RI 73-778
Aetna U. S. Healthcare ® 2001 http:// www. aetnaushc. com/ feds
A Health Maintenance Organization
Serving the following states:
Arizona California
Colorado Connecticut
Georgia Illinois
Indiana
Kansas Kentucky
Louisiana Massachusetts
Michigan Missouri
Nevada
New York North Carolina
Ohio Oklahoma
Rhode Island Tennessee
Texas Washington
Enrollment in this Plan is limited; see page 8 for requirements.
Special Notice:
If you live or work in the following states:
Delaware, Georgia, Illinois,
Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri,
New York, Ohio, Texas,
Virginia or Washington, your services and enrollment
areas may have
changed. Please see page 16 for details.
This brochure includes benefits for Prudential Health Care members
transferred to Aetna U. S. Healthcare.
For changes
in benefits
see page 16. 1
1
Page 2 3
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 2 Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4
Plain Language
......................................................................................................................................................................
4
Section 1. Facts about this HMO
plan..................................................................................................................................
5
How we pay
providers........................................................................................................................................
5
Patients' Bill of Rights
.......................................................................................................................................
6
Service
Area........................................................................................................................................................
8
Section 2. How we change for
2001...................................................................................................................................
16
Program-wide changes
.....................................................................................................................................
16
Changes to this Plan
.........................................................................................................................................
16
Section 3. How you get care
...............................................................................................................................................
20
Identification cards
...........................................................................................................................................
20
Where you get covered
care.............................................................................................................................
20
Plan providers
............................................................................................................................................
20
Plan
facilities..............................................................................................................................................
20
What you must do to get covered
care.............................................................................................................
20
Primary care
...............................................................................................................................................
20
Specialty care
.............................................................................................................................................
20
Hospital care
..............................................................................................................................................
21
Circumstances beyond our control
..................................................................................................................
22
Services requiring our prior approval
..............................................................................................................
22
Section 4. Your costs for covered
services.........................................................................................................................
23
Copayments................................................................................................................................................
23
Deductible
..................................................................................................................................................
23
Coinsurance................................................................................................................................................
23
Your out-of-pocket maximum
.........................................................................................................................
23
Section 5.
Benefits...............................................................................................................................................................
24
Overview...........................................................................................................................................................
24
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and
other
health care
professionals..............................................................................................................
25
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians and
other
health care
professionals..............................................................................................................
32
(c) Services provided by a hospital or other facility, and ambulance
services......................................... 35
(d) Emergency services/
accidents
..............................................................................................................
37
(e) Mental health and substance abuse
benefits.........................................................................................
40
(f) Prescription drug benefits
.....................................................................................................................
42
(g) Special
features......................................................................................................................................
45 2
2 Page 3 4
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 3 Table of Contents
(h)
Dental
benefits.......................................................................................................................................
46
(i) Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan members
..................................................................................
49
Section 6. General exclusions Ñ things we
don't cover
...................................................................................................
50
Section 7. Filing a claim for covered services
...................................................................................................................
51
Section 8. The disputed claims
process..............................................................................................................................
52
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other
coverage
.......................................................................................................
54
When you haveÉ
Other health coverage
..............................................................................................................................
54
Original Medicare
....................................................................................................................................
54
Medicare managed care plan
...................................................................................................................
56
TRICARE/ Workers' Compensation/ Medicaid
...............................................................................................
56
Other Government
agencies.............................................................................................................................
57
When others are responsible for injuries
.........................................................................................................
57
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use in this
brochure
..................................................................................................
59
Section 11. FEHB
facts.......................................................................................................................................................
62
Coverage
information.......................................................................................................................................
62
No pre-existing condition limitation
.......................................................................................................
62
Where you get information about enrolling in the FEHB
Program....................................................... 62
Types of
coverage available for you and your family
............................................................................ 62
When benefits and premiums start
..........................................................................................................
63
Your medical and claims records are
confidential..................................................................................
63
When you
retire........................................................................................................................................
63
When you lose benefits
....................................................................................................................................
63
When FEHB coverage
ends.....................................................................................................................
63
Spouse equity coverage
...........................................................................................................................
63
Temporary Continuation of Coverage
(TCC).........................................................................................
63
Enrolling in
TCC......................................................................................................................................
63
Converting to individual coverage
..........................................................................................................
64
Getting a Certificate of Group Health Plan
Coverage............................................................................
64
Inspector General Advisory
............................................................................................................................
64
Department of Defense/ FEHB Demonstration
Project......................................................................................................
66
Index
....................................................................................................................................................................................
68
Summary of benefits
...........................................................................................................................................................
70
Rates.....................................................................................................................................................................................
71 3
3 Page 4 5
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 4
Introduction/ Plain Language
Introduction
Aetna U. S.
Healthcare, Inc.
1425 Union Meeting Road
P. O. Box 1126, Mail Stop U32A
Blue Bell, PA 19422
This brochure describes the benefits you can receive from Aetna U. S.
Healthcare under our contract (CS 2836) 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, 2001, unless these
benefits are also shown in this brochure.
OPM negotiates benefits and rates with each plan annually. Benefit changes
are effective January 1, 2001, and are
summarized on page 16. Rates are
shown at the end of this brochure.
Plain language
The President and Vice President are making the
Government's communication more responsive, accessible, and
understandable
to the public by requiring agencies to use plain language. In response, a team
of health plan
representatives and OPM staff worked cooperatively to make
this brochure clearer. Except for necessary technical
terms, we use common
words. "You" means the enrollee or family member; "we" means
Aetna U. S. Healthcare.
The plain language team reorganized the brochure and the way we describe our
benefits. When you compare this Plan
with other FEHB plans, you will find
that the brochures have the same format and similar information to make
comparisons easier.
If you have comments or suggestions about how to improve 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 or write to OPM at Insurance
Planning and Evaluation Division, P. O. Box 436, Washington, DC 20044-0436.
4
4 Page 5 6
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 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 participating providers, you will not have to
submit claim forms or pay bills. You only
pay the copayments, coinsurance,
and deductibles 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 ° Provider Compensation 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.
This is a direct contract prepayment Plan, which means that participating
providers are neither agents nor employees of the Plan. Rather, they are
independent doctors and providers who practice in their own offices or
facilities. The Plan arranges with licensed providers and hospitals to
provide medical services for both the prevention of disease and the
treatment of illness and injury for benefits covered under the Plan.
Plan providers in our network have agreed to be compensated in
various
ways. Many participating primary care physicians (PCPs) are
paid by
capitation. Under capitation, a physician receives payment for a
patient
whether the physician sees the patient that month or not.
Specialists, hospitals, primary care physicians and other providers in
the Aetna U. S. Healthcare network may also be paid in the following
ways:
Per individual service (fee-for-service at contracted rates),
Per
hospital day (per diem contracted rates),
Under other capitation methods (a
certain amount per member, per month), and
By Integrated Delivery Systems (" IDS"), Independent Practice
Associations (" IPAs"), Physician Medical Groups (" PMGs"),
Physician
Hospital Organizations (" PHOs"), behavioral health
organizations
and similar provider organizations or groups that are paid by
Aetna
U. S. Healthcare; the organization or group pays the physician or
facility
directly. In such arrangements, that group or organization has a
financial incentive to control the costs of providing care.
You are encouraged to ask your physicians and other providers how
they
are compensated for their services, including whether their specific
arrangements include any financial incentives to control costs. 5
5 Page 6 7
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 6 Section 1
Patients' Bill of Rights OPM requires that all FEHB Plans comply
with the Patients' Bill of Rights, recommended by the President's Advisory
Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the HealthCare Industry.
You may get information about us, or our
networks, providers, and
facilities. OPM's FEHB website (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.
Medical Necessity
Covered services include most types of treatment
by PCPs, specialists and hospitals. However, the health plan also
excludes
or limits coverage for some services, including but not limited to cosmetic
surgery and experimental
procedures. In addition, in order to be covered,
all services, including the location (type of facility), duration and costs
of services, must be medically necessary as defined in this Plan and as
determined by us. (See definition on Page 60.)
Direct Access Ob/ Gyn Program
This program allows female members
to visit any participating gynecologist for a routine well-woman exam, including
a Pap smear (if appropriate) and an unlimited number of visits for
gynecologic problems and follow-up care as
described in your benefits plan.
Gynecologists may also refer a woman directly for covered gynecologic services
without the patient's having to go back to her participating primary care
physician. If your Ob/ Gyn is part of an
Independent Practice Association
(IPA), a Physician Medical Group (PMG) or a similar organization, covered care
must
be coordinated through the IPA, the PMG or the similar organization.
Mental Health/ Substance Abuse
In most areas, certain behavioral
health care services (e. g., treatment or care for mental disease or illness,
alcohol abuse
and/ or substance abuse) are managed by an independently
contracted organization. This organization makes initial
coverage
determinations and coordinates referrals; any behavioral health care referrals
will generally be made to
providers affiliated with the organization, unless
your needs for covered services extend beyond the capability of the
affiliated providers. You can receive information regarding the appropriate
way to access the behavioral health care
services that are covered under
your specific plan by calling Member Services at 1-800-537-9384. As with other
coverage determinations, you may appeal behavioral health care coverage
decisions in accordance with the provisions
of your Plan.
Ongoing Reviews
We conduct ongoing reviews of those services and
supplies which are recommended or provided by health
professionals to
determine whether such services and supplies are covered benefits under this
Plan. If we determine
that the recommended services and supplies are not
covered benefits, you will be notified. If you wish to appeal such
determination, you may then contact us to seek a review of the
determination.
Authorization
Certain services and supplies under this Plan may
require authorization by us to determine if they are covered benefits
under
this Plan.
Patient Management
We have developed a patient management program
to assist in determining what health care services are covered under
the
health plan and the extent of such coverage. The program assists members in
receiving the appropriate health care
and maximizing coverage for those
health care services.
Only medical directors make decisions denying coverage for services for
reasons of medical necessity. Coverage denial
letters delineate any unmet
criteria, standards and guidelines, and inform the provider and member of the
appeal
process.
Our patient management staff uses national guidelines and resources to guide
the precertification, concurrent review and
retrospective review processes.
Using the information obtained from providers, patient management staff utilize
Milliman & Robertson Health Care Management Guidelines when conducting
concurrent review. If there is no
applicable Milliman & Robertson
Guideline, patient management staff utilizes InterQual ISD criteria. When
applicable,
Medicare National Coverage Decisions are followed for Medicare
managed care members. To the extent certain patient
management functions are
delegated to integrated delivery systems, independent practice associations or
other provider
groups (" Delegates"), such Delegates utilize
criteria that they deem appropriate. 6
6 Page 7 8
2001 Aetna U. S.
Healthcare HMO 7 Section 1
Precertification Certain health
care services, such as hospitalization or outpatient surgery, require
precertification by us to ensure coverage for those services. When
a member
is to obtain services requiring precertification through a Plan
provider,
this provider should precertify those services prior to treatment.
Concurrent Review The concurrent review process assesses the necessity
for continued stay, level of care, and quality of care for members receiving
inpatient services.
All inpatient services extending beyond the initial certification period will
require Concurrent Review.
Discharge Planning Discharge planning may be initiated at any stage of
the patient management process and begins immediately upon identification of
post-discharge
needs during precertification or concurrent review. The
discharge plan
may include initiation of a variety of services/ benefits to be
utilized by
the member upon discharge from an inpatient stay.
Retrospective Record Review The purpose of retrospective review is to
retrospectively analyze potential quality and utilization issues, initiate
appropriate follow-up action based on
quality or utilization issues, and review all appeals of inpatient concurrent
review decisions for coverage and payment of health care services. Our
effort to manage the services provided to members includes the
retrospective review of claims submitted for payment, and of medical
records submitted for potential quality and utilization concerns.
Member Services
Representatives from Member Services are trained
to answer your questions and to assist you in using the Aetna
U. S.
Healthcare plan properly and efficiently. After you receive your ID card, you
can call the Member Services toll-free
number on the card when you need to:
Ask questions about benefits and coverage.
Notify us of changes in your
name, address or telephone number.
Change your primary care physician or
office.
Obtain information about how to file a grievance.
Confidentiality
We protect the privacy of confidential Plan member
medical information. We contractually require that participating
providers
keep member information confidential in accordance with applicable laws.
Furthermore, you have the right to
access you medical records from
participating providers, at any time. Aetna U. S. Healthcare (including its
affiliates and
authorized agents, collectively (" Aetna U. S.
