PersonalCare's HMO http:// www.
personalcarehmo. com
2002 A Health Maintenance Organization
Serving: Central Illinois
Enrollment in this plan is limited;
You must live in or work in our geographic area to enroll. See page 7 for
requirements.
This Plan has Excellent Accreditation from NCQA. See the 2002 Guide
for more information on accreditation.
Enrollment codes for this Plan: GE1 Self Only
GE2 Self and Family
Commercial HMO
For changes in
benefits see page 8.
RI 73-257
Special Notice: We eliminated part of our service area
for 2002. If you are enrolled in this plan and live in Clark, Cumberland, or
Crawford counties in Illinois, you must select another plan during the
Open
Season to continue to receive full benefits. If you live in one of these areas
and you do not select another FEHB Program Plan, you must travel to a county in
our remaining service area to
receive Plan benefits. 1
1 Page 2 3
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 2 Table of Contents
Notes 2
2 Page
3 4
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 3 Table of
Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
.........................................................................................................................................................................
5
Plain
language.......................................................................................................................................................................
5
Inspector General Advisory
..................................................................................................................................................
6
Section 1. Facts about this HMO plan
.................................................................................................................................
7
How we pay
providers.....................................................................................................................................
7
Your Rights
.....................................................................................................................................................
7
Service Area
....................................................................................................................................................
7
Section 2. How we change for 2002
....................................................................................................................................
8
Program-wide changes
....................................................................................................................................
8
Changes to this Plan
........................................................................................................................................
8
Section 3. How you get care
................................................................................................................................................
9
Identification cards
..........................................................................................................................................
9
Where you get covered care
............................................................................................................................
9
Plan providers
............................................................................................................................................
9
Plan
facilities..............................................................................................................................................
9
What you must do to get covered
care.............................................................................................................
9
Primary care
...............................................................................................................................................
9
Specialty care
...........................................................................................................................................
10
Hospital care
............................................................................................................................................
10
Circumstances beyond our control
................................................................................................................
11
Services requiring our prior approval
............................................................................................................
11
Section 4. Your costs for covered services
.......................................................................................................................
12
Copayments..............................................................................................................................................
12
Deductibles
..............................................................................................................................................
12
Coinsurance..............................................................................................................................................
12
Your out-of-pocket
maximum.......................................................................................................................
12
Section 5. Benefits
............................................................................................................................................................
13
Overview.......................................................................................................................................................
13
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other health
care professionals .................... 14
(b) Surgical and anesthesia
services
..............................................................................................................
22
(c) Services provided by a hospital or other
facility......................................................................................
25
(d) Emergency services
.................................................................................................................................
27
(e) Mental health and substance abuse
benefits.............................................................................................
30
(f) Prescription drug
benefits........................................................................................................................
32
(g) Special features
........................................................................................................................................
34
(h) Dental benefits
.........................................................................................................................................
35 3
3 Page 4 5
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 4 Table of Contents
Table of Contents (continued)
Section 6. General exclusions –
Things we don't
cover.................................................................................................
37
Section 7. Filing a claim for covered
services................................................................................................................
38
Section 8. The disputed claims process
..........................................................................................................................
39
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other
coverage....................................................................................................
41
When you have other health care
coverage...............................................................................................
41
What is Medicare?
....................................................................................................................................
41
The original Medicare plan
.......................................................................................................................
41
Medicare managed care
plan.....................................................................................................................
43
Tricare/ Workers' Compensation/ Medicaid
...................................................................................................
43
Other Government agencies
..........................................................................................................................
44
When others are responsible for injuries
.......................................................................................................
44
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use in this
brochure....................................................................................................
45
Section 11. FEHB
facts.......................................................................................................................................................
46
Coverage
information....................................................................................................................................
46
No pre-existing condition limitation
.........................................................................................................
46
Where you get information about enrolling in the FEHB
Program........................................................... 46
Types of coverage available for you and your
family...............................................................................
46
When benefits and premiums start
............................................................................................................
46
Your medical claims and records are confidential
....................................................................................
47
When you
retire.........................................................................................................................................
47
When you lose benefits
.............................................................................................................................
47
When FEHB coverage ends
......................................................................................................................
47
Spouse equity
coverage.............................................................................................................................
47
Temporary continuation of coverage (TCC)
.............................................................................................
47
Converting to individual coverage
............................................................................................................
48
Getting a Certificate of Group Health Plan
Coverage...............................................................................
48
Long term care insurance is coming later in 2002
..............................................................................................................
49
Index
.......................................................................................................................................................................
50
Summary of benefits
...................................................................................................................................
Inside back cover
Rates
.........................................................................................................................................................
Back cover 4
4 Page
5 6
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 5
Introduction/ Plain Language/ Advisory
Introduction
PersonalCare's HMO, 2110 Fox Drive, Champaign, IL 61820
This
brochure describes the benefits of PersonalCare's HMO under our contract
(CS2042) with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as authorized by the
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) law. This brochure is the official
statement of benefits. No oral statement can modify or otherwise affect the
benefits, limitations and exclusions of this brochure.
If you are enrolled in this Plan, you are entitled to the benefits described
in this brochure. If you are enrolled for Self and Family coverage, each
eligible family member is also entitled to these benefits. You do not have a
right to benefits that were
available before January 1, 2002, unless those
benefits are also shown in this brochure.
OPM negotiates benefits and rates
with each plan annually. Benefit changes are effective January 1, 2002, and
changes are shown on page 8. Rates are shown at the end of this brochure.
Plain language
Teams of Government and health plans' staff worked
on all FEHB brochures to make them responsive, accessible, and understandable to
the public. For instance,
Except for necessary technical terms, we use common words. For instance,
"you" means the enrollee or family
member; "we" means PersonalCare.
We limit acronyms to ones you know. FEHB is the Federal Employees Health
Benefits Program. OPM is the
Office of Personnel Management. If we use
others, we tell you what they mean first.
Our brochure and other FEHB plans' brochures have the same format and
similar descriptions to help you compare
plans.
If you have comments or suggestions about how to improve the structure of
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. 5
5 Page 6 7
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 6 Introduction/ Plain
Language/ Advisory
Inspector General Advisory
Stop health care
fraud!
Penalties for 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 800/ 431-1211 and explain the
situation. If we do not resolve the issue, call or write
THE HEALTH CARE FRAUD HOTLINE 202/ 418-3300
The United States
Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General Fraud Hotline
1900 E Street, NW, Room 6400 Washington, DC 20415
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. 6
6 Page 7 8
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 7 Section I
Section 1. Facts about this HMO plan
This Plan is a health
maintenance organization (HMO). We require you to see specific physicians,
hospitals and other providers that contract with us. These Plan providers
coordinate your health care services.
HMOs emphasize preventive care such as
routine office visits, physical exams, well-baby care and immunizations, in
addition to treatment for illness and injury. Our providers follow generally
accepted medical practice when prescribing any
course of treatment.
When
you receive services from Plan providers, you will not have to submit claim
forms or pay bills. You only pay the copayments and coinsurance listed in this
brochure. When you receive emergency services from non-Plan providers, you
may have to submit claim forms.
You should join an HMO because you
prefer the plan's benefits, not because a particular provider is available. You
cannot change plans because a provider leaves our Plan. We cannot guarantee that
any one physician, hospital, or
other provider will be available and/ or
remain under contract with us.
How we pay providers
We contract with individual physicians,
medical groups, and hospitals to provide the benefits in this brochure. These
Plan providers accept a negotiated payment from us, and you will only be
responsible for your copayments or coinsurance.
Your Rights
OPM requires that all FEHB Plans provide certain
information to their FEHB members. You may get information about us, our
networks, providers, and facilities. OPM's FEHB 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.
PersonalCare's HMO is a
prepaid health plan (mixed model) that contracts with medical groups and
individual doctors in Champaign, Danville, Kankakee, Springfield and many other
central Illinois communities. You may contact PersonalCare
for assistance in
choosing the most conveniently located doctors. Members may change chosen
doctors upon request by contacting PersonalCare at 217/ 366-1226 or 800/
431-1211.
A primary care doctor may refer you to any network specialist, regardless of
location or group affiliation.
If you want specific information about us,
call (800) 431-1211, or write to 2110 Fox Drive, Champaign, IL 61820. You may
also contact us by fax at (217) 366-5410, or visit our Web site at www.
personalcarehmo. com.
