires. All the standard predications for a 51-99 eligible employee group will continue to be required. And remember, CCP offers a one-time bonus of $20 per enrolled employee for all new 25-99 size groups.
You Responded and CCP Listened
Perhaps you’ve noticed the new format of our Broker Updates? Updates are now sent biweekly, versus on an as-needed basis. Why the change? As you may recall, we conducted a broker survey in January asking for feedback regarding our communications efforts, Web tools, quoting practices and more. Many of you noted that while the communication was necessary, a condensed format would be easier to keep up with.
As the result of your responses, we are in the process of initiating changes with you in mind. Enhancements are currently under way on MyBrokerLink.com to make the site easier to navigate, and to make the information you need more readily available. We are also in the process of arranging comprehensive on-site training sessions at CCP that will allow you and/or your administrative staff to participate in a more hands-on learning environment.
Many of you noted difficulty in getting in touch with your CCP representative, including a delayed response time and difficulty getting answers to your questions. We took note and have made several changes in an effort to solve this problem. We’ve changed the reporting structure of the sales team and added an additional account service representative, as well as another small group underwriter. In addition, we are now tied into all of MMO’s IT systems so that all parties involved can view the same real-time information. As many of MMO’s policies and procedures differ from the old CCP guidelines, staff members have also received additional training so they are better able to assist you. We hope these changes will make a positive impact. We always welcome and appreciate your feedback — so keep it coming.
Correction to the Last Broker Update
Please note that the new out-of-pocket limits for the Carolina Direct Kids Series II policy holders listed in the last broker update incorrectly referenced the 250-80 plan as the 250-90 plan. The chart is updated and listed correctly below. CCP apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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Base Plan
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250-80
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500-80
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1000-80
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Network coinsurance out-of-pocket maximum
(excluding deductible)
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$1,500
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$2,000
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$2,500
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Non-network coinsurance out-of-pocket maximum
(excluding deductible)
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$3,000
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$4,000
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$5,000
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WellPath
A Small Group Product Training class will be held in the Charleston Office of the David Gilston Agency on Tuesday, May 20th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. This will be a great opportunity for you to learn the details about their plans, learn about their new HRA Administration and ask questions in a small group setting. Please RSVP to Amber Williams at awilliams@dgilston.com or 843-769-2969 ext. 3050 as seating is limited.
Golden Care USA
All SC Agents are invited to attend a LTC Sales Training Seminar to be held at the following locations & dates:
Charleston - Tuesday, May 13th – N. Charleston Sheraton, 4770 Goer Drive
Greenville - Wednesday, May 14th – Hilton Greenville Towers, 45 W. Orchard Park Dr.
Columbia – Thursday, May 15th – Marriott, 1200 Hampton Street
All classes will be held from 8:30 am – 1:30 pm. Additional information is attached. This is for the United of Omaha Preferred Solutions products. You must pre-register by calling 1-800-842-7799, then mention “FPASC” OR you may contact Cathy Carson at 1-800-GILSTON ext. 3024 or ccarson@dgilston.com. She will I need to know which class you will attend and your email address. Then, Golden Care will email you a confirmation.
Health Underwriters
NAHU HSA Update - House Passes Harmful HSA Measure
April 18, 2008 - As expected, on April 15, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5719, the “Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act,” which included a provision requiring substantiation of withdrawals from HSAs. The vote on final passage of the bill was largely along party lines: 238-179. Specific roll call tallies as to how your member of Congress voted can be viewed on www.house.gov. On the homepage there is a section “Find Vote Information”; under that, click on “Roll Call Votes.” See the section for the 110th Congress, 2nd Session (2008), votes #189 and #190.
The debate on House floor was a spirited one that focused on the offending HSA provisions and the underlying larger bill to eliminate the IRS’s authority to utilize private collection agencies to pursue bad debt/past due taxes. The Republican minority put forth an often-utilized derailment procedural vote on the bill called a “motion to recommit,” which is a vote to send the bill back to the Ways & Means Committee for reconsideration. At the end of the 15 minutes allotted for the vote on this motion, the Republican opposition had the majority of votes. However, the Democratic Leadership allowed the time for voting to be extended until enough votes were rounded up to make the vote a tie – 210 to 210. This is not an entirely rare occurrence -- votes are held open all the time until the majority leadership can “whip” enough votes to secure the result it wants. However, because the vote was a tie, the motion failed.
On motion to recommit, 21 House Democrats voted to send the bill back to Committee (the right vote for NAHU). Three Republicans voted against the motion to recommit. After the motion to recommit failed, the bill was then voted on for final passage. Again, the final vote was 238-179. Prior to the vote on the House floor, President Bush issued a veto threat over the HSA provisions in H.R. 5719. Given the president’s opposition, and that of many senators like Finance Committee Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) who have strong concerns about the HSA substantiation language and the underlying measure on the IRS private collection program, this legislation is unlikely to see further action in this session of Congress.
However, the HSA threat/”revenue raiser” is now out there, and NAHU and its coalitional partners must continue to be vigilant to ensure that HSAs continue to be viable and consumer-friendly health insurance financing option for more individuals, families and employers.
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