Benefits Update - April 30, 2010
EIP DIRECTApril
Issue: http://www.eip.sc.gov/news/newsletter_detail.aspx?view=newsletters&id=245
April
2010 EIP Direct Newsletter
- How Subscribers Drop Dependents Who Gain Other Coverage
- EOBs Readily Available Online
- April 2010 Edition of the Health Bulletin
Healthcare
Reform Changes
Important
Notice for SC Deferred Compensation Participants
How Subscribers Drop Dependents Who Gain Other Coverage
When a subscriber's covered
dependent (spouse or child) gains coverage as an employee of an
EIP-participating employer, the subscriber must drop that dependent within 31
days by completing a Notice of Election (NOE) form. You may also contact a
Benefits Counselor at 864-656-2317 for assistance.
If a subscriber's dependent gains group coverage with a non-participating employer, the subscriber must attach a gain of other coverage letter to the NOE. The gain of coverage letter must be on company letterhead and include:
- Company name
- Effective date of coverage
- Type(s) of coverage
- A list of all individuals who gained coverage
- Reason for gaining coverage.
The letter must state "gained health coverage" to decrease or drop health coverage through EIP. It must state "gained dental coverage" to decrease or drop dental coverage through EIP.
Remember, only those dependents who gained other coverage may be dropped.
EOBs Readily Available Online
Copies of Explanations of
Benefits (EOBs) from health plans offered by the Employee Insurance Program
(EIP) are available online. For more information on
Explanation of Benefits please visit EIP's website.
http://www.eip.sc.gov/news/newsletter_detail.aspx?id=245#742
The April 2010 Edition of the Health Bulletin issued by EIP's Prevention Partners provides current information on health news. You can access the bulletin at the link below:
http://www.eip.sc.gov/prevention/newsletter_detail.aspx?view=newsletters&id=247
Healthcare Reform Law Changes Begin January 1, 2011
Changes mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, will become effective on January 1, 2011, for health insurance plans offered through the Employee Insurance Program (EIP). The State Health Plan and the HMOs offered through EIP operate on a calendar-year basis; therefore, no provisions of the federal healthcare law will affect the plans during 2010. EIP will use this time to ensure compliance with the new legislation and program its system to allow data entry of any coverage changes. Complete enrollment information will be in the September 2010 issue of The Insurance Advantage.
The Office of Human Resources is in consultation with EIP and is committed to communicating these changes as they are made available. However, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by phone at 864-656-2713 or by email at cu_benefits@clemson.edu.
Important Information for SC Deferred Compensation Program Participants
Participants in the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program will be receiving a letter by mail from Great-West Retirement Services concerning an error about beneficiary information that occurred on the first quarter statements recently mailed by Great West. If you do not receive a letter concerning your beneficiary information, please contact them at (877) 457-6263. In the interim, please reference the information below concerning this matter.
Dear Program Participant,
During the recordkeeping transition from ING to Great West, it was discovered that thousands of beneficiary records for participants were kept in paper form only. Only those records that ING had in electronic form were transferred electronically to Great West.
Great West has begun a project to convert these paper records to electronic format by the end of the year. Although the records were not transferred electronically, please be assured that in the event of a participant's death, Great West will use the beneficiary records on file in paper form to pay the claim.
The existence of these paper records has compounded an error on Great West's part in its capacity of current record keeper for the Program. Great West recently mailed first quarter statements to Program participants. Due to a recordkeeping oversight on Great West's part, the beneficiary on file was omitted from the statement.
As the Program record keeper, Great West apologizes for this omission. Great West is currently taking action to communicate the following to participants:
- If the participant had a beneficiary on file electronically, he will receive an apology letter that confirms his beneficiary designation.
- If the participant did not have a beneficiary on file electronically, he will receive a letter encouraging him to update his beneficiary using an enclosed form or by visiting the Web site. It is possible that the participant may have a valid beneficiary on file in paper form that is scheduled to be updated electronically by the end of the year, but if the participant would like to update his beneficiary now, Great West encourages him to do so with the beneficiary form and pre-paid envelope that will be included in the mailing the participant receives. Please note that new beneficiary designations will override the beneficiary designations in paper form.
Again, we apologize for the inconvenience this oversight has caused.
Sincerely,
Great-West Retirement Services
Office Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8am - 12pm and 1pm - 4:30 pm, closed
12pm-1pm lunch hour
Wednesday - not available, insurance staff conducting new employee orientation
Exceptions:
March 19 - closed Spring Break Holiday
(864) 656-2000 Fax: (864) 656-4672
Office of Human Resources
Administrative Services Building Box 345337