Serving: Most of Michigan
Enrollment in this Plan is limited; see
page 6 for requirements.
Enrollment codes for this Plan:
East Region KN1 Self Only
KN2 Self and Family K51 Self Only
K52 Self and Family Southeast Region
LX1 Self Only LX2 Self and Family
Mid Region LN1 Self Only
LN2 Self and Family West Region
KR1 Self Only KR2 Self and Family
KF1 Self Only KF2 Self and Family
G71 Self Only G72 Self and Family
RI 73-153
This Plan has 2002 accreditation from the
NCQA. See the 2002 Guide for
more
information on accreditation.
For changes in benefits
see page 8. 1
1
Page 2 3
2002
Blue Care Network of Michigan 2 Table of Contents
Table of
Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………................................................................
4
Plain
language................................................................................................................................................................
4
Inspector General advisory
...........................................................................................................................................
4
Penalties for
fraud..........................................................................................................................................................
4
Section 1. Facts about this HMO plan
...........................................................................................................................
5
How we pay providers
.................................................................................................................................
5
Your
Rights..................................................................................................................................................
5
Service
Area.................................................................................................................................................
6
Section 2. How we change for
2002………………………………………...................................................................
8
Program-wide
changes.................................................................................................................................
8
Changes to this
Plan.....................................................................................................................................
8
Section 3. How you get care …………...
......................................................................................................................
9
Identification cards
......................................................................................................................................
9
Where you get covered
care.........................................................................................................................
9
Plan
providers........................................................................................................................................
9
Plan facilities
.........................................................................................................................................
9
What you must do to get covered
care.........................................................................................................
9
Primary care
..........................................................................................................................................
9
Specialty care
........................................................................................................................................
9
Hospital
care........................................................................................................................................
10
Circumstances beyond our
control.............................................................................................................
10
Services requiring our prior approval
........................................................................................................
11
Section 4. Your costs for covered services
.................................................................................................................
12
Copayments
.........................................................................................................................................
12
Deductible
...........................................................................................................................................
12
Coinsurance
.........................................................................................................................................
12
Your out-of-pocket maximum
...................................................................................................................
12
Section 5.
Benefits…………………………………………………………................................................................
13
Overview....................................................................................................................................................
13
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other health
care professionals ........... 14
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services
provided by physicians and other health care professionals........ 20
(c)
Services provided by a hospital or other facility and ambulance services
...................................... 24
(d) Emergency services/
accidents.........................................................................................................
26
(e) Mental health and substance abuse
benefits....................................................................................
28
(f) Prescription drug
benefits................................................................................................................
30
(g) Special features
...............................................................................................................................
33 2
2 Page 3 4
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 3 Table of
Contents
Flexible benefits option
......................................................................................................................
33
Reciprocity option
..............................................................................................................................
33
High-risk
pregnancies.........................................................................................................................
33
Centers of excellence for transplants
..................................................................................................
33
Travel benefit/ services overseas
.........................................................................................................
33
Educational classes and programs
.......................................................................................................
33
(h) Dental
benefits................................................................................................................................
35
(i) Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan members
............................................................................. 36
Section 6. General exclusions — things we don't cover
.............................................................................................
38
Section 7. Filing a claim for covered
services.............................................................................................................
39
Section 8. The disputed claims
process.......................................................................................................................
40
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other
coverage.................................................................................................
42
When you have:
Other health coverage
.......................................................................................................................
42
Original Medicare
.............................................................................................................................
42
Primary Payer
Chart..........................................................................................................................
44
Medicare managed care
plan.............................................................................................................
45
TRICARE/ Workers' Compensation/ Medicaid
..........................................................................................
46
Other government
agencies.......................................................................................................................
46
When others are responsible for
injuries...................................................................................................
46
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use in this
brochure............................................................................................
47
Section 11. FEHB
facts...............................................................................................................................................
48 Coverage
information................................................................................................................................
48
No pre-existing condition
limitation...................................................................................................
48
Where you get information about enrolling in the FEHB
Program.................................................... 48
Types of
coverage available for you and your
family.........................................................................
48
When benefits and premiums
start......................................................................................................
48
Your medical and claims records are confidential
..............................................................................
49
When you retire
..................................................................................................................................
49 When you lose benefits
.............................................................................................................................
49
When FEHB coverage ends
..............................................................................................................
49
Spouse equity
coverage.....................................................................................................................
49
Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC)
...................................................................................
49
Converting to individual coverage
....................................................................................................
50
Getting a Certificate of Group Health Plan
Coverage.......................................................................
50 Long term care insurance is coming later in 2002
...............................................................................................
51
Index…………………………………………………………………………………………………………............. 52
Summary of
benefits
...................................................................................................................................................
53
Rates………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Back cover 3
3 Page 4 5
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 4
Introduction
Introduction
Blue Care Network of Michigan
25925 Telegraph
Southfield, Michigan 48086-5043
This brochure describes
the benefits of Blue Care Network of Michigan (BCN) under our contract (CS 2011)
with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as authorized by the Federal
Employees Health Benefits law. This brochure is
the official statement of
benefits. No oral statement can modify or otherwise affect the benefits,
limitations and exclusions of this brochure.
If you are enrolled in this Plan, you are entitled to the benefits described
in this brochure. If you are enrolled for Self and Family coverage, each
eligible family member is also entitled to these benefits. You do not have a
right to benefits
that were available before January 1, 2002, unless those
benefits are also shown in this brochure.
OPM negotiates benefits and rates
with each plan annually. Benefit changes are effective January 1, 2002 and
changes are summarized on page 8. Rates are shown on the back cover of this
brochure.
Plain Language Teams of Government officials and the staffs of health
plans worked on all FEHB brochures to make them responsive,
accessible and
understandable to the public. For instance,
Except for necessary technical
terms, we use common words. For instance, "you" means the enrollee or family
member; "we" means Blue Care Network of Michigan.
We limit acronyms to ones you know. FEHB is the Federal Employees Health
Benefits Program. OPM is the Office of Personnel Management. If we use others,
we tell you what they mean first.
Our brochure and other FEHB plans'
brochures have the same format and similar descriptions to help you compare
plans.
If you have comments or suggestions about how to improve the
structure this brochure, let us know. Visit OPM's "Rate Us" feedback area at
www. opm. gov/ insure or e-mail us at fehbwebcomments@ opm. gov. You may also
write to OPM at
the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Insurance
Planning and Evaluation Division, 1900 E Street, NW, Washington, D. C.
20415-3650.
Inspector General Advisory Stop health care fraud! Fraud increases the
cost of health care for everyone. If you suspect that a physician, pharmacy,
or hospital has charged you for services you did not receive, billed you
twice for the same service, or misrepresented any information, do the following:
Call the provider and ask for an explanation. There may be an error. If the
provider does not resolve the matter, call us at 1-800-662-6667 and explain the
situation.
If we do not resolve the issue, call: THE HEALTH CARE FRAUD HOTLINE (202)
418-3300 or write to: The United States Office of Personnel Management.
Office of the Inspector General Fraud Hotline. 1900 E Street, NW,
Room 6400.
Washington, DC 20415.
Penalties for fraud Anyone who falsifies a claim to obtain FEHB
Program benefits can be prosecuted for fraud. Also, the Inspector General
may investigate anyone who uses an ID card if the person tries to obtain
services for someone who is not an eligible family member, or is no longer
enrolled in the Plan and tries to obtain benefits. Your agency may also take
administrative action against you. 4
4 Page 5 6
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 5 Section 1
Section 1. Facts about this
HMO plan
This Plan is a health maintenance organization (HMO). We
require you to see specific physicians, hospitals and other providers that
contract with us. These Plan providers coordinate your health care services.
HMOs emphasize preventive care such as routine office visits, physical exams,
well-baby care and immunizations, in addition to treatment for illness and
injury. Our providers follow generally accepted medical practice when
prescribing
any course of treatment.
When you receive services from Plan
providers, you will not have to submit claim forms or pay bills. You only pay
the copayments and coinsurance described in this brochure. When you receive
emergency services from non-Plan
providers, you may have to submit claim
forms.
You should join an HMO because you prefer the plan's benefits, not
because a particular provider is available. You cannot change plans because a
provider leaves our Plan. We cannot guarantee that any one physician,
hospital, or other provider will be available and/ or remain under contract
with us.
How we pay providers
We contract with individual
physicians, medical groups and hospitals to provide the benefits in this
brochure. These Plan providers accept a negotiated payment from us and you will
only be responsible for your copayments or
coinsurance.
More than 10,000
participating physicians provide health care services to enrollees in this Plan.
These doctors are located in private offices and medical centers throughout the
service area.
Your Rights
OPM requires that all FEHB Plans provide certain
information to their FEHB members. You may get information about us, our
networks, providers and facilities. OPM's FEHB Web site (www. opm. gov/ insure)
lists the specific types of
information that we must make available to you.
Some of the required information is listed below.
Member Rights Blue
Care Network believes that members are an essential part of the health care team
and have responsibility for their
own health.
All members have the right to: Receive information about
their health care in a manner that is understandable to them
Receive medically necessary care as outlined in this brochure Receive
considerate and courteous care with respect for privacy and human dignity
Candidly discuss appropriate medically necessary treatment options for their
conditions, regardless of cost of benefit coverage
Participate with
practitioners in decision making regarding their health care Expect
confidentiality regarding their care
Refuse treatment to the extent
permitted by law and be informed of the consequences of those actions Voice
concerns about their health care by submitting a formal written complaint or
grievance through the BCN
Member Grievance program Receive written
information about BCN, its services, practitioners and providers, and member
rights and
responsibilities in a clear and understandable manner Know BCN's
financial relationships with its health care facilities or primary care
physician groups 5
5 Page
6 7
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan
6 Section 1
Member Responsibilities BCN members also have
responsibilities as outlined in this brochure.
All members have the
responsibility to:
Read this brochure and all other materials for members
and call Customer Service with any questions Coordinate all non-emergency care
through their primary care physician
Use the BCN provider network unless
otherwise approved by BCN and the primary care physician Comply with the
treatment plans and instructions for care as prescribed by their practitioners.
Members, who choose
not to comply, must advise their physician Provide, to
the extent possible, information that BCN and its physicians and providers need
in order to provide care
Make and keep appointments for non-emergency
medical care, calling the doctor's office to promptly cancel appointments when
necessary
Participate in medical decisions about their health Be considerate
and courteous to providers, their staff and other patients
Notify BCN of
address changes and additions or deletions of dependents covered by their
contract Protect their identification card against misuse and contact Customer
Service immediately if a card is lost or stolen
Report all other insurance
programs that cover their health and their family's health
Blue Care Network
of Michigan is federally qualified and licensed. BCN is a nonprofit HMO and an
affiliate of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. It formed in February 1998 when
four affiliated Blue Care Network organizations (Blue
Care Network of East
Michigan, Blue Care Network-Great Lakes, Blue Care Network Mid Michigan and Blue
Care Network of Southeast Michigan) merged into a single, new company. Of these
former separate entities, BCN of East
Michigan is the oldest. It became
federally licensed as an HMO in 1975. BCN Mid Michigan was established in 1977.
