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Title	Issued Date
Site Changes Coming The Weekend Of August 3 This includes a password change, so have yours ready! Updates to our Employer web portals, which include a new look and menu options, will be going live on Saturday, August 3. The new look includes a simplified layout giving you easy access to the tools you...	July 30, 2019
Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) Letters Coming soon, group benefit administrators with Medicare Blue Choice (HMO-POS) or Medicare Blue PPO (PPO) plans will be mailed an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). The ANOC provides details on 2020 benefit changes. Your members will receive their 2020 ANOC, along with...	August 26, 2019
Care That’s Always In Your Corner We believe that health insurance isn’t something to be used once in a while. That’s why we want to give you everything you need to help employees take control of their health each and every day. Introducing Wellframe®, a free and convenient way for your employees and...	August 26, 2019
Small Group Plans, Rates and Product Updates for 2020 Small Group plans and rates for 2020 will be available on Blue on Demand in early September, tentatively the week of the 9th. Updated Open Enrollment tools, including At-A-Glance Brochures and Product Guides will also be available. Good news—no discontinuances for 2020! ...	August 26, 2019
Have Your Employees Changed Their Password Yet? On August 3, we made enhancements to our website including our member portal. At that time, members were asked to reset their password when they visited the site to login. If they HAVE NOT accessed their online account since August 3, they will be prompted to...	September 26, 2019
Small Group Rates And Plans For 2020 Now Available! Small Group plans and rates for 2020 and stand alone small group dental plans are now available on Blue on Demand. Updated Open Enrollment tools, including At-A-Glance Brochures and Product Guides are also available. Now available: SimplyBlue Plus Small Group...	September 26, 2019
Get Your Employees Ready For Open Enrollment We have received great feedback about our member portal and the personalized information members can access when they register for an online account. This is a great way to educate your employees about their health insurance and to prepare them for this year’s open...	September 26, 2019
Compliance With New York State Insurance Law and Small Group Eligibility As part of our ongoing commitment to maintain compliance with New York State Insurance Law 4317(a)(1), we will continue to verify that our small groups are receiving community rates. As has been our practice, this process will include our request for confirmation of...	September 26, 2019
2020 Community Rated, Small Group Medicare Advantage plans are now available on Blue on Demand You can now view 2020 Community Rated, Small Group Medicare Advantage Plans on Blue on Demand. Blue on Demand allows you to compare plans and access 2020 benefit summaries and rate sheets. Please contact your broker or Group Medicare Sales Consultant with any questions....	October 29, 2019
Employer-Based Waiting Periods for Medical and Dental Please remember, when an online request is submitted to add a new hire for medical and dental, you need to be aware of your company's employer-based waiting period. If your company's waiting period for medical is different than the waiting period for dental, the request...	October 29, 2019
Annual Rate Notices Being Mailed Groups will receive their Annual Rate Notices (ARNs) at the end of October. Also, at the end of October, groups will be able to access the Monthly Rate Summary report through Information Connection with their January 2020 renewals. This includes: Small Group...	October 29, 2019
New Feature for HealthyRewards Members - Rally Marketplace™ Starting January 1, members with HealthyRewards will have an additional option for using the coins they earn from completing tasks through the Rally platform. Previously, members only had the option of donating their coins to a charity of their choice. With the launch of...	October 29, 2019
Underwriting Guideline Changes Filed With The Department Of Financial Services Changes to our underwriting guidelines were recently filed for reference with the Department of Financial Services. There are changes in several areas including group and subscriber eligibility. Please contact your broker or account consultant with any...	November 22, 2019
Important Reminders for HealthyRewards The end of the calendar year also means the end of the plan year for many members. Please have them keep in mind these important deadlines about HealthyRewards if this is the end of their plan year. For members renewing their HealthyRewards plan (subscriber ID not...	December 18, 2019
Member Webinars - "Making the Most of Your Health Plan" Do you have members that need a refresh on the wellness tools and resources available to them within their health plan coverage? Our Workplace Wellness & Telemedicine team will host live monthly webinars for members in 2020. "Making the Most of Your Health...	December 18, 2019
Flu Season Going Strong Flu season runs through May—so there's still time for employees to get the flu vaccine. As of November 30, 2019, New York state logged 3,158 confirmed cases of the flu, compared to 1,462 confirmed cases at this time last year. There is still time to get your flu shot....	January 29, 2020
