Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

Employers share health care benefits priorities

August 14, 2019

Retail Markets

2020 FFM Training and Registration Now Open Per CMS
Each year writing producers helping people enroll in Marketplace policies must register with the CMS. This process includes completing and passing required training. Plan year 2020 FFM registration is now open.

•	Visit the CMS’s Resources for Agents and Brokers in the Health Insurance Marketplaces page for over a dozen important producer resources.
•	See the CMS’s plan year 2020 FFM training and registration overview .
•	Check your status with the Agent and Broker FFM Registration Completion List . Like last year, we’ll use it to confirm your registration.

Group Markets

*Learn How You Can Improve Your Clients’ Benefit Enrollment and Administration Experience (51-150 and 151+ Groups); Attend Aug. 29 Webinar
BCBSIL’s benefit administration solutions ease benefits management for employers and employees. Blue Directions^SM (for groups with 51-150 employees) and our Empyrean discount program (for groups with 151+ employees) can streamline the benefits experience and reduce cost for your clients and their employees.

*BlueCare Dental^SM: Integration for Better Outcomes
Integrating dental coverage with medical benefits yields both health advantages for members and administrative efficiencies for employers.

BCBSIL News

*Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Plans South Side Expansion
The company has announced plans to open a new multipurpose solution center in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood in 2020. In addition to combining community health outreach with employee workspace, the center is expected to bring more than 500 jobs to the South Side.

Preview articles for BlueVISION – the Employer Newsletter for Large and National Accounts: Employers Share Health Care Benefits Priorities

The August newsletter is being sent Thursday to BCBSIL large and national accounts. Along with the featured items below, the newsletter includes recent news shared with small and mid-market groups (1-150).

Leadership Perspective
Health Care Benefits Play Top Role in Attracting, Retaining Employees
National employer groups answered our Q1 and Q2 Employer Pulse surveys and the results showed some interesting industry trends. According to Bruce Mamary, vice president of Consultant Relations and Client Strategy, by looking at their feedback, we’re able to learn quite a bit about employers’ priorities in balancing quality, costs, access and the member experience.

Enhanced Provider Finder^® Tool Leads to a Better Member Experience
These improvements are designed to make it even simpler for your employees to find health care providers and procedure costs, as well as manage health care costs.

How Your Coverage Works When You Have an Emergency
Share article with employees: Your health plan covers more than just preventive care. It helps your employees in situations that they may not be able to prevent or avoid. Please share these useful tips about how your coverage works during an unexpected health condition or accident.

Telehealth Program Saved Employers $15 Million
Tom Meier, vice president of Market Solutions, discusses the proven benefits of our telehealth product, Virtual Visits

, with HealthDataManagement.com. Learn how the program saved $15 million in two years – about 39 cents per employee per month – as well as other advantages of leveraging telehealth opportunities. Free site registration required.

*This article or a similar version is being shared with employers in the biweekly BlueVISION newsletter for small and mid-market groups. BlueVISION for Large and National Accounts is a monthly publication.

Resources

Mark Your Calendar: 2019 Deadlines for Small Group (1-50) Paperwork
Find all 2019 renewal due dates, online quoting and other resources you’ll need for new and renewing small group business in the Quick View Reminders.

Then check out our updated Small Group microsite for key forms, dates and materials to help you sell and renew business.

Next deadlines:

•	Oct. 1 renewals: paperwork is due Sept. 3
•	Nov. 1 renewals: paperwork is due Oct. 2

Upcoming Due Dates, Programs and Webinars

•	MSP data collection required for 1-150 groups, due by Sept. 30
•	Free diabetes education classes for members continue through October
•	Aug. 22 Worksite Wellness Employer Webinar: Mental Health and Well-being in the Workplace