Service Area
To enroll in this Plan, you must live in or work in
our Service Area. This is where our providers practice. Our service area is the
Illinois counties of Champaign, Christian, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford,
Iroquois, Kankakee, Logan, Macon,
Menard, Morgan, Moultrie, Piatt, Sangamon,
Shelby and Vermilion.
Ordinarily, you must get your care from providers who
contract with us. If you receive care outside our service area, we will pay only
for emergency care. We will not pay for any other health care services out of
our service area unless the
services have prior approval.
If you or a
covered family member move outside of our service area, you can enroll in
another plan. If your dependents live out of the area (for example, if your
child goes to college in another state), you should consider enrolling in a
fee-for-service
plan or an HMO that has agreements with affiliates in other
areas. If you or a family member move, you do not have to wait until Open Season
to change plans. Contact your employing or retirement office. 7
7 Page 8 9
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 8 Section 2
Section 2. How we change for 2002
Do not rely on these change
descriptions; this page is not an official statement of benefits. For that, go
to Section 5 Benefits. Also, we edited and clarified language throughout the
brochure; any language change not shown here is a
clarification that does
not change benefits.
Program-wide changes
We removed the requirement that services
must be needed to restore functional speech from the speech therapy benefit
(Section
5( a)).
Changes to this Plan
Your share of the non-Postal premium will
increase by 15.2 % for Self Only or 15.3 % for Self and Family.
We clarified the Preventive care, adult benefits by removing the entry for
blood lead level testing for adults because it is a test
more typically done
for children
We clarified the brochure to show why we think you should use generic
drugs whenever possible. We moved other language
around within the
Prescription drugs section but didn't change its meaning.
We clarified Surgical procedures to show that we cover a comprehensive
range of services, such as operative procedures.
Your emergency room copayment has increased to $100 or 50% of charges,
whichever is less, from $50 or 50% of charges,
whichever is less.
Your Durable Medical Equipment benefit is no longer limited to initial
equipment only.
PersonalCare is no longer offered in the counties of Clark, Cumberland and
Crawford.
We now cover certain intestinal transplants (Section 5( b). 8
8 Page 9 10
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 9 Section 3
Section 3. How you get care
Identification cards We will send
you an identification (ID) card when you enroll. You should carry your ID card
with you at all times. You must show it whenever you
receive services from a
plan provider, or fill a prescription at a Plan pharmacy. Until you receive your
ID card, use your copy of the Health
Benefits Election Form, SF-2809, your health benefits enrollment confirmation
(for annuitants), or your Employee Express confirmation
letter.
If you
do not receive your ID card within 30 days after the effective date of your
enrollment, or if you need replacement cards, call us at (800) 431-
1211.
Where you get covered care You get care from Plan providers and Plan
facilities. You will only pay copayments and/ or coinsurance, and you will not
have to file claims.
Plan providers Plan providers are physicians and other health care
professional in our
service area that we contract with to provide covered
services to our members. We credential Plan providers according to national
standards.
We list Plan providers in the provider directory, which we update
periodically. The list is also on our Web site.
Plan facilities Plan facilities are hospitals and other facilities
in our service area that we
contract with to provide covered services to our
members. We list these in the provider directory, which we update periodically.
The list is also on our
Web site.
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. These doctors are listed in
your provider directory, and you may call our
customer service department at (800) 431-1211 to tell us what doctor you
choose.
Primary care Your primary care physician can be any type of
physician listed under the
heading "Primary Care Practitioner" in your
provider directory. Your primary care physician will provide most of your health
care, or give you a
referral to see a specialist.
If you want to change primary care
physicians or if your primary care physician leaves the Plan, call us. We will
help you select a new one. 9
9 Page 10 11
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 10 Section 3
Section 3. How you get care
(continued)
Specialty care Your primary care physician will
refer you to a specialist for needed care. When you receive
a referral from
your primary care physician, you must return to the primary care physician after
the consultation, unless your primary care physician authorized a certain number
of
visits without additional referrals. The primary care physician must provide
or authorize all follow-up care. Do not go to the specialist for return visits
unless your primary care
physician gives you a referral. However, female
members may see their woman's principal health care provider without a referral.
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 FEHB Program and you enroll in another FEHB Plan; or
reduce our service area and you enroll in another FEHB Plan,
you may be able to continue seeing your specialist for up to 90 days after
you receive notice of the change. Contact us or, if we drop out of the Program,
contact your new
plan.
If you are in the second or third trimester of
pregnancy and you lose access to your specialist based on the above
circumstances, you can continue to see your specialist
until the end of your postpartum care, even if it is beyond the 90 days.
Hospital care Your Plan primary care physician or specialist will
make necessary hospital arrangements and
supervise your care. This includes
admission to a skilled nursing or other type of facility.
If you are in the hospital when your enrollment in our Plan begins, call our
customer service department at 800/ 431-1211. 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 92nd
day after you became a member of this Plan; whichever happens first.
These provisions only apply to the benefits of the hospitalized person. 10
10 Page 11 12
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 11 Section 3
Section 3. How you get care (continued)
Circumstances beyond our
control Under certain extraordinary circumstances, we may have to delay your
services or be unable to provide them. In that case, we will make all
reasonable efforts to provide you with 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
get our approval. Before
giving approval, we consider if the service is medically necessary, and if it
follows generally accepted medical practice.
Your physician must obtain approval for the following services:
Out of
network referral
Home health
Hospice
In-home infusion therapy
Hospital
admission to out-of-network hospital
Mental health treatment, inpatient
only
Substance abuse treatment
Non-emergency ambulance transport
Infertility services
Placement in a nursing home, intermediate
care facility, or other
assisted care setting
Outpatient rehabilitative services such as: physical therapy and
occupational therapy
Respiratory therapy.
Speech therapy
Chiropractic
Cardiac or pulmonary
rehabilitation
Sterilization
Hysterectomy
Reconstructive
surgery
Durable medical equipment, prosthetic devices
Transplants
Some medications 11
11 Page 12 13
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 12 Section 4
Section 4. Your costs for covered
services
You must share the cost of some services. You are responsible
for:
Copayments A copayment is a fixed amount of money you pay to
the provider, facility,
pharmacy, etc., when you receive services.
Example: When you see your primary care physician you pay a copayment of $10
per office visit and when you go to the hospital, you pay $100 per
admission.
Deductibles A deductible is a fixed expense you must incur for
covered services and
supplies before you receive benefits for them. We do
not have a deductible.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our negotiated fee that
you must pay for
your care.
Example: In our Plan, you pay 20% of our allowance for durable medical
equipment, prosthetic devices, and orthopedic devices.
Your out-of-pocket maximum for coinsurance and copayments After your
copayments total $1, 500 per person or $3, 000 per family enrollment in any
calendar year, you do not have to pay any more for
covered services.
However, copayments or coinsurance for the following services do not count
toward you out-of-pocket maximum, and you must
continue to pay for these services:
Prescription drugs
Durable medical equipment and prosthetic devices
Vision screening
Prescribed injectables
Be sure to keep accurate records of your
copayments and coinsurance since you are responsible for informing us when you
reach the maximum. 12
12 Page
13 14
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 13
Section 5
Section 5. Benefits – Overview
(See page 8 for how
our benefits changed this year and page 51 for a benefits summary.)
Note:
This benefits section is divided into subsections. Please read the important
things you should keep in mind at the beginning of each subsection. Also read
the General Exclusions in Section 6; they apply to the benefits in the following
subsections. To obtain claims forms, claims filing advice, or more
information about our benefits, contact us at (800) 431-1211 or at our Web site
at www. personalcarehmo. com.
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other health
professionals ....................................................... 14
Diagnostic and treatment services Speech therapy
Lab, X-ray, and other
diagnostic tests Hearing services (testing, treatment and supplies)
Preventive care, adult Vision services (testing, treatment and supplies)
Preventive care, children Foot care
Maternity care Orthopedic and
prosthetic devices
Family planning Durable medical equipment (DME)
Infertility services Home health services
Allergy care Chiropractic
Treatment therapies Alternative treatments
Physical and
occupational therapies Educational classes and programs
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians and other health
care professionals ............................................ 22
Surgical procedures Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Reconstructive
surgery Organ/ tissue transplants
Anesthesia
(c) Services provided by a hospital or other facility, and ambulance
services...........................................................................
