News Archive
All News
| Title | Issued Date |
|---|---|
Updates To Non-COVID Telehealth BenefitsThe New York State regulation to cover non-COVID telehealth benefits in full for fully insured members, ended on June 24, 2021. Excellus BCBS will continue to cover IN-NETWORK NON-COVID telehealth benefits for fully insured members in full through December 31, 2021. ... |
August 30, 2021 |
COBRA Subsidy Period Coming To An EndThe COBRA subsidy period will end on September 30, 2021. Groups will NOT need to take any action to return to standard billing in October and going forward. If a Group wants to terminate a COBRA enrollee, they will need to notify us. As a reminder, the American Rescue... |
August 30, 2021 |
REMINDER: COBRA Subsidy Period Coming To An EndThe COBRA subsidy period will end on September 30, 2021. Groups will NOT need to take any action to return to standard billing in October and going forward. If a Group wants to terminate a COBRA enrollee, they will need to notify us. As a reminder, the American Rescue... |
September 29, 2021 |
Medicare Annual Notice Of Change MailingThis month, 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 2022 benefit changes. These members will receive their 2022 ANOC, along with their... |
September 29, 2021 |
Breast Cancer Awareness MonthOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 255,000 women get breast cancer and 42,000 women die from the disease in the US every year. Here’s how you... |
September 29, 2021 |
Online Bill Pay UpdatesWe listened to your feedback and continue to make updates to our Online Bill Pay tool! Throughout the fall, you will see changes including an updated billing summary page and enhancements to autopay functionality including being able to enroll and manage autopay at the... |
September 29, 2021 |
2022 Community Rated, Small Group Medicare Advantage Rates/Plans Now AvailableYou can now view 2022 Community Rated, Small Group Medicare Advantage Plans on Blue on Demand. Blue on Demand allows you to compare plans and access your group's 2022 benefit summaries and rate sheets. Please contact your broker or Group Medicare Sales Consultant with... |
September 29, 2021 |
Revised Waiting Period PolicyWe understand that employers may be looking for ways to position themselves more competitively in the current hiring environment. Health insurance is often a key component of employee benefit packages. From now until January 1, 2022, employers may change their new hire... |
September 29, 2021 |
November Is Diabetes Awareness MonthNovember is Diabetes Month, a national observance designed to raise awareness about the risk factors, symptoms, types of diabetes, and the impact this disease has every day on millions of Americans. According to the American Diabetes Association®, Diabetes is the seventh... |
October 29, 2021 |
Update To COVID Treatment BenefitsExcellus BCBS will continue to cover IN-NETWORK COVID treatment benefits for fully insured members in full through December 31, 2021. Self-funded groups that previously opted-in will be given the choice to extend that option through December 31, 2021. |
October 29, 2021 |
Annual Rate Notices Being MailedGroups 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 2022 renewals. This includes: Small Group Products ... |
October 29, 2021 |
Online Bill Pay UpdatesWe listened to your feedback and continue to make updates to our Online Bill Pay tool! Earlier this month we updated the Billing Summary page to make it simpler and easier to use. New updates include, selecting date of payment withdrawal for one-time payments and... |
October 29, 2021 |
Excellus BCBS Achieves 5-Star Rating For Two Of Its Medicare PlansAmong the highest in the nation and upstate New York. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) annual Star Ratings for 2022 has awarded Excellus BCBS five-star ratings for two of its Medicare plans, making it among the highest rated Medicare plans in the... |
October 29, 2021 |
Changes To Member ID CardsBoth New York State and the federal government have mandated changes to health insurance member identification cards. Beginning November 1, 2021, we will begin sending member cards in compliance with the federal mandate that takes effect January 1, 2022. Federally... |
November 2, 2021 |
Coping With Winter And Holiday BluesAs the days get shorter and the temperatures colder, some people may notice they feel down or have less energy than usual. This could just be the winter blues caused by less activity, or stress or sadness related to the holidays. Daylight, exercise, healthy eating, and... |
November 22, 2021 |
Recipients Of 2021 Health Equity Awards AnnouncedExcellus BCBS announced the recipients of its 2021 Health Equity Awards. The awards represent more than $388,000 in financial support we are providing to community programs that address racial and ethnic health disparities across our service area. The funding will... |
November 22, 2021 |
2022 Product Update: Calm® App And Blue SimplicityCalm® App Available in 2022 Effective Jan 1, 2022, a 12-month premium subscription to the Calm app is now an embedded benefit in all Fully Insured Large Group plans and available to Self-Funded and Minimum Premium Groups as a buy-up. The Calm app is a digital experience... |
November 22, 2021 |