BCN of Southeast Michigan was licensed in 1981 and BCN-Great Lakes began
operation in 1983.
If you want more information about us, call 1-800-662-6667, or write to Blue
Care Network of Michigan, 25925 Telegraph, Southfield, MI 48086-5043 or visit
our Web site at www. bcbsm. com/ bcn/.
Service Area
To enroll in
this Plan, you must live, or work, in our Service Area. This is where our
providers practice. Our Service Area is:
East Michigan Code K5 – serving Arenac, Bay, Gratiot, Isabella,
Midland, Saginaw and Tuscola counties
Code KN – serving Genesee,
Lapeer and Shiawassee (excluding the towns of Perry, Shaftsburg and Morice)
counties.
Mid-Michigan Code LN – serving Clinton, Eaton, Ingham,
Jackson, Livingston and parts of Shiawassee (the towns of Perry,
Shaftsburg
and Morice), Ionia (the towns of Danby and Portland) and Hillsdale (except for
Somerset and Wright townships and Waldron Village) counties.
Southeast Michigan Code LX – serving Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St.
Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
West Michigan Code G7 – serving
Alcona, Alpena, Antrium, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand
Traverse,
Iosco, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Mackinac, Manistee (portions of),
Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon counties.
Code KF – serving Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Van
Buren and the portions of Allegan, Barry and Eaton (those areas served by postal
zip codes 49010, 49020, 49046, 49060, 49073, 49078 and 49080) counties.
Code KR – serving Kent, Muskegon Oceana, Ottawa and portions of
Ionia, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo and Wexford counties. And the portion of
Allegan County served by postal zip codes 49070, 49311, 49314, 49323, 49328,
49335, 49344, 49348, 49406, 49408, 49416, 49419, 49423, 49447, 49450 and
49543. 6
6 Page 7 8
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 7 Section 1
Ordinarily, you must get your care from providers who contract with us.
If you receive care outside our service area, we will pay only for emergency
care benefits. We will not pay for any other health care services out of our
service area
unless the services have prior plan approval.
If you or a
covered family member move outside our service area, you can enroll in another
plan. If your dependents live out of the area (for example, if your child goes
to college in another state), you should consider enrolling in a
fee-for-
service plan or an HMO that has agreements with affiliates in other
areas. Almost anywhere within the state of Michigan, urgent care and in some
cases, routine services, can be arranged. Blue Care Network is also a part of a
national network of Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMOs. Members can obtain
urgent care when travelling outside of Michigan by contacting BCBS at
1-800-810-BLUE or www. bcbs. com. The coordinator is available 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. If you or a family member move, you do not have to wait
until open enrollment season to change plans. Contact your employing or
retirement office. 7
7 Page
8 9
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan
8 Section 2
Section 2. How we change for 2002
Do not
rely on these change descriptions; this page is not an official statement of
benefits. For that, go to Section 5 Benefits. Also, we edited and clarified
language throughout the brochure; any language change not shown here is a
clarification that does not change benefits.
Program-wide changes
We changed speech therapy benefits by removing the requirement that
services must be required to restore functional speech. (Section 5( a)).
Changes to this Plan
Your share of the non-Postal premium will
increase by: 86.8 percent for Self Only or 76.4 percent for Self and Family for
West Michigan (code G7).
10.1 percent for Self Only or 3.6 percent for Self
and Family for East Michigan (code K5). 82.6 percent for Self Only or 57.4
percent for Self and Family for West Michigan (code KF).
12.8 percent for
Self Only or 10.9 percent for Self and Family for East Michigan (code KN). 25.6
percent for Self Only or 22.9 percent for Self and Family for Mid-Michigan (code
LN).
13 percent for Self Only or 2 percent for Self and Family for Southeast
Michigan (code LX). Your share of the non-Postal premium will decrease by:
3.9 percent for Self Only or increase by 1 percent for Self and Family for
West Michigan (code KR). We increased the emergency room copayment to $50 per
visit.
We no longer limit blood cholesterol tests to certain age groups. We
changed the prescription drug (30 day supply) copayment to $10 for generic drugs
and $20 for brand-name
drugs. We now cover certain intestinal transplants.
(Section 5( b)).
We changed the address for sending disputed claims to OPM.
(Section 8). 8
8 Page
9 10
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 9 Section 3
Section 3. How you get care
Identification cards We will send you an identification (ID) card when
you enroll. You should carry your ID card with you at all times. You must show
it whenever you
receive services from a Plan provider, or fill a
prescription at a Plan pharmacy. Until you receive your ID card, use your copy
of the Health
Benefits Election Form, SF-2809, your health benefits
enrollment confirmation (for annuitants), or your Employee Express confirmation
letter.
If you do not receive your ID card within 30 days after the
effective date of your enrollment, or if you need replacement cards, call us at
1-800-662-
6667.
Where you get covered care You get care from "Plan providers" and
"Plan facilities." You will only pay copayments and you will not have to file
claims.
Plan providers Plan providers are physicians and other health care
professionals in our service area that we contract with to provide covered
services to our
members. We credential Plan providers according to national
standards.
We list Plan providers in the provider directory, which we update
periodically. The list is also on our Web site.
Plan facilities Plan facilities are hospitals and other facilities in
our service area that we contract with to provide covered services to our
members. We list these in
the provider directory, which we update
periodically.
What you must do to get covered care It depends on the
type of care you need. First, you and each family member must choose a primary
care physician. This decision is important since
your primary care physician
provides or arranges for most of your health care. You can select any primary
care physician who is accepting new
patients from our provider directory for
your region.
Primary care Your primary care physician can be a family
practitioner, internist or, for your children, a pediatrician. Your primary care
physician will provide
most of your health care, or give you a referral to
see a specialist.
If you want to change primary care physicians or if your
primary care physician leaves the Plan, call us. We will help you select a new
one. You
may also change primary care physicians through our Web site.
Specialty care Your primary care physician will refer you to a
specialist for needed care. When you receive a referral from your primary care
physician, you must
return to the primary care physician after the
consultation, unless your primary care physician authorized a certain number of
visits without
additional referrals. The primary care physician must provide
or authorize all follow-up care. Do not go to the specialist for return visits
unless your
primary care physician gives you a referral. However, female
members may self refer to a gynecologist or obstetrician -gynecologist for their
annual well-woman exams and routine services.
Here are other things you
should know about specialty care:
If you need to see a specialist frequently
because of a chronic, complex, or serious medical condition, your primary care
physician will manage 9
9 Page
10 11
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 10 Section 3
your care, referring you to a specialist
when it is medically appropriate. Your primary care physician will use our
criteria when creating your
treatment plan (the physician may have to get an
authorization or approval beforehand).
If you are seeing a specialist when you enroll in our Plan, talk to your
primary care physician. Your primary care physician will decide what
treatment you need. If he or she decides to refer you to a specialist, ask
if you can see your current specialist. If your current specialist does not
participate with us, you must receive treatment from a specialist who does.
Generally, we will not pay for you to see a specialist who does not
participate with our Plan.
If you are seeing a specialist and your
specialist leaves the Plan, call your primary care physician, who will arrange
for you to see another
specialist. You may receive services from your
current specialist until we can make arrangements for you to see someone else.
If you have a chronic or disabling condition and lose access to your
specialist because we:
– terminate our contract with your specialist for
other than cause; or – drop out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)
Program
and you enroll in another FEHB Plan; or – reduce our service area
and you enroll in another FEHB Plan,
you may be able to continue seeing your specialist for up to 90 days after
you receive notice of the change. Contact us, or, if we drop out
of the
program contact your new plan.
If you are in the second or third trimester
of pregnancy and you lose access to your specialist based on the above
circumstances, you can continue to
see your specialist until the end of your
postpartum care, even if it is beyond the 90 days.
Hospital care Your Plan primary care physician or specialist will make
necessary hospital arrangements and supervise your care. This includes admission
to
a skilled nursing or other type of facility.
If you are in the
hospital when your enrollment in our Plan begins, call our Customer Service
department immediately at 1-800-662-6667. If you are
new to the FEHB
Program, we will arrange for you to receive care.
If you changed from
another FEHB plan to us, your former plan will pay for the hospital stay until:
You are discharged, not merely moved to an alternative care center; or The
day your benefits from your former plan run out; or
The 92 nd day after you
become a member of this Plan, whichever happens first.
These provisions apply only to the hospital benefit of the hospitalized
person.
Circumstances beyond our control Under certain extraordinary
circumstances, such as natural disasters, we may have to delay your services or
we may be unable to provide them. In
that case, we will make all reasonable
efforts to provide you with the necessary care. 10
10
Page 11 12
2002
Blue Care Network of Michigan 11 Section 3
Services requiring
our prior approval Your primary care physician has authority to refer you
for most services. For certain services, however, your physician must obtain
approval from us. Before giving approval, we consider if the service is
covered, medically necessary and follows generally accepted medical
practice.
We call this review and approval process plan approval. Your
physician must obtain plan approval for services such as, but not limited to:
Inpatient hospitalization Reconstructive surgery
Transplants Certain
infertility treatments
Home Health Care Nursing Home Care
Physical/
Occupational/ Speech Therapy Cardiac/ Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Your primary care physician has been advised of the procedures that require
plan approval. The PCP must send a copy of the referral, along
with the
appropriate medical records to BCN so that BCN can review the request for
medical appropriateness. If the proper procedure is not
followed and BCN
does not assign an authorization for the procedure in question, the procedure
will not be covered and you may be financially
liable for all costs. Your
PCP must issue the referral and initiate this process. If your PCP will not
initiate the referral for you, you should
contact Customer Services at
1-800-662-6667 to determine how to proceed. BCN will make every effort to ensure
that appropriate care is
provided for you and your family in a timely
fashion.
The contracted obstetrician-gynecologist practitioner must still
obtain prior authorization from the PCP for hospital admissions and outpatient
surgeries for eligible conditions.
To ensure continuity of care, the
member's PCP coordinates direct access to specialty care. When indicated,
authorization is given for an
adequate number of direct access visits under
an approved treatment plan.
The role of the specialist physician in part is to accept referrals of
members from PCP's and except in emergencies, provide only those
services
that were authorized by the member's PCP. The specialist physician should
consult with and seek further authorization from the
member's PCP if
additional treatment or tests are needed.