Healthcare") and participating providers require access to member medical
information for a number of important and appropriate purposes, including
claims payment, fraud prevention,
coordination of care, data collection,
performance measurement, fulfilling state and federal requirements, quality
management, utilization review, research and accreditation activities,
preventive health, early detection and disease
management programs.
Accordingly, for these purposes, members authorize the sharing of member medical
information
about themselves and their dependents between Aetna U. S.
Healthcare and Plan providers and health delivery systems.
If you want more information about us, call 1-800-537-9384, or write to 1425
Union Meeting Road, P. O. Box 1126,
Mail Stop U32A, Blue Bell, PA 19422. You
may also contact us by fax at 215-775-6550 or visit our website at
www.
aetnaushc. com/ feds. 7
7 Page 8 9
2001 Aetna U. S.
Healthcare HMO 8 Section 1
Service Area What is this Plan's
service
area?
To enroll with us, you must live or work in our
service area. This is where our
providers practice. Our service area is:
Arizona
2/ 99
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: Phoenix and Tucson areas
Enrollment Code:
WQ1 Self Only
WQ2 Self and Family
Cochise, Graham, Maricopa, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai and Yuma counties and
portions of Pinal as defined by the towns of Apache Junction and Casa Grande
California
9/ 99
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: Northern California area
Enrollment Code:
BU1 Self Only
BU2 Self and Family
Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Madera, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San
Francisco,
San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus
and Yolo
counties and portions of El Dorado, Kings, Merced, Placer, San
Joaquin, and
Tulare counties defined by listed towns:
El Dorado: El Dorado Hills, Garden Valley, Lotus, Pilot Hill, Rescue, Shingle
Springs
Kings: Armona, Avenal, Corcoran, Hanford, Kettleman City, Lemoore, Lemoore
Naval Air Station, Stratford
Merced: Atwater, Ballico, Delhi, El Nido, Gustine, Hilmar, Le Grand,
Livingston,
Los Banos, Merced, Snelling, Stevinson, Winton
Placer: Applegate, Auburn, Colfax, Dutch Flat, Forest Hill, Lincoln, Loomis,
Meadow Vista, Newcastle, Penryn, Rocklin, Roseville, Weimar
San Joaquin: Lathrop, Linden, Menteca, Ripon, Stockton, Tracy
Tulare:
Alpaugh, Badger, California Hot Springs, Cutler, Dinuba, Ducor, Exeter,
Farmersville, Goshen, Ivanhoe, Lemon Cove, Lindsay, Orosi, Porterville,
Posey,
Richgrove, Springville, Strathmore, Sultana, Terra Bella, Three
Rivers, Tipton,
Traver, Tulare, Visalia, Waukema, Woodlake
5/ 00
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: Southern California area
Enrollment Code:
2X1 Self Only
2X2 Self and Family
Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa
Barbara
and Ventura counties 8
8 Page 9 10
2001 Aetna U. S.
Healthcare HMO 9 Section 1
Colorado Serving: The Front Range
area
Enrollment Code:
6F1 Self Only
6F2 Self and Family
Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont,
Jefferson,
Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo, and Teller counties
Connecticut
11/ 99
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: All of Connecticut
Enrollment Code:
H11 Self Only
H12
Self and Family
The State of Connecticut
Georgia Serving: The Atlanta, Athens and Augusta areas
Enrollment
Code:
2U1 Self Only
2U2 Self and Family
Barrow, Bartow, Burke, Butts, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia,
Coweta, Dawson, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Glascock,
Gwinnett,
Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Lamar, Lincoln, Madison,
McDuffie,
Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Richmond,
Rockdale,
Spalding, Taliaferro, Walton, Warren and Wilkes Counties
Illinois
4/ 00
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: The Chicago area
Enrollment Code:
XC1 Self Only
XC2
Self and Family
Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties
Serving: The Metropolitan St. Louis area
Enrollment Code:
D41 Self
Only D42 Self and Family
Madison and St. Clair counties 9
9 Page 10 11
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 10 Section 1
Indiana Serving: Lake and
Porter counties
Enrollment Code:
XC1 Self Only
XC2 Self and Family
Lake and Porter counties
Serving: Southern Indiana area
Enrollment Code:
7L1 Self Only
7L2 Self and Family
Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington counties
Serving: Southeastern Indiana area
Enrollment Code:
RD1 Self Only
RD2 Self and Family
Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio and Switzerland counties
Kansas Serving: Kansas City Metropolitan area
Enrollment Code:
7K1
Self Only
7K2 Self and Family
Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties
Kentucky Serving: Lexington and Louisville areas
Enrollment Code:
7L1 Self Only
7L2 Self and Family
Anderson, Bourbon, Bullitt, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Hardin, Harrison,
Henry,
Jefferson, Jessamine, Larue, Madison, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Owen,
Scott,
Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Woodford counties
Serving: Northern Kentucky area
Enrollment Code:
RD1 Self Only
RD2 Self and Family
Boone, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton and Pendleton counties 10
10 Page 11 12
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 11 Section 1
Louisiana
3/ 98
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: The Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and New Orleans area
Enrollment
Code:
NG1 Self Only
NG2 Self and Family
The parishes of Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines,
St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany,
Terrebone
Baton Rouge area: The parishes of Ascension, Beauregard, Calcasieu, East
Baton
Rouge, East Feliciana, Jefferson Davis, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe
Coupee,
St. Helena, Tangipahoa, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana
Lafayette area: The parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St.
Landry,
St. Mary, St. Martin and Vermilion
Massachusetts
5/ 00
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: Eastern/ Central Massachusetts and Hampden County areas
Enrollment Code:
NE1 Self Only
NE2 Self and Family
The Boston area, including the counties of Barnstable, Bristol, Essex,
Franklin,
Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and
Worcester
counties
Michigan Serving: The Greater Detroit Metropolitan area
Enrollment
Code:
8Z1 Self Only
8Z2 Self and Family
The Detroit area, including Wayne county and portions of Monroe and Oakland
counties as defined by listed towns
Oakland: Avon Township, Berkeley (City), Birmingham (City), Bloomfield Hills
(City), Bloomfield Township, Clawson (City), Commerce Township, Farmington
Hills (City), Farmington Township, Ferndale (City), Hazel Park (City),
Highland
Township, Huntington Woods (City), Independence Township, Keego
Harbor (City),
Lake Orion Village, Lathrup Village (City), Madison Heights
(City), Novi (City),
Oak Park (City), Orchard Lake Village, Orion Township,
Oxford (City), Pontiac
(City), Pontiac Township, Rochester (City), Royal Oak
(City), Southfield (City),
Southfield Township, Troy (City), West Bloomfield
Township, Walled Lake (City),
Waterford Township, Whitelake Township, Wixom
(City), Wolverine Lake (City)
Monroe: Ash, Bedford, Berlin, Dundee, Erie, Exeter, Frenchtown, Ida, LaSalle,
London, Kaiserville, Summerfield and the cities of Monroe, Luna Pier and
Petersburg. 11
11 Page
12 13
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
12 Section 1
Missouri Serving: Metropolitan Kansas City area
Enrollment Code:
7K1 Self Only
7K2 Self and Family
Buchanan, Cass, Clay, Jackson, Lafayette, Platte and Ray counties
Serving: Metropolitan St. Louis area
Enrollment Code:
D41 Self
Only
D42 Self and Family
Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Louis City, and St. Louis counties
Nevada Serving: Southern Nevada and Las Vegas area
Enrollment Code:
8L1 Self Only
8L2 Self and Family
Clark county
New York
5/ 98
This service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: New York City area
Enrollment Code:
JC1 Self Only
JC2
Self and Family
Bronx, Dutchess, Kings (Brooklyn), Nassau, New York (Manhattan), Orange,
Putnam, Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan,
Ulster,
and Westchester counties
Serving: Syracuse and Binghamton areas
Enrollment Code:
TG1 Self
Only
TG2 Self and Family
Broome, Cayuga, Onandoga, Oswego and Tioga counties
North Carolina Serving: The Charlotte/ Metrolina and Raleigh/ Durham areas
Enrollment Code:
3G1 Self Only
3G2 Self and Family
Cabarrus, Durham, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenberg, Orange, Rowan,
Stanly,
Union and Wake counties 12
12 Page 13 14
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 13 Section 1
Ohio
4/ 99
This
service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB
Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: Greater Cincinnati area
Enrollment Code:
RD1 Self Only
RD2 Self and Family
Adams, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Greene, Hamilton,
Highland, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby and Warren.
Serving: Cleveland and Toledo areas
Enrollment Code:
7D1 Self Only
7D2 Self and Family
Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga,
Hancock,
Hardin, Henry, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Medina,
Ottawa, Portage,
Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Stark, Summit,
Trumbull, Tuscarawas and
Wayne counties and portions of the following
counties defined by listed towns:
Auglaize: Minster, New Bremen, New Hampshire, New Knoxville, Saint John's,
Saint Mary's, Uniopolis, Wapakoneta, and Waynesfield
Columbiana: Beloit, Columbiana, East Rochester, East Palinstine, Elkton,
Hanoverton, Homeworth, Kensington, Leetonia, Libson, Minerva, Negley,
New Waterford, North Georgetown, Rogers, Salem, Salineville,
Washingtonville,
West Point, and Winona
Fulton: Metamora and Swanton
Huron: Collins, Greenwich, Huron, New
London, and Wakeman
Wood: Grand Rapids, Haskins, Millbury, Northwood,
Perrysburg, Rossford,
Stony Ridge, and Walbridge
Serving: Columbus area
Enrollment Code:
7J1 Self Only
7J2 Self
and Family
Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfeld, Fayette, Franklin, Guernsey, Hocking, Knox,
Licking, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Nobel, Perry,
Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Union counties. 13
13 Page 14 15
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 14 Section 1
Oklahoma Serving: Northeast Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and surrounding
area
Enrollment Code:
8V1 Self Only
8V2 Self and Family
Cleveland, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Rogers and Tulsa counties and portions of
the following counties defined by listed towns:
Canadian: Concho, El Reno, Mustang, Piedmont, Union City, and Yukon
Creek: Kellyville, Kiefer, Mounds, Sapulpa
Grady: Amber, Minco, and
Tuttle
Lincoln: Fallis, Jacktown, Meeker, Midway, Payson, Sparks, and
Wellston
Logan: Cedar Valley, Coyle, Guthrie, Meridian, Mulhall, Navina, and
Seward
McClain: Blanchard, Byars, Cole, Criner, Dibble, Goldsby, Newcastle,
Purcell,
Rosedale, and Washington
Osage: Skiatook, Osage, Prue
Wagoner: Choska, Coweta, Fair Oaks, New
Tulsa, Oneta
Rhode Island Serving: All of Rhode Island
Enrollment Code:
5U1
Self Only
5U2 Self and Family
The State of Rhode Island
Tennessee Serving: Nashville and Middle Tennessee areas
Enrollment
Code:
6J1 Self Only
6J2 Self and Family
Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Coffee, Davidson, Dekalb, Dickson, Franklin,
Giles,
Hickman, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marshall, Maury,
Moore, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne,
Williamson, and Wilson counties 14
14 Page 15 16
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 15 Section 1
Texas
2/ 98
This
service has Commendable
accreditation from the NCQA.
See the FEHB
Guide for more
information on NCQA.
Serving: Houston area
Enrollment Code:
5B1 Self Only
5B2 Self
and Family
Brazoria, Chambers, Ft. Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty,
Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties
Serving: San Antonio area
Enrollment Code:
8X1 Self Only
8X2
Self and Family
Bexar, Comal, Guadelupe and Kendall counties
Washington Serving: Western and Southeast Washington areas
Enrollment
Code:
8J1 Self Only
8J2 Self and Family
Columbia, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Walla Walla counties. 15
15 Page 16 17
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 16 Section 2
Section 2. How we change for 2001
Program-wide changes The
plain language team reorganized the brochure and the way we describe our
benefits. We hope this will make it
easier for you to compare plans.
This year, the Federal Employees Health
Benefits Program is implementing network mental health and substance
abuse
parity. This means that your coverage for mental health, substance abuse,
medical, surgical, and hospital
services from providers in our plan network
will be the same with regard to coinsurance, copays, and day and visit
limitations when you follow a treatment plan that we approve. Previously,
higher cost sharing and shorter day
limitations were placed on mental health
and substance abuse services than we did on services to treat physical
illness, injury, or disease.
Many healthcare organizations have turned their attention this past year to
improving healthcare quality and patient
safety. OPM asked all FEHB plans to
join them in this effort. You can find specific information on our patient
safety
activities by calling Customer Service at 1-800-537-9384, or
checking our website at www. aetnaushc. com/ feds. You
can find
out more about patient safety on the OPM website, www. opm. gov/ insure. To
improve your healthcare, take
these five steps:
Speak up if you have questions or concerns.
