Excellus BCBS Medicare Broker News - Vol. 18 No. 5

Excellus BlueCross  BlueShield Recognized By Forbes As One Of The Nation’s Best Employers For  Diversity        

Excellus BCBS was one of 500 companies on the Forbes Best Employers for Diversity 2023 list.

• Excellus BCBS ranked 135th overall on the nationwide list
• Excellus BCBS ranked 17th overall in the insurance industry

This was Excellus BCBS’s  first time on the Forbes Best Employers for Diversity list.
 
 “Every day, our employees model inclusion, diversity, equity, and access –  always working to see, value and empower all people,” said Jim Reed,  president and chief executive officer, Excellus BCBS. “We are honored by this  recognition, and also acknowledge that when it comes to diversity, there is  always more to do.”
 
 The Best Employers for Diversity 2023 were selected based on a survey of  about 45,000 U.S. employees working for companies with a minimum of 1,000  employees. The recognition was based on the following criteria:

• Direct recommendations: Survey participants shared opinions on a series of statements regarding age, gender, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQA+ and general diversity in their current workplace.
• Indirect recommendations: Participants belonging to underrepresented groups also evaluated other employers in their industries.
• Data: Companies were evaluated on a range of diversity-related best practices, including the presence of resource groups within the company, the publication of diversity data and more.

The Best Employers for Diversity 2023 award was presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., a statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The full list is available on the Forbes website.  
 
Earlier this year, Forbes also ranked Excellus BCBS as #2 on its 2023 list of America’s Best Midsize Employers.

‍

‍

What Happens With Claims,  COBRA And Special Enrollments Once The National Emergency Ends?        

As you may recall, due to the COVID-19 National Emergency, the  Department of Labor provided relief via extensions for filing and appealing  claims, electing and paying for COBRA, and notifying administrators of  disability notices and special enrollments. The extensions would last for 12  months or until 60 days after the end of the National Emergency, whichever is  sooner.
 
 Legislation has been signed that ended the COVID-19 National Emergency on  April 10, 2023. Before this, it was announced that the National Emergency  would end on May 11, 2023, with the Department of Labor and IRS issuing FAQs  around the National Emergency ending on May 11.
 
 The Department of Labor has unofficially indicated that the outbreak period  will still run through July 10, 2023 (60 days after the May 11 date, the  initial announced end of the National Emergency).
 
 How Does This Impact My Groups?
 Excellus BlueCross BlueShield will resume normal claim, appeal, COBRA and  enrollment timeframes as of July 11, 2023.
 
 Your groups need to submit terminations for impacted delinquent COBRA members  by August 9, 2023. Standard retroactive guidelines will resume beyond that  date.
 
 
 Reach out to your account manager with any questions or Visit the COVID Site.

How Safety Net Plan Renewals Impact Your Business And Groups        

As Excellus has been sharing for the past few months, Safety Net recertifications resumed in April, with the first of members receiving notifications in May.
 
Excellus understand that not all brokers typically engage with the Safety Net population, but it’s important to understand how this could impact your groups, their employees, and your business. To help you, they are providing  resources for you to share with your groups including:

• An “Ask the Expert” flyer that answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Medicaid recertification
• A Safety Net Renewal campaign flyer that can be shared with your groups. It includes a QR code directing members to our renewal page ExcellusBCBS.com/Renew, which contains resources and phone numbers to find more information.

How does this impact my  groups and my business?
There are groups with employees who currently have “double coverage.”  This means an employee who may have been eligible for Medicaid during the  Public Health Emergency (PHE) may now have coverage from their employer as  well. New York State automatically renewed members enrolled in Safety Net  plans like Medicaid during the PHE; however, with the end of the PHE, the  auto-renewal process will also come to an end.
 
 An employee will still have their group coverage as long as they are still  employed. An employee’s dependents, however, like a spouse or child, could be  impacted and left without coverage. Employees will likely turn to their HR  representatives for help to either add a family member to their policy or to  find an alternative solution for benefits.
 

Download The Safety Net Resources                                              

Plan Renewal Page For Groups                  

‍