In instances where the member has
a complex or serious medical condition such as AIDS, end stage renal disease, or
advanced cancer a
case manager can work with a PCP to eliminate barriers
caused by the referral process. For example, a case manager will coordinate the
member's care between the PCP and specialty care physician( s) by
facilitating close communication among them via telephone and written
progress reports.
The PCP is fully apprised of the specialist's
treatment plan, thereby decreasing the frequency of member visits to the PCP. 11
11 Page 12 13
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 12
Section 4
Section 4. Your costs for covered services
You
must share the cost of some services. You are responsible for:
Copayments
A copayment is a fixed amount of money you pay to the provider, facility,
pharmacy, etc., when you receive services.
Example: When you see your primary care physician you pay a copayment of $10
per office visit.
Deductible We do not have a deductible.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our negotiated fee
that you must pay for your care.
Example: In our Plan, you pay 50 percent of our allowance for infertility
services and durable medical equipment.
Your catastrophic protection out-of-pocket maximum
for copayments and
coinsurance We do not have an out-of-pocket maximum. 12
12 Page 13 14
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 13
Section 5
Section 5. Benefits --OVERVIEW (See page 8 for
how our benefits changed this year and page 54 for a benefits summary.)
NOTE: This benefits section is divided into subsections.
Please read the important things you should keep in mind at the beginning of
each subsection. Also, read the General Exclusions in Section 6; they apply to
the benefits in the
following subsections. To obtain claims forms, claims
filing advice, or more information about our benefits, contact us at
1-800-662-6667 (1-800-257-9980 for the hearing impaired) or at our Web site at
www. bcbsm. com/ bcn/.
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by
physicians and other health care professionals....................... 13 to 20
Diagnostic and treatment services
Lab, X-ray and other diagnostic tests Preventive care, adult
Preventive
care, children Maternity care
Family planning Infertility services
Allergy care Treatment therapies
Physical and occupational therapies
Speech therapy Hearing services (testing, treatment and
supplies) Vision
services (testing, treatment and
supplies) Foot care
Orthopedic and
prosthetic devices Durable medical equipment (DME)
Home health services
Chiropractic
Alternative treatments Educational classes and programs
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians and other health
care professionals ................... 21 to 23 Surgical procedures
Reconstructive surgery Oral and maxillofacial surgery Organ/ tissue
transplants Anesthesia
(c) Services provided by a hospital or other facility and ambulance services
.................................................. 24 to 25 Inpatient hospital
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical center Extended care benefits/
skilled nursing care facility benefits Hospice care
Ambulance
(d)
Emergency services/
accidents.....................................................................................................................
26 to 27 Medical emergency Ambulance
(e) Mental health and substance abuse
benefits................................................................................................
28 to 29
(f) Prescription drug benefits
...........................................................................................................................
30 to 32
(g) Special features
...........................................................................................................................................
33 to 34 Flexible Benefit Option 24-Hour Nurse Line
Reciprocity Benefit
High-Risk Pregnancies Centers of Excellence for Transplants Travel Benefits/
Services Overseas
Educational Classes and Programs
(h) Dental benefits
.....................................................................................................................................................
35
(i) Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan members
.........................................................................................
36 to 37
Summary of benefits
...................................................................................................................................................
53 13
13 Page 14
15
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 14
Section 5( a)
Section 5 (a) Medical services and supplies provided
by physicians and other health care professionals
I M
P O
R T
A
N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations and exclusions in this brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are medically necessary.
Plan physicians must provide or arrange your care.
Be sure to read
Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for valuable information
about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9 about coordinating benefits
with other
coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Diagnostic and treatment services You pay
Professional services of physicians
In physician's office
$10 per office visit
Professional services of physicians
In an urgent care center During a
hospital stay
In a skilled nursing facility Office medical consultations
Second
surgical opinion
$10 per office visit
At home $10 per visit
Lab, X-ray and other diagnostic tests You pay
Tests such as:
Blood tests
Urinalysis
Non-routine pap tests
Pathology
X-rays
Non-routine mammograms
CAT Scans/ MRI
Ultrasound
Electrocardiogram and EEG
Nothing if you receive these services during your office visit;
otherwise, $10 per office visit 14
14 Page 15 16
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 15 Section 5( a)
Preventive care, adult
You pay
Routine screenings, such as:
Total blood cholesterol – once
every three years Colorectal cancer screening, including
– Fecal occult blood test – Sigmoidoscopy, screening – every five years
starting at age 50
$10 per office visit
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA test) – one annually for men age 40 and older
$10 per office visit
Routine pap test
Note: The office visit is covered
if pap test is received on the same day; see Diagnostic and Treatment
Services, above.
$10 per office visit
Routine mammogram – covered for women age 35 and older, as follows:
From
age 35 through 39, one during this five-year period From age 40 through 64, one
every calendar year
At age 65 and older, one every two consecutive years
$10 per office visit
Not covered: physical exams required for obtaining or continuing
employment or insurance, attending schools or camp All charges
Routine
immunizations, limited to:
Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster – once every 10
years, ages 19 and over (except as provided for under childhood immunizations)
Influenza/ pneumococcal vaccines, annually, age 65 and over Travel
immunizations
$10 per office visit
Preventive care, children You pay
Childhood immunizations
recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics $10 per office visit
Well-child charges for routine examinations, immunizations and care (up to
age 22)
Examinations, such as:
– Eye exams through age 17 to determine
the need for vision correction. – Ear exams through age 17 to determine the need
for hearing correction
– Examinations done on the day of immunizations (up to age 22)
$10 per office visit 15
15 Page 16 17
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 16 Section 5( a)
Maternity care You pay
Complete maternity (obstetrical) care, such as:
Prenatal care
Delivery
Postnatal care
Note: Here are some things to keep in mind:
You do not
need to precertify your normal delivery; see page 16 for other circumstances,
such as extended stays for you or your baby.
You may remain in the hospital up to 48 hours after a regular delivery and 96
hours after a cesarean delivery. We will extend your inpatient
stay if
medically necessary.
We cover routine nursery care of the newborn child
during the covered portion of the mother's maternity stay, we will cover other
care of an infant who requires non-routine treatment only if we cover the
infant under a Self and Family enrollment.
We pay hospitalization and surgeon services (delivery) the same as for
illness and injury. See Hospital benefits (Section 5c) and Surgery
benefits
(Section 5b).
$10 per office visit
Not covered: routine sonograms to determine fetal age, size or sex All
charges
Family planning You pay
A broad range of voluntary
family planning services, limited to:
Voluntary sterilization
$10 per office visit
Surgically implanted contraceptives (such as Norplant) Injectable
contraceptive drugs (such as Depo provera)
Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
Diaphragms
NOTE: We cover oral contraceptives under the prescription
drug benefit.
$10 per office visit (drugs paid under the pharmacy benefit)
Not covered: reversal of voluntary surgical sterilization, genetic
counseling All charges
Infertility services You pay
Diagnosis
and treatment of infertility, such as:
Artificial insemination: –
intravaginal insemination (IVI)
– intracervical insemination (ICI) – intrauterine insemination (IUI)
Fertility drugs
50 percent of charges 16
16 Page 17 18
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 17 Section 5( a)
Not covered:
Assisted
reproductive technology (ART) procedures, such as: – in vitro
fertilization
– embryo transfer, gamete GIFT and zygote ZIFT – Zygote transfer
Services and supplies related to excluded ART procedures Cost
of donor sperm
Cost of donor egg
All charges
Allergy care You pay
Testing and treatment
Allergy injection
Allergy serum
Nothing
Not covered: provocative food testing and sublingual allergy
desensitization All charges
Treatment therapies You pay
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
Note: High-dose chemotherapy in
association with autologous bone marrow transplants is limited to those
transplants listed under
Organ/ Tissue Transplants on page 23. Respiratory and inhalation therapy
Dialysis – hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis Intravenous (IV)/ Infusion
Therapy – Home IV and antibiotic therapy
Growth hormone therapy (GHT)
Note: Growth hormone is covered under the prescription drug benefit.
Note: We will only cover GHT when we preauthorize the treatment. Call
1-800-662-6667 for preauthorization. We will ask you to submit
information
that establishes that the GHT is medically necessary. Ask us to authorize GHT
before you begin treatment; otherwise, we will
only cover GHT services from
the date you submit the information. If you do not ask or if we determine GHT is
not medically necessary,
we will not cover the GHT or related services and
supplies. See Services requiring our prior approval in Section 3.
$10 per office visit
Physical and occupational therapies You pay
60 visits per
condition for the services of each of the following: – qualified physical
therapists and
– occupational therapists
Note: We only cover therapy to restore bodily
function when there has been a total or partial loss of bodily function due to
illness or injury.
Cardiac rehabilitation following a heart transplant, bypass surgery or a
myocardial infarction, limited to 60 consecutive days. Phases three
and four
of cardiac rehab are not covered.
$10 per office visit
$10 per outpatient visit
Nothing per visit
during covered inpatient admission
Not covered: Long-term rehabilitative therapy
Exercise
programs
All charges 17
17 Page 18 19
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 18 Section 5( a)
Speech therapy You pay
60 visits per condition $10 per office visit
Hearing services (testing, treatment and supplies) You pay
First
hearing aid and testing only when necessitated by accidental injury
Hearing
testing for children through age 17 (see Preventive care, children)
$10 per office visit
Not covered:
all other hearing testing hearing aids,
testing and examinations for them
All charges
Vision services (testing, treatment and supplies) You pay
Annual
eye refraction from Plan optometrists to provide a written lens prescription for
eyeglasses $5 per office visit
One pair every 12 months of: colorless glass lenses, medically necessary
tinted #1 and #2 lenses, bifocal and trifocal lenses, or
contact lenses when
provided by an optician or physician.
$7.50
One pair of frames All charges above $42.50
Non-Plan providers of vision
services are paid at 75% of reasonable charges less the $5 copay. $5 plus all
charges above Plan allowance
Not covered:
Eye exercises Photo-sensitive lenses
Non-medically necessary tinted lenses Safety glasses
Repair or replacement of lost or broken lenses or frames
All charges
Foot care You pay
Routine foot care when you are under active
treatment for a metabolic or peripheral vascular disease, such as diabetes.
See orthopedic and prosthetic devices for information on podiatric shoe
inserts.
