Hot Topics from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) are here to support you during the enrollment season.
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is now open through Dec. 7.
Retail open enrollment starts Nov. 1.
Watch Our Retail Producer Portal Boot Camp
Enrollment tool for producers: The Retail Producer Portal is a comprehensive sales tool for producers active in the individual ACA and Medicare lines of business. The portal enables you to design and deliver quotes, enroll members in Blue plans, run reports and much more.
Watch the online enrollment process: Though we have a comprehensive guide, nothing beats hearing from the experts. If you weren’t able to attend our recent boot camp on the basics of enrolling your clients in a health plan via the Retail Producer Portal, you can watch it here.
News from the Blues
Rates Available for Individual Medical Qualified Health Plans (QHPs)
Choose “Rates.” You’ll find both plan year 2020 and new plan year 2021 rates available.
Access rates via Retail Producer Portal: After logging in to the Retail Producer Portal, select the “Resources” tab, scroll to “Medical Rate Guide” in the “Other Benefit/Plan Information” section and click on “View.”
Retail Members Now Receiving Renewal Packets
Active members of retail QHPs should be receiving their renewal packets for plan year 2021.
How to view them: If you use the Retail Producer Portal to manage your sales, you can view your clients’ packets there. Here are the details, including links to sample packets.
News from the Blues
Customize Your Marketing Materials
Print and mail: Customizable marketing materials that are designed for our producers to use with prospects are now available. They come in the form of digital PDF files. Simply download the files, fill in the open fields with your contact information, save and print at your local print shop. In every PDF file, the last page includes printing instructions for your local printer.
Flier: See the English and bilingual versions of the “Let Me Help You” flier (8.5″ x 11″).
Postcard: There’s an English and a bilingual version of the “Call Me Today” postcard (11″ x 6″).
Fast Facts on Initial Premium Payments
Did you know: Your clients don’t have to pay their first month’s premium when you submit their applications online. There are ”bill me later” or “bill my client” options when enrolling via the Retail Shopping Cart or the Retail Producer Portal.
DEADLINE: Complete FFM Training and Registration Before Nov. 1
FFM Training and Registration Tips: Producers must register annually with the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) prior to helping clients enroll or renew in Marketplace polices. Check out our tips and resources to help you through the process.
FFM Training and Registrations Rules:See our one-page review of CMS requirements, our compensation rules and the role of the subproducer in Marketplace enrollments.
News from the Blues
COVID-19 Update
COVID-19 Update: Interfacility Transfer End Date Extended
Member notices: Per our usual process of notifying members prior to the effective date, targeted mailings were sent to members affected by drug list revisions and/or exclusions, prior authorization program, step therapy program and dispensing limit changes.
News from the Blues
Submitting Short-Term Disability Claims Online Provides a Better Member Experience BCBSTX now offers quick and convenient online claim submission to members with short-term disability (STD) insurance.
Why this matters: Submitting claims online is the quickest path to a claim decision and more convenient. Available 24 hours a day, members can submit their STD claims online at any time, from anywhere.
How it works:
Members can submit STD claims online and upload supporting documents at ancillary.bcbstx.com.
They will be guided through a series of questions to collect the information needed to process their disability claim.
In addition to the online claim submission, STD claims can be submitted by email, fax, mail or phone.
If you have questions, please review this flier and contact your BCBSTX ancillary representative.
Sales Training for Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
Our Medicare sales training sessions have been extended through early December. Review the schedule, meeting links and plan to join a session to learn about:
BAP/Supply Portal
Virtual Selling/Docusign
Rx Lookup/Provider Finder®
Digital Sales Kit
News from the Blues
*This article, or a similar version, is being shared with employer groups in the BlueVISION newsletter or news alert.
Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime) is a separate pharmacy benefit management company contracted by BCBSTX to provide pharmacy benefit management and other related services. BCBSTX, as well as several Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, has an ownership interest in Prime Therapeutics.
Short-Term Disability insurance products are issued by Dearborn Life Insurance Company, 701 E. 22nd St. Suite 300, Lombard, IL 60148. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is the trade name of Dearborn Life Insurance Company, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BLUE CROSS®, BLUE SHIELD® and the Cross and Shield Symbols are registered service marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.
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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
