Express Scripts Extends Helping Hand to Victims of Oklahoma Tornadoes (05/13)
Vision Service Plan Replacing Glasses, Contacts Lost in May 15 Tornadoes (05/13)
Hearing Care Benefits Available to All Concordia Health Plan Members (05/13)
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Fee (05/13)
Express Scripts No Longer Coordinating Medicare Part B Prescription Drug Benefits (05/13)
Flyer Explains Health Care Reform’s Play-or-Pay Mandate (05/13)
Cigna Introduces New myCigna Mobile App (05/13)
Concordia Retirement Plan Town Hall Meetings May 7, 8 (05/13)
Flyer Explains Health Care Reform’s ‘The Marketplace’ (05/13)
ProManage PROgram™ Lowers Rate (04/13)
Upcoming Concordia Retirement Plan Town Hall Meetings (04/13)
E-Learning Module Explains Health Care Reform’s Summary of Benefits and Coverage (04/13)
Website Maintenance - April 21, 2013 (04/13)
Support for Those Impacted by the Tragedies in Boston, MA and McLennan County, TX (04/13)
Inclement Weather Impacts Concordia Plan Services (02/13)
USPS Delivery Changes Have Minimal Impact on CHP Members (02/13)
Explaining Health Care Reform: Additional Medicare Taxes on High Earners (02/13)
HHS Announces Proposed Amendments to Rules on Contraceptive Services (02/13)
Technology Upgrades Starting This Weekend (01/13)
'Marketplace' Notification Compliance Date Delayed (01/13)
Shingles Vaccine Available to PPO Members Age 50 and Above (01/13)
Be Well Rewards are Back! (01/13)
Employee Assistance Program Seminars, Training Lineup for 2013 (01/13)
Video Simplifies Complex Affordable Care Act (01/13)
New Features on Express Scripts Website (01/13)
New SilverSneakers Fitness Program! (01/13)
Payroll Tax Holiday Ends for Social Security Tax Withholdings (01/13)
National Glaucoma Awareness Month (01/13)
Chat Online with an EAP Consultant (01/13)
Express Scripts, provider partner with the Concordia Health Plan (CHP), is responding to the needs of CHP members recently impacted by tornadoes in the Oklahoma counties of Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie by implementing Emergency Refill-Too-Soon Procedures.
CHP members who have lost or damaged medication resulting from the tornadoes are being permitted prescription refills even if the refill occurs sooner than allowed by Express Scripts’ normal standards.* Pharmacies will need to enter a special override code (provided by Express Scripts) in order to process the claims for affected members.
These emergency procedures will remain in effect through June 17.
*These procedures do not apply to CHP members enrolled in HMO Options because prescription drug benefits for these members are administered by Cigna Healthcare. (05/13)
Any Concordia Health Plan member, or covered dependents, who lost glasses and/or contacts in the series of tornadoes that hit areas of northern Texas on May 15 are encouraged to contact the Vision Service Plan (VSP) customer service department to arrange for replacements at no cost.
You can contact a VSP customer service representative at 800-877-7195, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday. (05/13)
Concordia Health Plan (CHP) members, including Medicare supplement members, receive the highest quality services and products at discounted prices when they access their hearing care benefits provided through the HearUSA Hearing Care Network.
As a member of the CHP, you and your enrolled dependents* receive substantial discounts on diagnostic testing and hearing aids. Members pay no additional contribution cost, and they pay the discounted amounts directly to the provider for all products and services provided. HearUSA providers are licensed audiologists and board certified hearing aid dispensers who dispense many brands of hearing aids.
For a directory of licensed audiologists and board certified hearing aid dispensers in the HearUSA Network, click here.
*Hearing care services for children under age 19 are covered as medical benefits under the applicable benefit administrator. (05/13)
Concordia Plan Services is here to help employers and workers better understand the many facets of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or health care reform law. Therefore, we have created an education series titled, “Explaining Health Care Reform,” consisting of e-learning modules and flyers focusing on some of the key health care reform topics.
The ACA imposed a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee on health insurers and health plan sponsors to support PCORI. PCORI is a non-profit corporation established to serve as a resource to patients, providers, purchasers, and policymakers in making informed decisions about health outcomes, clinical effectiveness and appropriateness of medical treatments, items and services. PCORI’s primary duties include identifying research priorities and setting an agenda for research provided through federal funding.