2022 Individual Market PlansIf you have an employee who is not eligible for an Employer Group Plan, Medicare, or COBRA, we’re here to help connect them with NY State sponsored SafetyNet coverage and Qualified Health Plans (metal level plans). If you would like to review your health care options,... |
November 22, 2021 |
Excellus BCBS Welcomes Dr. Gina CuylerIn keeping with its mission to ensure access to high quality health care and reduce health disparities, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield announced that Gina Cuyler, MD. has joined the health plan as Vice President Health Equity and Community Investments. In this new role,... |
December 16, 2021 |
An Ounce Of Prevention…Are your employees regularly seeing their doctors for preventive care? Regular preventive care can help reduce the risk or severity of chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 90... |
December 16, 2021 |
Enhancements Made To Find A DoctorWe continue to work to give our members the best user experience possible when it comes to our digital tools. Our Find A Doctor tool recently received the following enhancements to take advantage of in-app features such as: Location services Mapping capabilities ... |
December 16, 2021 |
Online Billing For Brokers UpdateWe will be launching Online Billing for Brokers in early January. With Online Billing your Broker will be able to assist with: Viewing and downloading invoices Reviewing payment history Checking for enrollment in automatic payments Note: While Brokers will have... |
December 16, 2021 |
COVID Treatment Benefits Ending On 12/31/21Please remind your employees that COVID treatment benefits will be ending on December 31, 2021. Beginning January 1, 2022, COVID treatment benefits will process according to the member’s benefits. |
December 16, 2021 |
Sending Our Thanks This Holiday SeasonAs we come to the end of another year, we once again want to thank you for your business as we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times. We wish you and your families a safe and healthy holiday season. We hope the communities we live and do business in... |
December 16, 2021 |
February Is American Heart MonthFebruary is American Heart Month, a time to spotlight heart disease which is the #1 killer of Americans. Yet heart disease is largely preventable by living a healthy lifestyle: eat a healthy diet, get regular physical activity, manage stress, don’t smoke, and get enough... |
January 27, 2022 |
Tax Form 1095-BHealth insurers—including Excellus BCBS—are no longer 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 the form or request it by... |
January 27, 2022 |
2021 Diversity Equity And Inclusion Report AvailableWe are proud to share our inaugural, “Diversity Equity and Inclusion Report, Bringing I.D.E.A. to Life,” which details our approach to mitigating the impact of bias, and our commitment to equitable treatment for all, within and beyond our walls. Our Corporate Commitment... |
January 27, 2022 |
Enrollment Inquiry & Support UpdatesUpdates to our Enrollment Inquiry & Support tool are scheduled to go live on February 7. Users who login and contact us by using the Enrollment Inquiry & Support tool will have access to new features that will enhance the support process from start to finish. ... |
January 27, 2022 |
Leadership UpdatesWe are excited to share the following changes to our leadership team: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Cindy Langston Named First Female Chief Information Officer Cindy Langston has been named senior vice president and the company’s first female chief information... |
January 27, 2022 |
March Is National Colorectal Awareness MonthIn the United States, colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths. Men are much more likely than women to get colon cancer, and African Americans are more likely to get it than any other race or ethnicity. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force... |
February 22, 2022 |
Do You Really Need The Emergency Department?There are millions of visits to hospital emergency departments (ED) in New York state each year that don’t result in a hospital stay, according to New York State Department of Health data. And while some health conditions require emergency care, many are better suited for... |
February 22, 2022 |
Helpful Resources For Employees Using Our Website Or Mobile AppIt’s early in the new year and a great time for employees to review the benefits and extras that are a part of their health plan. Employees can visit ExcellusBCBS.com 24/7 to: Register and/or log in to their online member account Download our mobile app Easy access... |
February 22, 2022 |
Excellus BCBS Earns 90 Percent In Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality IndexExcellus BCBS received a score of 90 percent out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Excellus... |
February 22, 2022 |
Excellus BCBS Is Now Accepting Community Health Award Applications Until March 17thNonprofit organizations in upstate New York can apply for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Awards that the company is offering to help fund health and wellness programs in upstate New York. The application period opened on Thursday, February 17th and closes... |
February 22, 2022 |