25
Inpatient hospital Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care
facility benefits
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical center
Hospice care
Ambulance
(d) Emergency services/ accidents
..............................................................................................................................................
27
Medical emergency Ambulance
(e) Mental health and substance abuse benefits
.........................................................................................................................
30
(f) Prescription drug benefits
.....................................................................................................................................................
32
(g) Special features
....................................................................................................................................................................
34
(h) Dental benefits
.....................................................................................................................................................................
35
Summary of benefits
..........................................................................................................................................
Inside back cover 13
13 Page
14 15
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 14
Section 5 (a)
Section 5( a). Medical services and supplies
provided by physicians and other health care professionals
I M
P O
R
T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations, and exclusions in this
brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are medically necessary.
Plan physicians must provide or arrange your care.
We have no calendar year deductible.
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 the physician's office
$10 per office visit
Professional services of physicians
In an urgent care center
In
a skilled nursing facility
Office medical consultation
Second
surgical opinion
$10 per office visit
Professional services of physicians
At home
During a hospital
stay
Nothing
Not covered: Physical examinations that are not necessary for
medical reasons, such as those
required for obtaining or continuing
employment or insurance, attending school or camp, or travel
Blood
and blood derivatives not replaced by the member
All charges 14
14 Page 15 16
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 15 Section 5 (a)
Lab, X-ray and other
diagnostic tests You pay
Tests, such as:
Blood tests
Urinalysis
Non-routine Pap tests
Pathology
X-rays
Non-routine mammograms
Cat scans/ MRI
Ultrasound
Electrocardiogram and EEG
Nothing
Preventive care, adult
Routine preventive exam $10 per office
visit
Routine screenings, such as:
Total blood cholesterol, once
every five years
Colorectal cancer screening, including:
Fecal
occult blood test, every 3 to 5 years, age 50 and older
Sigmoidoscopy
screening, every 3 to 5 years, age 50 and older
Pelvic exam and Pap
smear, every 1 to 3 years, female members age 18 and older
Routine
mammogram –covered for women age 35 and older, as follows:
>From age
35 through 39, one during this five year period
>From age 40 through
64, one every calendar year
At age 65 and older, one every two
consecutive calendar years
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA test), one
annually for men age 40 and older
Nothing if you receive these services during your office visit;
otherwise
$10 per visit
Routine immunizations, limited to:
Tetanus-diptheria (Td) booster
-once every 10 years, age 18 and older
Influenza
Every year if
high risk, age 18 and older
Every year, age 65 and older
Pneumococcal
1 dose if susceptible/ high risk, ages 18 to 65
1
dose, age 65, may repeat in 5 years
Hepatitis B, 3 doses if medical high
risk, age 18 and older
Nothing if you receive these services during your office visit;
otherwise
$10 per visit
Preventive care, children You pay
Childhood immunizations
recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics Nothing if you receive these
services during your office visit 15
15 Page 16 17
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 16 Section 5 (a)
Examinations such as:
Vision screening through age 17 to determine the need for vision correction
Hearing screenings through age 17 to determine the need for hearing
correction
Examinations done on the day of immunizations
Routine
preventive examinations and care, age 1 and older
$10 per office visit
Well-baby examinations and care up to age 1 Nothing
Maternity care
Complete maternity care, such as:
Prenatal care
Delivery
Postnatal care
Note: Here are some things to keep in mind:
You may remain in the
hospital up to 48 hours after a regular delivery and 96 hours after a cesarean
delivery. We will extend your inpatient stay if medically
necessary.
We cover routine nursery care of the newborn child during
the covered portion of the mother's hospital 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).
Nothing for office visits; $100 copay for hospital admission
Not covered
Routine sonograms to determine fetal age, size
or sex.
All charges
Family planning
A broad range of voluntary family planning
services, such as: Voluntary sterilization
Injectable contraceptive
drugs and contraceptive devices
Note: We cover injectable fertility drugs under medical benefits and oral
fertility drugs under the prescription drug benefit
$10 per office visit
Not covered Reversal of voluntary surgical sterilization
Genetic counseling
All charges
Infertility services You pay
Diagnosis and treatment of
infertility $10 per office visit 16
16 Page 17 18
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 17 Section 5 (a)
Not covered
Assisted
reproductive technology (ART) procedures, such as:
-In vitro fertilization
-Embryo transfer, gamete GIFT and zygote ZIFT
-Zygote transfer
Cost of donor sperm
Cost of donor egg
All charges
Allergy care
Testing and treatment
Allergy injection
Allergy serum
Nothing
Not covered
Provocative food testing
Sublingual allergy desensitization
All charges
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 22.
Respiratory and inhalation therapy
Dialysis –
hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis
Intravenous (IV)/ Infusion Therapy –
home IV and antibiotic therapy
Nothing
Growth hormone therapy (GHT)
Note: We only cover GHT when we
preauthorize the treatment. Your primary care physician or referral specialist
will arrange for authorization. We must authorize GHT
before you begin treatment; we will not cover unauthorized treatments.
Note: Growth hormone is covered under the prescription drug benefit.
50% of charges
Physical and occupational therapies You pay
Up to two consecutive
months per condition for the services of each of the following:
Qualified
physical therapists; and
Occupational therapists
Note: We only cover therapy to restore bodily function when there has been a
total or partial loss of bodily function due to illness or injury. [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.]
$10 per office visit
Nothing per visit during covered inpatient admission
17
17 Page 18 19
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 18 Section 5 (a)
Cardiac rehabilitation following a heart transplant, bypass surgery or a
myocardial
infarction is provided for up to two months per condition if
significant improvement can be expected within two months. Nothing
Not covered
Long term rehabilitative therapy
Exercise programs
All charges
Speech therapy
Up to two consecutive months per condition $10
per office visit
Nothing per visit during covered inpatient admission
Hearing services (testing, treatment and supplies)
Hearing
screening, 1 every year
First hearing aid and testing only when
necessitated by accidental injury
Hearing testing for children through age 17 (see Preventive care,
children)
$10 per office visit
Not covered
All other hearing testing
Hearing
aids, testing and examinations for them, other than those described above.
All charges
Vision services (testing, treatment, and supplies)
Eye
refractions for all members (to provide a written lens prescription for
eyeglasses) may be obtained through Cole Vision's Vision One Exam Plus
Program. Cole Vision has a large network of providers in the optical departments
of major retailers such as Sears, JC Penney, and participating Pearle Vision
Centers. Call (800) 799-0259 to find the provider nearest you. Cole Vision also
has
a discount program for frames and lenses.
$30 per office visit
Vision services (testing, treatment, and supplies) You pay
One
pair of lenses to correct an impairment directly caused by accidental ocular
injury or intraocular surgery (such as for cataracts); we do not cover
frames. Nothing
Not covered
The fitting of contact lenses
Eye
exercises
Radial keratotomy and other refractive surgery
All charges 18
18 Page 19 20
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 19 Section 5 (a)
Foot care
Routine foot
care when you are under active treatment for a metabolic or peripheral vascular
disease, such as diabetes $10 per office visit
Not covered
Cutting, trimming or removal of corns, calluses,
or the free edge of toenails, and similar routine treatment of conditions of the
foot, except as stated above.
Treatment of weak, strained or flat feet or bunions or spurs; and of
any
instability, imbalance or subluxation of the foot (unless the treatment
is by open cutting surgery)
All charges
Orthopedic and prosthetic devices
Artificial limbs and eyes;
stump hose
Externally worn breast prostheses and surgical bras, including
necessary
replacements, following a mastectomy
Internal prosthetic
devices, such as pacemakers and artificial joints, cochlear implants, and
surgically implanted breast implant following mastectomy. Note: We
pay internal prosthetic devices as hospital benefits; see Section 5( c) for
payment information. See 5b for coverage of the surgery to insert the device.
Corrective orthopedic appliances for non-dental treatment of
temporomandibular
joint (TMJ) pain dysfunction syndrome
20% of charges 19
19 Page
20 21
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 20
Section 5 (a)
Orthopedic and prosthetic devices (Continued)
Not covered
Orthopedic and corrective shoes
Arch supports
Foot orthotics
Heel pads and
heel cups
Lumbosacral supports
Corsets, trusses,
elastic stockings, support hose, and other supportive devices
All charges
Durable medical equipment (DME) You pay
Rental or purchase, at our
option, including repair and adjustment, of durable medical equipment prescribed
by your Plan physician, such as oxygen and dialysis equipment.