For workers (as well as other plan members) and their dependents enrolled in the Concordia Health Plan (CHP), Concordia Plan Services is responsible for paying this fee for 2012 through 2018. This is treated like an excise tax by the IRS.
To learn more about PCORI, click here.
CPS will do all it can to help employers and workers navigate the changing landscape of health care. Be watching for more communication in the “Explaining Health Care Reform” series. (05/13)
Effective 4/1/13, Express Scripts is no longer facilitating the coordination of prescription drug benefits with Medicare Part B.* Therefore, Concordia Health Plan (CHP) for Medicare members will need to have their Part B medications filled through a local pharmacy.
Convey Health Solutions (formerly NationsHealth Pharmacy) informed Express Scripts that it was closing its pharmacy effective 4/1/13. At that time Express Scripts decided not to contract with another Part B pharmacy.
CHP for Medicare members may fill a Part B medication or supply through most retail pharmacies. If you are already filling your Part B medication(s) at your local pharmacy, (or through another Medicare Part B mail order pharmacy, other than Convey Health Solutions (formerly NationsHealth Pharmacy), there should be no interruption in service or impact to the amount you are currently paying. You should present your Red, White, and Blue Original Medicare card, along with your CHP Medicare supplement Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota card, when filling Medicare Part B eligible prescriptions, which includes:
• Diabetes testing and maintenance supplies
• Respiratory agents
• Immunosuppressants
• Oral anti-cancer medications
If you have been filling your prescription(s) through Convey Health Solutions, you will need to obtain a new prescription from your doctor, and begin filling your medications through a retail pharmacy. As a result of this change, you may experience an increase in the amount you pay for your Part B prescription(s) because your benefit may no longer be coordinated with Medicare Part B. Your pharmacy may also ask to see your CHP Medicare supplement Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota card. This change also means that you will not be able to fill your Part B prescription through the Express Scripts home delivery pharmacy.
Some durable medical equipment or supplies may not be available at retail pharmacies or through the Express Scripts home delivery pharmacy. To verify whether or not your supplies are available through the Express Scripts home delivery pharmacy, visit www.Express-Scripts.com or call Express Scripts at 866-698-1327, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users should call 800-899-2114.
If you have additional questions or need more information, contact Concordia Health Plans at 888-927-7526 or info@ConcordiaPlans.org.
*This change does not affect Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefits. (05/13)
Concordia Plan Services is here to help employers and workers better understand the many facets of the Affordable Care Act, or health care reform law. Therefore, we have created an education series titled, “Explaining Health Care Reform,” consisting of e-learning modules and flyers focusing on some of the key health care reform topics.
The Employer Play-or-Pay Mandate pertains to large employers (those with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees) and is effective 1/1/14. The purpose of the play-or-pay mandate is to broaden access to health care coverage by requiring large employers to offer coverage to full-time employees or pay a penalty. The health care reform law does not require employers to provide health benefits. However, it does impose penalties in some cases.
To learn more about the play-or-pay mandate, click here.
CPS will do all it can to help employers and workers navigate the changing landscape of health care. Be watching for more communication in the “Explaining Health Care Reform” series. (05/13)
The all-new myCigna Mobile App gives Concordia Health Plan members a simple way to personalize, organize, and access important dental information – on the go.
With your smartphone and the myCigna Mobile App, you can:
• Search for a dentist from the Cigna national network
• Access maps for instant driving directions to the dentist
• Get important plan details, like what you’ll pay in and out of network
• Quickly view dental ID cards for everyone on your plan
• View and search recent and past dental claims
• Add dentists to your contacts right from a claim or directory search,
• And so much more!
Download myCigna Mobile App today from the App Store or Google Play. (05/13)
Concordia Plan Services leadership will be hosting Town Hall Meetings to discuss changes to the Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) which will take effect 7/1/14.
The CRP Town Hall meetings will be held:
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 7
Concordia College
Pietruski Auditorium
171 White Plains Road
Bronxville, NY
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 8
Concordia University
Luther Hall
Room 121
2811 NE Holman Street
Portland, OR
7:45 p.m., Wednesday, May 8
Hales Corners Lutheran Church
12300 West Janesville Road
Hales Corners, WI
The CRP is financially sound today. However, taking action now is necessary to help preserve the core primary retirement benefit for past, present, and future church workers. CPS understands that change may cause confusion and concern, therefore, please consider attending. We need your feedback and want the opportunity to address your questions in person.
