News Archive
All News
| Title | Issued Date |
|---|---|
Reminders and New Information for ActiveRewardsThe end of the year also means the end of the plan year for many members.Please keep in mind these important points about ActiveRewards at the end of your plan year. For members renewing their ActiveRewards plan (subscriber ID not changing): ActiveRewards... |
December 7, 2018 |
Thank You!As 2018 comes to a close, we want to thank you for your business and wish you a happy holiday season. We understand that healthcare is a complex industry and that there are many options available to you and your employees. We are grateful for your trust and... |
December 9, 2018 |
Telemedicine Consumer Pricing ReminderDirect to consumer pricing for MDLIVE medical consults is $59.00. This charge is for members who do not have telemedicine included in their benefit plan. Get more facts, videos and information on Telemedicine. If you have questions, please contact your... |
August 3, 2018 |
Upstate’s Uninsured Rate Remains at Historic LowUpstate New York’s health insurance uninsured rate continued to hold at the historic level of 4 percent, while the state’s uninsured rate hit its lowest level in history, according to a Univera Healthcare analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey... |
September 2, 2018 |
Waiting Period Changes for Dental CoverageChanges are coming to the waiting periods on our Univera Dental Select voluntary plans. Effective January 1, 2019, we are waiving the waiting periods for timely entrants (eligibility as determined by the group). Contributory plans do not have waiting periods.... |
October 2, 2018 |
Dental Rates Hold Steady in 2019 for Most Fully-Insured GroupsOne of the benefits of the dental claims and membership migration we are currently undergoing, is improved operational efficiencies. As a result, we are able to provide the majority of our fully-insured dental groups with a rate hold for 2019 when releasing their... |
October 3, 2018 |
Reduced Dental Underwriting for Current Medical GroupsGroups that are currently carrying medical coverage with us may now be eligible for reduced underwriting for dental coverage. You must currently carry our medical with a commercial product. Also, You must select the same class as the current medical plan carries. Please... |
October 6, 2018 |
Small Business Spotlight Lebro's RestaurantWhether it's bringing families together for a great meal or donating thousands to local charities, small businesses like Lebro's restaurant make our community special. We're big fans. Take a peek beyond the pasta. Carm Paolini, Owner of Lebro's... |
October 8, 2018 |
Enhanced Benefits for Medicare Eligible EmployeesFor those of you that have Medicare eligible employees, we have Medicare Advantage products suited for all budgets. Adding individual Medicare products to your benefits package provides an added service to your employees. Contact your account consultant or... |
November 5, 2018 |
Small Group Medicare Advantage plans are now available on Univera on DemandView Our Plans & Rates Access Univera On Demand to view Univera Access medical plan options, rates and enrollment forms for small businesses of 100 or fewer full time equivalent employees: Click Here to Begin (Login Required) Click Here to Begin |
November 6, 2018 |
Small Business Spotlight Buffalo MRIFrom bringing the first open MRI to WNY to sponsoring countless little league sports teams, small businesses like Buffalo MRI make our community special. We're big fans. Take a closer look at these imaging experts. Kevin Burns, COO of Buffalo MRI Meet... |
November 7, 2018 |
Working Hard to Keep Current on Regulatory ChangesEvery year, as part of your relationship with us, we work to communicate with our brokers and groups about changes in regulations and requirements that we all must adhere to. We ensure our coverage plans are compliant with the most current changes. And we are in... |
December 1, 2018 |
Health Plans to Mail IRS Form 1095-B by MarchUnder the Affordable Care Act, health insurers are required to mail Form 1095-B to individuals regarding their health coverage information for the prior year. We will mail Form 1095-B to individuals by no later than March 3, 2019. For more information on Form... |
December 4, 2018 |
Special Election Periods for Medicare Eligible EmployeesYour Medicare eligible employees may be able to join or change Medicare Advantage plans under special circumstances that qualify as Special Election Periods. A Special Election Period provides an opportunity to enroll in, or change plans, if your employee is: ... |
May 4, 2018 |
We're Looking for Owners of Unclaimed FundsMore than 10,400 individuals and companies in New York State have not cashed more than $2.1 million in checks issued by Univera Healthcare. This is money that was paid for claims or refunded premiums. It rightfully belongs to our members or providers and we want to... |
May 5, 2018 |
How Easy Is It to Make a Medicare Advantage Premium Payment?It’s as easy as 1-2-3, E-F-T! Just complete an Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization Form or complete the Premium Payment Option section of the Medicare Advantage Plan Enrollment Application. This is especially good to know if your... |
June 1, 2018 |