Update on 1095-B Form for Tax Season Beginning this year, health insurers—including Excellus BCBS—will no longer be mailing tax form 1095-B to members. Because taxpayers are not required to include the form when filing their taxes, the IRS no longer requires us to mail the form. Members can still download...	January 29, 2020
New Year, New Mandates The beginning of a new year also means state mandated changes to some of our plans. The Healthy NY wage level for small employers is now in line with federal poverty guidelines. Read more about the increase and eligibility criteria. NYS now requires insurers to cover...	January 29, 2020
Finding a Doctor and Comparing Costs Just Got Easier Empower employees with an easier way to connect with care and understand costs. Our new-and-improved online search tool makes it easy for your employees to estimate medical costs and find local and national providers. They can view estimated out-of-pocket costs across...	February 24, 2020
Committed to Lowering the Cost of Select Generic Drugs The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), 18 independent and locally-operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies—including Excellus BCBS—and Civica recently announced their partnership to create a new subsidiary dedicated to lowering the cost of select...	February 25, 2020
Wealth of Health 2020 - Nomination Deadline is March 13 Each year, Excellus BCBS and the Rochester Business Journal (RBJ) honor Rochester area employers who promote health and wellness in the workplace. Visit the RBJ’s website for more information. And save the date for the event: Wednesday, June 10 7:30 a.m. Registration...	February 25, 2020
Update On COVID-19 (Coronavirus) We know there are many ongoing questions regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and how it impacts everything from your businesses, your employees and even your own families. Please know that we have an internal team dedicated to researching and vetting the most...	March 13, 2020
Pending Federal Regulations on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Member Cost Share The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting life for everyone as our communities battle this deadly virus. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to grow in New York state and across the country. New York state is requiring all insured health...	March 18, 2020
We're All In This Together To Our Valued Employer Groups: These are anxious and unsettling times. We’re bombarded by wall-to-wall news and around-the-clock social media about coronavirus (COVID-19) – and the impact on the economy. I want you to know that the Health Plan is well prepared and...	March 24, 2020
Protecting the Health of Our Communities The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting life for everyone as our communities battle this deadly virus. Those being hit hardest include many small businesses around the country and in our own communities, and many we insure. We have options for those employers who...	March 25, 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources During these uncertain and challenging times, our Excellus BCBS team is here to provide access to resources to help your business and employees. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has programs and initiatives in place as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and...	March 31, 2020
Can the CARES Act Help Your Business? We’re all continuing to navigate these unchartered waters while striving to find our new normal. Last week, the Federal government signed a stimulus package to help businesses with 500 or fewer employees to stay afloat as the country continues to battle the COVID-19...	April 6, 2020
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Waives COVID-19 Cost Sharing Excellus BCBS will waive out of pocket costs for COVID-19 medical testing, diagnosis and treatment for its fully insured employer groups, individual market qualified health plans and Medicare Advantage members for the next 60 days. This waives the member’s...	April 10, 2020
Cost Relief Available With Mid-Year Plan Changes For Groups Excellus BCBS wants to ensure as many of our group members as possible can maintain their health insurance benefits. Through June 1, 2020, we are allowing mid-year plan changes to allow for lower cost employer and employee plans to accommodate the COVID-19 impacts on both...	April 10, 2020
Small Group Extended Grace Period In these uncertain times, we’re doing everything we can to fulfill our corporate mission: to provide the people in the communities we serve with access to high quality, affordable health care. One way we can help is by providing some financial relief for those small...	April 20, 2020
Telemedicine Visits Covered At No Cost To Members A reminder for your employees; telemedicine visits are being covered at no cost to members for 90 days beginning with NYS’s State of Emergency issued on March 13, 2020. The purpose is to help alleviate the burden on provider offices, urgent care centers and hospitals as a...	April 27, 2020
Don’t Fall For Fraud During COVID-19 Fight Please remind your employees to be aware that there are various scams and fraudulent activities that can occur during this difficult time. As is often the case, a national and global emergency brings out people who prey upon the fears and vulnerabilities of...	April 27, 2020
COVID-19 Pharmacy Update Our pharmacy team has been closely monitoring the supply of medications that are available during the COVID-19 outbreak. We’re taking several actions to ensure our members have access to clinically appropriate medications. Providing early refill overrides....	April 27, 2020