Multiple town hall meetings will be conducted by CPS leadership this spring and summer. Click here for specific dates and locations of upcoming CRP Town Hall Meetings. (05/13)
Concordia Plan Services is here to help employers and workers better understand the many facets of the Affordable Care Act, or health care reform law. Therefore, we have created an education series titled, “Explaining Health Care Reform,” consisting of e-learning modules and flyers focusing on some of the key health care reform topics.
The Marketplace (formerly called the Exchange) is a key component of the health care reform law. Beginning 10/1/13, every state must have a Marketplace—an online shopping space for the sale and purchase of health insurance—ready for individuals and small-business employers (those with generally fewer than 100 employees) to begin purchasing health coverage that will become effective 1/1/14. Small-business employers will use the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) to find health insurance in the Marketplace.
Small-business employers with less than 50 full-time equivalent workers are not required to provide health coverage for their employees, but large employers with more than 50 such workers may be subject to penalties if they do not offer a plan that provides affordable, minimum essential coverage.
Marketplaces will be open to most U.S. citizens and nationals currently living in the U.S. Individuals and small-business employers do not have to purchase from the Marketplace; however, effective with 2014, individuals without minimum essential coverage may be subject to a penalty if they do not provide proof of coverage when they file their federal tax return. To better understand the Marketplace component, click here.
Although the Concordia Health Plan (CHP) is currently not planned to be available for purchase in the Marketplace, the CHP is deemed to be “Marketplace Equivalent” and will continue to be available for LCMS employers and workers. Concordia Plan Services will continue to provide LCMS employers and workers with quality health care coverage consistent with LCMS beliefs and faith. CPS will continue to retain and build membership for the CHP.
CPS will do all it can to help employers and workers navigate the changing landscape of health care. Be watching for more communication in the “Explaining Health Care Reform” series. (05/13)
Effective April 30, 2013, the ProManage PROgram™ rate will be reduced for Concordia Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP) participants. ProMange is a professional investment advisor, whose services are available to members in the CRSP, to assist with the asset allocation of their accounts.
The new rate for the CRSP Account will be an annual fee rate of 16.89 basis points. This fee is based on the account balance and is charged on a monthly basis. Plan members will now be paying $1.41 per month per $10,000 of their account balance. Members will be paying about $.04 per month, per $10,000 less than the previous quarter. ProMange investment services are available at a fraction of what it would generally cost to pay an outside financial advisor.
Workers who are enrolled in the CRSP are automatically enrolled in the ProManage PROgram. Workers can opt out of (or re-enroll in) ProManage by accessing their CRSP account online at www.metlife.retirementpartner.com.
For additional information on ProManage, click here. (04/13)
Concordia Plan Services leadership will be hosting Town Hall Meetings to discuss changes to the Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) which will take effect 7/1/14.
The CRP Town Hall meetings will be held:
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 1
Trinity Lutheran Church
2701 Maple Avenue
Lisle, IL
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 1
Hope Lutheran Church
32400 Hoover Road
Warren, MI
7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 2
Concordia Lutheran High School
1601 St. Joe River Drive
Ft. Wayne, IN
In addition, our Benefit Consultants will be conducting benefits meetings in the following locations:
5:30 p.m., Monday, April 29
Trinity Lutheran Church
1354 S. Otsego Avenue
Gaylord, MI
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 30
St. Lorenz Lutheran Church
140 Churchgrove Road
Frankenmuth, MI
7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 2
St. Matthew Lutheran Church
5125 Cascade Road SE
Grand Rapids, MI
The CRP is financially sound today. However, taking action now is necessary to help preserve the core primary retirement benefit for past, present, and future church workers. CPS understands that change may cause confusion and concern, therefore, please consider attending. We need your feedback and want the opportunity to address your questions in person.
Multiple town hall meetings will be conducted by CPS leadership this spring and summer. Click here for specific dates and locations of upcoming CRP Town Hall Meetings. (04/13)
Concordia Plan Services is here to help employers and workers better understand the many facets of the Affordable Care Act, or health care reform law. Therefore, we have created an education series titled, “Explaining Health Care Reform,” consisting of e-learning modules and flyers focusing on some of the key health care reform topics.
The Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is a requirement of the health care reform law. The law requires health insurers and self-insured group health plans, like the Concordia Health Plan (CHP), to fill in a government-provided template to illustrate the general medical benefits and coverage provided by the health plan so that consumers can more easily understand their benefits and compare coverage.
Both Concordia Plans and employers in the CHP share the responsibility of distributing SBCs to workers, and must adhere to specific distribution timeframes to avoid incurring penalties. To better understand the purpose and distribution requirements of the SBC, click here.
