Excellus BCBS Medicare Broker News Vol. 6 No. 1

OEP: What You Need to Know

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP) takes place from January 1 to March 31

The Open Enrollment Period applies to:

• Beneficiaries who are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan as of January 1. These enrollees can use the January 1 to March 31 OEP to enroll in another MA plan or disenroll from their MA plan to return to Original Medicare.
• Dual-eligible and Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) beneficiaries who, in general, may make changes once per calendar quarter.

The Open Enrollment Period gives beneficiaries who are currently enrolled in a MA plan some options.

Read more on who can switch plans and the stipulations around enrollment: Open Enrollment Period Details (PDF)  

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CMS Broker/Agent Guidelines During OEP

CMS prohibits agents and brokers from intentionally targeting or sending unsolicited marketing materials to MA and Part D enrollees during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. During the MA OEP, brokers and agents cannot engage in activities that use the OEP as an opportunity for additional sales. These activities include:

• Calling or contacting enrollees who have made a new plan selection during the Annual Election Period (AEP).
• Purchase mailing lists or other identifiable information to directly target beneficiaries during the OEP because they made a selection during the AEP.
• Send unsolicited marketing materials referencing the OEP or the opportunity to make an additional enrollment change.

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2024 Sales And Member Materials Now In Sales Hub

New and updated resources are available for download in the Sales Hub. These include 2024 plan benefit flyers, broker-exclusive sales tools, like personas and brand guidelines, and our Medicare member newsletters.

If you would like to order printed versions of the materials found in Sales Hub, please reach out to your Broker Account Executive.

    Log In To Sales Hub  

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REMINDER: Member Updates For The New Year

As we transition to 2024, the Excellus team wants to ensure that your clients who are new or existing members are made aware of the following:

• All Direct Pay Medicare Members will receive a new ID card for 2024. This applies to new and current members. The new ID cards should arrive in the next few weeks.
• OTC catalogs will be sent to all members in the month of December to be used with their 2024 OTC benefits.
• NEW for 2024: Members will be allowed to self-pay balances above their OTC allowance. The ordering system will advise the member that their order exceeds the max amount and will give them alternative options for covering the remaining balance.
• Existing funds on the 2023 flex card must be used by December 31. Unused funds will be forfeited after December 31, 2023.
• Members with an existing flex card will not receive a new card. Funds will automatically be reloaded to their existing card by January 1, 2024. Members can check their current card balance or order a replacement card by calling 833-655-1780.
• Members with flex cards can now earn an extra $100 annually for completing healthy activities. See the flyer below for more details.

    Flex Card Rewards And  Incentives (PDF)