Excellus BCBS Medicare Broker News Vol. 7 No. 3

Change To Beneficiary Use Of The Disaster/Emergency SEP

Excellus BCBS wants to make you aware of a change to the Special Election Period for Individuals Affected by a Government Entity-Declared Disaster or Other Emergency (Disaster/Emergency SEP).

Beginning on April 1, 2025, individuals wishing to use the Disaster/Emergency SEP must call 1-800-MEDICARE to make this election.

Excellus BCBS will no longer accept elections directly from beneficiaries or brokers/agents using the Disaster/Emergency SEP. If you are working with a client and determine that they are eligible to use the Disaster/Emergency SEP, the only way that they can enroll is by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

If Excellus BCBS receives an application on or after April 1st using the Disaster/Emergency SEP, they will contact the beneficiary to determine if they are eligible for another SEP. If they are ineligible, the application will be denied for no valid election.

To be compliant with this and other CMS-mandated changes, Excellus is asking that brokers and agents remove the current applications from your enrollment kits and replace them with the updated application linked below. Please continue using the enrollment kits you have on hand with the replacement application before ordering more. This will ensure Excellus is able to fulfill orders for the remainder of the plan year. Please wait until after April 1st to place any enrollment kit restock orders, as they will include the updated application.

If you have questions about replacing the applications in your enrollment kits, please email Broker Account Services.

Rochester Region - ExcellusBSD@excellus.com

CNY/Utica Regions - ExcellusBSD2@excellus.com

• Rochester MA Application (PDF)
• CNY MA Application (PDF)
• East MA Application (PDF)

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Educate Clients With Our Medicare Made Easy Guide

Every year, Excellus BCBS publishes Medicare Made Easy, a simple guide to understanding plan basics and comparing plan options. This is a great piece to share with prospects that are new to Medicare to help them navigate the complexities of retirement and moving away from an employer health plan.

To order copies for your office, email your Broker Account Service Consultant.

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Watch The Medicare Member Event Video

In case you missed it, in February there was a Virtual Member Event held, where the Medicare team talked about 2025 medical and dental benefits and plan extras. The team also took a closer look at how the Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit worked and shared some money saving tips.

If your clients weren’t able to attend the event, but would find this content useful, the event recording is now available. Feel free to share the link here.

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REMINDER: Formulary Ordering Update

As of February 1st, 2025, Excellus BCBS will no longer accept print orders for formularies. They encourage you to use their website to access PDF versions of formularies, as well as the searchable drug list when meeting with clients.

If you’d like to request a formulary for an existing Excellus BCBS member, you can order one on their behalf using this form. You will need a member ID to complete the order.

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