Changes to the Small Health Options Program (SHOP) ProcessNew SHOP groups Effective April 1, 2018, the New York State of Health (NYSOH) began sending groups that have been approved to enroll through the SHOP directly to insurers for enrollment purposes. What does this mean for you? New SHOP groups can now enroll directly with... |
June 2, 2018 |
Healthy New York Program UpdatesThe following article provides information on Healthy New York from the NYS Department of Financial Services: Univera Healthcare requires employees to work a minimum of 20 hours per week to be eligible for coverage. Effective immediately, this requirement will also... |
June 5, 2018 |
Medicare Products - NYS Prior Approval of Rate ChangesOn or about July 31, an application will be submitted requesting 2019 premium rate changes to Medicare Supplement products, in accordance with New York state prior approval law. Initial notification letters will be mailed to employer groups and direct pay members... |
June 6, 2018 |
2019 Small Group Package UpdateGroups in Univera Preferred Access Plans will be converted into Univera Access plans on their renewal in 2019. Univera Access plans offer the same benefits and coverage, a new name and access to our full Univera Access network. Univera On Demand will be updated... |
July 3, 2018 |
Coming Soon - Annual Notice of Change LettersThis month, group benefit administrators with Senior Choice (HMO-POS) or Univera Medicare (PPO) plans will be mailed an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). The ANOC provides details on 2019 benefit changes. Your members will receive their 2019 ANOC before September... |
August 2, 2018 |
New Group Numbers and Member Cards for Dental GroupsWe have some updates coming to our dental claims processing system for groups currently covered under the dental plan. The new system will improve the overall member experience with simpler, easier-to-understand explanation of benefits, anytime access to convenient... |
August 4, 2018 |
Changes to Our Pharmacy Network for Some MembersCVS and Target retail pharmacies are no longer participating in our pharmacy network for members enrolled in the following plans: Medicaid Managed Care and Health and Recovery Plan (HARP). This includes: Univera Healthcare MyHealthSM and MyHealth PlusSM ... |
September 1, 2018 |
HSA Bank Planned MaintenancePlease note that the HSA Bank website will experience a planned outage on Saturday, October 20th. Both the Employer and Member sites will be impacted and will include the Mobile App (iOS and Android) and IVR. The sites will be unavailable from 4:00 PM - 1:00 AM... |
October 17, 2018 |
New Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program DelayedThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is introducing a new preventive service in 2018 called the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP). The original start date of the MDPP service was listed in the Evidence of Coverage for 1/1/2018. CMS has delayed... |
January 1, 2018 |
EPIC Benefits for Medicare MembersEPIC (Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage) is a New York State pharmaceutical assistance program that helps older adults with Medicare pay for prescription drug costs. EPIC is available for all NY State residents 65 or over that meet the income... |
January 2, 2018 |
Get Healthy AND Get Rewarded with ExerciseRewards®Groups with ExerciseRewards® can now use Active&Fit Direct™ fitness centers. Active&Fit Direct allows members to choose from 9,000+ fitness centers nationwide for just $25 a month (plus a $25 enrollment fee and applicable taxes). Once enrolled, the... |
January 4, 2018 |
Update: IRS Extends Deadline to Mail 1095-B FormsThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the deadline for the mailing of 1095-B Forms. We are required to mail the forms to individuals, which includes information regarding their health plan coverage for the prior year. Insurers now have until March 2, 2018 to... |
January 5, 2018 |
Reminders and New Information for ActiveRewardsPlease keep in mind these important points for members renewing their ActiveRewards plan: If members did not redeem their credits on or before the end of their plan date, they will have 90 days to sign in and redeem their credits online. ActiveRewards... |
January 6, 2018 |
HDHP/HSA Plans and MedicareMany employer groups offer health insurance plans that combine a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Some employers now offer these plans exclusively. Employees can benefit from these plans due to the potential premium savings and... |
February 2, 2018 |
Q2 Small Group Rates Available in Univera on DemandView Our Plans & Rates! |
February 3, 2018 |
Silver&Fit® Medicare BenefitIf your Medicare eligible employees enjoy being active--or if they’re looking to develop a healthier lifestyle—our Medicare Advantage Plans offer a program that includes a physical fitness benefit. Our nationwide Silver&Fit program gives Medicare Advantage... |
March 1, 2018 |
Updated Enrollment and Billing Support FormIn order to complete requests in a more timely and accurate manner, we've made the following changes to the online enrollment and billing form. "Request a copy of bill(s)" has been added to the drop-down menu as a Reason for Inquiry. This option should be used... |
March 2, 2018 |
Updated Retiree Group Drug Plan Certificate of CoverageThroughout the month of May, group administrators and members of group sponsored Medicare Advantage Plans that include Part D drug coverage (MAPD) or Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) will receive an updated Retiree Group Drug Plan Certificate of Coverage. The... |