Keep a list of all the
medicines you take.
Make sure you get the results of any test or procedure.
Talk with your doctor and health care team about your options if you need
hospital care.
Make sure you understand what will happen if you need
surgery.
We clarified the language to show that anyone who needs a mastectomy may
choose to have the procedure performed
on an inpatient basis and remain in
the hospital up to 48 hours after the procedure. Previously, the language
referenced only women.
Changes to this Plan If you are enrolled in Prudential Healthcare
HMO-Midwest enrollment Code S3 in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky,
your enrollment will automatically be transferred into Aetna U. S. Healthcare
enrollment Code RD. Please review this
brochure for your benefits.
If you are enrolled in Prudential Healthcare HMO enrollment Code S3 and live
or work in Ripley and Union counties
in Indiana, in Bracken, Carroll
and Mason counties in Kentucky, in Drake county Ohio, you must
select another
Plan under the FEHB Program. The Plan is eliminating these
counties from its service area. If you do nothing, you
will only have
benefits for emergency care and you must travel to the Plan's service area for
other covered services.
See page 8.
If you are enrolled in Prudential Healthcare HMO-New York enrollment Code 9P
in New York City, Long Island,
Hudson Valley counties, New York, your
enrollment will automatically be transferred into Aetna U. S. Healthcare
enrollment Code JC. Please review this brochure for your benefits.
If you are enrolled in Prudential Healthcare HMO-Atlanta enrollment Code EZ
in Georgia, your enrollment will
automatically be transferred into
Aetna U. S. Healthcare enrollment Code 2U. Please review this brochure for your
benefits.
If you are enrolled in Prudential Healthcare HMO enrollment Code UP and VX in
Texas, your enrollment will
automatically be transferred into Aetna
U. S. Healthcare enrollment Codes 5B and 8X, respectfully. Please review this
brochure for your benefits.
If you are enrolled in Code NK in Delaware, your enrollment will be
automatically transferred to the Plan enrollment
Code SU, High Option.
However, you may change to a Standard Option enrollment during Open Season. See
the
Plan's Federal Brochure (RI-73-052) for a complete description. 16
16 Page 17 18
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 17 Section 2
If you are enrolled in Code RD in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, it
will split into four; 7D, 7J, 7L while retaining
RD. Your enrollment will be
automatically transferred into code 7J. If you do nothing, your benefits will
not change;
however, you will pay a higher rate. See page 13 for the Plan's
new enrollment code and service area description.
If you are enrolled in Code 6T in Missouri and Illinois, the
Plan redefined the service area and you must select
another code under this
Plan or another Plan under the FEHB Program. See page 12 for Plan's new
enrollment code
serving these areas.
If you are enrolled in Code TK in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, your
enrollment will be automatically transferred into
Code NG that serves Baton
Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans areas. We are merging the two codes into one
service
area. See page 11 for a complete description.
If you are enrolled in Code Z1 in Richmond, Virginia, your enrollment
will be automatically transferred to the Plan
enrollment Code XE High
Option. However, you may change to a Standard Option enrollment during Open
Season.
See the Plan's Federal brochure RI-73-052 for a complete
description.
If you are enrolled in Code TS and live or work in Dallas/ Fort Worth,
Texas areas, you must select another Plan
under the FEHB Program. The
Dallas/ Fort Worth area is being eliminated from the Plan's service. If you do
not
change to another Plan during Open Season you will not have benefits in
2001.
If you are enrolled in Code 9M and live or work in Maine, you must
select another Plan under the FEHB Program.
Maine is being eliminated from
the Plan's service area. If you do not change to another Plan during Open Season
you
will not have benefits in 2001.
If you are enrolled in Code 2U and live or work in the Macon, Georgia
area, you must select another Plan under the
FEHB Program. Macon area is
being eliminated from the Plan's service area. If you do nothing you will only
have
benefits for emergency care and you must travel to the Plan's service
area for other covered services. See page 9.
If you are enrolled in Code 8J and live or work in Lewis and Thurston
counties or the cities of Port Angeles, Sequim,
Anacortes in Western
Washington, you must select another Plan under the FEHB Program. The Plan
is eliminating
these counties and cities from its service area. If you do
nothing, you will only have benefits for emergency care and
you must travel
to the Plan's service area for other covered services. See page 15.
The Plan expanded its service area in New York and added TG as a new
enrollment Code. Enrollment Code TG
serves the following New York counties:
Broome, Cayuga, Onondaga, Owsego, and Tioga. See page 12. The Plan
expanded
its service area for enrollment Code NG by adding the following Louisiana
parishes: Baton Rouge parishes
of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East
Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Point Coupee, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, West
Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana; Lafayette area parishes of Evangeline,
Liberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Mary,
St. Martin, Beauregard, Calcasieu,
Jefferson Davis, and the following parishes are increasing from partial to full:
Acadia, Assumption, Plaquemines, St. James, Terrebonne, Washington and
Vermilion. See page 12.
The Plan expanded its Georgia service area by adding Wilkes county.
See page 9.
The Plan expanded its Colorado service area by adding
Mesa county. See page 9.
The Plan expanded its Michigan service area
by adding the following portions of Monroe county: Ash, Bedford,
Berlin,
Dundee, Erie, Exeter, Frenchtown, Ida, LaSalle, London, Kaiserville, Summerfield
townships and the cities of
Monroe, Luna Pier and Petersburg. See page 11.
The Plan expanded its Indiana service area by adding the following
counties: Owen, Pendleton, Gallatin, Franklin
and Bourbon. See page 10.
The Plan expanded its Ohio service area by adding the following
counties: Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Sandusky and
Seneca. See page 13.
The Plan expanded its N. Carolina service area by adding the following
counties: Durham, Orange and Wake. See
page 12.
The mental health/ substance abuse outpatient visit limit of 40 visits has
been eliminated. Visits for these services will
now be treated as any other
illness based on medical necessity. See page 40. 17
17
Page 18 19
2001
Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 18 Section 2
The copayment for
specialist office visit has been increased from $10 to $15. See Section 5 (a).
The copayment for home visits by specialist has increased from $15 to $20.
See Section 5 (a).
The mental health/ substance abuse outpatient copay has
been changed to $15 per visit. See Section 5 (e).
The inpatient mental
health/ substance abuse 35-day annual limit has been eliminated and will now
have no day limit.
Inpatient mental health/ substance abuse days will be
treated as any other illness based on medical necessity. See
Section 5 (e).
Prophylaxis (cleaning of teeth ) changed from once every 6 months to cover 2
treatments per year. See Section 5 (h).
Benefits for Dental diagnostic
services changed. See Section 5 (h).
For certain age groups women may now
access additional routine mammograms. See page 26.
Arizona, Code WQ. Your
share of the non-postal premium will increase by 14.4% for Self Only or increase
by
14.4% for Self and Family.
California, Code BU. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
10.9% for Self Only or increase by
7.1% for Self and Family.
California, Code 2X. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
5.5% for Self Only or increase by 5.5%
for Self and Family.
Colorado, Code 6F. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
31.9% for Self Only or increase by
51.0% for Self and Family.
Connecticut, Code H1. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
23.3% for Self Only or increase by
15.7% for Self and Family.
Georgia, Code 2U. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 1.8%
for Self Only or decrease by 6.4%
for Self and Family.
Illinois, Code XC. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 2.2%
for Self Only or increase by 2.7%
for Self and Family.
Indiana, Code XC. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 2.2%
for Self Only or increase by 2.7%
for Self and Family.
Indiana, Code RD. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 7.9%
for Self Only or increase by 8.2%
for Self and Family.
Kansas, Code 7K. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 4.6%
for Self Only or increase by 3.6% for
Self and Family.
Kentucky, Code RD. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 7.9%
for Self Only or increase by 8.2%
for Self and Family.
Louisiana, Code NG. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
1.5% for Self Only or increase by 8.3%
for Self and Family.
Massachusetts, Code NE. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
15.6% for Self Only or increase by
10.0% for Self and Family.
Michigan, Code 8Z. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 5.3%
for Self Only or increase by 4.5%
for Self and Family.
Missouri, Code 7K. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 4.6%
for Self Only or increase by 3.6%
for Self and Family.
Nevada, Code 8L. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 26.0%
for Self Only or increase by 26.0%
for Self and Family. 18
18 Page 19 20
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 19 Section 2
New York, Code JC. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
8.2% for Self Only or decrease by 1.0%
for Self and Family.
North Carolina, Code 3G. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase
by 2.4% for Self Only or decrease by
2.1% for Self and Family.
Ohio, Code RD (Greater Cincinnati). Your share of the non-postal premium will
increase by 7.9% for Self Only or
increase by 8.2% for Self and Family.
Oklahoma, Code 8V. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
24.2% for Self Only or increase by
25.8% for Self and Family.
Rhode Island, Code 5U. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
16.9% for Self Only or increase by
18.8% for Self and Family.
Tennessee, Code 6J. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
39.3% for Self Only or increase by 82.5%
for Self and Family.
Texas, Code 5B. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 4.8%
for Self Only or increase by 2.8% for
Self and Family.
Texas, Code 8X. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by 35.4%
for Self Only or increase by 30.9% for
Self and Family.
Washington, Code 8J. Your share of the non-postal premium will increase by
21.1% for Self Only or increase by
19.9% for Self and Family. 19
19 Page 20 21
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 20 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
1-800-537-9384.
Where you get covered care You get covered care from "Plan
providers" and "Plan facilities." You will only pay copayments or
coinsurance, 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 website at www. aetnaushc. com/
feds.
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
facilities in the provider directory, which we update periodically. The list
is
also on our website at www. aetnaushc. com/ feds.
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 must select a Plan provider who is located in your service area as
defined by your enrollment code.
Primary care Your primary care physician can be a general
practitioner, family practitioner, internist or pediatrician. Your primary care
physician will
provide or coordinate 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 or visit our website. We will change your
primary care physician to a newly-selected primary care physician.
Specialty care Your primary care physician will refer you to a
specialist for needed care. However, you may see any Plan gynecologist for a
routine well-woman
exam, including a pap smear (if appropriate) and an unlimited number of
visits for gynecological problems and follow-up care as described in your
benefit plan without a referral. You may also see a Plan mental health
provider, Plan vision specialist or a Plan dentist without a referral. 20
20 Page 21 22
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 21 Section 3
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 develop
a treatment plan that allows you to see your specialist for a certain
number of visits without additional referrals. 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 covered 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 1-800-537-9384. 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 benefits of the hospitalized person. 21
21 Page 22 23
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 22 Section 3
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.
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 precertification. Your Plan
physician must obtain approval for certain services such as hospitalization
or outpatient surgery and the following services:
For artificial insemination you must contact the Infertility Case Manager at
1-800-575-5999;
For surgical treatment of morbid obesity;
For covered
transplant surgery from the Plan's medical director;
When full-time skilled
nursing care is necessary in an extended care facility;
For ambulance transportation service;
You must obtain precertification
from your primary care doctor and Aetna U. S. Healthcare for covered follow-up
care with
nonparticipating provider;
You must contact Customer Service at
1-800-537-9384 for information on precertification before you have mental health
and
substance abuse services; and
For certain drugs before they can be
prescribed. 22
22 Page
23 24
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
23 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 when you receive services.
Example: When you see your primary care physician you pay a copayment
of
$10 per office visit or $15 when you see a participating specialist.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our negotiated fee that
you must pay for your care.
Example: In our Plan, you pay 50% of charges for drugs to treat sexual
dysfunction up to the dosage limits.
Your out-of-pocket maximum We do not have an overall member
out-of-pocket maximum. 23
23 Page 24 25
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 24 Section 5
Section 5. Benefits Ñ
OVERVIEW
(See page 16 for how our benefits changed this year and page 70 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. For more
information about our benefits, contact us at 1-800-537-9384 or at our website
at
www. aetnaushc. com/ feds.
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other health
care professionals.................................... 25
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
Rehabilitative therapies
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
Alternative
treatments Educational classes and programs
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians and other health
care professionals ................................ 32
Surgical procedures
Reconstructive surgery Oral and maxillofacial surgery Organ/ tissue transplants
Anesthesia
(c) Services provided by a hospital or other facility, and
ambulance services
............................................................... 35
Inpatient
hospital Outpatient hospital or ambulatory
surgical center
Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care facility
benefits
Hospice care Ambulance
(d) Emergency services/
accidents.....................................................................................................................................