Under this
benefit, we also cover:
Wheelchairs
Hospital beds
Crutches
Walkers
Blood glucose monitors, Medisense Precision QID only
Insulin pumps
20% of charges
Not covered
Motorized wheelchairs
All charges
Home health services
Home health care ordered by a Plan physician
and provided by a registered nurse (R. N.), licensed practical nurse (L. P. N.),
licensed vocational nurse (L. V. N.), or home
health aide. Your Plan
physician will periodically review the program for continuing appropriateness
and need.
Services include oxygen therapy, intravenous therapy and medications.
Note: You must receive prior approval for these services. See Section 3 for
services requiring prior approval.
Nothing
Not covered
Nursing care requested by, or for the
convenience of, the patient or the patient's family
Home care primarily for personal assistance that does not include a
medical
component and is not diagnostic, therapeutic, or rehabilitative
All charges 20
20 Page 21 22
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 21 Section 5 (a)
Chiropractic
Manipulation of the spine and extremities
Adjunctive procedures such as
ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation,
vibratory therapy, and cold pack
application
Note: You must receive prior approval for these services. See Section 3 for
services requiring prior approval.
$10 per office visit
Alternative treatments
Acupuncture, by a doctor of medicine or
osteopathy for anesthesia or pain relief.
Note: You must receive prior
approval for these services. See Section 3 for services requiring prior
approval.
$10 per office visit
Not covered: naturopathic services
hypnotherapy
biofeedback
All charges
Educational classes and programs
Coverage is limited to:
Diabetes self-management training and education
$10 per office visit 21
21 Page 22 23
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 22 Section 5 (b)
Section 5 (b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians
and other health care professionals
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations, and exclusions in this
brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are medically necessary.
Plan physicians must provide or arrange your care.
We have no calendar year deductible.
Be sure to read Section 4,
Your costs for covered services, for valuable information about how
cost-sharing
works. Also read Section 9 about coordinating benefits with
other coverage, including with Medicare.
The amounts listed below are for the charges billed by a physician or
other health care professional for your
surgical care. Look in Section 5( c)
for charges associated with the facility (i. e. hospital, surgical center,
etc.).
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Surgical procedures
A
comprehensive range of services, such as:
Operative procedures
Treatment of fractures, including casting
Normal pre-and
post-operative care by the surgeon
Correction of amblyopia and strabismus
Endoscopy procedures
Biopsy procedures
Removal of tumors
and cysts
Correction of congenital anomalies (see reconstructive surgery)
Surgical treatment of morbid obesity, a condition in which an individual
weighs
100 pounds or 100% over his or her normal weight according to current
underwriting standards; eligible members must be age 18 or over
Insertion of internal prosthetic devices. See Section 5( a) Orthopedic and
prosthetic devices for device coverage information
Voluntary
sterilization
Treatment of burns
Note: Generally, we pay for internal prostheses (devices) according to where
the procedure is done. For example, we pay Hospital benefits for a pacemaker and
Surgery
benefits for insertion of the pacemaker.
Nothing
Not covered
Reversal of voluntary sterilization
Routine treatment of conditions of the foot; see Foot care
Surgery primarily for cosmetic purposes
All charges 22
22 Page 23 24
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 23 Section 5 (b)
Reconstructive surgery You pay
Surgery to correct a functional defect
Surgery to correct a
condition caused by an 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.
Nothing
Not covered
Cosmetic surgery, any surgical procedure (or any
portion of a procedure) performed primarily to improve physical appearance
through change in bodily
form, except repair of accidental injury
Surgeries related
to sex transformations
All charges
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral surgical procedures, limited
to:
Reduction of fractures of the jaws or facial bones
Surgical
correction of cleft lip, cleft palate or severe functional malocclusion
Removal of stones from salivary ducts
Excision of leukoplakia or
malignancies
Excision of cysts and incision of abscesses when done as an
independent procedure; and
Other surgical procedures that do not involve the teeth or their
supporting
structures
Nothing
Not covered
Oral implants and transplants
Procedures that involve the teeth or their supporting structures (such as
the periodontal membrane, gingiva and alveolar bone)
All charges 23
23 Page 24 25
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 24 Section 5 (b)
Organ/ tissue transplants You
pay
Limited to:
Cornea
Heart
Heart/ lung
Lung (single or double)
Pancreas
Kidney/ pancreas
Kidney
Liver
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
Intestinal transplants (small intestine) and the small intestine
with the liver or small intestine with multiple organs such as liver, stomach,
and pancreas
Limited benefits: Treatment for breast cancer, multiple myeloma, and
epithelial ovarian cancer may be provided in an NCI-or NIH-approved clinical
trial at a Plan-designated
center of excellence and if approved by the
Plan's medical director in accordance with the Plan's protocols.
Note: We cover related medical and hospital expenses of the donor when we
cover the recipient.
Nothing
Not covered
Donor screening tests and donor search expenses,
except those performed for the actual donor
Implants of artificial organs
Transplants not listed as
covered
All charges
Anesthesia
Professional services provided in :
Hospital
(inpatient)
Hospital outpatient department
Skilled nursing
facility
Ambulatory surgical center
Office
Nothing 24
24 Page
25 26
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 25
Section 5 (c)
Section 5( c) Services provided by a hospital or
other facility, and ambulance services
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to remember about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations, and exclusions in this
brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are medically necessary.
Plan physicians must provide or arrange your care and you must be
hospitalized in a plan facility.
We have no calendar year deductible.
Be sure to read Section 4,
Your costs for covered services, for valuable information about how
cost-sharing
works. Also, read Section 9 about coordinating benefits with
other coverage, including with Medicare.
The amounts listed below are for the charges billed by the facility (i.
e., hospital or surgical center) or
ambulance service for your surgery or
care. Any costs associated with the professional charge (i. e., physicians etc.)
are covered in Sections 5( a) or (b).
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Inpatient hospital
Room and board, such as
Ward, semiprivate, or intensive care
accommodations
General nursing care
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.
$100 per inpatient admission
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
Dressings, splints, casts, and sterile tray services
Medical supplies and equipment, including oxygen
Anesthetics,
including nurse anesthetist services
Medical supplies, appliances,
medical equipment, and any covered items billed by a hospital for use at home
Nothing
Not covered
Custodial care
Non-covered
facilities, such as nursing homes and schools
Personal comfort
items, such as telephone, television, barber services, guest meals and beds
Private nursing care
Blood and blood derivatives not
replaced by the member
All charges 25
25 Page 26 27
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 26 Section 5 (c)
Outpatient hospital or
ambulatory surgery center You pay
Operating, recovery and other
treatment rooms
Prescribed drugs and medicines
Diagnostic
laboratory tests, X-rays, and pathology services
Administration of blood
and blood products
Presurgical testing
Dressings, casts, and
sterile tray services
Medical supplies, including oxygen
Anesthetics and anesthesia services
Note: We cover hospital services and supplies related to dental procedures
when necessitated by a nondental physical impairment. We do not cover dental
procedures.
Nothing
Not covered
Blood and blood derivatives not replaced by the
member
All charges
Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care facility benefits
Skilled nursing facility (SNF), up to 120 days per calendar year
Bed, board and general nursing care
Drugs, biologicals, supplies, and
equipment ordinarily provided or arranged by the skilled nursing facility when
prescribed by a Plan doctor.
Nothing
Not covered
Custodial care
All charges
Hospice care
Supportive and palliative care for a terminally ill
member in the home or hospice facility provided under the direction of a Plan
doctor who certifies that the patient is in
the terminal stages of illness,
with a life expectancy of approximately six months or less. Services include:
Inpatient and outpatient care
Family counseling
Nothing
Not covered
Independent nursing
Homemaker
services
All charges
Ambulance
Local professional ambulance service when medically
appropriate Nothing 26
26 Page
27 28
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 27
Section 5 (d)
Section 5( d) Emergency services/ accidents
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to remember about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations, and exclusions in this
brochure.