$10 per office visit
Not covered:
Cutting, trimming or removal of corns, calluses,
or the free edge of toenails and similar routine treatment of conditions of the
foot, except
as stated above Treatment of weak, strained or flat feet or bunions
or spurs; and of
any instability, imbalance or subluxation of the foot
(unless the treatment is by open cutting surgery)
All charges 18
18 Page 19 20
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 19 Section 5( a)
Orthopedic and prosthetic
devices You pay
Artificial limbs and eyes; stump hose Externally worn
breast prostheses and surgical bras, including
necessary replacements, following a mastectomy Internal prosthetic devices,
such as artificial joints, pacemakers,
cochlear implants and surgically
implanted breast implant following mastectomy. Note: We pay internal prosthetic
devices as hospital
benefits; see Section 5 (c) for payment information. See
5( b) for coverage of the surgery to insert the device.
Corrective orthopedic appliances for non-dental treatment of
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) pain dysfunction syndrome.
50 percent of charges
Not covered:
orthopedic and corrective shoes arch
supports
foot orthotics heel pads and heel cups
lumbosacral
supports corsets, trusses, elastic stockings, support hoses and other
supportive
devices
All charges
Durable medical equipment (DME) You pay
Rental or purchase, at our
option, including repair and adjustment, of durable medical equipment prescribed
by your Plan physician, such as
oxygen and dialysis equipment. The equipment must be obtained from an
approved provider. Under this benefit, we also cover:
hospital beds; wheelchairs;
motorized wheelchairs, if medical criteria
are met; crutches;
walkers; blood glucose monitors;
insulin pumps; and
oxygen therapy.
Note: Call our DME provider, Northwood, at 1-800-667-8496 as soon as your
Plan physician prescribes this equipment. It will arrange with a
health care
provider to rent or sell you durable medical equipment at discounted rates and
will tell you more about this service when you call.
50 percent of charges
Not covered: deluxe equipment and convenience items All charges
Home health services
Home health care ordered by a Plan
physician and provided by a registered nurse (R. N.), licensed practical nurse
(L. P. N.), licensed
vocational nurse (L. V. N.), or home health aide.
Services include oxygen
therapy, intravenous therapy and medications.
$10 per visit 19
19 Page
20 21
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 20 Section 5( a)
Not covered: nursing care requested
by, or for the convenience of, the patient or
the patient's family;
home care primarily for personal assistance that does not include a
medical component and is not diagnostic, therapeutic or rehabilitative.
All charges
Chiropractic You pay
Chiropractic visits require a Primary Care
Physician referral.
Manipulation of the spine
Adjunctive procedures such as ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation,
vibratory therapy and cold pack application.
$10 per office visit
Chiropractic X-rays of the spine when taken by a chiropractor in his office.
Nothing
Not covered:
All other chiropractic services
All charges
Alternative treatments You Pay
No benefits All charges
Educational classes and programs You pay
Blue Care Network's
Health Education department provides a number of special events each year.
Although topics change from time to time,
recent examples include programs on general health, healthy cooking, men's
health, women's heath and menopause. BCN sends members a
catalog of classes
and invitations to special events.
The Disease Management Department
provides support and educational opportunities for members with asthma, diabetes
and congestive heart
failure and for expectant mothers.
Blue Care
Network offers the following programs for all members:
Smoking Cessation
-Nicotine replacement therapy prescriptions are a covered benefit for members.
The smoking cessation program
is a voluntary program for members and
involves eight telephone counseling sessions with trained counselors during the
first 90 days
following members' established smoking quit date. Group
counseling sessions are encouraged and are a covered benefit for
members.
Blue Care Network has developed smoking cessation clinical practice guidelines
that were distributed to all physicians.
Diabetes self-management
No charge 20
20 Page
21 22
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 21 Section 5( b)
Section 5 (b). Surgical and
anesthesia services provided by physicians and other health care professionals
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations and exclusions in this brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are
medically necessary. Plan physicians must provide or arrange your care.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for
valuable information about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9 about
coordinating benefits with
other coverage, including with Medicare. The
amounts listed below are for the charges billed by a physician or other health
care
professional for your surgical care. Look in Section 5( c) for charges
associated with facility (i. e. hospital, surgical center, etc.)
YOUR
PHYSICIAN MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION OF SOME SURGICAL PROCEDURES. Please
refer to the precertification information shown
in Section 3 to be sure
which services require precertification and identify which surgeries require
precertification.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Surgical procedures You pay
A
comprehensive range of services, such as:
Operative procedures
Treatment
of fractures, including casting Normal pre-and post-operative care by the
surgeon
Correction of amblyopia and strabismus Endoscopy procedures
Biopsy
procedures Removal of tumors and cysts
Correction of congenital anomalies
(see reconstructive surgery) Surgical treatment of morbid obesity — a condition
in which an
individual weighs 100 pounds or 100 percent over his or her
normal weight according to current underwriting standards; eligible members
must be age 18 or over. Insertion of internal prosthetic devices. See 5( a)
– Orthopedic and
prosthetic devices for device coverage information.
Voluntary sterilization
Treatment of burns
Note: Generally, we pay for
internal prostheses (devices) according to where the procedure is done. For
example, we pay hospital benefits for a
pacemaker and surgery benefits for
insertion of the pacemaker.
$10 per office visit
Not covered:
Reversal of voluntary sterilization Routine
treatment of conditions of the foot; see Foot care.
All charges 21
21 Page 22 23
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 22
Section 5( b)
Reconstructive surgery You pay
Surgery to
correct a functional defect
Surgery to correct a condition caused by injury
or illness if:
– the condition produced a major effect on the member's
appearance and
– the condition can reasonably be expected to be corrected by such surgery
Surgery to correct a condition that existed at or from birth and is a
significant deviation from the common form or norm. Examples of
congenital
anomalies are: protruding ear deformities; cleft lip; cleft palate; birth marks;
webbed fingers; and webbed toes.
Nothing
All stages of breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy, such as:
– surgery to produce a symmetrical appearance on the other breast;
–
treatment of any physical complications, such as lymphedemas;
– breast
prostheses and surgical bras and replacements (see Prosthetic devices)
Note: If you need a mastectomy, you may choose to have the procedure
performed on an inpatient basis and remain in the hospital up to 48
hours
after the procedure.
Nothing
Not covered:
Cosmetic surgery – any surgical procedure (or any
portion of a procedure) performed primarily to improve physical appearance
through change in bodily form, except repair of accidental injury
Surgeries related to sex transformation
All charges
Oral and maxillofacial surgery You pay
Oral surgical procedures,
limited to:
Reduction of fractures of the jaws or facial bones; Surgical
correction of cleft lip, cleft palate or severe functional
malocclusion; Removal of stones from salivary ducts;
Excision of
leukoplakia or malignancies; Excision of cysts and incision of abscesses when
done as independent
procedures; and Other surgical procedures that do not
involve the teeth or their
supporting structures. Treatment of
temporomandibular joint (TMJ), including surgical and
non-surgical
intervention, corrective orthopedic appliance and physical therapy.
Nothing
Not covered:
Oral implants and transplants Procedures
that involve the teeth or their supporting structures (such as
the periodontal membrane, gingiva and alveolar bone) Bite splints
All charges 22
22 Page 23 24
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 23 Section 5( b)
Organ/ tissue transplants
You pay
Limited to:
Cornea Heart
Heart/ lung Kidney
Kidney/ pancreas Liver
Lung: single – double
Pancreas
Allogenic (donor) bone marrow transplants Autologous bone marrow
transplants (autologous stem cell and
peripheral stem cell support) for the
following conditions: acute lymphocytic or non-lymphocytic leukemia; advanced
Hodgkin's
lymphoma; advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; advanced neuroblastoma;
breast cancer; multiple myeloma; epithelial ovarian
cancer; and testicular,
mediastinal, retroperitoneal and ovarian germ cell tumors
Intestinal
transplants (small intestine) and the small intestine with the liver or small
intestine with multiple organs such as the liver,
stomach and pancreas.
National Transplant Program (NTP)
Limited benefits – Treatment for breast cancer, multiple myeloma and
epithelial ovarian cancer may be provided in an NCI-or NIH-approved
clinical
trial at a Plan-designated center of excellence and if approved by the Plan's
medical director in accordance with the Plan's protocols.
Note: We cover related medical and hospital expenses of the donor when we
cover the recipient
Nothing
Not covered:
Donor screening tests and donor search expenses,
except those performed for the actual donor
Implants of artificial organs Transplants not listed as covered
All charges
Anesthesia You pay
Professional services provided in –
Hospital (inpatient)
Nothing
Professional services provided in –
Hospital outpatient department
Skilled nursing facility
Ambulatory surgical center
Nothing
Office $10 per office visit 23
23 Page 24 25
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 24 Section 5( c)
Section 5 (c). Services
provided by a hospital or other facility and ambulance services
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to remember about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations and exclusions in this brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are
medically necessary.
Plan physicians must provide or arrange your care
and you must be hospitalized in a Plan facility.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for
valuable information about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9 about
coordinating benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
The
amounts listed below are for the charges billed by the facility (i. e., hospital
or surgical center) or ambulance service for your surgery or care. Any costs
associated with the professional charge (i. e., physicians, etc.) are covered
in Sections 5( a) or (b).
YOUR PHYSICIAN MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION OF HOSPITAL STAYS. Please
refer to Section 3 to be sure which services require
precertification
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Inpatient hospital
Room and board,
such as
Ward, semiprivate, or intensive care accommodations; General nursing
care; and
Meals and special diets.
Note: If you want a private room when it is not
medically necessary, you pay the additional charge above the semiprivate room
rate.
Other hospital services and supplies, such as:
Operating,
recovery, maternity and other treatment rooms Prescribed drugs and medicines
Diagnostic laboratory tests and X-rays Administration of blood and blood
products
Blood or blood plasma, if not donated or replaced Dressings,
splints, casts and sterile tray services
Medical supplies and equipment,
including oxygen Anesthetics, including nurse anesthetist services
Take-home
items Medical supplies, appliances, medical equipment and any covered
items
billed by a hospital for use at home
Nothing 24
24 Page
25 26
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 25 Section 5( c)
Inpatient hospital (continued)
Not covered:
Custodial care Non-covered facilities,
such as nursing homes and schools
Personal comfort items, such as telephone, television, barber services,
guest meals and beds
Private nursing care
All charges
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical center You pay
Operating, recovery and other treatment rooms Prescribed drugs and
medicines
Diagnostic laboratory tests, X-rays and pathology services Administration of
blood, blood plasma and other biologicals
Blood and blood plasma, if not
donated or replaced Pre-surgical testing
Dressings, casts and sterile tray
services Medical supplies, including oxygen
Anesthetics and anesthesia
service
Note: We cover hospital services and supplies related to dental
procedures when necessitated by a non-dental physical impairment. We
do not
cover the dental procedures.