April 1, 2018 |
Managing a High Deductible Health Plan with an Online AccountIf your employees haven't done so already, now is the perfect time to register for an online account on our website. Many questions members have can be answered by accessing their personalized information online. This custom information is especially helpful for... |
April 5, 2018 |
Federal Government Re-issuing New Medicare CardsBeginning this month, the Federal government will be mailing all Medicare beneficiaries new cards. This is the first time that Medicare is re-issuing cards. Social security numbers will no longer be used; instead each card will now have a unique... |
April 6, 2018 |
Telemedicine A Win-Win For your TeamIt all comes down to supporting your number-one resource—your employees. Besides lowering health care costs, telemedicine is an easy-to-use benefit that can be an important retention tool, decrease time missed at work, and increase productivity. Get Our Telemedicine... |
December 8, 2018 |
Annual Group Information Form UpdatesThe online Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) tool (used for community rated groups only) has been updated as of September 29, 2018, in order to make the submission process quicker and simpler for Groups. In addition, the paper form has been updated, as well as the... |
October 4, 2018 |
Annual Rate Notices Being MailedRate Information Available through Information Connection for Community Rated Groups. You will receive your Annual Rate Notices (ARNs) at the end of October. We've included links below to the sample letters they may receive. Also at the end of October, you... |
October 5, 2018 |
Prepare Your Employees for Open Enrollment With Online AccountsIf your employees haven't done so already, now is the perfect time to register for an online account on our website. Many questions they have—especially as we enter into open enrollment—can be answered by accessing their personalized information online. This is... |
October 7, 2018 |
It pays to stay healthy—literally!With Wellness Rewards for Small Groups and Wellness Your Way for Large Groups, employees can receive up to $300 annually to be used on programs and services to help keep their families’ healthy. Rewards can be used to help pay for things like healthy food home... |
November 8, 2018 |
Medicare Creditable Drug List for 2019One of the requirements of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) requires us to notify Medicare eligible policyholders whether their prescription drug coverage is creditable coverage. In order for a drug plan to be creditable, the benefits should be worth at least as much... |
December 2, 2018 |
Dental Membership Termination DatesThere are specific days of the month that should be used when terminating dental contracts. For cancelling members with ID numbers that begin with a “2” and do not contain an alpha character, use the last day of the month as the cancel date (this applies to medical... |
December 3, 2018 |
Free Advanced Opioid Management ProgramThe opioid epidemic is nationwide, and our local region is no different. This addiction costs employers $2.6 billion a year. Our FREE Advanced Opioid Management Program aims to prevent excess opioid medications upon first fill; ensure that high doses across all... |
July 4, 2018 |
New Dental Rewards Made EasyDental Rewards is a unique program to the market. We offer families an annual reward for getting dental exams and cleanings. Claiming rewards is easy. Members simply provide us with proof that they received the services and their rewards amount will be... |
September 3, 2018 |
New Rewards for Good HealthIt pays to stay healthy—literally! With Wellness Rewards for Small Groups and Wellness Your Way for Large Groups, employees can receive up to $300 annually to be used on programs and services to help keep their families’ healthy. Rewards can be used to help... |
September 4, 2018 |
Important Information to Qualify for Small Group Health PlansIn order to comply with the Affordable Care Act, an employer must have at least one common-law employee enrolled to qualify as a group health plan. Businesses that do not have any common-law employees enrolled are no longer eligible for a group health plan and must... |
April 4, 2018 |
Telemedicine A Win-Win For Your BusinessIt all comes down to supporting your number-one resource—your employees. Besides lowering health care costs, telemedicine is an easy-to-use benefit that can be an important retention tool, decrease time missed at work, and increase productivity. Get Our Telemedicine... |
April 1, 2018 |
Telemedicine A Win-Win For Your BusinessIt all comes down to supporting your number-one resource—your employees. Besides lowering health care costs, telemedicine is an easy-to-use benefit that can be an important retention tool, decrease time missed at work, and increase productivity. Get Our Telemedicine... |
March 4, 2018 |
Reminder: Univera Healthcare Earns Highest National Accreditation for QualityUnivera Healthcare’s commercial plans have received the highest accreditation status available, a rating of “Excellent,” from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The Excellent rating applies to Univera Healthcare’s HMO, point of service, preferred provider... |
December 6, 2018 |
