Excellus BCBS Medicare Broker News Vol. 6 No. 6

NEW! Monthly Benefit Deep Dive Webinar

Excellus BCBS has heard you loud and clear – you’re looking for more in-depth information and training on their plans and ancillary benefits. In response to your feedback, they will be launching a monthly Deep Dive webinar series. In less than 40 minutes, broker account executives will focus on a specific benefit, provide competitive analysis, answer your questions, and point you to helpful resources.

Join us Tuesday, June 18th at 10:30 a.m. for our first Benefit Deep Dive webinar on our flex card and OTC benefits. Register here to receive your link to join the event. A recording will be made available to attendees afterward, so please register even if you can’t make it – you’ll still be able to watch it later!

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Scope Of Appointment Reminder

The Excellus team has noticed an uptick in questions recently on Scope of Appointments and thought it would be helpful to remind broker partners of the CMS rule changes and our internal policies regarding SOA’s.

• SOAs are required 48 hours in advance of your intention to speak with a beneficiary about a Medicare plan and its respective benefits. This includes both prospects and members. Even if the beneficiary is a current Excellus BlueCross BlueShield member, you are still required to get a SOA in advance of speaking to them about any possible plan changes.
• SOAs cannot be collected at educational events.
• CMS views a change in plan type (i.e., from HMO to PPO) as a New Enrollment as it is a change in contract. It is the policy to obtain a scope for all marketing appointments to ensure compliance regardless of the result of the marketing appointment.
• Any agent-assisted enrollment is required to have a SOA to support the marketing appointment.

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Welvie My Surgery® Mailing

All Excellus BCBS Medicare Advantage direct pay and group retirees recently received a co-branded mailing from partners at Welvie My Surgery. In case your clients ask about the mailing, here is some additional information:

What is Welvie My Surgery?

Welvie is an online tool designed to help members navigate the entire surgery process, facilitate better communication with their physician, and better understand their treatment options. This program is free to members and helps them to make informed decisions about surgery and provides information to better prepare them for any potential procedures.

Why did members receive this mailing?

The mailing was targeted toward members who have not yet used Welvie. To promote awareness of this program, the mailing included a $25 incentive. This offer is valid, so please encourage your clients to take advantage!

Where can members get more information?

The mailing instructs members to call Welvie directly or to visit Welvie.com for more information. Members are always welcome to call our Customer Care team as well with any questions or concerns.

Welvie My Surgery Mailing Insert (PDF)                                              

Welvie My Surgery Incentive Flyer (PDF)                  

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Destination Rx Maintenance

Please note that Destination Rx will be down for maintenance on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. You will not be able to access the site during those times. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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