Sourced from WellCare Broker Bulletin from 2/1/22: 

We want to inform you that 1099 Year End Tax Statements were mailed to the shipping address on file as of January 31, 2022. To receive a 1099 Statement for tax year 2021, the broker or agency must have received $600 or more from Centene (Comprehensive Health Management).

If you have not received a 1099 Statement by February 14, 2022 or have questions about the statement you received, please submit a support ticket in Agent Connect, which can be accessed through the Single Sign-On Portal.

Please refer to page 38 of the 2021 Agent Connect User Guide for instructions on creating a support ticket.

If you have any questions, please consulate your CSM representative here – service@cornerstoneseniormarketing.com

Special Enrollment Period: Kentucky Emergency Declaration – Inclement Weather, Flooding

Please be advised that a state of emergency was declared, impacting the individuals in all Kentucky counties. This declaration allows for a one-time Special Enrollment Period (SEP), in the event beneficiaries were unable to make an election during another qualifying election period. Please reference the following guidelines for the incident period. This SEP applies to all the impacted counties in Kentucky.

Important Compliance Information

Who is eligible:

This SEP opportunity is ONLY available to beneficiaries who:

• Reside, or resided at the start of the SEP eligibility period described in this guidance, in an area for which a federal, state or local government entity has declared a disaster or other emergency or they do not reside in an affected area but rely on help making healthcare decisions from one or more individuals who reside in an affected area; and
• Were eligible for another election period at the time of the SEP eligibility period, and;
• Did not make an election during that other valid election period due to the disaster or other emergency.

Details:
Impacted Counties: All Counties

Incident Period: The incident period occurred on December 31, 2021. The declaration was announced on January 1, 2022.

Timeframe: Effective immediately, individuals meeting the requirements listed above can enroll, dis-enroll, or switch MAPD plans until March 31, 2022.

*Note: Eligible enrollments will be effective the first of the month after the application has been processed.

Reminders:
Agents can accept/submit an application by the beneficiary’s request through the following steps:
1. Obtain a compliant Consent to Contact (C2C).
2. Capture a compliant Scope of Appointment (SOA).
3. Host a compliant 1:1 appointment.
4. If the beneficiary is prepared to enroll, complete an application noting this SEP, either by selecting the “Emergency or Major Disaster” option or writing “Severe Weather” in the “Other” option. WARNING! Only select one election type.

Centene will communicate any changes to this SEP, if necessary, when they become available.

Selecting the Correct Plan Year Application (2021 or 2022)

Plan year determines which application to use. Make sure to select the correct application based on the plan year of enrollment.

• 2021 Application – 11/1/2021 or 12/1/2021 effective date
• 2022 Application – 1/1/2022 – 12/1/2022 effective date

Note: Current members remaining in the same plan do not require a new application submission. Enrollment will continue into the new year.

Documenting the Correct Plan of Enrollment

• Select only one (1) plan on Pg. 1 of the application.
• The plan selected on Pg. 1 of the application MUST match the plan written on the last page.

If there is a conflict, the plan code/name documented on the last page of the application will take precedence.

Capturing Provider Information on Applications (Medicare Advantage plans)

Be sure to document accurate and complete Primary Care Provider information on applications to avoid auto-assignment of providers.

• PCP ID (WC) or NPI ID (CNC) must be on applications.

Note: If submission of IPA or PPG IDs is necessary for the enrollment, be sure to also submit the PCP/NPI ID and ensure they are valid providers for the plan.

Election Periods: Using AEP vs. SEP

For 2022 applications, you may notice that there is no longer a ‘check box’ to select AEP on the application. This is okay! As long as the Application Received Date is between 10/15/2021 – 12/7/2021 and the Requested Effective Date is 1/1/2022, the application will automatically process as the AEP option. If any SEP option is selected, the application process will use that SEP.

Additional Enrollment Reminders

Member Addresses – Accurate and Complete

Verify the members address and zip code to prevent enrollment rejections or denials if the member is determined to be out of the service area. Additional points to keep in mind regarding addresses:

• Street Name: Must be accurate, spelled correctly and in the right order
• Zip Code: Must be provided on all applications and accurate
• Rural Addresses: Must include the unit or space numbers

Member Changes Only – Provider, Premium Withhold Option, Address, etc.

• An application submission is not required for changes to a members address, provider or premium withhold option. Customer Service is available to assist with these type of changes.

Note: Pay special attention to the member’s provider and premium withhold option selected, and document accordingly.

Updated plan information from WellCare has been uploaded and accurate data is reflected in the plan quoting effective October 25, 2021.  

Please reach out to your Cornerstone Senior Marketing Rep if you have any questions. 

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WellCare Quoting and Enrollment Rate Info Discrepancies

We have been informed that updated plan information from WellCare has NOT been provided to vendor partners and is causing issues with agents quoting and enrolling for these plans so far, this AEP.

The WellCare information discrepancies are reportedly found on all platforms, including:

• WellCare website
• Medicare.gov
• MedicareAPP (MedicareCENTER)
• MedicareLINK (MedicareCENTER)

Also, we have learned that accurate data should be loaded by October 25th, or sooner, if possible.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause at the onset of AEP and know that the our teams are working diligently with WellCare to resolve and upload updated plan information to ALL platforms including MedicareCENTER as quickly as possible.

We will confirm to you as soon as we know the issue has been corrected and accurate WellCare information is available.

Helpful Hint For Your Prescription Drug Plan Clients:
With these plan discrepancies, it may be wise to re-evaluate any of your PDP client’s prescription calculations, who have enrolled or are planning on enrolling in a WellCare 2022 plan, to make sure they are on the best fitting stand-alone PDP plan.

Please reach out to your Cornerstone Senior Marketing Rep is you have any questions.

614-763-2255 or email:

service@cornerstoneseniormarketing.com