Large group customers, meet WellSpark Health

Large group customers with ConnectiCare wellness programs will be introduced this fall to WellSpark Health, an affiliate of ConnectiCare.

Subscribers and eligible dependents with plans renewing on or after October 1, 2019 will use the new WellSpark portal to take health assessments, view videos on health-and-wellness topics, and, when applicable, redeem rewards for wellness programs.

Plan members will find links to the WellSpark portal when they sign into connecticare.com. They will no longer find links to WebMD.

Account managers will introduce the WellSpark experience to groups as they renew. And watch your inbox for more information to share with clients when you are quoting ConnectiCare.

New group eligibility guidelines for level-funded plans

Our Fixed Funding Solutions* suite of level-funded medical plans has prompted widespread interest and requests for quotes. Based on experience with the rollout, we’ve adjusted underwriting guidelines.

Beginning with Nov. 1 effective dates, groups must have minimum participation of five (5) employees. All marketing materials and forms have been revised to reflect this change.

Small group brokers: We will let you know if a client pre-qualifies for a level-funded plan and present you with an illustration along with a fully-insured quote. Contact the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) if you have any questions.

Have you registered for CBIA's annual agent conference?
Join us on October 17 in Wallingford. We'll be there with information about our 2020 Fixed Funding Solutions and small group ACA-compliant plans. Register here.

Large group brokers: We’re quoting Fixed Funding Solutions for groups of 51+ employees. Contact your ConnectiCare sales representative or account manager to get a quote.

About Fixed Funding Solutions

Fixed Funding Solutions provide businesses the advantages of self-funding with the protections of stop loss insurance and predictable billing. These plans may be able to save your clients up to 25% from the cost of a fully-insured plan. They include a national network, prescription drug benefits, telemedicine, and plans that qualify enrollees to open and save in health savings accounts (HSAs).

*Fixed Funding Solutions (FFS) plans are self-funded and are exclusively available to CBIA members who qualify. ConnectiCare Insurance Company, Inc., provides certain administrative services and stop loss coverage to employers.

Medicare Part D creditable coverage notifications

Your employer-group clients are required to notify their Medicare-eligible employees by Oct. 15, 2019, about whether their employer-sponsored prescription drug plan is at least as good as the standard Medicare prescription drug program. This is defined as "creditable coverage."

Employers are required to notify eligible members of creditable coverage:

Letters will be mailed to the applicable employer-group clients by the end of September. To further help these clients meet the notification requirement, we’re posting information on our secure employer website for review. Below are samples of what those materials will look like:

What’s changing in 2020 Medicare Advantage products

Here’s a quick overview of 2020 ConnectiCare Medicare Advantage plan product changes as you move into the annual enrollment period (AEP).

Across all plans:

Plan-specific updates:

There are some changes for all other plans. Please reach out to your sales representative if you have any questions or need more information.

Annual renewal campaign for Medicare Advantage members

We’re kicking off our annual renewal campaign for ConnectiCare Medicare Advantage members. Many of your clients will receive a mailing from us in the first week of October following receipt of their Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC). The mailing will highlight positive plan changes and, in some cases, let them know about another ConnectiCare plan they might want to consider.

We’re also sharing information about optional dental coverage, where applicable.

Our mailings to members will let them know that there is nothing they need to do if they want to stay with their current plan. We recommend they talk to their brokers about any questions. We also give them the option to reach us by phone or in person at a ConnectiCare center with any questions. Ask your sales representative if you have any questions about this mailing.

Changes in PCPs accepting Passage plans

We will continue to offer Passage plans in 2020 with some updates, including changes to the primary care providers (PCPs) who participate in Passage plans.

We continuously review our network and the PCPs who participate with our plans. As part of this analysis, we made some changes to the PCPs who participate in the Passage plans. PCPs who will no longer participate as primary care doctors in Passage plans will continue to be part of the ConnectiCare network and available to treat members with other plans. Please check the provider directory to ensure that a client’s PCP is participating for your client’s plan.

Medicare member notification

We will mail letters next month to members with Passage Plan 1 (HMO) whose PCP will not accept the Passage plan in 2020. Members will have options during the annual enrollment period (AEP), including:

Our Medicare member services staff will call the members notified to answer any questions about benefits or doctors. We will also send information to members about 2020 plans. In each communication, we tell members to contact their brokers for help enrolling in a 2020 plan.

Commercial member notification

Next month, we will mail letters to commercial members who may be affected.

Individual (Exchange and SOLO) and fully-insured small group members will also receive information about 2020 plan options, including plans in which they may be able to continue visiting their PCP.

We advise members who work with brokers to contact you for help selecting 2020 plans or to contact us if they want help identifying new PCPs.

Encourage clients to call us when they’ve got problems getting care

Do you have clients who are worried about a health condition, like diabetes, cancer, or heart disease? Are juggling the demands of work, life, family, and health – and health is coming in last?

Sometimes, members need help staying healthy. And, we have staff and partners who are available to them:

It’s time for a flu shot!

Fall is almost here, which means flu season is around the corner. Last year’s flu season was the longest in 10 years. Encourage your clients to get a flu shot to protect themselves, their families, and everyone they come in contact with.

Flu shot clinics in Manchester and Waterbury

Tell your clients about the flu shot clinics being held at the ConnectiCare centers in Manchester and Waterbury on Saturday, Oct. 5. Walgreens will administer the shots. No registration is needed, and most insurance plans will be accepted. Must be 18 or older to participate. More information:

Manchester flu shot clinic

Waterbury flu shot clinic