December 2011
Ceridian Payment Options for Continuants Expand
Beginning January 1, 2012, COBRA participants served by Ceridian will
have expanded payment options. Those options will include:
- Online at http://www.ceridian-benefits.com/
using a checking account, bank-issued debit card or credit card,
including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Diners Club. Ceridian's partner
Fiserv will charge a $5.95 convenience fee for each payment up to
$2,500.
- By telephone interactive voice response at (800) 877-7994 using a
checking account, bank-issued debit card or credit card, including VISA,
MasterCard, Discover and Diners Club. Ceridian's partner Fiserv will
charge a $5.95 convenience fee for each payment up to $2,500.
- Using CheckFree. Participants can verify if their financial
institution participates in CheckFree online bill pay by visiting http://www.ebillplace.com/.
- By U.S. Mail to: Ceridian COBRA Services Center, Attn: Payment
Processing, 3201 34th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711-3828
Ceridian will communicate these enhanced payment options to COBRA
participants in several ways:
Beginning with the December 2011
billing cycle:
Notification flyers will be inserted in monthly
bills through March 2012. Information about the expanded payment methods
will be printed on the front and back of the COBRA bills.
In
January 2012:
Email notification will be sent to participants who
have provided an email address to Ceridian. U.S. Mail notification will be
sent to participants who have not provided an email address.
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Ask George
Question: George, we recently terminated an employee from our
practice. Once we submit the termination notification, will the NCMS
Plan's administrator, BCBSNC, send out a notice to the employee letting
them know of the termination of their NCMS Plan health insurance and the
dates they had coverage with the NCMS Plan?
Answer: When you
submit the notification of termination, BCBSNC will automatically issue a
HIPAA Certificate of Prior Creditable Coverage (HIPAA Certificate) to
subscribers once their health coverage officially ends.
HIPAA
Certificates will provide the documentation requested by successive
insurance carriers for the individual reducing or eliminating any waiting
periods for coverage of pre-existing conditions.
Although there
are circumstances where benefits will terminate for a member or dependent
on the true day of the event that eligibility ended such as death or
divorce - in the case of an employee termination, benefits for the former
employee will end on the last day of the month in which the employee is
terminated.
If anyone does not receive their certificate, they can
request one directly from BCBSNC Customer Service by calling 877-275-9787
or online through Member Services at http://www.bcbsnc.com/members/ncms/.
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Mellon HSA Balances Now Displayed on BCBSNC Member Services
NCMS Plan subscribers with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) administered
by Mellon are now able to easily view their HSA fund balances online at
Member Services via http://www.bcbsnc.com/members/ncms/.
The feature is available to subscribers enrolled on an NCMS Plan
HDHP product. Dependents enrolled on this these products will not be able
to view this information, only the subscriber. Some of our participating
practices use an HSA fund administrator other than Mellon. Subscribers
with other administrators will not be able to view their HSA balance
though Member Services on http://www.bcbsnc.com/members/ncms/.
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NCMS Plan Announces Practice Wellness Grant Program
The NCMS Plan has long promoted healthy lifestyle programs and believes
effective wellness programs lead to better lifestyle choices, which in
turn lead to a healthier population. An effective and successful health
promotion strategy not only requires planning and executing but a need for
support. The NCMS Plan is excited to announce the Practice Wellness Grant
Program.
Financial grants are available to support participating
groups that adopt an effective and sustainable health promotion program,
or expand an existing one. To be eligible, practices are required to
achieve certain participation and completion goals around a number of
components defined as key elements of an effective health promotion
program.
The amount of money that a practice can receive depends
upon the number of employees enrolled in the NCMS Plan at the time of goal
fulfillment and the criteria levels attained. The minimum grant is $250
and the maximum grant is $15,000. The lifetime total a practice can
receive is $100 per enrolled employee.
Together, we can start now
to create a healthier future for your employees and your practice. The
sooner you begin or expand a health promotion initiative, the faster you
can realize both financial and health benefits. To learn more about the
Practice Wellness Grant Program and to apply, please contact mailto:[email protected]?Subject=Practice
Wellness Grant Program or call (919) 878-7530.
Inspire Others To Practice Wellness
Have you created an environment that supports healthy lifestyles for
your employees? Is your practice 100% tobacco free property wide? Have you
linked a participation-based incentive strategy into your practice's
benefit plan structure?
We would love to hear about your successes
and continue to assist you with sustaining your health promotion efforts!
Even achieving small goals is a success! Share your experience and
inspire other practices. What tips and suggestions could you offer other
practices? What obstacles did you overcome?
Send us a short email
telling us your story. We look forward to hearing from you and showcasing
your efforts to other NCMS Plan practices in a future issue of
CHOICES.
Send your success story to [email protected].
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About the North Carolina Medical Society
As the largest physician organization in the state, the North Carolina
Medical Society (NCMS) is devoted to representing the interests of
physicians and protecting the quality of patient care. The NCMS Plan,
sponsored by the NCMS, is the only statewide employee benefits plan
designed specifically for North Carolina physicians.
For more
information about many other benefits of NCMS membership, visit http://www.ncmedsoc.org/. |