37
Medical emergency Ambulance
(e) Mental health and substance abuse benefits
...............................................................................................................
40
(f) Prescription drug
benefits............................................................................................................................................
42
(g) Special features
............................................................................................................................................................
45
Services for deaf and hearing-impaired
...............................................................................................................
45 Reciprocity
............................................................................................................................................................
45
High risk pregnancies
...........................................................................................................................................
45 Centers of excellence for transplants/ surgery etc.
...............................................................................................
45
(h) Dental benefits
.............................................................................................................................................................
46
(i) Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan
members.........................................................................................................
49
Summary of benefits
...........................................................................................................................................................
70 24
24 Page 25
26
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 25
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 covered 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
Professional services of physicians
In physician's office
Office
medical consultations
Second surgical opinion
Initial examination of a
newborn child covered under a family enrollment
$10 per primary care
physician (PCP) visit
$15 per specialist visit
Professional services of physicians
In an urgent care center
During a
hospital stay
In a skilled nursing facility
$10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
At home $15 per PCP visit
$20 per specialist visit
At home visits by nurses and health aides Nothing
Lab, X-ray and other diagnostic tests
Test, 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 PCP
visit or $15 per specialist
visit 25
25 Page 26 27
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 26 Section
5( a)
Preventive care, adult You pay
Routine screenings, such
as:
Blood lead level Ñ One annually
Total Blood Cholesterol
Ñ once every three years, ages 19 through 64
Colorectal Cancer Screening, including
Fecal occult blood test
Sigmoidoscopy, screening Ñ every five years starting at age 50
$10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA test) Ñ one annually for men age 40 and
older
$10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
Routine pap test
NOTE: No copay for the pap test if performed on
the same day as the
office visit
$10 per PCP visit or
$15 per specialist visit
Routine mammogram Ñ 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 calendar years
$10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
Routine Immunizations and boosters Nothing if provided during the office
visit
Not covered:
Physical exams required for obtaining or
continuing employment or insurance, attending schools or camp, or travel.
Immunizations and boosters for travel or work-related exposure
All charges
Preventive care, children
Childhood immunizations recommended by
the American Academy of Pediatrics Nothing
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 (through age 22)
Well-child visits for routine examinations, immunizations and care (through
age 22)
$10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit 26
26 Page 27 28
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 27 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 below 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 cover an extended
inpatient stay if
your Physician determines it is 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 for the first PCP visit
only or $15 for the first
specialist
visit only
Not covered: Routine sonograms to determine fetal age, size or sex All
charges
Family planning
Voluntary sterilization
Surgically implanted contraceptives, such as Norplant
Injectable
contraceptive drugs
Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
$10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered: reversal of voluntary surgical sterilization, genetic
counseling,
All charges 27
27 Page 28 29
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 28 Section 5( a)
Infertility services You
pay
Diagnosis and treatment of infertility, such as:
Artificial
insemination:
intravaginal insemination (IVI)
intracervical insemination
(ICI)
intrauterine insemination (IUI)
NOTE: Coverage is for 6
cycles. Artificial insemination must
be authorized. You must contact the
Infertility Case Manager at
1-800-575-5999. You must use our select network
of Plan infertility
providers.
Fertility drugs
NOTE: We cover oral fertility drugs under the
prescription drug benefit.
Injectable fertility drugs are not covered.
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered:
Reversal of voluntary, surgically-induced
sterility.
Treatment for infertility when the cause of the infertility was a previous
sterilization.
Infertility treatment when the FSH level is greater than 19 mIU/ ml.
The purchase, freezing and storage of donor sperm and donor embryos.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures not shown, such as in
vitro fertilization an embryo transfer including, but not limited to,
GIFT
and ZIFT.
All charges
Allergy care
Testing and treatment
Allergy injection
$10
per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
Allergy serum Nothing
Treatment therapies
Chemotherapy and
radiation therapy
NOTE: High dose chemotherapy in association with
autologous bone
marrow transplants are limited to those transplants listed
under
Organ/ Tissue Transplants on page 34.
Respiratory and inhalation therapy
Dialysis Ñ Hemodialysis and
peritoneal dialysis
Intravenous (IV)/ Infusion Therapy Ñ Home IV and
antibiotic therapy
Growth hormone therapy (GHT)
$15 per specialist visit 28
28 Page 29 30
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 29 Section 5( a)
Rehabilitative therapies
You pay
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and
pulmonary
therapy Ñ
Two consecutive months per condition, beginning with the first day of
treatment for each of the following:
Qualified physical therapies
Speech therapies
Occupational therapy
Pulmonary rehabilitation
NOTE: We only cover speech therapy for certain speech impairments
of organic origin. Occupational therapy is limited to services that assist
the member to achieve and maintain self-care and improved
functioning in
other activities of daily living.
Inpatient rehabilitation is covered under Hospital/ Extended Care
Benefits.
Cardiac rehabilitation following angioplasty, cardiovascular surgery,
congestive heart failure or a myocardial infarction is provided for up
to 3 visits a week for a total of 18 visits.
Physical therapy to treat
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction syndrome
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered:
long-term rehabilitative therapy
All charges
Hearing services (testing, treatment, and supplies)
Hearing
testing for children through age 17 (see Preventive care, children) $10
per PCP visit or $15 per specialist visit
Not covered:
All other hearing testing
Hearing aids,
testing and examinations for them
All charges 29
29 Page 30 31
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 30 Section 5( a)
Vision services (testing,
treatment, and supplies) You pay
Treatment of eye diseases and injury
$10 per PCP visit $15 per specialist visit
Corrective eyeglasses and frames or contact lenses (hard or soft) per 24
month period. All charges over $100
Routine eye refraction based on the
following schedule:
If member wears eyeglasses or contact lenses:
Age 1
through 18 Ñ once every 12-month period
Age 19 and over Ñ once
every 24-month period
If member does not wear eyeglasses or contact lenses:
To age 45 Ñ once every 36-month period
Age 45 and over Ñ once every 24-month period refractions
$10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered:
Fitting of contact lenses
Eye exercises
Radial keratotomy and other refractive surgery
All charges
Foot care
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
$15 per specialist 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)
Foot orthotics
All charges 30
30 Page 31 32
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 31 Section 5( a)
Orthopedic and prosthetic
devices You pay
External prosthetic devices which replace all or part of
an internal or external body organ or an external body part
Externally worn breast prostheses and surgical bras, including necessary
replacements, following a mastectomy, orthopedic devices
such as braces and
prosthetic devices such as artificial limbs
Internal prosthetic devices,
such as artificial joints, pacemakers,
cochlear implants, defibrillator,
surgically implanted breast implant
following mastectomy, and lenses
following cataract removal.
Corrective orthopedic appliances for non-dental treatment of
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain dysfunction syndrome.
NOTE: Coverage includes repair and replacement when due to growth
or normal wear and tear.
See 5( b) for coverage of the surgery to insert the device.
Nothing
Durable medical equipment (DME)
Rental or purchase, including
replacement, repair and adjustment, of
durable medical equipment prescribed
by your Plan Physician, such as
hospital beds and wheelchairs.
Nothing
Home health services
Home health care ordered by a Plan Physician
and provided by nurses and home health aides. Your Plan Physician will
periodically review
the program for continuing appropriateness and need.
Services include oxygen therapy, intravenous therapy and medications.
Nothing
Not covered:
Homemaker services
All charges
Alternative treatments
Chiropractic services up to 20 visits per
calendar year $10 per PCP visit
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered: Any services not listed above All charges
Educational classes and programs
Our L'il Appleseed ®
Program provides risk screening and assistance for
all pregnant members. We
also offer special benefits, such as educational
literature about pregnancy
and childbirth, $40 reimbursement for
attending prenatal classes, nurse
visits, and discounts on baby products.
Also see the Non-FEHB page for our Member Health Education,
Informed
Health Line and Intelihealth.
Nothing 31
31 Page
32 33
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
32 Section 5( b)
Section 5 (b). Surgical and anesthesia
services provided by physicians and other health care professionals
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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
covered 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 (c) for
charges associated with the facility (i. e. hospital, surgical center, etc.)
YOU MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION FOR SOME SURGICAL PROCEDURES.
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Benefit Description You pay
Surgical procedures
Treatment of
fractures, including casting
Normal pre-and post-operative care by the
surgeon
Correction of amblyopia and strabismus
Endoscopy procedure
Biopsy procedure
Removal of tumors and cysts
Correction of
congenital anomalies (see reconstructive surgery)
Surgical treatment of
morbid obesity Ñ a condition in which an individual weighs 100 pounds or
100% over his or her normal weight
according to current underwriting standards; eligible members must be
age
18 or over. This procedure must be approved in advance by HMO.
Insertion of internal prosthetic devices. See 5( a) Ñ Orthopedic
braces and prosthetic devices for device coverage information.
Voluntary sterilization
Norplant (a surgically implanted contraceptive)
and intrauterine devices (IUDs) NOTE: Devices are covered under 5( a).
Treatment of burns
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered:
Reversal of voluntary surgically-induced
sterilization
Surgery primarily for cosmetic purposes
Refractive eye surgery,
such as radial keratotomy
Blood and blood derivatives, except blood
derived clotting factors, and the storage of the patient's own blood for later
administration
All charges 32
32 Page 33 34
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 33 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.
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.
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered:
Cosmetic surgery Ñ 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
Oral surgical procedures, such as:
Treatment of fractures of the jaws or facial bones;
Surgical correction
of congenital defects, such as cleft lip and cleft palate;
Removal of stones from salivary ducts;
Excision of leukoplakia or
malignancies;
Removal of bony impacted wisdom teeth;
Excision of tumors
and cysts
Other surgical procedures that do not involve the teeth or their
supporting structures.
$15 per specialist visit
Not covered:
Dental implants
Dental care involved
with the treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction
All charges 33
33 Page 34 35
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 34 Section 5( b)
Organ/ tissue transplants
You pay
Limited to:
Cornea
Heart
Heart/ lung
Kidney
Liver
Lung: Single Ñ Double
Pancreas
Skin
Tissue
Allogeneic (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
National Transplant Program (NTP) Ñ Transplants which are
non-experimental or non-investigational are a covered benefit. Covered
transplants must be ordered by your primary care doctor and plan
specialist physician and approved by our medical director in advance
of
the surgery. The transplant must be performed at hospitals
specifically
approved and designated by us to perform these
procedures. A transplant is
non-experimental and non-investigational
when we have determined, in our
sole discretion, that the medical
community has generally accepted the
procedure as appropriate
treatment for your specific condition. Coverage for
a transplant where
you are the recipient includes coverage for the medical
and surgical
expenses of a live donor, to the extent these services are not
covered
by another plan or program.
NOTE: We cover related medical and hospital expenses of the donor
when we cover the recipient.
$15 per specialist office
visit and nothing for the
surgery
Not covered:
Transplants not listed as covered
All charges
Anesthesia
Professional services provided in Ñ
Hospital
(inpatient)
Nothing
Hospital outpatient department
Skilled nursing facility
Ambulatory
surgical center
Office
$15 per specialist visit 34
34 Page 35 36
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 35 Section 5( c)
Section 5 (c). Services
provided by a hospital or other facility, and ambulance services
I
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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 covered 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
covered care. Any costs associated with the professional charge (i. e.,
physicians, etc.) are covered in Section 5( a) or (b).
YOU MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION OF HOSPITAL STAYS.
I
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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.
Nothing
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
The withdrawal, processing and storage of the patient's own blood
for later administration, and the administration of this blood to the patient
Serum, clotting factors and immunoglobulins
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
Inpatient hospital Ñ Continued on the next page 35
35 Page 36 37
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 36 Section
5( c)
Inpatient hospital (Continued) You pay
Not covered:
Custodial care, rest cures, domiciliary or
convalescent cares
Personal comfort items, such as telephone and,
television
All charges
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical center
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, except blood clotting factors,
and the storage of the patient's own blood for later administration.
All
charges
Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care facility benefits
Extended care benefit: All necessary services during confinement in an
skilled nursing facility with no dollar or day limit when full-time nursing
care is necessary and the confinement is medically appropriate as
determined by a Plan doctor and approved by the Plan.
Nothing
Not covered: custodial care All charges
Hospice care
Supportive and palliative care for a terminally ill member in the home
or
hospice facility, including inpatient and outpatient care and family
counseling, when provided under the direction of a Plan doctor, who
certifies the patient is in the terminal stages of illness, with a life
expectancy of approximately 6 months or less.
Nothing
Ambulance
Ambulance service ordered or authorized by a Plan doctor
Nothing
Not covered: Ambulance services for routine transportation to
receive
outpatient or inpatient services.
