Annual Renewal is Open Now Through September 21
Annual renewal for group benefit plans opened this morning, August 8. Rate sheets for 2019 were emailed to the primary benefits administrator at each cooperative—rates also are available online. Renewal calculations and other co-op-specific reports for experience-rated co-ops covering 100 or more lives were also sent by a separate email.
Go online to send in your annual renewals for group benefit plans until September 21. You also can find out more about the actions you need to take and access the materials for annual renewal on the Annual Renewal page of the BA Guide.
Enhancements for 2019
When you’re renewing your plans, don’t forget these enhancements, effective January 1, 2019:
- VSP Enhanced Plus Vision Plan: This new vision plan provides the same enhanced coverage as the VSP Enhanced plan but with a richer contact lens benefit. When a participant uses an in-network VSP provider, the Enhanced Plus plan covers the evaluation, fitting and contact lenses at 100% after the participant pays a $50 copay. The new plan also offers an increased combined out-of-network benefit of $250 for a contact lens evaluation, fitting and lenses. While the contact lens benefit is similar between the VSP Enhanced Plus plan and the NRECA Vision Plan, the Enhanced Plus plan is more cost-effective than the NRECA plan
- Medical cost-sharing options: New annual deductible and coinsurance maximum options will be available:
- $3,000 individual deductible for all non-high-deductible medical plans
- $4,000 individual coinsurance maximum for the 90%/70% and 80%/60% non-high-deductible medical plans only
- $6,000 and $6,500 individual deductibles for embedded high-deductible health plans
- Quest Diagnostics to join the UHC Choice Plus Network: Quest Diagnostics will join UnitedHealthcare’s Choice Plus network. The addition of Quest Diagnostics, along with LabCorp and the regional and local lab services providers already in the network, will help ensure medical plan participants have access to an extensive national provider network for lab services
- Dental annual benefit maximum options: New $3,000 and $5,000 annual benefit maximum options will be available for NRECA’s Enhanced Plus and Enhanced dental plans. Annual benefit maximums for the Voluntary dental plan remain the same
- Will preparation added to retired life and director’s life: The will preparation service will be added to retired life and director’s life insurance plans
Before you confirm your plans or make any other changes, we ask that you carefully review your plans to ensure that you are confirming the plan designs you intend to adopt for 2019.
If you have questions or need help with annual renewal, speak with your field representative. You also can contact the Member Contact Center at 866.673.2299 or contactcenter@nreca.coop.