Concordia Plans will do all it can to help employers and workers navigate the changing landscape of health care. Be watching for more communication in the “Explaining Health Care Reform” series. (04/13)
The Concordia Plan Services website will be down for maintenance beginning at 6:00 a.m. CT this Sunday, April 21. It is anticipated that the site will be unavailable for 8 hours. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. (4/13)
When a traumatic event occurs, whether a bombing or some other unforeseen horrific act, it's important to take good care of you. As a church worker for the The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod, you may be in a position of needing to help others cope with the trauma before you yourself have had a chance to deal with your own feelings. Cigna, the Concordia Health Plan's service provider for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has some helpful information about physical, mental, and emotional self-care during such turbulent times. To learn what you can do for yourself -- so that you can better care for others -- and to get information about how you can better support your own family members, who may be struggling during a time like this, go to www.cignabehavioral.com. No login is required. Under "Members," click on "More (including our Disaster Resource Center)." Then, under "Disaster Resource Center," click on "click here." Scroll down to "Violent Attacks/Traumatic Events" and click on the link. You'll find extensive resources for responding to mass tragedies, including some specific to the explosion is West, TX. We highly recommend you spending a few minutes checking out the resources on this site. And, as always, an EAP counselor is available 24/7, at no cost to you, by calling 866.726.5267. (04/13)
Concordia Plan Services leadership will be in Southern California April 17 and April 20, to discuss changes to the Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) which will take effect 7/1/14. The CRP Town Hall meetings will be held: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17 Concordia University—Irvine Performing Arts Center 1530 Concordia West Irvine, CA 92612 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20
St. John’s Lutheran Church Walker Hall 154 S. Shaffer St. Orange, CA 92866 The CRP is financially sound today. However, taking action now is necessary to help preserve the core primary retirement benefit for past, present, and future church workers. CPS understands that change may cause confusion and concern, therefore, if you live near Irvine or Orange, please consider attending. We need your feedback and want the opportunity to address your questions in person. These are just two of many town hall meetings that have been and will be conducted by CPS leadership this spring and summer. Click here for specific dates and locations of upcoming CRP Town Hall Meetings. (04/13) Employers who are eligible to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, but were unaware of the credit and therefore missed filing in past years, can still file starting with the 2010 tax year. The IRS has been accepting late returns for 2010 and 2011 when an explanation of late filing is attached to the return. The IRS has not stated when they will stop accepting returns; however, the sooner you file the return, the more likely it is to be accepted. For calendar-year employers (January 1 – December 31), the filing due date is May 15. For an employer with a fiscal year-end of June 30, the due date is November 15. On December 2, 2010, the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2010-82. This guidance allows small employers enrolled in denominational health plans, like the Concordia Health Plan, to be eligible to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. This credit was made available under the 2010 Affordable Care Act (health care reform). To determine if you are eligible, review the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit FAQs. If you are eligible, find out how to file and calculate your credit by reading the Information and Sample Credit Calculation flyer. Detailed instructions for determining if a credit is available can be found by reviewing IRS Form 8941. IRS Notice 2010-82 also provides information about the credit. Both of these items are available at www.irs.gov. One eligible LCMS church has received $50,000 just for claiming this tax credit for the past three years! What a blessing for this church’s ministry. For additional information, contact Concordia Plan Services at 888-927-7526 or info@ConcordiaPlans.org. (04/13) Beginning April 10 Concordia Health Plan members* will have the choice of participating in Cigna’s EAP Wellness Seminars via telephone or website! The EAP Wellness Seminars are now available as live interactive webcasts, and are accessible via computer and mobile device (e.g., smartphones and tablets, such as the iPad). Seminars will continue to be accessible by telephone through the end of 2013. The registration process is the same for webcast and telephone. Register now for an upcoming EAP Wellness Seminar!