All Charges 36
36 Page 37 38
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 37 Section
5( d)
Section 5 (d). Emergency services/ accidents
I
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T
A
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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
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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, gunshot
wounds, or sudden inability to breathe. There
are many other acute
conditions that we may determine are medical emergencies Ñ what they all
have in
common is the need for quick action.
What to do in case of emergency:
If you need emergency care, you
are covered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, anywhere in the world. An
emergency medical condition is one manifesting itself by acute symptoms of
sufficient severity such that a
prudent layperson, who possesses average
knowledge of health and medicine, could reasonably expect the
absence of
immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to the person's
health, or with respect to a
pregnant woman, the health of the woman and her
unborn child.
Whether you are in or out of an Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO service area, we
simply ask that you follow the
guidelines below when you believe you need
emergency care.
Call the local emergency hotline (ex. 911) or go to the nearest emergency
facility. If a delay would not be detrimental to your health, call your primary
care provider. Notify your primary care provider as soon as
possible after receiving treatment.
After assessing and stabilizing your
condition, the emergency facility should contact your primary care physician so
they can assist the treating physician by supplying information about your
medical history.
If you are admitted to an inpatient facility, you or a family member or
friend on your behalf should notify your primary care physician or us as soon as
possible.
What to Do Outside Your Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO Service Area
Members who are traveling outside their HMO service area or students who
are away at school are covered
for emergency and urgently needed care.
Urgent care may be obtained from a private practice physician, a
walk-in
clinic, an urgent care center or an emergency facility. Certain conditions, such
as severe vomiting,
earaches, sore throats or fever, are considered
"urgent care" outside your Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO service
area
and are covered in any of the above settings.
If, after reviewing information submitted to us by the provider that supplied
care, the nature of the urgent or
emergency problem does not qualify for
coverage, it may be necessary to provide us with additional
information. We
will send you an Emergency Room Notification Report to complete, or a Member
Services
representative can take this information by telephone. 37
37 Page 38 39
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 38 Section
5( d)
Follow-up Care after Emergencies All follow-up care should
be coordinated by your PCP. Follow-up care with nonparticipating providers is
only covered
with a referral from your primary care physician and
pre-approval from Aetna U. S. Healthcare. Whether you were
treated inside or
outside your Aetna U. S. Healthcare service area, you must obtain a referral
before any follow-up care
can be covered. Suture removal, cast removal,
X-rays and clinic and emergency room revisits are some examples of
follow-up
care.
What to do in case of emergency:
Emergencies within our service area:
If you are in an emergency situation, call you primary care doctor. In
extreme emergencies or 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 Plan member so they can
notify your primary care doctor. You or a family member must notify your primary
care
doctor as soon as possible after receiving emergency care. It is your
responsibility to ensure that your primary care
doctor has been timely
notified.
If you need to be hospitalized, the Plan must be notified as soon as
possible. If you are hospitalized in non-Plan facilities
and a Plan doctor
believes care can be better provided in a Plan hospital, you will 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-participating providers must be approved by us or
provided by plan
providers.
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, the Plan must be notified as soon as
possible. If a Plan doctor believes care can be better
provided in a Plan
hospital, you will 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-participating providers must be approved by us or
provided by plan
providers.
Benefit Description You pay
Emergency within our service area
Emergency care at a doctor's office $10 per PCP visit $15 per specialist
visit
Emergency care as an outpatient in a hospital or an urgent care center
NOTE: If the emergency results in admission to a hospital, the copay
is
waived.
$35 per visit
Not covered: Elective care or non-emergency care All charges
Emergency outside our service area
Emergency care at a
doctor's office $10 per PCP visit $15 per specialist visit
Emergency care as an outpatient in a hospital or an urgent care center
NOTE: If the emergency results in admission to a hospital, the copay
is
waived.
$35 per visit
Emergency outside our service area Ñ Continued on the next page
38
38 Page 39
40
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 39
Section 5( d)
Emergency outside our service area (continued) You
pay
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
Professional ambulance service when medically
appropriate.
See 5( c) for non-emergency service.
Nothing for covered
care
Not covered: air ambulance All charges 39
39
Page 40 41
2001
Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 40 Section 5( e)
Section 5 (e).
Mental health and substance abuse benefits
Network Benefit
I
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Parity
Beginning in 2001, all FEHB Plans' mental health and
substance abuse benefits
will achieve "parity" with other
benefits. This means that we will provide mental
health and substance abuse
benefits differently than in the past.
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
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A
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Description You pay
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
$15 per visit
Diagnostic tests $15 per visit
Services provided by a hospital or other
facility
Services in approved alternative care settings such as partial
hospitalization, residential treatment, full-day hospitalization, facility
based intensive outpatient treatment
Nothing
Not covered:
Services we have not approved
Out of
network mental health and substance abuse services
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 40
40 Page 41 42
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 41 Section 5( e)
Preauthorization To be
eligible to receive these benefits you must follow your treatment plan and all
the following authorization processes:
Contact Customer Services at
1-800-537-9384 to identify providers and
obtain information on the referral
process.
Special transitional benefit If a mental health or substance abuse
professional provider is treating you under our plan as of January 1, 2001, you
will be eligible for continued
coverage with your provider for up to 90 days
under the following
conditions:
If your mental health or substance abuse professional provider with whom you
are currently in treatment leaves the plan at our request for
other than cause.
If this condition applies to you, we will allow you
reasonable time to
transfer your care to a participating mental health or
substance abuse
professional provider. During the transitional period, you
may continue to
see your treating provider and will not pay any more
out-of-pocket than
you did in the year 2000 for services. This transitional
period will begin
with our notice to you of the change in coverage and will
end 90 days after
you receive our notice. If we write to you before October
1, 2000, the 90-
day period ends before January 1 and this transitional
benefit does not
apply.
Network limitation We may limit your benefits if you do not follow
your treatment plan.
How to submit network claims Mail your itemized
bills to Aetna U. S. Healthcare, P. O. Box 1125, Blue Bell, PA 19422. 41
41 Page 42 43
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 42 Section
5( f)
Section 5 (f). Prescription drug benefits
I
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A
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Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
We cover prescribed drugs and medications, 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 we determine they are medically
necessary.
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.
Certain drugs require your doctor to get precertification from the Plan
before they can be prescribed under the Plan. Upon approval by the Plan, the
prescription is good for the current calendar year or a specified time
period,
whichever is less.
I
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There are important features you should be aware of. These include:
Who can write your prescription. A licensed physician or dentist must
write the prescription.
Where you can obtain them. You must fill
non-emergency prescriptions at a Plan pharmacy for up to a 30-day supply, or by
mail for a 31-90 day supply of medication (if authorized by your physician).
Please
call Member Services at 1-800-537-9384 for more details on how to use the
mail order program. In an
emergency or urgent care situation, you may fill
your covered prescription at any retail pharmacy. If you
obtain your
prescription at a pharmacy that does not participate with the plan, you will
need to pay the
pharmacy the full price of the prescription and submit a
claim for reimbursement subject to the terms and
conditions of the plan.
We use a formulary. Drugs are prescribed by Plan doctors and dispensed
in accordance with the Plan's drug formulary. The Plan's formulary does not
exclude medications from coverage, but requires a higher
copayment for nonformulary drugs. Nonformulary drugs will be covered when
prescribed by a Plan
doctor. Certain drugs require your doctor to get
precertification from the Plan before they can be
prescribed under the Plan.
Visit our website at www. aetnaushc. com/ feds to review our Formulary
Guide
or call 1-800-537-9384.
Precertification. Your pharmacy benefits plan includes our
precertification program. Precertification helps encourage the appropriate and
cost-effective use of certain drugs. These drugs must be pre-authorized by
our Pharmacy Management Precertification Unit before they will be covered.
Only your physician or
pharmacist in the case of an antibiotic or analgesic
can request prior authorization for a drug.
The precertification program is based upon current medical findings,
manufacturer labeling, FDA
guidelines and cost information.
The drugs requiring precertification are subject to change. Visit our website
for the current Precertification
List.
These are the dispensing limitations. Covered prescription drugs
prescribed by a licensed physician or dentist and obtained at a Participating
Plan Pharmacy may be dispensed for up to a 30-day supply.
Members must obtain a 31-to 90 day supply of covered prescription medication
through mail order.
When you have to file a claim. Send your itemized
bill( s) to: Aetna U. S. Healthcare, P. O. Box 1125, Blue Bell, PA 19422.
Prescription drug benefits Ñ Begin on the next page. 42
42 Page 43 44
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 43 Section
5( f)
Benefit Description You pay
Covered medications and
supplies
We cover the following medications and supplies prescribed by a
Plan
physician or dentist and obtained from a Plan pharmacy or through our
mail order program:
Drugs for which a prescription is required by Federal law
Oral
contraceptive drugs.
Insulin
Disposable needles and syringes need to
inject covered prescribed medication, including insulin.
Diabetic supplies limited to lancets, alcohol swabs, urine test strips/
tablets, and blood glucose test strips
Contraceptive drugs and devices
Oral fertility drugs
Intravenous fluids and medications for home use, implantable drugs, such as
Norplant, IUDs and some injectable drugs are covered. See
Section 5 (a) for details.
Limited benefits
Drugs to treat
sexual dysfunction are limited. Contact the Plan for dose limits.
Depo Provera is limited to 5 vials per calendar year.
One diaphragm per
calendar year
$5 per covered generic
formulary prescription/ refill
(up to a 30 day
supply) or $10
for a 31-to 90-day supply
through mail order
$10 per covered brand name
formulary prescription/ refill
(up to a 30
day supply) or $20
for a 31-to 90-day supply
through mail order
$25 per covered non-formulary
(generic or brand)
prescription/ refill
(up to a 30
day supply) or $50 for a 31-
to 90-day supply through mail
order
50%
$10 copay per vial
$10 per diaphragm
Here are some things to keep in mind about our prescription drug program:
A generic equivalent may be dispensed if it is available, and where allowed
by law.
To request a copy of the Aetna U. S. Healthcare Medication Formulary Guide,
call 1-800-537-9384. The information in the Medication
Formulary Guide is
subject to change. Please visit our website at
www. aetnaushc. com/ feds
for current Medication Formulary Guide
information.
Covered medications and supplies Ñ Continued on the next page
43
43 Page 44
45
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 44
Section 5( f)
Covered medications and supplies
(Continued) You pay
Not covered:
Drugs available without a prescription or for which there is a
nonprescription equivalent available, (i. e., an over-the-counter (OTC)
drug)
Drugs obtained at a non-Plan pharmacy except when related
to out-of-area emergency care
Vitamins and nutritional substances that can be purchased without
prescription.
Medical supplies such as dressings and antiseptics
Drugs for cosmetic purposes
Drugs to enhance athletic
performance.
Smoking-cessation drugs and medication, including, but
not limited to, nicotine patches and sprays.
Injectable fertility drugs
Drugs used for the purpose of weight
reduction (i. e., appetite suppressants)
All charges 44
44 Page 45 46
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 45 Section 5( g)
Section 5 (g). Special
Features
Feature Description
Services for the deaf and
hearing-impaired
1-800-628-3323
Reciprocity benefit If you need to visit a participating primary care
physician for a covered service, and you are 50 mile or more away from home you
may visit a
primary care physician from our Plan's approved network.
Call 1-800-537-9384 for provider information and location
Select a
doctor from 3 primary care doctors in that area
The Plan will authorize you
for one visit and any tests or X-rays ordered by that primary care physician.
You must coordinate all subsequent visits through your own participating care
physician.
High-risk pregnancies Our L'il Appleseed ® Program provides risk
screening and assistance for all pregnant members. We also offer special
benefits, such as educational
literature about pregnancy and childbirth, $40
reimbursement for
attending prenatal classes, nurse visits, and discounts on
baby products.
Centers of excellence for
transplants/ heart
surgery/ etc
Our National Medical Excellence Program ® coordinates services for
complicated or rare illnesses and transplants. The National Medical
Excellence Program is unique to Aetna U. S. Healthcare and has been created
for members with particularly difficult conditions such as rare cancers and
other complicated diseases and disorders.
Usually, the recommended treatment can be found in your area. But if your
needs extend beyond your region, the National Medical Excellence Program
may be available to send you to out-of-area experts.
The first priority is to determine an appropriate treatment program. If your
treatment program cannot be provided in the local area, we will arrange and
pay for covered care as well as related travel expenses to wherever the
necessary care is available. Prior approval is required.
