Effective Immediately- Wellcare Paper Application Update – PLEASE READ!

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Important Update: Wellcare Broker PID Discontinued

IMMEDIATE ACTION FOR WELLCARE PAPER APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

 

Effective immediately, Wellcare is requesting when submitting paper enrollment applications to please discontinue the use of the 6-digit Wellcare PID. Use ONLY your NPN on the application.

IMPORTANT!   Failure to use your NPN will result in you not receiving credit for the enrollment. 

 

If you have any questions, please reach out to your CSM Service Team.

service@cornerstoneseniormarketing.com

614-763-2255

Lumico News: Upcoming Lumico Med Supp rate adjustment on 8/1

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Upcoming rate adjustment for Med Supp

Effective August 1, there will a rate adjustment for our Med Supp policies in select states.

  • For policies underwritten by Lumico Life Insurance Company: AZ, GA, LA, MI, MN, MT, OH, SC and TX.*
  • For policies underwritten by Elips Life Insurance Company: AR, AZ, DE, GA, IA, IL, LA, MI, NC, NE, OH, OK, SD, TX and UT.

There will be a 30 day cut-off period for applications written in these states, from 7/1 – 7/31/22:

  • Applications signed and received on or after 7/1, with a requested effective date on or after 8/1, will be subject to the new rate.
  • Applications signed and received on or before 6/30, with a requested effective date on or after 8/1, will receive the current rate.
  • Applications requesting an effective date prior to 8/1 will also continue to receive the current rate.

 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Michelle Kapp

Anthem Ohio Medicare Update – Sydney Health and PHE Guidance

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In This Week’s Updates:

  • Sydney Health Member Flier
  • PHE – Guidance and Clarification

 

Sydney Health Member Flier

Medicare Advantage members can access their benefits easily on their mobile device by downloading and registering on the Sydney Health app. The app is free and can be downloaded anytime from the Google Play or Apple App store.

NEW!  A member flier is now available to provide to your Medicare Advantage members! PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD! 

How can the Sydney Health app help Medicare Advantage members?

  • Provides quick access to their health plan information, including a digital version of their member ID card.
  • Helps members easily track claims and confirm benefit coverage.
  • Members can search and locate in-network doctors.
  • Members can even request a new prescription or refill an existing prescription.

Quick Tip: If a member has already registered online by creating a username and password on the online portal website, there is no need to register again on the Sydney Health app. Members will use the same username and password on the app.

Encourage your Medicare Advantage members to download the Sydney Health app by sharing the member flier with them!

 

 

PHE Guidance and Clarification

According to our CMS Account Management team a few weeks ago, there is no valid SEP in place related to the COVID PHE (last renewed 4/15/2022). We were also informed at that time CMS has been reviewing/investigating carriers releasing information; however, we have no ETA on resolution (i.e. retraction).

New Updates for The Health Plan Agents

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THP Broker communication from 5/27/22:

The Health Plan has three important updates for our agents!

  1. Those of you taking advantage of our Health Risk Assessment (HRA) surveys for new MA enrollments are reminded to send them to THP in a secure fashion.
  2. After June 1st all HRA surveys must be submitted within 3 days of THP receiving the member’s enrollment form.
  3. Anyone moving a THP Medigap member from a higher to a lower benefit plan, (ex: Plan F to G); please use the updated form available here. These changes are no longer limited to once per year at renewal.

 

If you have any questions please reach out to your CSM Sales or Service Rep.

UHC: Changes coming for AARP Medicare Supplement Plan applications

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Application changes are coming soon and may make the enrollment outcome more understandable for AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans from UnitedHealthcare® in:

Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

For states with kits not yet available, please refer to the new rate pages on Jarvis or populated in LEAN™ when using the current kit.To find rate pages on Jarvis, go to  Knowledge Center > Product Overview > Medicare Supplement Plans > Rates & Underwriting and select a state from the drop down menu.

Get Ready for What’s Next

·         DO use LEAN for enrollments

o    Enrolling clients with LEAN means always having the correct application, plus less hassle managing Enrollment Kits

·         DO watch your email closely

o    Read emails to know when the new application will be implemented and new Enrollment Kits are available

·         DO NOT order large amounts of Enrollment Kits

o    Save the hassle of managing outdated kits you cannot use, as application changes are coming soon to Enrollment Kits in the impacted states

SureBridge: Benefit Change Option for Existing DVH Product

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Sourced from SureBridge communication on 5/24/22:

We recently communicated about price adjustments on the SureBridge Prime DVH product for new business and in force policies with customers receiving an increase at 6 months in some states (AK, AL, AZ, CA, CT, DC, GA, ID, IL, KS, KY, ME, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NV, OH, OK, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WI, WV, and WY).

Understanding some budgets may not allow for a rate increase, we are offering an option that may help. Customers who have been impacted by the 6-month rate increase and would like to lower their benefit level to make the premium more affordable, can contact Customer Service directly at 800-815-8535 or contact their agent to have the change made on their behalf.  We are allowing waiting period credits, accumulators, etc. to remain as they are at their current level with the move to a lower benefit. Those who received a 12-month rate increase notice already have the option to move to a lower benefit level.

Please note:

  • This change is only allowed within the existing DVH policy and does not allow customers to move to a standalone dental or vision.
  • A customer that exercises this option with their DVH policy does not trigger a new first year commission period or a commission advance.