We have no calendar year deductible.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for
valuable information about how cost-sharing
works. Also read Section 9 about
coordinating benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
What is a medical emergency?
A medical emergency is the sudden and unexpected onset of a condition or
an injury that you believe endangers your life or could result in serious injury
or disability, and requires immediate medical or surgical care. Some problems
are
emergencies because, if not treated promptly, they might become more
serious; examples include deep cuts and broken bones. Others are emergencies
because they are potentially life threatening, such as heart attacks, strokes,
poisonings,
gunshot wounds, or sudden inability to breathe. There are many
other acute conditions that the Plan may determine are medical emergencies— what
they all have in common is the need for quick action.
What to do in case of emergency:
When we decide what conditions
are true emergencies, we think about what a person with average knowledge of
health and medicine would do. If that person would reasonably believe that the
condition is life-threatening or disabling, then we
consider it an
emergency.
If you have a true emergency, you should go immediately to a
hospital emergency department. You should go to a PersonalCare network hospital,
unless a delay in going to that hospital would endanger your life or health. You
should tell
the hospital staff who your PCP is.
If the symptoms are not
immediately threatening to your life or health, you should call your PCP to find
out if you should go to the emergency department or to his or her office.
PersonalCare will not pay for emergency department visits that are
not true
emergencies. We also will not pay for emergency department visits related to
conditions not covered by your plan. 27
27 Page 28 29
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 28 Section 5 (d)
Emergencies within the service
area
If you are in an emergency situation, please call your primary care
doctor. In extreme emergencies, if you are unable to contact your doctor,
contact the local emergency system (e. g., the 911 telephone system) or go to
the nearest hospital
emergency room. You should go to a PersonalCare network
hospital, unless a delay in going to that hospital would endanger your life or
health. Be sure to tell the emergency room personnel that you are a Plan member
and who your PCP
is. You or a family member should notify your PCP within 48
hours.
If you need to be hospitalized in a non-Plan facility, the Plan must
be notified within 48 hours or on the first working day following your
admission, unless it was not reasonably possible to notify the Plan within that
time. If you are hospitalized
in non-Plan facilities and Plan doctors
believe care can be better provided in a Plan hospital, you will be transferred
when medically feasible with any ambulance charges covered in full.
Benefits are available for care from non-Plan providers in a medical
emergency only if delay in reaching a Plan provider would result in death,
disability or significant jeopardy to your condition.
To be covered by this
Plan, any follow-up care recommended by non-Plan providers must be approved by
the Plan or provided by Plan providers.
Emergencies outside the 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 within 48 hours or
on the first working day following your admission, unless it was not reasonably
possible to notify the Plan within that time. 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-Plan
providers must be approved by the Plan or provided by Plan providers.
Benefit Description You pay
Emergency within our service area
Emergency care at a doctor's office
Emergency care at an urgent care
center
$10 per office visit
Emergency care as an outpatient at a hospital emergency department, including
doctors' services
Note: Charges for an emergency department visit are waived
if you are admitted as an inpatient within 48 hours for the same condition
$100 or 50%, whichever is less
Not covered
Elective care or nonemergency care
All
charges 28
28 Page
29 30
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 29
Section 5 (d)
Emergency outside our service area You pay
Emergency care at a doctor's office
Emergency care at an urgent care
center
$10 per visit
Emergency care as an outpatient at a hospital emergency department, including
doctors' services
Note: Charges for an emergency department visit are waived
if you are admitted as an inpatient within 48 hours for the same condition
$100 or 50%, whichever is less
Not covered
Elective care or nonemergency 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 Section 5( c) for nonemergency service. Nothing
Not covered
Air ambulance
All charges 29
29 Page 30 31
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 30 Section 5 (e)
Section 5( e) Mental health and substance abuse benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
When you get our approval for services and follow a treatment plan we
approve, cost-sharing and limitations for Plan mental health and substance abuse
benefits will be no greater than for similar benefits
for other illnesses
and conditions.
Here are some important things to remember 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 FOR THESE SERVICES. See the
instructions after
the benefits description below.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit 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
$10 per office visit
Services in approved alternative care setting such as partial
hospitalization or
facility based intensive outpatient treatment $10 per
visit
Diagnostic tests Nothing
Services provided by a hospital or other facility
Services in
approved alternative care settings such as half-way house, residential
treatment
$100 per inpatient admission
Not covered:
Services we have not approved.
Psychiatric evaluation or therapy on court order or as a condition of
parole or
probation, unless determined by a Plan doctor to be necessary and
appropriate
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 30
30 Page 31 32
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 31 Section 5 (e)
Mental health and substance
abuse benefits (continued) You pay
Preauthorization
To be eligible
to receive these benefits you must obtain a treatment plan and follow all of the
following authorization processes:
Members must have a referral from their PCP to see a mental health specialist
or to receive substance abuse services.
Your PCP will arrange for
PersonalCare's authorization of services when necessary.
A listing of mental
health providers is in our provider directory. You will find it on our Web site
at www. personalcarehmo. com or you may call (800) 431-1211 for a directory.
Limitations We may limit your benefits if you do not obtain a
treatment plan. 31
31 Page
32 33
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 32
Section 5 (f)
Section 5( f) Prescription drug benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
We cover prescribed drugs and medications, as described in the chart
beginning on the next page and
are payable only when we determine they are
medically necessary.
All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations, and exclusions
in this brochure.
We have no calendar year deductible.
Be sure to read Section 4,
Your costs for covered services, for valuable information about how
cost-sharing
works. Also read Section 9 about coordinating benefits with
other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
There are important features you should be aware of. These include:
Who can write your prescription. A licensed physician must write
the prescription.
Where you can obtain them. You must fill the prescription at a plan
pharmacy.
We use a formulary (preferred drug list). PersonalCare's physician
committee has developed the preferred drug
list. This list includes high
quality drugs to treat medical conditions. A physician committee reviews the
list often to make sure that the best drugs are included. Your doctor may
prescribe drugs not on the list. You will pay a higher
copayment for drugs not on the preferred list. Some drugs will not be on the
list because PersonalCare does not cover them or because other drugs work
better. A few drugs need approval from PersonalCare before your doctor can
prescribe them. Your doctor will take care of this for you. You can get a
copy of our preferred drug list by calling PersonalCare Customer Service at
(800) 431-1211. You will also find the formulary listing on our Web site at
www. personalcarehmo. com.
These are the dispensing limitations.
For most drugs, you will pay one copayment for each 100 units or 30-day
supply, whichever is less. You pay this at the pharmacy when you have the
prescription filled. Prepackaged medications (such as inhalers, ophthalmic
solutions, topical creams) require one copayment per package. If your
doctor prescribes a nonpreferred drug, your copayment will be higher for each
30-day supply, or each prepackaged unit. Your pharmacy will give you a generic
drug if one is available and if your doctor allows a generic substitution.
You pay only a $5 copayment for these drugs. When there is no generic, you
will get the preferred ($ 15 copayment) or nonpreferred ($ 35 copayment) brand
name. Important: If a generic drug is available to you, and you or your
doctor ask for a name brand drug instead of the generic, you will pay the $5
generic copayment plus the difference in retail price between the generic drug
and the name brand drug.
Why use generic drugs? Generic drugs contain the same active
ingredients and are equivalent in strength and
dosage to the original brand
name product. Generic drugs cost you and your plan less money than a name-brand
drug.
When you have to file a claim. PersonalCare has a national network
of pharmacies, and you will not have to file a
claim if you fill your
prescriptions at any of these pharmacies. If you need a prescription filled in
an emergency when you are out of the service area, or your regular pharmacy is
closed, and you can not locate a network
pharmacy, go to the nearest open pharmacy. Please send the cash receipt and
the reason that this was an emergency to PersonalCare. We will reimburse you for
the prescription, less your copayment, in true emergency situations. 32
32 Page 33 34
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 33 Section 5 (f)
Benefit Description You pay
Covered medications and supplies
We cover the following medications and supplies prescribed by a Plan
physician and obtained from a Plan pharmacy:
Drugs for which a
prescription is required by law
Insulin, with a copay charge applied to
each vial
Diabetic supplies including insulin syringes, needles, glucose
test tablets and test
tape, Benedict's solution or equivalent and acetone
test tablets
Disposable needles and syringes needed to inject covered prescribed
medication
Drugs for sexual dysfunction, with dispensing limitations. Contact the
Plan for
details
Oral fertility drugs
Contraceptive drugs and devices
Note: Intravenous fluids and medication for home use, implantable drugs, and
some injectable drugs are covered under Medical and Surgical Benefits
$5 copay for generic drugs
$15 copay for name brand preferred drugs
$35 copay for name brand nonpreferred drugs
Note: If there is no generic
equivalent available, you will
still have to pay the name brand copay.