Travel benefit/ services
overseas
Our National Medical Excellence Program is a case management program
that
provides consistency in the coordination of care for life threatening
and
complex illnesses. This includes bone marrow and solid organ
transplants,
investigational and new technology (when covered), and
unique services that
are offered at a limited number of medical facilities.
We also coordinate
care for members if they need covered care that is not
available in their
local area and if they become ill when traveling
temporarily outside the
Continental United States. 45
45 Page 46 47
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 46 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.
Plan dentists must provide or arrange covered care.
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
No benefits other than those listed
on the following schedule.
Dental Benefits You pay
Service
Diagnostic
Office visit
for oral evaluation Ñ limited to 2 visits per year
Bitewing x-rays
Ñ limited to 2 sets of bitewing x-rays per year
Entire x-ray series
Ñ limited to 1 entire x-ray series in any 3 year period
Periapical
x-rays and other dental x-rays Ñ as necessary
Diagnostic models
Preventive
Prophylaxis (cleaning of teeth) Ñ limited to 2
treatments per year
Topical fluoride Ñ limited to 2 courses of
treatment per year and to
children under age 18
Oral hygiene instruction
Restorative (Fillings)
Amalgam (primary) 1 surface
Amalgam
(primary) 2 surfaces
Amalgam (primary) 3 surfaces
Amalgam (primary) 4
surfaces
Amalgam (permanent) 1 surface
Amalgam (permanent) 2 surfaces
Amalgam (permanent) 3 surfaces
Amalgam (permanent) 4 surfaces
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5
Dental Benefits Ñ Continued on next page 46
46 Page 47 48
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 47 Section
5( h)
Dental Benefits (Continued) You pay
Service
Prosthodontics Removable
Denture adjustments (complete
or partial/ upper or lower)
Endodontics
Pulp cap Ñ direct
Pulp cap Ñ indirect
$5
$5
$5
NOTE: The above services are only covered when provided by your
participating primary care dentist in
accordance with the terms of your
Plan. If rendered by a participating specialist, they are provided at reduced
fees. Pediatric dentists are considered specialists. Certain other
services will be provided by your primary
care dentist at reduced fees. A
partial list appears below. Ask your primary care dentist for a complete
schedule of current reduced member fees. All member fees must be paid
directly to the participating dentist.
Each employee and dependent must select a primary care dentist from the
directory and include the dentist's
name on the enrollment or provider
selection form.
The following procedures are also available from your participating primary
care dentist up to the maximum
fee shown. These same services received
from a participating specialist may require you to pay a fee that is
higher
than the stated maximum. Call your participating primary care dentist or
participating dental specialist
for the specific fee in your area.
Service
You pay up to
a maximum fee of
Diagnostic
Sealant Ñ per permanent tooth
Space
maintainer
Restorative (Fillings)
Resin (anterior) 1 surface
Resin
(anterior) 2 surfaces
Resin (anterior) 3 surfaces
Resin (anterior) 4 or
more surfaces or incisal angle
Metallic inlay
$ 35
$445
$ 85
$115
$140
$150
$580
Prosthodontics, removable
Complete denture, (upper or lower)
Immediate denture (upper or lower)
Partial denture resin base (upper or
lower)
Partial denture cast metal framework with resin base (upper or lower)
Denture repairs
Add tooth to existing partial
Add clasp to existing
partial
$820
$885
$630
$955
$120
$105
$120
Dental benefits Ñ Continued on next page 47
47 Page 48 49
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 48 Section
5( h)
Dental Benefits (Continued)
Service
You pay up to
a maximum fee of
Prosthodontics, removable (Continued)
Denture rebase
Denture relines
Interim denture (complete or partial/ upper or lower)
Tissue conditioning
Prosthodontics, fixed
Bridge pontic
Metallic inlay/ onlay
Cast metal retainer for resin bonded prosthesis
Crown porcelain
Crown cast
Recement bridge
Post and core
Oral surgery
Extractions (nonsurgical and tissue impacted)
Anesthesia (general in office, first half-hour session)
$300
$260
$370
$ 85
$685
$650
$250
$685
$690
$ 65
$250
$380
$215
Periodontics (Gum treatment)
Gingivectomy per quadrant
Gingival curretage per quadrant
Periodontal surgery
Provisional
splinting
Scaling and root planing per quadrant
Periodontal maintenance
procedure
Endodontics (Root canal)
Therapeutic pulpotomy
Root canals
(anterior, bicuspid, molar) excluding final restoration
Apicoectomy Ñ
anterior
Orthodontics
Pre-orthodontic treatment visit
Fully banded case
(adult age 19 and over)
Fully banded case (child age 18 and under)
$250
$120
$605
$125
$120
$ 85
$100
$605
$405
$280
$4,400
$4,400
Specific fees vary by area of the country up to the stated maximum. Ask
your primary care dentist for a complete schedule of reduced fees.
Services not received from a participating dental provider are not
covered. We offer no other dental benefits than those shown above.
All
charges 48
48 Page
49 50
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
49 Section 5 (i)
Section 5 (i). Non-FEHB benefits available to
Plan members
The benefits and programs 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.
Member Health Education With our programs, Aetna U. S. Healthcare
offers special health education, preventive care and wellness programs. We
provide our members with materials that promote a healthy lifestyle and good
health.
The Healthy Eating ª Program is an easy-to-follow
approach to better health through good nutrition. It's designed to
provide
members and their families with information to develop a long term healthy
eating plan that is also realistic.
Members will also understand how to
reduce their risk of illness and disease, manage their weight, increase their
energy
level and boost their ability to fight illness.
Our Healthy Breathing ® Smoking-Cessation Program will help
you safely quit smoking with educational materials,
phone support and
discounts on over-the-counter smoking-cessation products. The member may also
enroll in an eight-to-
twelve week smoking-cessation program.
Informed Health ® Line Provides eligible members with telephone
access to registered nurses experienced in providing information on a variety
of health topics. Informed Health Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. You may call Informed Health Line at
1-800-556-1555, Informed health
Line nurses cannot diagnose, prescribe medication or give medical advice.
Intelihealth ® We offer InteliHealth, our affiliate website (www.
intelihealth. com) that provides timely, relevant, reliable and
easy-to-understand
health information online. Established in 1996, InteliHealth has received
international acclaim for the
second straight year by being named the
"People's Choice" in the Webby Awards health category. The Webby
awards
are presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts
and Sciences.
Vision One ®1 You are eligible to receive significant discounts on
eyeglasses, contact lenses and nonprescription items including
sunglasses and eyewear products through the Vision One Program
(1-800-793-8616) at more than 4,000 locations
across the country. The
discount enriches our routine vision care coverage provided in your health plan,
which includes
an eye exam from a participating provider. If your health
plan also includes coverage for eyewear such as prescription
eyeglasses or
contact lenses, your out-of-pocket expenses can be reduced when you use your
Vision One discount.
Medicare Managed Care Plan Enrollment This Plan offers Medicare
recipients enrolled in codes (WQ, 2X and parts of JC only) the opportunity to
enroll in the
Plan through Medicare. As indicated on page 56, annuitants and
former spouses with FEHB coverage and Medicare Part
B may elect to drop
their FEHB coverage and enroll in a Medicare managed care 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 this Medicare prepaid plan but will probably have to pay for hospital
coverage in addition to
the Part B premium. Before you join the plan, ask
whether the plan covers hospital benefits and, if so, what you will
have to
pay. Contact your retirement system for information on dropping your FEHB
enrollment and changing to a
Medicare managed care plan. Contact us at
1-800-282-5366 for information on the Medicare managed care 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 1-800-282-5366 for information on the
benefits
available under the Medicare HMO.
1 Vision One is a registered trademark of Cole Vision. 49
49 Page 50 51
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 50 Section 6
Section 6. General exclusions Ñ 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 and we agree, as discussed under
What Services Require Our Prior Approval on
page 22.
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;
Procedures, 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;
Procedures, 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. 50
50 Page 51 52
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 51 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, coinsurance,
or deductible.
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
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 1-800-537-9384.
When you must file a claim Ñ such as for out-of-area care Ñ
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 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 Ñ
such as the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN); and
Receipts, if you paid for your services.
Submit your claims to:
Aetna U. S. Healthcare, Inc., 1425 Union Meeting
Road, P. O. Box 1125,
Blue Bell, PA 19422
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. 51
51 Page
52 53
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
52 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 Ñ 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: Aetna U. S. Healthcare, Inc., 1425 Union Meeting Road, P. O.
Box 1125, Blue
Bell, PA 19422; 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, if applicable, arrange for the health care provider to give you
the care); or
(b) Write to you and maintain our denial Ñ 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 Ñ 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 Ñ 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 III,
P. O. Box
436, Washington, D. C. 20044-0436.
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 provide 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. 52
52 Page 53 54
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 53 Section 8
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. 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-
537-9384 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 III at 202-606-0737
between 8 a. m. and 5 p. m. eastern time.
External Review
If this Plan denied your claim for payment or
services, you can ask us to reconsider your claim. If we still deny your
claim, you can seek an independent external review, before asking OPM to
review it, if:
1. The amount of your claim or service is more than $500; and
2. The Plan
denied your claim because it did not consider the treatment medically necessary
or considered it
experimental or investigational.
The independent external review will use a neutral, independent physician
with related expertise to conduct the review.
The Plan will cover the
professional fee for the review and you will pay the cost to compile and send
your submission
to the Plan.
To request an External Review Form call 1-800-537-9384 within 60 days after
receiving the Plan's written notification
that it will uphold its original
decision to deny your claim.
The external reviewer will make a decision within 30 days after you send us
all the necessary information with the
External Review Request Form. Your
primary care doctor can request an expedited review in cases of "clinical
urgency" where your health would be seriously jeopardized if you waited
the full 30 days. In this case, the external
review organization or
physician will make a decision within 72 hours.
To request a detailed description of the external review requirements, call
the Plan's Member Relations Office at
1-800-537-9384. 53
53 Page 54 55
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 54 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 a 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 a transplant).
Medicare has two parts:
Part A (Hospital Insurance). Most people do not
have to pay for Part A.
Part B (Medical Insurance). Most people pay monthly
for Part B.
If you are eligible for Medicare, you may have choices in how you get your
health care. Medicare managed care is the term used to describe the
various health plan choices available to Medicare beneficiaries. The
information in 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 The Original Medicare Plan is available
everywhere in the United States. It is the way most people get their Medicare
Part A and Part B benefits.
You may go to any doctor, specialist, or
hospital that accepts Medicare.
Medicare pays its share and you pay your
share. Some things are not
covered under Original Medicare, like
prescription drugs.
When you are enrolled in this Plan and Original Medicare, you still need to
follow the rules in this brochure for us to cover your care. You must
continue to be authorized by your PCP, or precertified as required.
We will not waive any of our copayments or coinsurance.
(Primary payer
chart begins on next page.) 54
54 Page 55 56
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 55 Section 9
The following chart illustrates
whether Original Medicare 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 isÉ A. When either
you Ñ or your covered spouse Ñ are age 65 or over
and É
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 a reemployed annuitant with the
Federal government when É
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 Ñ or a covered family member Ñ have Medicare
based on end stage renal disease (ESRD) and É
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 É
1)
Are eligible for Medicare based on disability, and
a) Are an annuitant, or
..............................................................................................
............................. !! ! !
b) Are an active employee
........................................................................................
....................................... ............ !! ! !
Please note, if
your Plan physician does not participate in Medicare, you will have to file a
claim with Medicare. 55
55 Page
56 57
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
56 Section 9
Medicare managed care plan If you are
eligible for Medicare, you may choose to enroll in and get your Medicare
benefits from 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 cover all Medicare
Part A and B
benefits. 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.
Suspended FEHB coverage and 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 manage care plan
service area.
Enrollment in Note: If you choose not to enroll in Medicare Part B,
you can still be Medicare Part B covered under the FEHB Program. We
cannot require you to enroll in
Medicare.
TRICARE TRICARE is the health care program for members, eligible
dependent 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 disease 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 benefits. You must use our
providers.
Medicaid When you have this Plan and Medicaid, we pay first. 56
56 Page 57 58
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 57 Section 9
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.
The Member specifically acknowledges our right of subrogation. When we
provide health care benefits for injuries or illnesses for which a third
party
is or may be responsible, we shall be subrogated to your rights of
recovery
against any third party to the extent of the full cost of all
benefits provided
by us, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We may
proceed against any
third party with or without your consent.
