OneExchange Open Enrollment Ending Soon; Initial Auto-Reimbursement Timing

The enrollment deadline for coverage with a January 1, 2015, effective date for the Retiree Insurance Solutions program through OneExchange is December 31, 2014. Post-65 retirees, spouses, surviving spouses and Medicare-disabled individuals who are planning to enroll and haven’t taken action should call OneExchange at 855.832.0978 as soon as possible. While enrollments can continue through the end of February 2015, enrollments after January 1 will have an effective date of February 1 or March 1, 2015. Coverage cannot be retroactive.

To date, over 73% of eligible individuals who are transitioning group medical and prescription drug coverage have enrolled in replacement plans. Individuals who don’t enroll in new coverage by December 31, 2014, will experience a gap in insurance coverage. If they wait longer than 60 days after January 1, they also will lose their opportunity for guaranteed issue coverage and will need to wait until the next enrollment opportunity to elect coverage. This will make their acceptance for coverage contingent on their health and possibly increase the cost of the coverage they obtain.

OneExchange outbound calls to non-responders will continue through the end of the month.

Request for initial premium reimbursements can be submitted by paper or online
It may take 30 to 60 days after January 1, 2015, for the first auto-reimbursement to be processed. The exact timeframe depends on when the premium is paid and when the specific insurance carrier notifies OneExchange of the payment. Once the initial reimbursement is completed, future auto-reimbursements (if applicable) should occur more quickly.

Requests for reimbursement may always be submitted manually. Retirees can use the HRA Reimbursement Form or go online to file a reimbursement request. If a manual request is submitted before auto-reimbursement is completed, the request that is received first will be processed.

A letter with items that retirees should know about their retiree health reimbursement arrangement, such as the possible delay in the first auto-reimbursement, will be sent to individuals who elected auto-reimbursement.

If you have questions about the Retiree Insurance Solutions program, email them to retireeinsurancesolutions@nreca.org. You also may contact the Member Contact Center at 866.673.2299 or contactcenter@nreca.coop.