Nothing
Not covered: blood and blood derivatives not replaced by the member All
charges
Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care facility
benefits You pay
Extended care Nothing
Skilled nursing facility (SNF): 730 days if the
patient meets criteria. Nothing
Not covered: custodial care All charges
Hospice care You pay
If hospice care is provided in the home, the
home health care benefit applies. $10 per visit
If hospice care is provided in a skilled nursing facility, the skilled
nursing facility benefit applies. Nothing
Not covered: independent
nursing, homemaker services All charges
Ambulance You pay
Local professional ambulance service when medically appropriate Air
ambulance service when medically appropriate Nothing 25
25 Page 26 27
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 26
Section 5( d)
Section 5 (d). Emergency services/ accidents
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits: Please
remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and
exclusions in this brochure. Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for
covered services, for valuable
information about how cost sharing works.
Also read Section 9 about coordinating benefits with other coverage, including
with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
What is a medical emergency?
A medical emergency is the sudden and unexpected onset of a condition or
an injury that you believe endangers your life or could result in serious injury
or disability and requires immediate medical or surgical care. Some problems are
emergencies because, if not treated promptly, they might become more serious;
examples include deep cuts and broken bones. Others are emergencies because they
are potentially life threatening, such as heart attacks, strokes, poisonings,
gun shot wounds or sudden inability to breathe. There are many other acute
conditions that we may determine are medical emergencies — what they all have in
common is the need for quick action.
What to do in case of emergency:
Emergencies within our service area:
If you are in an emergency situation, please call your primary care doctor.
In extreme emergencies, if you are unable to contact your doctor, contact the
local emergency system (e. g., the 911 telephone
system) or go to the
nearest hospital emergency room. Be sure to tell the emergency room personnel
that you are a member of this Plan so they can notify this Plan. You or a family
member should notify this Plan within 24 hours unless it was not
reasonably
possible to do so. It is your responsibility to ensure that this Plan has been
notified in a timely manner.
If you need to be hospitalized, this Plan
should be notified within 24 hours unless it was not reasonably possible to do
so. If you are hospitalized in a non-Plan facility and a Plan physician believes
care can be better provided in a Plan hospital,
you will be transferred when
medically feasible with any ambulance charges covered in full.
Benefits are
available for care from non-Plan providers in a medical emergency only if delay
in reaching a Plan provider would result in death, disability, or significant
jeopardy to your condition.
To be covered by this Plan, any follow-up care recommended by non-Plan
providers must be approved by this Plan or provided by Plan providers.
Plan
pays: Reasonable charges for emergency care services to the extent the services
would have been covered if received from Plan providers.
You pay: $50 per
visit in a hospital emergency room, or $10 per visit in an urgent care facility
and $10 per visit in a physician's office for emergency care services that are
covered benefits of this Plan. If the emergency results in
admission to a
hospital, the emergency care copay is waived.
Emergencies outside our
service area: Benefits are available for any medically necessary health
service that is immediately required because of injury or unforeseen illness.
If you need to be hospitalized, this Plan must be notified within 24 hours
unless it was not reasonably possible to do so. If a Plan physician believes
care can be better provided in a Plan hospital, you would be transferred when
medically feasible
with any ambulance charges covered in full.
To be
covered by this Plan, any follow-up care recommended by non-Plan providers must
be approved by this Plan or provided by Plan providers. 26
26 Page 27 28
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 27
Section 5( d)
Plan pays: Reasonable charges for emergency care
services to the extent the services would have been covered if received from
Plan providers.
You pay: $50 per visit in a hospital emergency room, or $10
per visit in an urgent care facility and $10 per visit in a physician's office
for emergency care services that are covered benefits of this Plan. If the
emergency results in admission
to a hospital, the emergency care copay is
waived.
Benefit Description You pay
Emergency within our service area You pay
Emergency care at a doctor's office Emergency care at an urgent care
center $10 per office visit
Emergency care as an outpatient or inpatient at a hospital, including
doctors' services $50 per visit (waived if admitted)
Not covered:
elective care or non-emergency care All charges
Emergency outside our
service area You pay
Emergency care at a doctor's office Emergency care
at an urgent care center $10 per visit
Emergency care as an outpatient or inpatient at a hospital, including
doctors' services $50 per visit (waived if admitted)
Not covered:
Elective care or non-emergency care Emergency care provided
outside the service area if the need for care
could have been foreseen before leaving the service area Medical
and hospital costs resulting from a normal full-term delivery of
a baby
outside the service area
All charges.
Ambulance You pay
Professional ambulance service when medically
appropriate.
Air ambulance when medically appropriate.
See 5( c) for
non-emergency service.
Nothing 27
27 Page
28 29
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 28 Section 5( e)
Section 5 (e). Mental health and
substance abuse benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
When you get our approval for services and follow a treatment plan we
approve, cost-sharing and limitations for Plan mental health and substance abuse
benefits will be no greater than for
similar benefits for other illnesses
and conditions.
Here are some important things to keep in mind about
these benefits:
All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations
and exclusions in this brochure.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs
for covered services, for valuable information about how cost sharing works.
Also read Section 9 about coordinating benefits with other coverage,
including with Medicare.
YOU MUST GET PREAUTHORIZATION OF THESE
SERVICES. See the instructions after the benefits description below.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay After the calendar year
deductible…
Mental health and substance abuse benefits
All diagnostic and
treatment services recommended by a Plan provider and contained in a treatment
plan that we approve. The treatment plan
may include services, drugs and supplies described elsewhere in this
brochure.
Note: Plan benefits are payable only when we determine the care is clinically
appropriate to treat your condition and only when you receive
the care as
part of a treatment plan that we approve.
Your cost sharing responsibilities are no
greater than for other illness
or conditions.
Professional services, including individual or group therapy by
providers
such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or clinical social workers
Medication management
$10 per office visit
Diagnostic tests $10 per office visit
Services provided by a hospital or
other facility
Services in approved alternative care settings such as
partial
hospitalization, half-way house, residential treatment, full-day
hospitalization, facility based intensive outpatient treatment
Nothing
Not covered: services we have not approved..
Note: OPM will base its
review of disputes about treatment plans on the treatment plan's clinical
appropriateness. OPM will generally not order
us to pay or provide one clinically appropriate treatment plan in favor of
another.
All charges. 28
28 Page 29 30
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 29 Section 5( e)
Preauthorization To
be eligible to receive these benefits you must obtain a treatment plan and
follow all of the following authorization processes:
Members call
ValueOptions at 1-800-482-5982 to arrange behavioral health services. Call this
number for information on referral procedures, providers
and inpatient and
outpatient services.
Limitation We may limit your benefits if you do not obtain a treatment
plan. 29
29 Page
30 31
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 30 Section 5( f)
Section 5 (f). Prescription drug
benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
We cover prescription drugs, brand-name and generic, which are listed in the
Clinical Formulary, as described in the chart beginning on the next page.
All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and exclusions in this
brochure and are payable only when your doctor and health plan feel they are
medically necessary.
A single copayment of $10 for generic drugs or $20 for
brand-name drugs will be applied to each prescription.
Be sure to read
Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for valuable information
about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9 about
coordinating
benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
There are important features you
should be aware of. These include:
Who can write your prescription.
A Plan physician or referral physician must write the prescription. Coverage
is also provided for any prescription( s) prescribed by a licensed dentist or
podiatrist.
Where you can obtain them. You may have your
prescription filled at: 2, 200 participating retail pharmacies in the state,
60,000 MedCare pharmacies out-of-state, Merck-Medco Managed Care, LLC , our
mail order pharmacy
You can order up to a 90-day supply of a mail order prescription for a
copayment of $10 for generic drugs or $20 for brand-name drugs.
We use a
modified, open formulary. Blue Care Network has a modified, open formulary
that is maintained by the BCN Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. Generic
substitution is mandatory
where appropriate. Generic substitution is not
mandatory for critical drugs. Critical drugs are products where clinical
judgment recommends using the brand-name drug because the generic drug
cannot be safely substituted. These drugs are Lanoxin, Dilantin, Coumadin,
Premarin, Theodur, Slophyllin and Tegretol. A few select drugs on the formulary
are part of the BCN Quality
Interchange Program and may require prior
authorization. Coverage is provided for a nonformulary drug when the Plan and
doctor agree that it's medically necessary.
These are the dispensing limitations. A 34-day supply is the limit for
most prescription drugs filled at a participating retail pharmacy. The pharmacy
may dispense up to a 100-day supply for certain
maintenance drugs. Copies of
the maintenance drug list can be requested from Customer Service.
Note: The
Plan will approve a prescription for the same medication when it is filled at
least one week in advance of the next fill date. The pharmacy will charge you a
separate copay for each prescription when
a vacation supply is requested, e.
g., if you request a two-month supply, you will be charged two copays, $20 for
generic drugs or $40 for brand-name drugs. You may be required to pay the
difference in costs
between a brand-name drug and the price of its generic
equivalent if a dispense-as-written (DAW) prescription is not preauthorized by
the Plan.
A generic equivalent will be dispensed if it is available, unless you
physician specifically requires a name brand. If you receive a name-brand drug
when a Federally-approved generic drug is available and
your physician has
not specified Dispense as Written for the name-brand drug, you have to pay the
difference in cost between the name-brand drug and the generic.
Why use generic drugs? Generic drugs are lower-priced drugs that are
the therapeutic equivalent to more expensive brand-name drugs. They must contain
the same active ingredients and must be
equivalent in strength and dosage to
the original brand-name product. Generics cost less than the equivalent
brand-name product. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration sets quality
standards for
generic drugs to ensure that these drugs meet the same
standards of quality and strength as brand-name 30
30
Page 31 32
2002
Blue Care Network of Michigan 31 Section 5( f)
drugs.
You can
save money by using generic drugs. However, you and your physician have the
option to request a name brand if a generic option is available. Using the most
cost-effective medication saves
money.
When you have to file a claim.
Prescriptions filled at non-network pharmacies will be reimbursed in full,
less your $10/$ 20 copayment, in urgent or emergency situations. Non-emergency
prescriptions will
be reimbursed at the Plan's cost, less the $10/$ 20
copayment. You must submit proof of payment for prescription services to
Customer Services.
Prescription drug benefits begin on the next page. 31
31 Page 32 33
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 32
Section 5( f)
Benefit Description You pay
Covered medications
and supplies
We cover the following medications and supplies when
prescribed by a Plan physician and obtained from a Plan pharmacy or through our
mail
order program: Drugs and medicines that by Federal law of the United States
require
a physician's prescription for their purchase, except those listed
as Not Covered.