You also specifically acknowledge our right of reimbursement. This right
of reimbursement attaches, to the fullest extent permitted by law, when we
have provided health care benefits for injuries or illness for which a third
party is or may be responsible and you and/ or your representative has
recovered any amounts from the third party or any party making payments
on the third party's behalf. By providing any benefit under this Plan, we
are granted an assignment of the proceeds of any settlement, judgment or
other payment received by you to the extent of the full cost of all benefits
provided by us. Our right of reimbursement is cumulative with and not
exclusive of our subrogation right and we may choose to exercise either or
both rights of recovery.
You and your representatives further agree to:
Notify us promptly and in
writing when notice is given to any third party of the intention to investigate
or pursue a claim to recover
damages or obtain compensation due to injuries or illness sustained by
us
that may be the legal responsibility of a third party; and
Cooperate with us and do whatever is necessary to secure our rights of
subrogation and/ or reimbursement under this Plan; and
Give us a first-priority lien on any recovery, settlement or judgment or
other source of compensation which may be had from a third party to
the
extent of the full cost of all benefits associated with injuries or
illness
provided by us for which a third party is or may be responsible
(regardless
of whether specifically set forth in the recovery, settlement,
judgment or
compensation agreement); and
Pay, as the first priority, from any recovery, settlement or judgment or
other source of compensation, any and all amounts due us as
reimbursement for the full cost of all benefits associated with injuries or
illness provided by us for which a third party is or may be responsible
(regardless of whether specifically set forth in the recovery, settlement,
judgment, or compensation agreement), unless otherwise agreed to by
us
in writing; and 57
57 Page
58 59
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
58 Section 9
Do nothing to prejudice our rights as set forth
above. This includes, but is not limited to, refraining from making any
settlement or recovery
which specifically attempts to reduce or exclude the
full cost of all
benefits provided by us.
We may recover the full cost of all benefits provided by us under this Plan
without regard to any claim of fault on the part of you, whether by
comparative negligence or otherwise. No court costs or attorney fees may
be deducted from our recovery without the prior express written consent of
us. In the event you or your representative fails to cooperate with us, you
shall be responsible for all benefits paid by us in addition to costs and
attorney's fees incurred by us in obtaining repayment. 58
58 Page 59 60
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 59 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.
Copayment A copayment is a fixed
amount of money you pay when you receive covered services. See page 23.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of expenses that you must
pay for your care. See page 23.
Covered services Care we provide
benefits for, as described in this brochure.
Custodial care Any type
of care provided in accordance with Medicare guidelines, including room and
board, that a) does not require the skills of technical or
professional personnel; b) is not furnished by or under the supervision of
such personnel or does not otherwise meet the requirements of post-hospital
Skilled Nursing Facility care; or c) is a level such that you have
reached the maximum level of physical or mental function and such person
is not likely to make further significant improvement. Custodial Care
includes, but is not limited to, any type of care where the primary purpose
of the type of care provided is to attend to your daily living activities
which
do not entail or require the continuing attention of trained medical
or
paramedical personnel. Examples of this includes, but is not limited to,
assistance in walking, getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing,
feeding,
using the toilet, changes of dressings of non infected, post
operative or
chronic conditions, preparation of special diets, supervision
of medication
which can be self-administered by the you, general maintenance
care of
colostomy or ileostomy, routine services to maintain other service
which,
in the sole determination of us, based on medically accepted
standards, can
be safely and adequately self-administered or performed by
the average
non-medical person without the direct supervision of trained
medical or
paramedical personnel, regardless of who actually provides the
service,
residential care and adult day care, protective and supportive care
including
educational services, rest cures, convalescent care
Detoxification The process whereby an alcohol or drug intoxicated or
alcohol or drug dependent person is assisted, in a facility licensed by the
appropriate
regulatory authority, through the period of time necessary to eliminate, by
metabolic or other means, the intoxicating alcohol or drug, alcohol or drug
dependent factors or alcohol in combination with drugs as determined by a
licensed Physician, while keeping the physiological risk to the patient at a
minimum. 59
59 Page
60 61
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
60 Section 10
Experimental or
investigational services
Services or supplies that are, as determined by us, experimental. A drug,
device, procedure or treatment will be determined to be experimental if:
There is not sufficient outcome data available from controlled clinical
trials published in the peer reviewed literature to substantiate its safety
and effectiveness for the disease or injury involved; or
Required fda
approval has not been granted for marketing; or
A recognized national
medical or dental society or regulatory agency has determined, in writing, that
it is experimental or for research
purposes; or
The written protocol or protocol( s) used by the treating
facility or the protocol or protocol( s) of any other facility studying
substantially the
same drug, device, procedure or treatment or the written informed
consent
used by the treating facility or by another facility studying the
same drug,
device, procedure or treatment states that it is experimental
or for
research purposes; or
It is not of proven benefit for the specific diagnosis or treatment of your
particular condition; or
It is not generally recognized by the Medical Community as effective or
appropriate for the specific diagnosis or treatment of your particular
condition; or
It is provided or performed in special settings for
research purposes.
Medically Necessity Also know as medically
necessary or medically necessary services. Services that are appropriate and
consistent with the diagnosis in
accordance with accepted medical standards as described in this document.
Medical Necessity, when used in relation to services, shall have the same
meaning as Medically Necessary Services. This definition applies only to
the determination by us of whether health care services are Covered
Benefits under this Plan.
Reasonable Charge The charge for a Covered Benefit which is determined
by us to be the prevailing charge level made for the service or supply in the
geographic
area where it is furnished. We may take into account factors such as the
complexity, degree of skill needed, type or specialty of the Provider, range
of services provided by a facility, and the prevailing charge in other areas
in determining the Reasonable Charge for a service or supply that is
unusual or is not often provided in the area or is provided by only a small
number of providers in the area. 60
60 Page 61 62
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 61 Section 10
Referral Specific
directions or instructions from your PCP, in conformance with our policies and
procedures, that direct you to a participating provider for
medically
necessary care.
Respite Care Care furnished during a period of time
when your family or usual caretaker cannot, or will not, attend to the your
needs.
Urgent Care Covered benefits required in order to prevent serious
deterioration of a your health that results from an unforeseen illness or injury
if you are
temporarily absent from the our service area and receipt of the
health care
service cannot be delayed until your return to the service area.
Us/ We Us and we refer to Aetna U. S. Healthcare, Inc.
You
You refers to the enrollee and each covered family member. 61
61 Page 62 63
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 62 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. 62
62 Page
63 64
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
63 Section 11
When benefits and
premiums start The
benefits in this brochure are effective on January 1. If you are new to this
Plan, your coverage and premiums begin on the first day of your first
pay period that starts on or after January 1. Annuitants' premiums begin on
January 1.
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
O P M, w hen r eview ing a dis puted claim or def ending 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.
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. 63
63 Page 64 65
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 64 Section
11
You may not elect TCC if you are fired from your Federal job due to
gross
misconduct.
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.
Converting to individual coverage You may convert to a non-FEHB
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 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.
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 1-800-537-9384 and explain
the situation.
If we do not resolve the issue, call THE HEALTH CARE FRAUD HOTLINE
Ñ 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. 64
64 Page 65 66
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 65 Section 11
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. 65
65 Page 66
67
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 66 DoD/
FEHB Demonstration Project
Department of Defense/ FEHB Demonstration
Project
What is it? The Department of Defense/ FEHB Demonstration
Project allows some active and retired uniformed service members and their
dependents to
enroll in the FEHB Program. The demonstration will last for three years
and began with the 1999 open season for the year 2000. Open season
enrollments will be effective January 1, 2001. DoD and OPM have set up
some special procedures to implement the Demonstration Project, noted
below. Otherwise, the provisions described in this brochure apply.
Who is eligible DoD determines who is eligible to enroll in the FEHB
Program. Generally, you may enroll if:
You are an active or retired
uniformed service member and are eligible for Medicare;
You are a dependent
of an active or retired uniformed service member and are eligible for Medicare;
You are a qualified former spouse of an active or retired uniformed service
member and you have not remarried; or
You are a survivor dependent of a
deceased active or retired uniformed service member; and
You live in one of
the geographic demonstration areas.
If you are eligible to enroll in a plan
under the regular Federal Employees
Health Benefits Program, you are not
eligible to enroll under the
DoD/ FEHBP Demonstration Project.
The demonstration areas Dover AFB, DE Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Fort Knox, KY Greensboro/ Winston Salem/ High Point, NC
Dallas, TX
Humboldt County, CA area
New Orleans, LA Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton, CA
Adair County, IA
When you can join You may enroll under the FEHB/ DoD Demonstration
Project during the 2000 open season, November 13, 2000, through December 11,
2000. Your
coverage will begin January 1, 2001. DoD has set-up an
Information
Processing Center (IPC) in Iowa to provide you with information
about
how to enroll. IPC staff will verify your eligibility and provide you
with
FEHB Program information, plan brochures, enrollment instructions and
forms. The toll-free phone number for the IPC is 1-877-DOD-FEHB
(1-877-363-3342).
You may select coverage for yourself (Self Only) or for you and your
family (Self and Family) during the 2000 and 2001 open seasons. Your
coverage will begin January 1 of the year following the open season during
which you enrolled.
If you become eligible for the DoD/ FEHB Demonstration Project outside
of
open season, contact the IPC to find out how to enroll and when your
coverage will begin. 66
66 Page 67 68
2001 Aetna U.
S. Healthcare HMO 67 DoD/ FEHB Demonstration Project
DoD has a
web site devoted to the Demonstration Project. You can view
information such
as their Marketing/ Beneficiary Education Plan,
Frequently Asked Questions,
demonstration area locations and zip code
lists at www. tricare. osd. mil/
fehbp. You can also view information about
the demonstration project,
including "The 2001 Guide to Federal
Employees Health Benefits Plans
Participating in the DoD/ FEHB
Demonstration Project," on the OPM web
site at www. opm. gov.
TCC eligibility See Section 11, FEHB Facts; it explains temporary
continuation of coverage (TCC). Under this DoD/ FEHB Demonstration Project the
only
individual eligible for TCC is one who ceases to be eligible as
a "member
of family" under your self and family enrollment. This
occurs when a child
turns 22, for example, or if you divorce and your spouse
does not qualify to
enroll as an unremarried former spouse under title 10,
United States Code.
For these individuals, TCC begins the day after their
enrollment in the
DoD/ FEHB Demonstration Project ends. TCC enrollment
terminates after
36 months or the end of the Demonstration Project,
whichever occurs first.
You, your child, or another person must notify the
IPC when a family
member loses eligibility for coverage under the DoD/ FEHB
Demonstration
Project.
TCC is not available if you move out of a DoD/ FEHB Demonstration
Project
area, you cancel your coverage, or your coverage is terminated for
any
reason. TCC is not available when the demonstration project ends.
Other features The 31-day extension of coverage and right to convert
do not apply to the DoD/ FEHB Demonstration Project. 67
67 Page 68 69
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 68 Index
Index
Do not rely on this page; it is for your convenience
and does not explain your benefit coverage.