Celebrate Wealth of Health...Virtually Each year in the Rochester market, we partner with the Rochester Business Journal to honor area employers who promote health and wellness in the workplace. This year, finalists will be celebrated through a new virtual format using multimedia storytelling. The event is...	June 2, 2020
Save Time Using Our New AGIF Online Tool We understand completing the Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) can be time-consuming. Now, if you submit the form using our online web tool, you may be exempt from completing the form the following year. Any group that submitted their AGIF in 2017 using the web...	August 5, 2018
Individual & Small Group – NYS Prior Approval of Rate Changes We know the focus for everyone the past two months has been the coronavirus pandemic. And now, our attention is turning to efforts to reopen businesses in accordance with state and local guidelines. While all of this is happening, there are still mandates set by New York...	June 2, 2020
We’re With You As You Get Ready To Reopen We’ve been by your side as our schools, favorite restaurants and places of employment closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. And now, we’ll be with you as our communities begin to reopen as New York State’s PAUSE initiative sets to expire by region. Ready To Reopen	June 2, 2020
2021 Large Group Product Updates 2020 has been a challenging year in ways we’ve never experienced before. Financial solvency is a real concern and, through it all, businesses are seeking new ways to support and protect the health and wellbeing of one of your biggest assets: your employees. Excellus BCBS...	July 16, 2020
Mini-COBRA Timeframe Extension Information The recent Department of Labor (DOL) regulation requiring COBRA timeframe extensions DOES NOT apply to mini-COBRA groups. COBRA regulations state that an employer qualifies as mini-COBRA if they employ fewer than 20 employees on at least 50 percent of the employer’s...	August 27, 2020
Simplified AGIF Coming in September We’ve received feedback from brokers and groups letting us know that our Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) is too long and overly complex. We listened and are pleased to let you know a shorter, simpler version of both the web and paper versions will be available by...	August 27, 2020
We’re Here to Help You Navigate the Individual Market The Special Enrollment Period has now been extended to December 31, 2020. We continue to be here to support you and help with the many questions you may have about free or low-cost health insurance alternatives to COBRA. We have engaged with many of our Broker...	September 29, 2020
Small Group Rates and Plans for 2021 now Available! Small Group plans and rates for 2021 are now available on Blue on Demand. Updated Open Enrollment tools, including At-A-Glance Brochures and Product Guides are also available. Now available: SimplyBlue Plus Small Group Medical Plans SimplyBlue Plus...	September 29, 2020
ExcellusForBusiness.com Has a New Look We’ve refreshed ExcellusForBusiness.com to reflect our Synchronized Health approach to supporting complete employee wellbeing. Our free employer resources are now organized based on the three pillars of Synchronized Health: Member Health Management ...	October 30, 2020
PPE Notification to Members The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) is requiring us to notify members that our participating providers cannot bill their patients for the costs related to their purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE). Providers may only collect any...	October 30, 2020
Simplified AGIF Now Available A shorter, simpler version of both the web and paper versions of the Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) are now available. We redesigned the look and feel of the form and reduced the number of fields by over 60 percent—just in time to help simplify your open...	October 30, 2020
Pharmacy Network Change As of September 1, 2020, Kroger, Albertson’s and Publix pharmacies are no longer part of the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield network.* Express Scripts (ESI), our pharmacy benefit manager, is working hard to help reduce overall costs for members by removing higher-cost...	October 30, 2020
Annual Rate Notices Mailed Groups will receive Annual Rate Notices (ARNs) at the end of October. This includes: Small Group Products Large Group HMO Individual Medicare Advantage, Simply Prescription and Dental prospective pooled group notices and rates will be issued and...	October 30, 2020
Resources For Supporting A Healthy Team And Business Beyond our Synchronized Health™ approach, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield takes great pride in being a local and reliable resource for our groups and members to support more complete wellbeing. To help you protect your employees’ physical, emotional, and financial health,...	November 20, 2020
Why A Synchronized Approach To Care Is Needed Now More Than Ever The Path to Wellbeing Includes Emotional Health. Employer focus on mental and behavioral health has grown in recent years. In fact, as a society, we're talking more about emotional health than ever before. As the acknowledgment of mental health issues gains greater...	November 20, 2020
Premium Payment Processor Change On January 1, 2021 our premium payment processor will change from Chase Paymentech to InstaMed®, a J.P. Morgan company. Groups that have scheduled online automatic premium payments and invoice delivery preferences will continue uninterrupted. The AutoPay feature will be...	November 20, 2020

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