Insulin; Insulin syringes and needles;
Disposable
needles and syringes for the administration of covered medications;
Intravenous fluids and medications for home use; Contraceptive devices,
including diaphragms, IUDs and implants;
Injectable contraceptive drugs;
Fertility drugs are covered under this Plan's infertility benefit with 50
percent coinsurance (see page 16); Oral contraceptive drugs – up to a
three-cycle supply;
Smoking cessation drugs and medications or gum
$10 per prescription for generic drugs
$20 per prescription for
brand-name drugs
Note: If there is no generic equivalent available, you will
still
have to pay the brand-name copay.
Drugs to treat sexual dysfunction are limited. Contact this Plan for dose
limits. $10 up to dose limits – all charges thereafter
Appetite suppressants
are covered when preauthorized $10 up to dose limits
Not covered:
Medical supplies such as dressings and antiseptics Drugs and
supplies for cosmetic purposes
Drugs to enhance athletic performance Drugs obtained at a non-Plan
pharmacy; except for out-of-area
emergencies Vitamins and nutritional
substances that can be purchased without a
prescription
Nonprescription medicines
All charges 32
32 Page 33 34
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 33 Section 5( g)
Section 5 (g). Special
features
Feature Description
Flexible benefits option Under the flexible benefits option, we
determine the most effective way to provide services. We may identify medically
appropriate alternatives to traditional
care and coordinate other benefits
as a less costly alternative benefit. Alternative benefits are subject to our
ongoing review.
By approving an alternative benefit, we cannot guarantee you
will get it in the future.
The decision to offer an alternative benefit is
solely ours and we may withdraw it at any time and resume regular contract
benefits.
Our decision to offer or withdraw alternative benefits is not
subject to OPM review under the disputed claims process.
24-hour nurse line For any of your health concerns, 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, you may call 1-800-622-6252 and talk with a registered nurse
who will discuss treatment options and answer your health questions.
Reciprocity benefit Blue Care Network works with Blue plans across
the United States to provide care for members who are travelling or who are
temporarily living away from home.
Away from Home Care: Urgent care is
available throughout Michigan. Contact the Away from Home Care coordinator at
1-877-465-5122
during regular business hours. The coordinator will direct
you to the most convenient BCN locations.
BCN participates in a nationwide network of Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMOs
to provide urgent care for members travelling outside
Michigan. Contact BCBS
at 1-800-810-BLUE to make arrangements for care. The coordinator is available
24-hours a day, seven days a
week.
Guest membership program: You can
prearrange for routine care for members who are seasonal residents or for
families living apart, such
as for covered dependents attending college or a family member living in a
different BCN service region. Guest memberships are only
available when a
member is going to be out of the service region for more than 90 consecutive
days. Guest memberships are limited to a
six-month maximum for subscribers.
Guest memberships must be renewed annually. Contact the Away from Home
coordinator at 1-877-
465-5122 to arrange guest membership.
High-risk pregnancies Our pregnancy program identifies high-risk
pregnancies and refers expectant mothers to our case management program for
personalized intervention and follow-up. Studies have proven that early
intervention
in high-risk pregnancies significantly increases positive
outcomes.
The same program provides education and support to not only
pregnant women but to those who are thinking of becoming pregnant.
Though our health education program, we encourage expectant parents to attend
prenatal education classes offered by BCN network hospitals. 33
33 Page 34 35
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 34
Section 5( g)
Section 5 (g). Special features
Centers of
excellence for transplants Blue Care Network uses the Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Michigan Centers of Excellence for Transplants.
Travel benefit/ services overseas Immunizations to meet foreign travel
requirements are a covered benefit. Emergency treatment is also covered. Members
must submit
bills and documentation.
Educational classes and programs Blue Care Network's Health Education
Department provides a number of special events each year. Although topics change
from time to time,
recent examples include programs on general health,
healthy cooking, men's health, women's health and menopause. BCN sends members a
catalog of classes and invitations to special events.
The Disease
Management Department provides support and educational opportunities for members
with asthma diabetes and
congestive heart failure and for expectant mothers.
34
34 Page 35 36
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 35
Section 5( h)
Section 5 (h). Dental benefits
I M
P O
R
T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations and exclusions in this brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are
medically necessary.
We cover hospitalization for dental procedures only
when a nondental physical impairment exists which makes hospitalization
necessary to safeguard the health of
the patient; we do not cover the dental procedure unless it is described
below.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services,
for valuable information about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9
about coordinating benefits with
other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Accidental injury benefit You pay
We cover restorative services and supplies necessary to promptly repair
(but not replace) sound natural teeth. The need for these services must
result from an accidental injury.
Nothing 35
35
Page 36 37
2002
Blue Care Network of Michigan 36 Section 5( i)
Section 5 (i).
Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan members
The benefits on this page
are not part of the FEHB contract or premium and you cannot file an FEHB
disputed claim about them. Fees you pay for these services do not count
toward FEHB deductibles or out-of-pocket
maximums.
BlueSafe sm BlueSafe offers discounts on safety equipment such as
child car seats, bicycle helmets, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, baby
gates, fire escape ladders, home medical equipment and athletic gear. Call
toll free 1-877-BLUESAFE for discount coupons and more information on
participating retailers.
Disease management Members with asthma, congestive heart failure and
diabetes are supported through BCN's Disease Management program. Participants
receive educational materials through the mail and are invited to
special
programs that help them learn more about their conditions and how to maximize
their health.
Publications Each household receives Good Health twice a year, a
newsletter from BCN that includes health information, notices of coming events
and updates on benefits. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan sends
members a
magazine twice a year. Living Healthy is a lively publication that features
wellness articles, features about Blue
members and other timely information.
Medicare prepaid plan enrollment BCN offers Medicare recipients the
opportunity to enroll in this Plan through Medicare. Annuitants and former
spouses with FEHB coverage and Medicare Part B may elect to drop their FEHB
coverage
and enroll in a Medicare prepaid plan when one is available in
their area. They may then later reenroll in the FEHB program. Most Federal
annuitants have Medicare Part A. Those without Medicare Part A may join the
Medicare prepaid Plan but will probably have to pay for
hospital coverage in
addition to the Part B premium. Before you join this Plan, ask whether this Plan
covers hospital benefits and, if so, what
you will have to pay. Contact your
retirement system for information on dropping you FEHB enrollment and changing
to a Medicare
prepaid plan. Contact us at 1-800-529-8360 for information on
the Medicare prepaid Plan and the cost of that enrollment.
If you are Medicare eligible and are interested in enrolling in a Medicare
HMO sponsored by this Plan without dropping your
enrollment in this Plan's
FEHB plan, call 1-800-529-8360 for information on the benefits available under
the Medicare HMO.
Community education programs The Health Education Department arranges
discounts for community and hospital-based educational programs and fitness
activities. It sends
members a catalog of classes and programs annually. 36
36 Page 37 38
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 37
Section 5( i)
Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan members
(continued)
Dental benefits from Dental Care
Network
Dental Care Network, an affiliate of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,
provides a complete package of individual dental benefits. Enrollment is
offered twice a year. The first enrollment period is May 1 to 31 for a July
1 effective date. The second enrollment period is Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 for a Jan. 1
effective date. To receive an enrollment package with rates, benefit
description, provider directory and an application, call a DCN Customer Service
representative at 1-800-321-8077. Be sure to identify yourself as a Federal
employee.
These dental benefits are not a part of the FEHB contract. 37
37 Page 38 39
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 38
Section 6
Section 6. General exclusions --things we don't cover
The exclusions in this section apply to all benefits. Although we may
list a specific service as a benefit, we will not cover it unless your Plan
doctor determines it is medically necessary to prevent, diagnose, or
treat
your illness, disease, injury or condition.
We do not cover the
following:
Care by non-Plan providers except for authorized referrals or
emergencies (see Emergency Benefits);
Services, drugs, or supplies you
receive while you are not enrolled in this Plan;
Services, drugs, or
supplies that are not medically necessary;
Services, drugs, or supplies not
required according to accepted standards of medical, dental, or psychiatric
practice;
Experimental or investigational procedures, treatments, drugs or devices;
Services, drugs, or supplies related to abortions, except when the life of
the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or when the
pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or
incest;
Services, drugs, or supplies related to sex transformations; or
Services, drugs, or supplies you receive from a provider or facility barred
from the FEHB Program. 38
38 Page 39 40
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 39 Section 7
Section 7. Filing a claim for
covered services
When you see Plan physicians, receive services at Plan
hospitals and facilities, or obtain your prescription drugs at Plan pharmacies,
you will not have to file claims. Just present your identification card and pay
your copayment or
coinsurance.
You will only need to file a claim when
you receive emergency services from non-plan providers. Sometimes these
providers bill us directly. Check with the provider. If you need to file the
claim, here is the process:
Medical, hospital and prescription drug benefits In most cases,
providers and facilities file claims for you. Physicians must file on the form
HCFA-1500, Health Insurance Claim Form.
Facilities will file on the UB-92
form. For claims questions and assistance, call us at 1-800-662-6667.
When you must file a claim --such as for out-of-area care — submit it on the
HCFA-1500 or a claim form that includes the information shown
below. Bills
and receipts should be itemized and show: Covered member's name and ID number;
Name and address of the physician or facility that provided the service or
supply;
Dates you received the services or supplies; Diagnosis;
Type of
each service or supply; The charge for each service or supply;
A copy of the
explanation of benefits, payments, or denial from any primary payer — such as
the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN); and
Receipts, if you paid for your
services.
Submit your claims to: Member Claims
Blue Care Network
of Michigan P. O. Box 68767
Grand Rapids, MI 49516-8767
Deadline for filing your claim Send us all of the documents for your
claim as soon as possible. You must submit the claim by December 31 of the year
after the year you
received the service, unless timely filing was prevented
by administrative operations of Government or legal incapacity, provided the
claim was
submitted as soon as reasonably possible.
When we need more
information Please reply promptly when we ask for additional information. We
may delay processing or deny your claim if you do not respond. 39
39 Page 40 41
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 40
Section 8
Section 8. The disputed claims process
Follow
this Federal Employees Health Benefits Program disputed claims process if you
disagree with our decision on your claim or request for services, drugs, or
supplies — including a request for preauthorization:
Step Description
1 Ask us in writing to reconsider our initial
decision. You must: (a) Write to us within 6 months from the date of our
decision; and
(b) Send your request to us at: Appeals and Grievances — mail code B845 Blue
Care Network
P. O. Box 284 25925 Telegraph Road
Southfield, MI
48037-0284 and (c) Include a statement about why you believe our initial
decision was wrong, based on specific benefit
provisions in this brochure;
and
(d) Include copies of documents that support your claim, such as
physicians' letters, operative reports, bills, medical records and explanation
of benefits (EOB) forms.