Anthem Med Supp Update – Proof of Loss of Group Coverage Required

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Anthem Producer Online News – May 5, 2022

Beginning May 14, 2022, proof of loss of group coverage must be provided for individuals moving from Employer Group medical coverage to a new Med Supp plan. This requirement is found in the Med Supp Guaranteed Issue Guidelines, Situation #2.

Guarantee Issue Situation #2 is described as “having Medicare and an employer group health plan (including retiree or COBRA coverage) or union coverage that pays after Medicare and that plan is ending.” Please review this GI Situation in the guidelines as the member may have additional rights under state law. The Med Supp Guaranteed Issue Guidelines are included with the Med Supp application for your convenience.

Beginning May 14, 2022, when submitting electronic Med Supp enrollment applications for GI Situation #2, you will receive a system prompt, indicating “Loss of Creditable Group Coverage” is required and must be included with the enrollment application submission. If you are submitting a paper application, you or your client must submit the documentation directly to the plan.

Acceptable documentation includes a loss of group coverage letter also known as a “Certificate of Coverage,” or letter from the former plan noting the dates the coverage started and ended. The “Certificate of Coverage” serves as proof of coverage. It is always possible to obtain a replacement copy from the employer or union.

  • If required proof is not submitted with the application, the application cannot be processed until loss of group coverage proof is received.
  • If the loss of group coverage proof is not received within seven calendar days, the application will be closed, and a letter will be mailed to the applicant letting them know the application will be re-opened for processing when it is received by the plan.

The application can be re-opened up to 180 days from the signature date on the application.

SureBridge: Billing Changes and New Customer Website for New Business Only

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Sourced from SureBridge Broker Communication from 5/4/2022:

Starting on May 06, 2022, applications received for SureBridge supplemental products will have a new billing process and customer website for Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia. These updates apply to NEW customers only and do not affect current customers. There are no changes for business dated prior to May 6th.

Click here for important details about the following items:

  • New customer billing draft date and pro-rated premium
  • New customer website (mysurebridgeinsurance.com)

We encourage you to become familiar with how billing for new business will differ from that of previous business sold in your state. We are excited about these changes and look forward to better serving you and our customers.

2022 UHC Ohio Rate Information Effective June 1, 2022

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UHC AARP Medicare Supplement Plan email communication from 4/13/2022

 

2022 Ohio rate information is now available for AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, insured by UnitedHealthcare® Insurance Company.

Effective June 1, 2022, the rates in Ohio will change. Please click on the button below to view rates for new enrollees with initial plan effective dates of June 1, 2022 to May 1, 2023.

 

CLICK HERE FOR APPROVED 2022 RATE PAGES

CLICK HERE FOR 2022 RATE PERCENTAGES 

 

Full rate charts can be found on Jarvis under Knowledge Center > Product Overview > Medicare Supplement Plans > Rates and Underwriting > Choose Ohio > Annual Rate Change.

Please note, new 2022 Ohio Enrollment Kits will be available in June. Read more here.

Reminders

  • Rates for plan effective dates through May 1, 2022 can be found on LEAN or in the Ohio Enrollment Kit for enrollment June 1, 2021-May 1, 2022 effective dates.
  • All available discounts in Ohio can be found on the Discount Stuffer, located in 2022 Ohio Enrollment Kits.

Member Billing Information
Updated billing materials will be sent to members in the Spring and will include:

  • A letter notifying the member of their new monthly premium payment (including any applicable discounts). View the two versions of the letter:

Electronic File Transfer (EFT) payer letter

 

2022 Enrollment Materials

New Ohio Enrollment Kits will be available on the Sales Materials Portal in June. This is to account for upcoming application changes. Please use LEAN for plan availability, rate and discount information and continue to check your email for new kit availability.

You may continue to use the current Enrollment Kit for plan effective dates of June 1, 2022 and later until the new 2022 Kit is available. Please refer to the new rate pages attached to this email or populated in LEAN when using the current kit for effective dates beyond June 1st.

 

Helpful Resources
On Learning Lab within Jarvis, you can find AARP Medicare Supplement Plan guides, job aids, and trainings that are offered monthly and cover a variety of topics. Spots for each training session are limited, so be sure to sign up early.

WellCare’s Centene Workbench is Now Available!

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WellCare is very excited to announce Centene Workbench is ready for YOU!

How to Access:

Step 1: Login to your Single Sign-On (SSO) portal with your existing credentials. If you are a new user, please follow the steps to create your account.

Helpful tip! The SSO portal works best in Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. It is recommended to clear the browser cache prior to accessing the portal.

Step 2: Select the Centene Workbench icon

Step 3: Enjoy Centene Workbench!

 

Key Changes or Enhancements to Know!

Portal Overview: Centene Workbench provides you with the tools to help you succeed. Key enhancements include, but are not limited to:

  • Support Ticket improvement, tracking & monitoring, email alerts, etc.
  • Dashboard reporting including sales, credentials, commissions, and book-of-business
  • Self-service functionality for demographic, licensing, and business structure maintenance

Please review the Centene Workbench Portal Guide for screen shots, step actions, and explanations of functionality to assist with navigating your portal.

PID to NPN Transition: The Wellcare 6-digit ID (PID) is being discontinued in phases and replaced with the National Producer Number (NPN). Please review the phased approach below:

 

For more information or questions about the new portal, please contact your CSM Service Rep.