*The EAP is not available to CHP for Medicare members. (04/13)
Concordia Plan Services leadership will be at Concordia Seminary–St. Louis, 7 p.m., Thursday, April 4, to discuss changes to the Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) which will take effect 7/1/14. The meeting will be held in Werner Auditorium, 801 Seminary Place, in Clayton, Mo. The CRP is financially sound today. However, taking action now is necessary to help preserve the core primary retirement benefit for past, present, and future church workers. CPS understands that change may cause confusion and concern, therefore, if you live in the St. Louis area, please consider attending. We need your feedback and want the opportunity to address your questions in person. This will be the first of many town hall meetings conducted by CPS leadership this spring and summer. Click here for specific dates and locations of upcoming CRP Town Hall Meetings. (04/13) Express Scripts has enhanced its website features to better serve you and your family! Concordia Health Plan (CHP) members can access the new Express Scripts website starting 4/1/2013. Once CHP members login, either as returning customers or registering for the first time (members who have been inactive for 365 days will have to re-register), they enter the main page of the Express Scripts Member Portal. From this page, members can:
- Receive medication-related alerts and take action
- Order refills and renewals for their own and their household’s prescriptions
- Enroll in Worry-Free Fills®
- Transfer retail prescriptions to home delivery
- Review a mail order summary or confirmation, as well as payment and billing
- Check the status of an order
- Ask a pharmacist questions anytime, day or night
In addition, there are new privacy features. Each member over age 18 must register separately for the Express Scripts Member Portal. You can grant permission for other adults in your household to access your information through an option called “Household view.” When you enable household view, your adult dependents can view your information, place orders on your behalf, and more! Also available is a new Express Scripts mobile app! If you currently have an Express Scripts app, be sure to download the new version from your app store. (You can only download the mobile app if you are registered on www.Express-Scripts.com.) If you use home delivery, you may see references to the Medco name and, more specifically, the Medco Pharmacy®, which is a home delivery pharmacy now owned by Express Scripts. This is temporary. Eventually, the Medco Pharmacy will be renamed as the Express Scripts Pharmacy. Express Scripts will continue to refer to Medco as a part of its family of pharmacies until it is renamed Express Scripts. Calls made to you may display Medco on your caller ID, and you may receive emails that include references to Medco for the time being. For more answers to some common questions about the new Express Scripts website, click here. Visit www.Express-Scripts.com to check out the new features today! (03/13)
Trying to Contact Concordia Plan Services? We regret that due to severe weather in our area, our office will open late at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March 25, 2013, and our service resources may be limited. Please be aware that you may experience a delay in service, and we apologize for any inconvenience to you. As an alternative, you can contact our benefit administrators directly for assistance at the contact information found under this link to Providers. (03/13)When you are in need of advice or help, you may find what you’re looking for through Cigna’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 2013 National Wellness Seminars. Click on the links below to pre-register for the seminars coming up in April: • April 10 “Dreaming of a Good Night’s Sleep”
• April 17 “Go You…Go Green” For a complete schedule of 2013 EAP Wellness Seminars, click here. These EAP seminars and training opportunities are open to Concordia Health Plan (CHP) members and their families, as well as managers and others in supervisory roles at employers who offer the CHP. (The EAP is not available to Medicare members.) In addition to seminars and trainings through the EAP, remember that Concordia Plan Services can also host workshops and presentations on health and wellness, personal finance, and retirement planning—at no cost. Visit our Employer Services page to learn more. Our list of available E-Learning sessions also continues to grow. (03/13)
Concordia Plan Services will close at 2 p.m., Thursday, March 28, for Maundy Thursday and will be closed all day Friday, March 29, for Good Friday. We will resume regular office hours 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday, April 1. (03/13)
Concordia Plan Services wants to remind employers that they may be eligible to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. One eligible LCMS church has received $50,000 just for claiming this tax credit for the past three years! What a blessing for this church’s ministry. On December 2, 2010, the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2010-82. This guidance allows small employers enrolled in denominational health plans, like the Concordia Health Plan, to be eligible to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. This credit was made available under the 2010 Affordable Care Act (health care reform). We know the process is a little daunting, but please take the time to find out if your church is eligible to file for this credit. If you are, we have provided an information/sample credit calculation flyer along with FAQs to help you work through the steps to file. You can even file for past years. Detailed instructions for determining if a credit is available can be found by reviewing IRS Form 8941. IRS Notice 2010-82 also provides information about the credit. Both of these items are available at www.irs.gov. For additional information, contact Concordia Plan Services at 888-927-7526 or info@ConcordiaPlans.org. (02/13)