Not covered
Drugs or supplies for cosmetic purposes
Drugs to enhance athletic performance
Vitamins and
nutritional substances that can be purchased without a prescription
Drugs obtained at non-Plan pharmacies, except for out-of-area
emergencies
Nonprescription medicines
All charges 33
33 Page 34 35
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 34 Section 5 (g)
Section 5( g). Special
features
Feature Description
Centers of excellence for transplants PersonalCare uses the transplant
facilities of the United Resource Network (URN). URN contracts only with major
medical centers selected according
to standards and criteria established by
the International Society of Transplant Surgeons. These providers are available
only with a referral from
you primary care physician and authorization from PersonalCare. 34
34 Page 35 36
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 35 Section5 (h)
Section 5( h). Dental benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations, and exclusions in this
brochure and are payable only when we
determine they are medically necessary.
We have no calendar year deductible.
We cover hospitalization for dental procedures only when a nondental
physical impairment exists
which makes hospitalization necessary to
safeguard the health of the patient; we do not cover the dental procedure unless
it is described below.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for
valuable information about how cost-sharing
works. Also, read Section 9
about coordinating benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Accidental injury benefit You Pay
We cover restorative services
and supplies necessary to promptly repair (but not replace) sound natural teeth
due to traumatic injury within thirty (30) days of the injury.
The need for
these services must result from an accidental injury.
Nothing
Dental benefits
We have no other dental benefits 35
35 Page 36 37
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 36 Section 6
Notes 36
36 Page
37 38
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 37
Section 6
Section 6. General exclusions – things we don't cover
The exclusions in this section apply to all benefits. Although we may
list a specific service as a benefit, we will not cover it unless your Plan
doctor determines it is medically necessary to prevent, diagnose, or treat your
illness, disease,
injury, or condition.
We do not cover the
following:
Care by non-Plan providers except for authorized referrals or
emergencies (see Emergency Benefits);
Services, drugs or supplies you receive while you are not enrolled in this
Plan;
Services, drugs or supplies that are not medically necessary;
Services, drugs or supplies not required according to accepted standards
of medical, dental, or psychiatric practice;
Experimental or
investigational procedures, treatments, drugs or devices;
Services, drugs
or supplies related to abortions except when the life of the mother would be
endangered if the fetus
were carried to term or when the pregnancy is the
result of an act of rape or incest;
Services, drugs or supplies related to sex transformations; or
Services, drugs or supplies you receive from a provider or facility barred
from the FEHB Program. 37
37 Page 38 39
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 38 Section 7
Section 7. Filing a claim for
covered services
When you see Plan physicians, receive services at Plan
hospitals and facilities, or obtain your prescription drugs at Plan pharmacies,
you will not have to file claims. Just present your identification card and pay
your copayment or coinsurance.
You will only need to file a claim when you receive emergency services from
nonplan 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 (800) 431-1211.
When you must file a claim— such as for out-of-area care— submit it on the
HCFA-1500 or a claim form that includes the information shown below. Bills
and receipts must be itemized and show:
Covered member's name and ID
number
Name and address of the physician or facility that provided the
service or
supply;
Dates you received the services or supplies;
Diagnosis;
Type of each service or supply;
The charge for
each service or supply;
A copy of the explanation of benefits, payments
or denial from any
primary payer, such as the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN);
and
Receipts, if you paid for your services.
Submit your claims to 2110 Fox Drive, Champaign, IL 61820.
Deadline for filing your claim Send us all 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. 38
38 Page
39 40
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 39
Section 8
Section 8. The disputed claims process
Follow
this Federal Employees Health Benefits Program disputed claims process if you
disagree with our decision on your claim or request for services, drugs, or
supplies— including a request for preauthorization:
Step Description
1 Ask us in writing to reconsider our initial
decision. You must: a) Write to us within 6 months from the date of our
decision; and
b) Send your request to us at 2110 Fox Drive, Champaign, IL
61820; and
c) Include a statement explaining 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 physician's
letters, operative reports, bills, medical records, and explanations 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 to maintain our denial— go to step 4; or
c)
Ask you or your provider for more information. If we ask your provider, we will
send you a copy of our request— go to step 3.
3 You or your provider must send the information so that we receive it
within 60 days of our request. We will then decide within 30 more days. If we do
not receive the requested information within 60 days, we will decide within 30
days of the date the
information was due. We will base our decision on the
information we already have.
We will write to you with our decision.
4 If you do not agree with our decision, you may ask OPM to review it.
You must write to OPM within:
90 days after the date of our letter
upholding our initial decision; or
120 days after you first wrote to us
if we did not answer that request in some way within 30 days; or
120 days after we asked for additional information.
Write to OPM at: Office of Personnel Management, Office of Insurance
Programs, Contracts Division 3, 1900 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20415-3630.
Send OPM the following information:
A statement about why you believe
our decision is 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 us about the claim;
Copies of all letters we sent 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. 39
39 Page 40 41
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 40 Section 8
4 (cont.) Note: You are the
only person who has a right to file a disputed claim with OPM. Parties acting as
your representative, such as medical providers, must include a copy of your
specific written consent with the review request.
Note: the above deadlines
may be extended if you show that you were unable to meet the deadline because of
reasons beyond your control.
5 OPM will review your disputed claim request and will use the
information it collects from you and us to decide whether our decision is
correct. OPM will send you a final decision within 60 days. There are no other
administrative appeals.
6 If you do not agree with OPM's decision,
your only recourse is to sue. If you decide to sue, you must file the suit
against OPM in Federal court by December 31 of the third year after the year in
which you received the disputed services, drugs or supplies or from the year in
which you were denied precertification or prior approval. This is the only
deadline that may not be extended.
OPM may disclose the information it
collects during the review process to support their disputed claim decision.
This information will become part of the court record.
You may not sue until
you have completed the disputed claims process. Further, Federal law governs
your lawsuit, benefits, and payment of benefits. The Federal court will base its
review on the record that was before OPM when
OPM made its decision on your
claim. 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 (800) 431-1211 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 Contract Division 3 at (202) 606-0755
between 8 a. m. and 5 p. m. Eastern time. 40
40
Page 41 42
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 41 Section 9
Section 9. Coordinating benefits
with other coverage
When you have other health coverage You must tell us
if you 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 a 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. If you
or your spouse worked for at least 10
years in Medicare-covered employment, you should be able to qualify for
premium-free Part A insurance. (Someone
who was a Federal employee on January 1, 1983 or since automatically
qualifies.) Otherwise, if you are age 65 or older, you may be able to buy it.
Contact 1-800-MEDICARE for more information.
Part B (Medical
Insurance). Most people pay monthly for Part B. Generally,
Par B premiums
are withheld from your monthly Social Security check or your retirement check.
If you are eligible for Medicare, you may have choices in how you get your
health care. Medicare + Choice 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 (Part A or Part B) The Original Medicare
Plan (Original Medicare) is available everywhere in the United States. It is the
way everyone used to get Medicare benefits and is
the way most people get
their Medicare Part A and Part B benefits now. You may go to any doctor,
specialist, or hospital that accepts Medicare. 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 Original Medicare, you still need to follow the
rules in this brochure for us to cover your care. Your care must continue to
be authorized by your Plan doctor. 41
41
Page 42 43
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 42 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 is… A. When either you – or
your covered spouse – are age 65 and over and…
Original Medicare This Plan
1) Are an active employee with the
Federal government (including when you or a family member are eligible for
Medicare solely because of a disability),
2) Are an annuitant,
3) Are a reemployed annuitant with the Federal
government when…
a) The position is excluded from FEHB, or
b) The
position is not excluded from FEHB
(Ask you 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 determined that you are unable to return
to
duty,
exceptclaimsrelatedto Worker'sCompensation
B. When you – or a covered family member – have Medicare based on end
stage renal disease (ESRD) and…
1) Are within the first 30 months of
eligibility to receive Part A benefits solely because of ESRD,
2) Have
completed the 30-month ESRD coordination period and are still eligible for
Medicare due to ESRD,
3) Become eligible for Medicare due to ESRD
after Medicare became primary for you under another provision,
C.