2 We have 30 days from the date we receive your request to: (a) Pay
the claim (or arrange for the health care provider to give you the care); or
(b) Write to you and maintain our denial — go to step 4; or (c) Ask you or
your provider for more information. If we ask your provider, we will send you a
copy of our
request — go to step 3.
3 You or your provider must send the information so that we receive it
within 60 days of our request. We will then decide within 30 more days.
If
we do not receive the information within 60 days, we will decide within 30 days
of the date the information was due. We will base our decision on the
information we already have.
We will write to you with our decision.
4 If you do not agree with our decision, you may ask OPM to review it.
You must write to OPM within:
90 days after the date of our letter upholding
our initial decision; or
120 days after you first wrote to us — if we did
not answer that request in some way within 30 days; or
120 days after we
asked for additional information.
Write to OPM at: Office of Personnel Management, Office of Insurance
Programs, Contracts Division 3, 1900 E Street, NW, Washington, D. C. 20415-3630.
40
40 Page 41 42
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 41
Section 8
Disputed Claims Process (continued)
Send OPM the
following information:
A statement about why you believe our decision was
wrong, based on specific benefit provisions in this brochure;
Copies of documents that support your claim, such as physicians' letters,
operative reports, bills, medical records and explanation of benefits (EOB)
forms;
Copies of all letters you sent to us about the claim; Copies of all
letters we sent to you about the claim; and
Your daytime phone number and
the best time to call.
Note: If you want OPM to review different claims, you
must clearly identify which documents apply to which claim.
Note: You are the only person who has a right to file a disputed claim with
OPM. Parties acting as your representative, such as medical providers, must
include a copy of your specific written consent with the
review request.
Note: The above deadlines may be extended if you show that you were unable
to meet the deadline because of reasons beyond your control.
5 OPM will review your disputed claim request and will use the
information it collects from you and us to decide whether our decision is
correct. OPM will send you a final decision within 60 days. There are no
other administrative appeals.
6 If you do not agree with OPM's decision, your only recourse is to
sue. If you decide to sue, you must file the suit against OPM in Federal court
by December 31 of the third year after the year in which you received
the
disputed services, drugs or supplies or from the year in which you were denied
precertification or prior approval. This is the only deadline that may not be
extended.
OPM may disclose the information it collects during the review process to
support their disputed claim decision. This information will become part of the
court record.
You may not sue until you have completed the disputed claims
process. Further, Federal law governs your lawsuit, benefits and payment of
benefits. The Federal court will base its review on the record that was
before OPM when OPM decided to uphold or overturn our decision. You may
recover only the amount of benefits in dispute.
NOTE: If you have a serious or life threatening condition (one that
may cause permanent loss of bodily functions or death if not treated as soon as
possible) and
(a) We haven't responded yet to your initial request for care
or preauthorization/ prior approval, then call us at 1-800-662-6667 and we will
expedite our review; or
(b) We denied your initial request for care or
preauthorization/ prior approval, then:
If we expedite our review and
maintain our denial, we will inform OPM so that they can give your claim
expedited treatment too, or
You can call OPM's Health Benefits Contracts Division 3 at (202) 606-0737
between 8 a. m. and 5 p. m. eastern time. 41
41
Page 42 43
2002
Blue Care Network of Michigan 42 Section 9
Section 9.
Coordinating benefits with other coverage
When you have other health
coverage You must tell us if you are covered or a family member is covered
under another group health plan or have automobile insurance that pays health
care expenses without regard to fault. This is called "double coverage."
When you have double coverage, one plan normally pays its benefits in full
as the primary payer and the other plan pays a reduced benefit as the
secondary payer. We, like other insurers, determine which coverage is
primary according to the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners'
guidelines.
When we are the primary payer, we will pay the benefits
described in this brochure.
When we are the secondary payer, we will determine our allowance. After the
primary plan pays, we will pay what is left of our allowance, up
to our
regular benefit. We will not pay more than our allowance.
What is Medicare? Medicare is the Health Insurance Program for:
People 65 years of age and older; Some people with disabilities, under 65
years of age;
People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring
dialysis or transplant)
Medicare has two parts:
Part A (Hospital Insurance). Most people do not
have to pay for Part A. If you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in
Medicare-covered
employment, you should be able to qualify for premium-free Part A insurance.
(Someone who was a Federal employee on January
1, 1983 or since
automatically qualifies.) Otherwise, if you are age 65 or older, you may be able
to buy it. Contact 1-800-MEDICARE
for more information. Part B (Medical
Insurance). Most people pay monthly for Part B.
Generally, Part B premiums
are withheld from your monthly Social Security check or your retirement check.
If you are eligible for Medicare, you may have choices in how you get your
health care. Medicare managed care plan is the term used to
describe the
various health plan choices available to Medicare beneficiaries. The information
on the next few pages shows how we
coordinate benefits with Medicare,
depending on the type of Medicare managed care plan you have.
The Original Medicare Plan (Part A or Part B) The Original Medicare
Plan (Original Medicare) is available everywhere
in the United States. It is
the way everyone used to get Medicare benefits and is the way most people get
their Medicare Part A and Part B benefits
now. You may go to any doctor,
specialist, or hospital that accepts Medicare. The Original Medicare Plan pays
its share and you pay your
share. Some things are not covered under Original
Medicare, like prescription drugs. 42
42 Page 43 44
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 43 Section 9
When you are enrolled in
Original Medicare along with this Plan, you still need to follow the rules in
this brochure for us to cover your care.
Your care must continue to be
authorized by your Plan PCP, or precertified as required.
(Primary payer chart begins on next page.) 43
43 Page 44 45
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 44
Section 9
The following chart illustrates whether the Original
Medicare Plan or this Plan should be the primary payer for you according to
your employment status and other factors determined by Medicare. It is critical
that you tell us if you or
a covered family member has Medicare coverage so
we can administer these requirements correctly.
Primary Payer Chart
Then the primary payer is… A. When either you — or your covered spouse — are
age 65 or over and …
Original Medicare This Plan
1. Are an active employee with the
Federal government (including when you or a family member are eligible for
Medicare solely because of a disability),
2. Are an annuitant,
3. Are an employed annuitant with the Federal
government when:
(a) The position is excluded from FEHB, or
(b) The
position is not excluded from FEHB
(Ask your employing office which of these
applies to you…)
4. Are a Federal judge who retired under title 28, U. S. C., or a Tax Court
judge who retired under Section 7447 of title 26, U. S. C. (or if your
covered spouse is this type of judge),
5. Are enrolled in Part B only,
regardless of your employment status, (for Part B
services) (for other
services)
6. Are a former Federal employee receiving Workers' Compensation
and the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs has determined that
you are unable to return to duty,
(except for claims related to Workers'
Compensation.)
B. When you — or a covered family member — have
Medicare based on end stage renal disease (ESRD) and…
1) Are within the first 30 months of eligibility to receive Part A
benefits solely because of ESRD,
2) Have completed the 30-month ESRD
coordination period and are still eligible for Medicare due to ESRD,
3)
Become eligible for Medicare due to ESRD after Medicare became primary for you
under another provision,
C. When you or a covered family member have FEHB
and…
1) Are eligible for Medicare based on disability and
a) Are an
annuitant, or
b) Are an active employee, or
c) Are a former spouse of an annuitant, or
d) Are a former spouse of an
active employee 44
44 Page
45 46
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 45 Section 9
Claims process when you have the
Original Medicare Plan — You probably will never have to file a claim form
when you have both our
Plan and the Original Medicare Plan.
When we are
the primary payer, we process the claim first.
When Original Medicare is the
primary payer, Medicare processes
your claim first. In most cases, your
claims will be coordinated automatically and we will pay the balance of covered
charges. You
will not need to do anything. To find out if you need to do something about
filing your claims, call us at 1-800-662-6667.
We do not waive any costs when you have Medicare.
Medicare managed
care plan If you are eligible for Medicare, you may choose to enroll in and
get your Medicare benefits from another type of Medicare+ Choice plan --a
Medicare managed care plan. These are health care choices (like HMOs) in
some areas of the country. In most Medicare managed care plans, you
can only
go to doctors, specialists or hospitals that are part of the plan. Medicare
managed care plans provide all the benefits that Original
Medicare covers.
Some cover extras, like prescription drugs. To learn more about enrolling in a
Medicare managed care plan, contact Medicare
at 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227) or at www. medicare. gov.
If you enroll in a Medicare managed care plan, the following options are
available to you:
This Plan and our Medicare managed care plan: You may enroll in our
Medicare managed care plan and also remain enrolled in our FEHB
plan. In
this case, we do not waive any of our copayments or coinsurance for your FEHB
coverage.
This Plan and another plan's Medicare managed care plan: You may
enroll in another plan's Medicare managed care plan and also remain
enrolled
in our FEHB plan. We will still provide benefits when your Medicare managed care
plan is primary, even out of the managed care
plan's network and/ or service
area (if you use our plan providers), but we will not waive any of our
copayments or coinsurance. If you enroll in a
Medicare managed care plan,
tell us. We will need to know whether you are in the Original Medicare Plan or
in a Medicare managed care plan so
we can correctly coordinate benefits with
Medicare.
Suspended FEHB coverage to enroll in a Medicare managed care
plan: If you are an annuitant or former spouse, you can suspend your
FEHB coverage to enroll in a Medicare managed care plan, eliminating your
FEHB premium. (OPM does not contribute to your Medicare
managed care plan
premium.) For information on suspending your FEHB enrollment, contact your
retirement office. If you later want to re-enroll
in the FEHB Program,
generally you may do so only at the next open season unless you involuntarily
lose coverage or move out of the
Medicare managed care plan's service area.
If you do not enroll in If you do not have one or both Parts of
Medicare, you can still be covered Medicare Part A or Part B under the
FEHB Program. We will not require you to enroll in Medicare
Part B and, if
you can't get premium-free Part A, we will not ask you to enroll in it. 45
45 Page 46 47
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 46
Section 9
TRICARE TRICARE is the health care program for
eligible dependents of military persons and retirees of the military. TRICARE
includes the CHAMPUS
program. If both TRICARE and this Plan cover you, we
pay first. See your TRICARE Health Benefits Advisor if you have questions about
TRICARE coverage.
Workers' Compensation We do not cover services that:
You need
because of a workplace-related illness or injury that the Office of Workers'
Compensation Programs (OWCP) or a similar
Federal or State agency determines
they must provide; or
OWCP or a similar agency pays for through a third
party injury settlement or other similar proceeding that is based on a claim you
filed under OWCP or similar laws.
Once OWCP or similar agency pays its
maximum benefits for your treatment, we will cover your care. You must use our
providers.
Medicaid When you have this Plan and Medicaid, we pay first.