The effects of the economic recession and prolonged recovery are changing the complexion of the retirement industry. In response to these factors and to preserve the core retirement benefit for retirees, as well as current and future church workers, Concordia Plan Services has announced updates to the Concordia Retirement Plan (the “Plan”), effective July 1, 2014. Concordia Plan Services provides retirement, health care and other benefits to nearly 50,000 current and retired workers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and their dependents. “The Concordia Retirement Plan is financially sound today. The changes we will institute, starting in July 2014, will allow us to preserve the core or ‘primary’ retirement benefit for those who have served the Church and its ministries, and sustain this benefit for future workers,” said Concordia Plan Services President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Sanft. “In light of the economic challenges facing the retirement industry, true stewardship means acting now to secure the Plan for all members.” The changes will not impact current retirees or surviving spouses, and no retirement benefits earned prior to July 1, 2014, will be affected. The most recent funding level of the CRP is 92 percent as of January 1, 2013. The adjustments currently being made are designed to maintain and extend the Plan’s ability to meet its benefit obligations. To help plan members prepare for these adjustments, Concordia Plan Services will increase education efforts on the benefits of a blended defined benefit/defined contribution approach to retirement, and the importance of saving for retirement. Among the adjustments that will take effect July 1, 2014, are adjustments for early retirement, changes to the death benefit and adjusting the normal retirement age to generally conform with the normal Social Security retirement age. Plan members can access additional details about the plan changes by clicking here. Concordia Plan Services’ leadership will also be conducting a series of town hall meetings in the spring and summer of 2013, hosted at congregations, schools and universities around the country. Information on these events, once scheduled, can be accessed by clicking “Town Hall Meetings” in the Quick Links section of our homepage. Check back periodically for an updated schedule. “We understand that change spawns questions,” Sanft said. “We are committed to helping our members understand and embrace these changes, and offer opportunities for their questions to be answered and their voices to be heard.” (02/13)
Trying to Contact Concordia Plan Services? We regret that due to severe weather in our area, our office is closed Thursday, 2/21/2013. In addition, our office will open late at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, 2/22/2013, and our service resources may be limited.
Please be aware that you may experience a delay in service, and we apologize for any inconvenience to you. As an alternative, you can contact our benefit administrators directly for assistance at the contact information found under this “ link to Providers.” (02/13) The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently announced they will stop delivery of letters on Saturdays starting the week of August 5, 2013. However, Saturday delivery changes will have minimal impact on Concordia Health Plan members who receive prescriptions through Express Scripts mail order delivery. Prescription medication shipments are considered to be a package shipment, and the USPS will continue to deliver packages on Saturday. Express Scripts has confirmed the USPS will do the following:
- Include all parcel services in the packages delivered on Saturdays – including First Class Parcel, Priority Mail Parcel, Parcel Select, Lightweight Parcel.
- Plan to continue to pick up parcels from mailers like Express Scripts who currently get Saturday parcel pick-up service from the USPS.
- Continue to provide mail clerks on-site to accept mail on Saturdays.
- Evaluate the impact of this change on the delivery standards (1-3 days).
- Change the processing schedules at their origin/destination facilities.
- Continue to pick up mail at the Post Office for PO boxes as it is currently for mailroom, remittance processing, etc.
If you have any questions or need additional information, call Concordia Plan Services at 888-927-7526. (02/13)
Effective 1/1/13 under the Affordable Care Act, or health care reform, workers earning more than $200,000 a year ($250,000 for joint filers) will have to pay higher Medicare taxes on applicable wages above those thresholds. Once a worker hits the threshold, the Medicare tax rate should increase by 0.9%.
For example: A worker earns $210,000 for the year:
• His Medicare withholding up to and including $200,000 is at the regular 1.45% Medicare tax rate
• His Medicare withholding on the remaining $10,000 is at the new high-earner rate of 2.35%
Note: Withholding at the higher rate doesn’t begin until the worker’s earnings actually exceed $200,000.
This increase only applies to the employee portion of Medicare taxes as well as to earnings for self-employed ministers of religion, payable as part of their SECA taxes. There is no change to the employer’s share of the Medicare tax, and employers do not have to match the increased Medicare tax amount from their employee’s wages. However, employers are still responsible for the withholding and reporting obligations with respect to the increased employee Medicare tax.
We encourage you to work with your payroll or tax professional to ensure you follow these new withholding rules. For more information about the additional Medicare tax on high earners, click here.
As your partner in ministry, Concordia Plan Services is a resource for you—we will help you navigate the changing landscape of health care reform. For up-to-date news and information related to health care reform, click here. You can also contact us at 888-927-7526. (02/13)
On February 1, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services released proposed amendments to rules regarding Women’s Preventive Services Coverage and religious organizations.