When you or a covered family member have FEHB and…
1) Are eligible
for Medicare based on disability, and
a) Are an annuitant, or
b) Are an active employee, or
c) Are a former spouse of an
annuitant, or
d) Are a former spouse of an active employee 42
42 Page 43 44
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 43 Section 9
Claims process when you have the Original Medicare Plan —You
probably will never have to file a claim form when you have both our Plan
and the Original Medicare Plan.
When we are the primary payer, we process
the claim first.
When Original Medicare is the primary payer, Medicare
processes your claim first. In most cases, your claims will be
coordinated
automatically and we will pay the balance of covered charges. You will not need
to do anything. To find out if you need to do something about filing your
claims, call us at (800) 431-1211.
Medicare managed care plan If you are eligible for Medicare, you may
choose to enroll in and get your Medicare benefits from a type of Medicare+
Choice plan called a Medicare
managed care plan. These are health care
choices (like HMOs) in some areas of the country. In most Medicare managed care
plans, you can only go to
doctors, specialists, or hospitals that are part
of the plan. Medicare managed care plans provide all the benefits that Original
Medicare covers. Some cover
extras, like prescription drugs. To learn more
about enrolling in a Medicare managed care plan, contact Medicare at
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
or at www. medicare. gov. If you enroll in a
Medicare managed care plan, the following options are available to you:
This Plan and another plan's Medicare managed care plan: You may
enroll in another plan's Medicare managed care plan and also remain enrolled
in our FEHB plan. We will still provide benefits when your Medicare managed
care plan is primary, even out of the managed care plan's network
and/ or
service area (if you use our Plan providers), but we will not waive any of our
copayments or coinsurance. If you enroll in a Medicare managed care
plan,
tell us. We will need to know whether you are in the Original Medicare Plan or
in a Medicare managed care plan so we can correctly coordinate
benefits with
Medicare.
Suspended FEHB coverage to enroll in a Medicare managed care plan: If
you are an annuitant or former spouse, you can suspend your FEHB coverage
to
enroll in a Medicare managed care plan, eliminating your FEHB premium. (OPM does
not contribute to your Medicare managed care plan premium).
For information
on suspending your FEHB enrollment, contact your retirement office. If you later
want to re-enroll in the FEHB Program,
generally you may do so only at the
next open season unless you involuntarily lose coverage or move out of the
Medicare managed care plan's service area.
If you do not enroll in Medicare Part A or Part B If you do not have
one or both Parts of Medicare, you can still be covered under the FEHB Program.
We will not require you to enroll in Medicare Part
B and, if you can't get
premium-free Part A, we will not ask you to enroll in it.
TRICARE TRICARE is the health care program for eligible dependents of
military persons and retirees of the military. TRICARE includes the CHAMPUS
program. If both TRICARE and this Plan cover you, we are the primary payer.
See your TRICARE Health Benefits Advisor if you have questions
about TRICARE coverage. 43
43 Page 44 45
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 44 Section 9
Workers' compensation We do
not cover services that: You need because of a workplace-related illness or
injury that the
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) or a similar
Federal or State agency determine 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 the OWCP or similar agency pays its maximum benefits for your treatment,
we will cover your care. You must use our providers.
Medicaid We pay first if both Medicaid and this Plan cover you.
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. 44
44 Page
45 46
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 45
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 12.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our allowance that you
must pay for your care. See page 12.
Covered services Care we provide
benefits for, as described in this brochure.
Custodial care Custodial
care means the services which do not need the technical skills or professional
training of medical and/ or nursing personnel in order to be
safely and
effectively performed. Examples of custodial care are helping with activities of
daily living, giving of oral medications, assistance in
walking, turning and positioning in bed, and acting as a companion.
Experimental or investigational services A drug or device is
considered experimental if it does not have the approval for marketing from the
U. S. Food and Drug Administration. A drug, device,
treatment or procedure
is considered experimental or investigational if published reports or written
protocols show that it is undergoing clinical
trials or is otherwise under
study to determine dosage, toxicity or safety.
Group health coverage Health coverage purchased by an employer,
association, union or other organization for its employees or members and their
eligible dependents.
Medical necessity Medical necessity means the most appropriate level
of health care services and supplies needed for your treatment. You should
receive the right care for
your health problem that is common for physicians
to give to patients.
Us/ We Us and we refer to PersonalCare
You You refers to
the enrollee and each covered family member 45
45
Page 46 47
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 46 Section 11
Section 11. FEHB Facts
No
pre-existing condition limitation We will not refuse to cover the treatment
of a condition that you or a family member 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 or step children your employing or retirement office authorizes
coverage for. Under certain circumstances, you may also get 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 you give birth or add
the child to your family. The benefits and premiums for your Self and Family
enrollment begin on the first day of the pay period in which the child is
born or becomes an eligible family member. When you change to Self and Family
because you marry, the change is effective on the first day of the pay
period that begins after your employing office receives your enrollment form;
benefits
will not be available to your spouse until you marry.
Your
employing or retirement office will not notify you when a family member
is no longer eligible to receive health benefits, nor will we. Please tell
us immediately when you add or remove family members from your coverage for
any reason, including divorce, or when your child under age 22 marries or
turns 22.
If you or one of your family members is enrolled in one FEHB
plan, that person may not be enrolled in or covered as a family member by
another
FEHB plan.
When benefits and premiums start The benefits in this brochure are
effective on January 1. If you joined this Plan during Open Season, your
coverage begins on the first day of your first pay period that starts on or
after January 1. Annuitants' coverage and premiums
begin on January 1. If
you joined at any other time during the year, your employing office will tell
you the effective date of coverage. 46
46 Page 47 48
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 47 Section 11
Your medical and claims records
are confidential We will keep your medical and claims information
confidential. Only the following will have access to it:
OPM, this Plan,
and subcontractors when they administer this contract,
This Plan and
appropriate third parties, such as other insurance plans
and the Office of
Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), when coordinating benefit payments and
subrogating claims,
Law enforcement officials when investigating and/ or prosecuting
alleged civil or criminal actions,
OPM and the General Accounting Office when conducting audits,
Individuals involved in bona fide medical research or education that
does not disclose your identity; or
OPM, when reviewing a disputed claim or defending litigation about a
claim.
When you retire When you retire, you can usually stay in the FEHB
Program. Generally, you must have been enrolled in the FEHB Program for the last
five years of your
Federal service. If you do not meet this requirement, you
may be eligible for other forms of coverage, such as temporary continuation of
coverage (TCC).
When you lose benefits
When FEHB coverage ends You will
receive an additional 31 days of coverage, for no additional premium,
when:
Your enrollment ends, unless you cancel your enrollment, or
You are a family member no longer eligible for coverage.
You may be eligible for former spouse 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 TCC. For
example, you can receive TCC if you are not able to continue your FEHB
enrollment after
you retire, if you lose your job, if you are a covered dependent child and
you turn 22 or marry, etc.
You may not elect TCC if you are fired from your Federal job due to gross
misconduct.
Enrolling in TCC. Get the RI 79-27, which describes TCC,
and the RI 70-5, the Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for
Temporary
Continuation of Coverage and Former Spouse Enrollees from your
employing or retirement office or from www. opm. gov/ insure . It
explains what you have
to do to enroll. 47
47
Page 48 49
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 48 Section 11
Converting to individual
coverage You may convert to a non-FEHB policy if: Your coverage under
TCC or the spouse equity law ends (Iou 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 if
individual coverage is available. You must apply in writing to us within 31
days after you receive this notice. However, if you are a family member who
is losing coverage, the employing or retirement office will not notify you. You
must apply in writing to us within 31 days after you are no longer eligible
for coverage.
Your benefits and rates will differ from those under the FEHB Program;
however, you will not have to answer questions about your health, and we will
not impose a waiting period or limit your coverage due to pre-existing
conditions.