When other Government agencies are responsible for your care We do not
cover services and supplies when a local, State, or Federal Government agency
directly or indirectly pays for them
When others are responsible for
injuries When you receive money to compensate you for medical or hospital
care for injuries or illness caused by another person, you must reimburse us
for any expenses we paid. However, we will cover the cost of treatment that
exceeds the amount you received in the settlement.
If you do not seek damages you must agree to let us try. This is called
subrogation. If you need more information, contact us for our
subrogation
procedures. 46
46 Page
47 48
2002 Blue Care Network of
Michigan 47 Section 10
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use
in this brochure
Calendar year January 1 through December 31 of the same
year. For new enrollees, the calendar year begins on the effective date of their
enrollment and ends on
December 31 of the same year.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our allowance that you
must pay for your care. See page 13.
Copayment A copayment is a fixed amount of money you pay when you
receive covered services. See page 13.
Covered services Care we
provide benefits for, as described in this brochure.
Experimental or
investigational services A product or procedure is considered not
experimental or investigational if it meets all of the following conditions:
It has final approval from the appropriate government regulatory bodies;
The scientific evidence permits conclusions concerning the effect of the
technology on health outcomes;
The technology improves the net health
outcome; and The technology is as beneficial as any established alternatives.
The investigational setting may be eliminated if the research and
experimental stage of development is completed and the improvement in
net
health outcome is attainable outside the investigational settings.
Plan
providers will follow generally accepted medical practice in prescribing any
course of treatment. Before you enroll in this Plan, you
should determine
whether you would be able to accept treatment or procedures that may be
recommended by this Plan's providers.
Us/ We Us and we refer to Blue Care Network of Michigan
You
You refers to the enrollee and each covered family member. 47
47 Page 48 49
2002 Blue Care Network of Michigan 48
Section 11
Section 11. FEHB facts
No pre-existing condition
limitation We will not refuse to cover the treatment of a condition that you
had before you enrolled in this Plan solely because you had the condition
before you enrolled.
Where you can get information about enrolling in
the FEHB
Program
See www. opm. gov/ insure. Also, your employing or retirement office can
answer your questions and give you a Guide to Federal Employees
Health
Benefits Plans, brochures for other plans and other materials you need to
make an informed decision about:
When you may change your enrollment; How
you can cover your family members;
What happens when you transfer to another
Federal agency, go on leave without pay, enter military service, or retire;
When your enrollment ends; and When the next open season for enrollment
begins.
We don't determine who is eligible for coverage and, in most cases, cannot
change your enrollment status without information from your
employing or
retirement office.
Types of coverage available for you and your family
Self Only coverage is for you alone. Self and Family coverage is for you,
your spouse and your unmarried dependent children under age 22,
including
any foster children or stepchildren your employing or retirement office
authorizes coverage for. Under certain circumstances,
you may also continue coverage for a disabled child 22 years of age or older
who is incapable of self-support.
If you have a Self Only enrollment, you may change to a Self and Family
enrollment if you marry, give birth, or add a child to your
family. You may
change your enrollment 31 days before to 60 days after that event. The Self and
Family enrollment begins on the first day
of the pay period in which the
child is born or becomes an eligible family member. When you change to Self and
Family because you
marry, the change is effective on the first day of the
pay period that begins after your employing office receives your enrollment
form.
Benefits will not be available to your spouse until you marry.
Your employing or retirement office will not notify you when a family
member is no longer eligible to receive health benefits, nor will we.
Please
tell us immediately when you add or remove family members from your coverage for
any reason, including divorce, or when your
child under age 22 marries or
turns 22.
If you or one of your family members is enrolled in one FEHB plan,
that person may not be enrolled in or covered as a family member by
another
FEHB plan.
When benefits and premiums start The benefits in this brochure are
effective on January 1. If you joined this Plan during Open Season, your
coverage begins January 1.
Annuitants' coverage and premiums begin on
January 1. If you joined at any other time during the year, your employing
office will tell you the
effective date of coverage. 48
48 Page 49 50
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 49 Section 11
Your medical and claims
records are confidential We will keep your medical and claims information
confidential. Only the following will have access to it:
OPM, this Plan and
subcontractors when they administer this contract; This Plan and appropriate
third parties, such as other insurance plans
and the Office of Workers'
Compensation Programs (OWCP), when coordinating benefit payments and subrogating
claims;
Law enforcement officials when investigating and/ or prosecuting
alleged civil or criminal actions;
OPM and the General Accounting Office
when conducting audits; Individuals involved in bona fide medical research or
education that
does not disclose your identity; or OPM, when reviewing a
disputed claim or defending litigation about a
claim.
When you retire When you retire, you can usually stay in the FEHB
Program. Generally, you must have been enrolled in the FEHB Program for the last
five
years of your Federal service. If you do not meet this requirement, you
may be eligible for other forms of coverage, such as Temporary
Continuation of Coverage (TCC).
When you lose benefits
When FEHB coverage ends You will receive an additional 31 days of
coverage, for no additional premium, when:
Your enrollment ends, unless you cancel your enrollment, or You are a family
member no longer eligible for coverage.
You may be eligible for spouse equity coverage or Temporary Continuation of
Coverage.
Spouse equity coverage If you are divorced from a Federal
employee or annuitant, you may not continue to get benefits under your former
spouse's enrollment. But,
you may be eligible for your own FEHB coverage
under the spouse equity law. If you are recently divorced or are anticipating a
divorce,
contact your ex-spouse's employing or retirement office to get RI 70-5, the
Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for Temporary
Continuation of Coverage and Former Spouse Enrollees, or other
information about your coverage choices.
Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) If you leave Federal service,
or if you lose coverage because you no longer qualify as a family member, you
may be eligible for Temporary
Continuation of Coverage (TCC). For example,
you can receive TCC if you are not able to continue your FEHB enrollment after
you retire, if
you lose your job, if you are a covered dependent child and you turn 22 or
marry, etc.
You may not elect TCC if you are fired from your Federal job due to gross
misconduct.
Enrolling in TCC. Get the RI 79-27, which describes TCC
and the RI 70-5, the Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for
Temporary Continuation of Coverage and Former Spouse Enrollees, from
your employing or retirement office or from www. opm. gov/ insure.
It
explains what you have to do to enroll. 49
49
Page 50 51
2002
Blue Care Network of Michigan 50 Section 11
Converting to
individual coverage You may convert to an individual policy if:
Your
coverage under TCC or the spouse equity law ends (If you canceled your coverage
or did not pay your premium, you cannot
convert); You decided not to receive coverage under TCC or the spouse
equity law; or You are not eligible for coverage under TCC or the spouse
equity law.
If you leave Federal service, your employing office will notify you of your
right to convert. You must apply in writing to us within 31 days
after you
receive this notice. However, if you are a family member who is losing coverage,
the employing or retirement office will not notify
you. You must apply in
writing to us within 31 days after you are no longer eligible for coverage.
Your benefits and rates will differ from those under the FEHB Program;
however, you will not have to answer questions about your health and
we will
not impose a waiting period or limit your coverage due to pre-existing
conditions.
Getting a Certificate of Group Health Plan Coverage The Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a Federal law
that offers limited Federal protections for
health coverage availability and
continuity to people who lose employer group coverage. If you leave the FEHB
Program, we will give you a
Certificate of Group Health Plan Coverage that indicates how long you have
been enrolled with us. You can use this certificate when getting
health
insurance or other health care coverage. Your new plan must reduce or eliminate
waiting periods, limitations, or exclusions for health
related conditions
based on the information in the certificate, as long as you enroll within 63
days of losing coverage under this Plan. If you
have been enrolled with us
for less than 12 months, but were previously enrolled in other FEHB plans, you
may also request a certificate from
those plans.
For more information,
get OPM pamphlet RI 79-27, Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) under the
FEHB Program. See also the
FEHB Web site (www. opm. gov/ insure/ health);
refer to the "TCC and HIPAA" frequently asked questions. These highlight HIPAA
rules, such
as the requirement that Federal employees must exhaust any TCC
eligibility as one condition for guaranteed access to individual health
coverage under HIPAA and have information about Federal and State agencies
you can contact for more information. 50
50 Page 51 52
2002 Blue Care
Network of Michigan 51 Section 11
Long Term Care Insurance is
Coming Later in 2002!
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will
sponsor a high-quality long term care insurance program effective in October
2002. As part of its educational effort, OPM asks you to consider these
questions:
What is long termcare (LTC) insurance? It's insurance to
help pay for long term care services you may need if you can't take care of
yourself because of an extended illness or
injury, or an age-related disease
such as Alzheimer's.
LTC insurance can provide broad, flexible benefits for nursing home care,
care in an assisted living facility, care in your home,
adult day care,
hospice care and more. LTC insurance can supplement care provided by family
members, reducing the burden
you place on them.
I'mhealthy, Iwon't
need long term care. OrwillI? Welcometotheclub!
76 percent of Americans
believe they will never need long term care, but the facts are that about half
of them will. And it's not just
the old folks. About 40 percent of people needing long term care are under
age 65. They may need chronic care due to a serious
accident, a stroke, or
developing multiple sclerosis, etc.
We hope you will never need long term
care, but everyone should have a plan just in case. Many people now consider
long term care
insurance to be vital to their financial and retirement planning.
Is
long term care expensive? Yes, it can be very expensive. A year in a nursing
home can exceed $50,000. Home care for only three eight hour shifts a week can
exceed $20,000 a year. And that's before inflation!
Butwon't my FEHB
plan, Medicare or Medicaid cover my
long termcare?
NotFEHB.Look atthe"Notcovered" blocksinsections5 (a)and5(c) of yourFEHB
brochure.Healthplansdon't covercustodialcareor astayinan
assistedlivingfacility oracontinuingneed forahomehealth aidetohelpyou
getinandout ofbedandwith otheractivitiesofdaily living.Limitedstaysin
skilled nursingfacilitiescanbe coveredinsomecircumstances.
Medicare only
covers skilled nursing home care (the highest level of nursing care) after a
hospitalization for those who are blind, age
65 or older or fully disabled.
It also has a 100-day limit.
Medicaid covers long-term care for those who
meet their state's poverty guidelines, but has restrictions on covered services
and
where they can be received. Long term care insurance can provide choices of
care and preserve your independence.
WhenwillI get moreinformation on how to applyfor thisnew
insurance
coverage?
Employees will get more information from their agencies during the LTC open
enrollment period in the late summer/ early fall of
2002.
Retirees will
receive information.
How canIfind out moreabout the programNOW?
Ourtoll-freeteleservicecenter willbegininmid-2002.Inthemeantime, youcan
learn moreabouttheprogram atw