Based on initial review of the proposed amendments, they appear to expand the definition of a “religious employer” that is exempt from the requirement to provide contraceptive coverage. Also, the proposed amendments expand the accommodations for additional nonprofit religious organizations that meet defined eligibility requirements.
Concordia Plans staff is studying the proposed amendments to determine potential implications for those enrolled in the Concordia Health Plan (CHP), as well as LCMS ministries not enrolled in the CHP, in order to take appropriate action to meet our commitment to serve those who serve the church in a manner consistent with our Lutheran faith and theology. (02/13)
In the coming weeks, starting this weekend, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota will be performing critical technology upgrades. This will result in some member service disruptions during the following times:
From 12:01 AM Saturday February 2 through 8:00 AM Sunday, February 3
From 12:01 AM Saturday February 9 through 11:59 PM Sunday, February 10
From 12:01 AM Saturday February 23 through 11:59 PM Sunday, February 24
From 12:01 AM Saturday March 2 through 11:59 PM Sunday, March 3
(01/13)
Instead of a March 1, 2013, deadline employers may have until late summer or fall of 2013 to provide notification to their employees about the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace, formerly referred to as the Exchange, which will be available in their state.
According to a Frequently Asked Question document released from the Department of Labor, the delay is necessary for several reasons:
• To give the Department of Labor time to coordinate the notice with the Department of Health and Human Services’ educational efforts and Internal Revenue Service’s guidance on the minimum value of plans available in the Marketplace
• To ensure a smooth implementation process including providing employers with sufficient time to comply
• To select an applicability date that allows employees to receive the information at a meaningful time, potentially to coordinate with the fall open enrollment season for the Marketplace.
The Department of Labor is also considering providing model, generic language that could be used to satisfy the notice requirement.
Concordia Plan Services is closely monitoring this topic and will keep employers informed of any additional information that is released. As always, if you have questions, please contact us at 888-927-7526.
As your partner in ministry, Concordia Plan Services is a resource for you—we will help you navigate the changing landscape of health care reform. (01/13)
Concordia Health Plan (CHP) members ages 50 and older can receive the shingles vaccine without a prescription.*
This vaccination is covered at 100% under Preventive Care with a network PPO provider. It is also covered at 100% by Express Scripts if administered by the pharmacist at a network pharmacy. For members enrolled in CHP Medicare supplemental coverage, Medicare B does not cover the administration of the shingles vaccine. However, the cost is covered at 100% by either Blue Cross or Express-Scripts, as long as the vaccine is administered by a network provider or a pharmacist at a network pharmacy.
Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. After an attack of chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in certain nerves in the body. For reasons that are not fully understood, the virus can reappear in the form of shingles, more commonly in people with weakened immune systems and with aging.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lowered the age of who could receive the vaccine without requiring a prescription from 60 to 50 in March 2011.
*CHP members with an Option HMO must be age 60 or older to receive the vaccine without a prescription. Cigna follows the recommendation set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The FDA has approved the shingles vaccine for patients age 50-59, but the CDC has not issued an affirmative recommendation for expansion to this age group. (01/13)
The Concordia Health Plan Be Well Rewards program is back for a third year! The 2013 program will be available February 1 and will remain much the same as the past two years. Participants can still earn $300 in rewards, as well as an additional $50 in bonus rewards. Click here to view the e-brochure which details the 2013 menu of activities and bonus opportunities.
Also, as in prior years, employers will earn an equal number of rewards for every dollar earned by their enrolled workers and spouses.
Your workers have received information about the 2013 program, please encourage them to participate! (01/13)
When you are in need of advice or help, you may find what you’re looking for through Cigna’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 2013 National Telephone Wellness Seminars and Management Training.
These EAP seminars and training opportunities are open to Concordia Health Plan (CHP) members and their families, as well as managers and others in supervisory roles at employers who offer the CHP. (The EAP is not available to Medicare members.)
For a schedule of 2013 EAP Telephone Seminars, click here. To access Confirmation Codes to pre-register, click here.
For an additional cost, employer benefits representatives can offer wellness seminars and/or management trainings for their employees. To view the 2013 EAP Wellness Seminars and Management Training Catalog, click here. To request an on-site Wellness Seminar or Management Training session, click here.
In addition to seminars and trainings through the EAP, remember that Concordia Plan Services can also host workshops and presentations on health and wellness, personal finance, and retirement planning—at no cost. Visit our Employer Services page to learn more. Our list of available E-Learning sessions also continues to grow. (01/13)
In a continued effort to learn and to help keep our members aware of what is happening with the Affordable Care Act, or health care reform law, Concordia Plan Services would like to share a video made possible by The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
This short, animated movie, “Health Reform Hits Main Street,” illustrates how health insurance coverage will work under the Affordable Care Act. It explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014.