Accidental injury, 33, 46
Alternative treatment, 31
Ambulance,
2, 22, 35, 36, 38, 39
Anesthesia, 2, 24, 32, 34, 36, 48
Autologous bone
marrow
transplant, 28, 34
Blood and blood plasma, 36
Casts, 35, 36
Chemotherapy,
28
Childbirth, 31, 45
Claims, 3, 7, 20, 41, 51, 52, 53,
55, 63
Coinsurance, 2, 5, 16, 20, 23, 51,
54, 56, 59
Colorectal cancer screening, 26
Congenital anomalies, 32, 33
Deductible, 2, 51
Definitions, 3, 25, 32, 35, 37, 40,
42, 46,
59, 70
Dental care, 33, 70
Dressings, 35, 36, 44, 59
Durable medical
equipment
(DME), 31
Educational clas s es and pr ogr ams ,
31
Emergency, 2, 5, 16, 17, 37, 38,
39, 42, 44, 50, 51, 70
Experimental or investigational,
50, 53
Eyeglasses, 30, 49, 70
Family planning, 27
Fecal occult blood
test, 26
General exclusions, 3, 50
Hearing services, 29
Home
health services, 31
Hospice care, 36
Hospital, 2, 5, 16, 21, 25, 27, 29,
31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39,
40, 49, 51, 54, 57, 64, 66, 70
Immunizations, 5, 26
Infertility, 22, 28
Insulin, 43
Mammograms, 18, 25
Medicaid, 3, 56
Medically necessary, 6,
22, 25,
27, 32, 35, 38, 42, 46, 50, 53,
60, 61
Medicare, 3, 6, 25, 32, 35, 37, 40,
42, 46, 49, 51, 54, 55, 56, 59,
66
Members, 3, 6, 7, 20, 31, 32, 37,
42, 45, 49, 56, 62, 66, 71
Non-FEHB Benefits, 3, 49
Nurse, 25, 31, 45
Nurse Anesthetist,
35
Registered Nurse, 49
Occupational therapy, 29
Office visits, 5
O r al and maxillof acial s ur ger y, 33
Orthopedic
devices, 31
Out-of-pocket expenses, 49, 70
Oxygen, 31, 35, 36
Pap
test, 25, 26
Physical therapy, 29
Physician, 5, 6, 7, 20, 21, 22, 23,
25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 37, 38, 42,
43, 45, 51, 53, 55, 59, 64
Precertification, 6, 7, 22, 42
Prescription drugs, 42, 51, 54, 70
Preventive care, adult, 26
P r eventive car e, childr en, 26, 29
Prior approval, 2, 22, 45, 50, 53
Prosthetic devices, 30, 31, 32, 33
Radiation therapy, 28
Room and board, 35, 59
Second
surgical opinion, 25
Speech therapy, 29
Splints, 35
Subrogation,
57
Substance abuse, 2, 6, 16, 17, 18,
22, 40, 41, 70
Surgery, 6, 16, 22, 27, 29, 30, 31,
32, 33, 34, 35, 45, 48, 70
Oral, 33, 48
Outpatient, 7, 22
Reconstructive, 32, 33
Syringes,
43
Temporary continuation of
coverage, 3, 63, 64, 67
Transplants, 28, 34, 45, 70
Treatment therapies, 28
Vision
services, 30
Wheelchairs, 31
X-rays, 25, 35, 36, 38, 45, 46
68
68 Page 69 70
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 69
Notes
69
69 Page 70
71
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO 70
Summary of Benefits
S u mm ar y o f b e n e f i t s f or A e tn a
U .S . H e al t h c ar e Ñ 2001
Do not rely on this
chart alone. All benefits are provided in full unless indicated and are
subject to the definitions, limitations, and exclusions in this brochure. On
this page we summarize specific expenses we
cover; for more detail, look
inside.
If you want to enroll or change your enrollment in this Plan, be
sure to put the correct enrollment code from the cover on your enrollment form.
We only cover services provided or arranged by Plan physicians, except in
emergencies.
Benefits You Pay Page
Medical services provided by physicians:
Diagnostic and treatment
services provided in the office ...................
Office visit copay: $10
primary
care; $15 specialist 25
Services provided by a hospital:
Inpatient
................................................................................................
Outpatient..............................................................................................
Nothing
Nothing
35
36
Emergency benefits:
In-area
..................................................................................................
Out-of-area...........................................................................................
$35 per visit
$35 per visit
38
38
Mental health and substance abuse treatment
.......................................... Same as hospital and medical
benefits
40
Prescription
drugs......................................................................................
30 day supply:
$5 per generic formulary;
$10 per brand name formulary;
$25 per non-formulary; and
2 times copay for 31-90 day
supply for
mail order
42
Dental
Care............................................................................................
Variable copays 46
Vision
Care............................................................................................
$15 copay per visit. Up to $100
reimbursement for eyeglasses or
contacts
per 24 month period
30
Special Features: Services for the deaf and hearing-impaired,
reciprocity
benefit, High Risk pregnancies, and Centers of excellence
for transplants/
heart surgery/ etc.
Contact Plan
45
Protection against catastrophic costs
(your out-of-pocket maximum)
............................................................
Your out-of-pocket expenses
under this Plan are limited to the
stated
copayments. 23 70
70 Page
71 72
2001 Aetna U. S. Healthcare HMO
71 Rates
2001 Rate Information for Aetna U. S. Healthcare
Non-Postal rates apply to most non-Postal enrollees. If you are in a
special enrollment category, refer to the FEHB
Guide for that category or
contact the agency that maintains your health benefits enrollment.
Postal rates apply to career Postal Service employees. Most employees
should refer to the FEHB Guide for United
States Postal Service Employees,
RI 70-2. Different postal rates apply and special FEHB guides are published for
Postal Service Nurses and Tool & Die employees (see RI 70-2B); and for
Postal Service Inspectors and Office of
Inspector General (OIG) employees
(see RI 70-2IN).
Postal rates do not apply to non-career postal employees, postal retirees, or
associate members of any postal employee
organization. Refer to the
applicable FEHB Guide.
Non-Postal Premium Postal Premium
Biweekly Monthly Biweekly
Type
of
Enrollment Code
Gov't
Share
Your
Share
Gov't
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Your
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Arizona: Phoenix and Tucson Areas
Self Only WQ1 $65.18 $21.73 $141.23 $47.08 $77.13 $9.78
Self and Family WQ2 $183.46 $61.15 $397.49 $132.50 $217.09 $27.52
California: Northern California Area
Self Only BU1 $86.59 $37.63 $187.61 $81.53 $102.22 $22.00
Self and Family BU2 $195.82 $81.92 $424.28 $177.49 $231.17 $46.57
California: Southern California Area
Self Only 2X1 $63.93 $21.31 $138.52
$46.17 $75.65 $9.59
Self and Family 2X2 $149.22 $49.74 $323.31 $107.77 $176.58 $22.38
Colorado: The Front Range Area
Self Only 6F1 $77.86 $25.95 $168.69 $56.23 $92.13 $11.68
Self and Family 6F2 $195.82 $78.47 $424.28 $170.02 $231.17 $43.12
Connecticut: All of Connecticut
Self Only H11 $86.59 $41.69 $187.61 $90.33 $102.22 $26.06
Self and Family H12 $195.82 $147.24 $424.28 $319.02 $231.17 $111.89 71
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Non-Postal Premium Postal Premium
Biweekly Monthly Biweekly
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Enrollment Code
Gov't
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Georgia: Atlanta, Athens and Augusta Areas
Self Only 2U1 $72.10 $24.03 $156.21 $52.07 $85.32 $10.81
Self and Family 2U2 $189.39 $63.13 $410.35 $136.78 $224.11 $28.41
llinois: Metropolitan St. Louis Area
Self Only D41 $60.92 $20.31 $132.00 $44.00 $72.09 $9.14
Self and Family D42 $162.08 $54.03 $351.18 $117.06 $191.80 $24.31
Illinois/Indiana: Chicago Area/Lake and Porter counties
Self Only XC1 $53.71 $17.90 $116.37 $38.79 $63.55 $8.06
Self and Family XC2 $170.99 $56.99 $370.47 $123.49 $202.33 $25.65
Indiana: Southeastern Indiana Area
Self Only RD1 $84.42 $28.14 $182.91 $60.97 $99.90 $12.66
Self and Family RD2 $195.82 $88.88 $424.28 $192.57 $231.17 $53.53
Indiana: Southern Indiana Area
Self Only 7L1 $74.42 $24.80 $161.24 $53.74 $88.06 $11.16
Self and Family 7L2 $183.84 $61.28 $398.32 $132.77 $217.54 $27.58
Kansas: Kansas City Metropolitan Area
Self Only 7K1 $66.23 $22.08 $143.51 $47.83 $78.38 $9.93
Self and Family 7K2 $173.76 $57.92 $376.48 $125.49 $205.62 $26.06 72
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Biweekly Monthly Biweekly
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Enrollment Code
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Gov't
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Kentucky: Lexington and Louisville Areas
Self Only 7L1 $74.42 $24.80 $161.24 $53.74 $88.06 $11.16
Self and Family 7L2 $183.84 $61.28 $398.32 $132.77 $217.54 $27.58
Kentucky: Northern Kentucky Area
Self Only RD1 $84.42 $28.14 $182.91 $60.97 $99.90 $12.66
Self and Family RD2 $195.82 $88.88 $424.28 $192.57 $231.17 $53.53
Louisiana: Baton Rouge and Lafayette Areas
Self Only NG1 $69.23 $23.07 $149.99 $49.99 $81.92 $10.38
Self and Family NG2 $195.82 $65.42 $424.28 $141.74 $231.17 $30.07
Louisiana: New Orleans Area
Self Only NG1 $69.23 $23.07 $149.99 $49.99 $81.92 $10.38
Self and Family NG2 $195.82 $65.42 $424.28 $141.74 $231.17 $30.07
Massachusetts: Eastern/ Central Massachusetts and Hampden County Areas
Self Only NE1 $86.59 $43.43 $187.61 $94.10 $102.22 $27.80
Self and Family NE2 $195.82 $146.39 $424.28 $317.18 $231.17 $111.04
Michigan: Greater Detroit Metropolitan Area
Self Only 8Z1 $67.47 $22.49 $146.18 $48.73 $79.84 $10.12
Self and Family 8Z2 $174.56 $58.18 $378.20 $126.07 $206.56 $26.18 73
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Enrollment Code
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Gov't
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USPS
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Missouri: Metropolitan Kansas City
Self Only 7K1 $66.23 $22.08 $143.51 $47.83 $78.38 $9.93
Self and Family 7K2 $173.76 $57.92 $376.48 $125.49 $205.62 $26.06
Missouri: Metropolitan St. Louis Area
Self Only D41 $60.92 $20.31 $132.00 $44.00 $72.09 $9.14
Self and Family D42 $162.08 $54.03 $351.18 $117.06 $191.80 $24.31
Nevada: Southern Nevada and Las Vegas Areas
Self Only 8L1 $69.39 $23.13 $150.35 $50.11 $82.11 $10.41
Self and
Family 8L2 $181.74 $60.58 $393.77 $131.26 $215.06 $27.26
New York: New York
City Area
Self Only JC1 $79.73 $26.58 $172.76 $57.58 $94.35 $11.96
Self and Family JC2 $195.82 $70.25 $424.28 $152.21 $231.17 $34.90
New
York: Syracuse and Binghamton Areas
Self Only TG1 $77.79 $25.93 $168.55 $56.18 $92.50 $11.67
Self and Family TG2 $195.11 $65.04 $422.75 $140.91 $230.88 $29.27
North Carolina: The Charlotte/ Metrolina and Raleigh/ Durham Areas
Self Only 3G1 $67.06 $22.35 $145.29 $48.43 $79.35 $10.06
Self and Family 3G2 $173.63 $57.88 $376.21 $125.40 $205.47 $26.04 74
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Enrollment Code
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Gov't
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USPS
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Your
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Ohio: Greater Cincinnati Area
Self Only RD1 $84.42 $28.14 $182.91 $60.97 $99.90 $12.66
Self and Family RD2 $195.82 $88.88 $424.28 $192.57 $231.17 $53.53
Ohio: Cleveland and Toledo Areas
Self Only 7D1 $86.59 $30.67 $187.61 $66.45 $102.22 $15.04
Self and Family 7D2 $195.82 $93.98 $424.28 $203.62 $231.17 $58.63
Ohio: Columbus Area
Self Only 7J1 $86.59 $39.06 $187.61 $84.63 $102.22 $23.43
Self and Family 7J2 $195.82 $114.73 $424.28 $248.58 $231.17 $79.38
Oklahoma: Northeast Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Areas
Self Only 8V1 $66.21 $22.07 $143.45 $47.82 $78.35 $9.93
Self and Family 8V2 $173.54 $57.85 $376.01 $125.34 $205.36 $26.03
Rhode Island: All of Rhode Island
Self Only 5U1 $65.30 $21.77 $141.49 $47.16 $77.27 $9.80
Self and Family 5U2 $175.66 $58.55 $380.60 $126.86 $207.86 $26.35
Tennessee: Nashville and Middle Tennessee Areas
Self Only 6J1 $78.35 $26.12 $169.76 $56.59 $92.72 $11.75
Self and Family 6J2 $195.82 $95.31 $424.28 $206.50 $231.17 $59.96 75
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Non-Postal Premium Postal Premium
Biweekly Monthly Biweekly
Type of
Enrollment Code
Gov't
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Your
Share
Gov't
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Your
Share
USPS
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Your
Share
Texas: Houston Area
Self Only 5B1 $68.71 $22.90 $148.87 $49.62 $81.30 $10.31
Self and Family 5B2 $195.82 $71.06 $424.28 $153.96 $231.17 $35.71
Texas: San Antonio Area
Self Only 8X1 $76.48 $25.49 $165.71 $55.23 $90.50 $11.47
Self and Family 8X2 $195.82 $69.10 $424.28 $149.71 $231.17 $33.75
Washington: Western and Southeast Washington Areas
Self Only 8J1 $66.47 $22.15 $144.01 $48.00 $78.65 $9.97
Self and Family 8J2 $172.22 $57.41 $373.15 $124.38 $203.80 $25.83
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