April 16 Is National Healthcare Decisions DayNational Healthcare Decisions Day was created to emphasize the importance of advance care planning. Advance care planning is the process we use to plan for future medical care, consider what matters most to us, share our values, beliefs, and goals with our loved ones and... |
March 29, 2022 |
Excellus BCBS Partnering With Civica To Increase Access To Affordable InsulinExcellus BlueCross BlueShield, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and other Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies joined Civica’s initiative to manufacture and distribute affordable insulins that, once approved, will be available to people living with... |
March 29, 2022 |
Behind Every Great Health Care Outcome Is An Informed DecisionIntroducing Welvie My Surgery℠ – We know that one of the keys to better health is better health literacy – the ability to understand health information and services and use that knowledge to make informed decisions. It’s especially important with major decisions like... |
March 29, 2022 |
May Is Mental Health MonthAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 41 percent of adults report struggling with mental health or substance use, which is up 20 percent from pre-pandemic reports. Our own data also reflects this trend with nearly 1/3 of adults now reporting... |
April 26, 2022 |
Welvie My Surgery Web PageWelvie My Surgery℠ is now available to our Fully Insured commercial group plans, Qualified Health Plan, and Essential Plan members. This self-guided online program leads participants through the decision-making process if they’re considering an elective surgery. If... |
April 26, 2022 |
Making The Most Of Your Health PlanMany members are not aware of the programs, resources, and tools we make available to them. We want to help close that gap. That’s why we created the Making the Most of Your Health Plan video. The video provides a member-level overview of creating an online account, using... |
April 26, 2022 |
Sun, Safety & HydrationAs the weather gets warmer and people spend more time outside, it is important to stay hydrated and protect yourself from the sun. Drinking plenty of water every day is good for overall health any time of year. Getting enough water every day is even more important when... |
May 31, 2022 |
Updates To Our Enrollment ToolsWe are always looking for ways to improve our online tools and resources to give our brokers, groups, and members a better user experience. In the coming weeks and months, you will see updates to our online enrollment and support tools. One update you will see soon, is... |
May 31, 2022 |
Calm E-Book For GroupsWe worked with Calm to create a new informational resource to help Groups with some of your most asked questions. It’s a great tool if you’re looking for: Registration Instructions Sample HR Email template Member FAQs Links to additional Calm resources and trainings... |
May 31, 2022 |
Individual & Small Group – NYS Prior Approval Of Rate ChangesOn May 10, 2022, an application was submitted requesting 2023 premium rate changes in accordance with New York state prior approval law. This rate application applies to Community Rated Individual and Small Group products. The following products are included in this 2023... |
May 31, 2022 |
Make A Mid-Year Resolution To Be More ActiveAccording to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), physical activity is one of the best things people can do for their health, both physical and mental. Not only does physical activity help people immediately feel better, function better, and sleep... |
June 29, 2022 |
Excellus BCBS Provides 65 Community Health Awards To Area NonprofitsExcellus BCBS is awarding a total of 65 community health awards to nonprofit organizations across upstate New York. The community health award funding will support innovative programs and solutions to advance health equity and ultimately improve health outcomes for... |
June 29, 2022 |
New Wellness Videos Available To ShareA new suite of wellness videos is now available for employers and members. The videos cover a variety of topics, including: Avoiding Processed Foods Be Stressed Less Benefits of Meditation Diabetes: Take Control of Your Health Fighting Virtual Work Fatigue ... |
February 22, 2022 |
Excellus BCBS Inside Rx Prescription Discount CardExcellus BlueCross BlueShield continues its mission of helping people in our communities live healthier and more secure lives through high-quality and affordable health care access. As part of that ongoing commitment, we’re excited to announce that we have partnered with... |
October 29, 2021 |
COBRA Terminations For Non-Payment Of Premiums Will Resume July 1, 2022In March 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL), together with the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) (collectively “Agencies”), issued final rules and, in February 2021 and July 2021 subsequent guidance with respect to the extension of certain... |
June 29, 2022 |
2023 Small Group Package UpdateThe following SimplyBlue Plus packages will no longer be offered directly through Excellus BCBS or on the New York State of Health (SHOP) Marketplace beginning January 1, 2023. Blue On Demand will be updated for package comparisons. The packages that will no longer be... |
June 29, 2022 |