To watch this video, click here. (01/13)
Express Scripts has enhanced its website features to better serve members. Concordia Health Plan (CHP) for Medicare members can currently access these new features, while other CHP members will have access starting 3/1/2013.
Once CHP members login, either as returning customers or registering for the first time (members who have been inactive for 365 days will have to register), they enter the main page of the Express Scripts Member Portal. From this page, members can:
• View prescription and family member information (Each member over the age of 18 must register separately.)
• Receive medication-related alerts and take action
• Order refills and renewals for their own and their household’s prescriptions
• Enroll in Worry-Free Fills®
• Transfer retail prescriptions to home delivery
• Review a mail order summary or confirmation, as well as payment and billing
• Check the status of an order
• Easily navigate to any feature of the site
For more answers to some common questions about the new Express Scripts website, click here. To visit the website, click here. (01/13)
As of January 1, 2013, all Concordia Health Plan Members with Medicare supplemental coverage have a free membership in the SilverSneakers Fitness program!
SilverSneakers is available as part of the Concordia Health Plan Be Well … Serve Well initiative and can help members reach their health and wellness goals. It includes a fitness membership with access to more than 11,000 locations nationwide. The program also includes online tools and support, as well as at-home fitness kits.
Information about the program and member ID cards were mailed to eligible members in December. You can also learn about the SilverSneakers program at www.SilverSneakers.com or by calling 888-423-4632, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET. (01/13)
The IRS recently released updated withholding guidance for 2013. The payroll tax holiday, which reduced the employee portion of Social Security taxes by 2% during 2011 and 2012, has expired. An extension of the tax holiday was not included in the recently signed American Taxpayer Relief Act. The Social Security Tax will revert back to its normal rate effective January 1, 2013.
The Social Security Tax rates for 2013 will be:
• Employee-portion: 6.2% of wage earnings, up to the maximum wage base of $113,700
• Employer-portion: 6.2% of wage earnings, up to the maximum wage base of $113,700
• Self-employed persons: 12.4% of wage earnings, up to the maximum wage base of $113,700
Employers should now withhold employee Social Security taxes at the 6.2% rate.* The IRS recommends employers begin withholding the 6.2% rate as soon as possible, but no later than February 15, 2013. Adjustments for any under-withheld taxes must be made no later than March 31, 2013.
Workers who are self-employed should begin using the new rates when calculating their 2013 estimated taxes. For additional information on the Social Security Tax rate, visit www.IRS.gov. IRS Notice 1036 includes information on the Percentage Method Tables for Income Tax Withholding.
*This rate does not include the Medicare tax rate and/or other applicable payroll taxes. (01/13)
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is an eye disorder that is caused by too much pressure in the eye. It affects about 3 million Americans, but is often very treatable if detected early. Annual exams, new medications, and surgery can slow or stop the progression of the disease.
Concordia Plan Services wants to remind Concordia Health Plan (CHP) members that Vision Service Plan (VSP), which administers vision care benefits* for the CHP, covers annual eye exams at 100%, after a $10 copay, when provided by a VSP network doctor. For more information about vision care benefits as a CHP member, click here.
And, CHP members can earn 25 Be Well Rewards points for this preventive exam through the Be Well Rewards program*. You can start logging your healthy activities at www.bewellservewell.com starting February 1, 2013!
Looking for more eye care information for you and your family? Visit the Eye Care Information section of www.vsp.com for articles, tips and special offers for VSP members only.
*Not available to members enrolled in the CHP Medicare supplemental coverage. (01/13)
Concordia Health Plan (CHP) members* are now able to interact with Cigna’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) telephonic consultants and personal advocates through a new secure and confidential web-chat feature – Click to Chat.
The Click to Chat pilot, which will run until January 31, 2013, will be available 8 a.m.-4 p.m. CST, Monday-Friday. You can use the web-chat feature for:
• Accessing EAP coverage information
• Requesting EAP authorization
• Behavioral health concerns (i.e., stress, depression, anxiety)
• Legal and financial services
You can find this new feature at www.cignabehavioral.com. Click on “Login to access your benefits” and enter “lcms” next to “Employer ID.” Click to Chat is located near the bottom navigation bar.
*Not applicable for Medicare members (01/13)
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