December 2016
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Happy Holidays from the NCMS Plan and MMIC Agency
Serving you this past year has been our pleasure. Though the NCMS Plan
is a unique and special program for physicians and their practices, we
know that you have choices. We are grateful that you, your physicians,
your employees, and their spouses and children have entrusted us with
providing their employee benefits. In 2017, we will continue to strive to
exceed your expectations.
We offer our gratitude and wish you
much peace and great joy during this holiday season and throughout the New
Year.
IRS Extends ACA Reporting Deadline
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a deadline extension for
2016 ACA reporting. The due date for furnishing individuals with the 2016
Form 1095-B or the 2016 Form 1095-C has been extended from January 31,
2017, to March 2, 2017.
Also extended is the good faith
compliance standard used during 2015. Incomplete or inaccurate forms will
not be subject to penalty, so long as they were filed on time and the
filer was operating in good faith.
The deadline for employer
filing with the IRS remains February 28, 2017 for paper and March 31, 2017
for electronic filing.
2017 PPO Select Hospital Tier Changes
Effective January 1, 2017, the tier designation of several hospitals
participating in the PPO Select network will change. These types of
changes are made every year by BCBSNC to ensure cost-effective access to
quality providers. The PPO Select product utilizes claims data to identify
high quality, low cost providers and help consumers make more informed
choices for their medical care. The identification of these providers is
the result of an evaluation on cost and quality, and some fluctuations are
anticipated as this evaluation is updated annually.
This chart highlights the changes to the network for 2017.
HealthNav, BCBSNC’s online provider directory, will be updated
with the new tier information so members can check the participation
status of hospitals and doctors.
ID Card Format Changes Beginning January 1st
The pharmacy section on each member ID card will no longer note all
formulary tiers, copays and coinsurance. NCMS Plan member ID cards will
say "Benefits included" in the prescription drug field of the ID card.
BCBSNC, the NCMS Plan administrator, is simplifying the card to improve
accuracy and eliminate complications. Many insurers have already made
this change and removed Rx details from their ID cards.
The change
is effective for NCMS Plan members starting January 2017 and upon renewal
thereafter. In other words, if your practice renews in August, the change
to your members' ID cards will not occur until August 2017 cards are
issued for your practice.
This will not effect service at the
pharmacy as pharmacists do not use the ID card to verify benefits; they
use an electronic system. Pharmacists will continue to have the ability to
access member-specific pharmacy benefits electronically to determine
coverage and member responsibility.
Glucose Test Strip Program Effective January 1st
Beginning January 1, 2017, members will have one preferred brand of
blood glucose test strips under the pharmacy benefit, CONTOUR® NEXT blood
glucose test strips. This means that members will be able to receive
CONTOUR NEXT test strips at the pharmacy without BCBSNC requiring any
additional information from their provider. If members are not currently
using CONTOUR NEXT blood glucose test strips, they will receive a letter
containing important information they need to know. Please note: if a
member receives glucose test strips through their durable medical
equipment (DME) benefit, this change will not impact them.
In
order to use CONTOUR NEXT blood glucose test strips, members will need to
get a new blood glucose meter. Instructions for obtaining a free blood
glucose meter will be provided in the letter to impacted members. Members
may continue to use their current blood glucose test strips until their
supply is gone, or until they expire.
NCMS Plan members have
access to Healthy Outcomes Condition Care diabetes program and
the opportunity to have deductibles waived on most diabetic testing
supplies purchased through a contracted DME provider. Members can contact
the customer service number on their ID card if they would like to learn
more about this program.
Ask George
Question: George, the husband of one our employees recently lost
their health insurance and their kids were covered under that policy, too.
When can the employee add their family to our practice's policy?
Answer: The spouse's loss of coverage under another group policy
would be a qualifying event for the husband and their children. Providing
notification as soon as possible is critical. To add the spouse and
children so there is no lapse, the employee will need to complete an NCMS
Plan Enrollment Application and Change Form and submit to
us within 30 days of the qualifying event. If the NCMS Plan receives the
change after more than 30 days, the change would process effective on the
first of the next month. Please note that adding a spouse and dependents
will change the employee's coverage status to "Family" which will increase
the monthly premium effective with the change.
For these and
other changes, please review your monthly invoice carefully. If
corrections are necessary, they should be submitted as soon as possible to
be processed timely.
If you have a question to Ask
George, you can always contact me at (919) 878-7561 or george.fanelli@mmicnc.com.
Practice Wellness...Personal
Beginning January 2017, the NCMS Plan will introduce a resource
addressing issues related to Life, Family, Money, Work and Health. This
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is uniquely designed for the NCMS Plan.
What’s more, it will be available to your practice at no additional cost.
Why is the NCMS Plan offering Practice Wellness Personal
(PWP)?
The NCMS Plan has partnered with LifeWorks to deliver
best-in-class counseling, digital content and perks to support members'
emotional, mental, physical and financial well-being.
Well-being
is more than simply the absence of disease. It is the full integration of
social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual
and physical well-being. These dimensions act, and interact, in a way that
contributes to an overall quality of life. The NCMS Plan is dedicated to
providing our members with strategies to eat, move and live in a
purposeful and mindful way.
PWP also offers a news-feed style
interface, which allows the NCMS Plan to communicate news directly to
members. This direct communication channel will allow members to receive
information on various Practice Wellness resources that support overall
well-being.
What does this mean for you?
As an
Administrator, the NCMS Plan will provide you with all of the information
you need to inform and empower members to use this great new benefit, PWP.
User guides and other communication tools will be available prior to the
program launch so stay tuned!
Who is this program available
for?
Practice Wellness Personal will allow for 24/7/365
assistance for all NCMS Plan members with health coverage.
How
can I learn more?
A number of webinar Information Sessions
have been scheduled. The schedule was sent as a separate e-mail. If you
did not receive that schedule, please contact Jason
Horay. Each session will last 30-45 minutes.
The NCMS Plan
looks forward to working with you to continue to provide participating
practices the resources to educate and inform. Together, we can make a
difference in employees’ lives, a difference beyond a decrease in medical
costs that translates into healthy, happy and high performing
practices.
Wellness Webinar-"Living Your Why" with Sean Foy
Have you uncovered your calling? Do you place purpose in WHY you do the
things you do? Do you know how to live your “why” every single day?
NCMS Plan members tuned in on October 26th, 2016 to join the
renowned fitness, weight management, and healthy living expert, Sean Foy,
for the “Living Your Why” webinar. The hour-long session challenged
participants to identify their purpose or calling, and then to deeply
consider if they are truly living their “why” to the fullest every single
day.
The webinar provided an empowering well-being experience for
attendees. During the discussion, Sean illustrated how to craft and live a
purpose driven life while also helping those you care about do the same.
The conversation introduced practical tips, strategies, and best practices
for living your “why” day in and day out.
Some of those included:
• How to craft your "why"
• How to transition
through the different stages of change when discovering your “why”
•
Defining your core values
• Sharing your "why" with other
people around you
If you were unable to join the webinar, I invite
you to listen and share among your practice.
Living Your "Why" Webinar
As the New Year
approaches, I challenge you to begin crafting your why. It can be one
word, one phrase, one sentence, or one paragraph—everyone’s why is unique.
Find your “why” and enter the New Year empowered to live out your passion
and purpose every day!
About the North Carolina Medical Society
Established in 1849, the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is
devoted to representing the interests of physicians and protecting the
quality of patient care as the largest physician organization in the
state. 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/.
PO Box 97968 Raleigh, NC 27624
919.872.7117 | 800.662.7917 | 919.878.7590 FAX | Disclaimer | http://www.ncmsplan.com/