Getting a Certificate of Group Health Plan Coverage The Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a Federal law
that offers limited Federal protections for health coverage
availability and
continuity to people who lose employer group coverage. If you leave the FEHB
Program, we will give you a Certificate of Group Health
Plan Coverage that indicates how long you have been enrolled with us. You can
use this certificate when getting health insurance or other health care
coverage. Your new plan must reduce or eliminate waiting periods,
limitations or exclusions for health related conditions based on the information
in the
certificate. You must arrange for the other coverage within 63 days
of leaving this Plan. If you have been enrolled with us for less than 12 months,
but were
previously enrolled in other FEHB plans, you may also request a
certificate from those plans.
For more information, get OPM pamphlet RI 79-27, Temporary Continuation of
Coverage (TCC) under the FEHB Program. See also the FEHB web site
(www. opm.
gov/ insure/ health); refer to the "TCC and HIPAA" frequently asked question.
These highlight HIPAA rules, such as the requirement that
Federal employees
must exhaust any TCC eligibility as one condition for guaranteed access to
individual health coverage under HIPAA, and have
information about Federal
and State agencies you can contact for more information. 48
48 Page 49 50
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 49 Long Term Care Insurance
Long Term Care Insurance Is Coming Later in 2002!
The Office
of Personnel Management (OPM) will sponsor a high-quality long term care
insurance program effective in October 2002. As part of its educational effort,
OPM asks you to consider these questions:
It's insurance to help pay for
long term care services you may need if you can't
take care of yourself
because of an extended illness or injury, or an age-related disease such as
Alzheimer's.
LTC insurance can provide broad, flexible benefits for nursing home care,
care
in an assisted living facility, care in your home, adult day care,
hospice care, and more. LTC insurance can supplement care provided by family
members,
reducing the burden you place on them.
Welcome to the club!
76% of Americans believe they will never need long term care, but the
facts are
that about half of them will. And it's not just the old folks. About 40% of
people needing long term care are under age 65. They may need chronic care
due to a serious accident, a stroke, or developing multiple sclerosis, etc.
We hope you will never need long term care, but everyone should have a plan
just in case. Many people now consider long term care insurance to be
vital to their financial and retirement planning.
Yes, it can be very expensive. A year in a nursing home can exceed
$50,000.
Home care for only three 8-hour shifts a week can exceed $20,000 a
year. And that's before inflation!
Long term care can easily exhaust your savings. Long term care
insurance can
protect your savings.
Not FEHB. Look at the "Not covered" blocks in sections 5( a) and 5(
c) of your
FEHB brochure. Health plans don't cover custodial care or a stay
in an assisted living facility or a continuing need for a home health aide to
help you get in and
out of bed and with other activities of daily living. Limited stays in
skilled nursing facilities can be covered in some circumstances.
Medicare
only covers skilled nursing home care (the highest level of nursing
care)
after a hospitalization for those who are blind, age 65 or older or fully
disabled. It also has a 100 day limit.
Medicaid covers long term care for those who meet their state's poverty
guidelines, but has restrictions on covered services and where they can be
received. Long term care insurance can provide choices of care and preserve
your independence.
Employees will get more information from
their agencies during the LTC open
enrollment period in the late summer/
early fall of 2002.
Retirees will receive information at home.
Our toll-free teleservice center will begin in mid-2002. In the meantime,
you
can learn more about the program on our web site at www. opm. gov/
insure/ ltc.
Many FEHB enrollees think that their health plan and/ or Medicare will
cover their long-term
care needs. Unfortunately, they are WRONG!
How are YOU planning to pay for the future custodial or chronic care you may
need?
You should consider buying long-term care insurance.
What is long term care (LTC) insurance?
I'm healthy. I won't need long term care. Or, will I?
Is long term care expensive?
But won't my FEHB plan, Medicare or
Medicaid cover
my long term care?
When will I get more information on how to apply for this new insurance
coverage?
How can I find out more about the program NOW? 49
49 Page 50 51
2002 PersonalCare's HMO 50 Index
Index
Do not rely on this page; it is for your convenience and may not show
all pages where the terms appear.
Accidental injury (dental)
........... 35 Allergy tests ................................ 17
Alternative
treatment .................. 21 Allogenetic (donor) bone marrow
transplants
................................... 24 Ambulance
.................................. 26
Anesthesia................................... 24 Autologous bone marrow
transplant..................................... 24
Biopsies....................................... 22 Blood and blood
products........................... 15, 25, 26
Casts
...................................... 25,26 Changes for
2002.......................... 8
Chemotherapy.............................
17 Chiropractic ........................... 21
Cholesterol tests
.......................... 15 Claims ................................... 39, 40
Coinsurance ................................ 12 Colorectal cancer screening
........ 15
Congenital anomalies............ 22, 23 Contraceptive devices
and
drugs ............................... 16, 17, 33 Coordination of
benefits ............. 41
Crutches ...................................... 20
Deductible................................... 12 Definitions
.................................. 45
Dental care
.................................. 35 Diagnostic tests
........................... 14
Dialysis
....................................... 17 Disputed claims process........ 39,
40
Donor expenses (transplants) ...... 24
Dressings..................................... 25
Durable medical equipment
(DME)................................... 12, 20
Educational classes and programs .....................................
21
Effective date of enrollment.. 10, 45 Emergency
............................ 27, 28
Experimental or investigational .. 37
Eyeglasses................................... 18
Family planning.......................... 16 Fecal occult blood test
................ 15
General exclusions...................... 37
Hearing
services ......................... 18 Home health care services .... 11, 20
Hospice care ......................... 11, 26
Hospital........................... 11, 12, 25
Immunizations ........................... 15
Infertility............................... 11, 16
In-hospital physician
services ..... 14 Inpatient hospital benefits .......... 25
Insulin
........................................ 33
Laboratory/ pathology
services ... 26
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
.......................................... 15
Mammograms ............................. 15 Maternity Benefits
...................... 16
Medicaid .................................... 44
Medically necessary.............. 12, 28
Medicare
..................................... 42 Mental health and substance abuse
benefits........................................ 30
Newborn
care.............................. 16 Nurse
Licensed Practical Nurse .......... 20 Nurse Anesthetist
..................... 24
Registered Nurse ...................... 20
Nursery charges .......................... 16
Occupational therapy............ 12, 17 Ocular
injury............................... 20
Office
visits................................. 14 Oral and maxillofacial surgery
......... 23
Orthopedic devices ..................... 19 Out-of-pocket
expenses .............. 12
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgery center
.......... 26
Oxygen.................................. 21, 25
Pap test ....................................... 15 Physical
therapy.................... 12, 17
Preventive care, adult .................
15 Preventive care, children.................... 16
Prescription drugs
....................... 32 Prior approval ............................. 11
Prosthetic devices ....................... 19
Psychologist................................ 30
Radiation therapy ....................... 17 Room and board
......................... 25
Routine preventive exam............ 15
Second surgical opinion ............. 16 Skilled nursing facility
care ....... 26
Speech therapy...................... 12, 17 Splints
......................................... 25
Sterilization procedures .. 11,
18, 22 Subrogation................................. 44
Substance
abuse................ 9, 11, 30 Surgery .......................................
22
Anesthesia ................................ 24 Oral
.......................................... 23
Outpatient
................................. 26 Reconstructive .........................
23
Syringes ...................................... 33
Temporary
continuation of coverage (TCC) ......................... 47
Transplants ..................... 12, 24, 34
Vision
services............................ 18
Well baby examinations
............. 16 Wheelchairs ................................ 20
Workers' compensation .............. 44
X-rays
............................. 17, 25, 26 50
50
Page 51 52
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 51 Summary of Benefits
Summary of benefits for
PersonalCare HMO -2002
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; $10 specialist 14
Services provided by a hospital:
Inpatient.............................................................................
Outpatient
..........................................................................
$100 per admission copay
Nothing
25
26
Emergency benefits:
In-area................................................................................
Out-of-area
........................................................................
$50
per visit
$50 per visit
28
29
Mental health and substance abuse treatment........................ Regular
cost sharing 30
Prescription drugs
................................................................... $5 generic,
$15 preferred brand, $35 nonpreferred brand 32
Dental Care
............................................................................. No
benefit. 35
Vision Care
.............................................................................
$30 copay per exam 18
Special Features: Centers of Excellence for
Transplants 34
Protection against catastrophic costs (your out-of-pocket
maximum)............................................... Nothing after $1,500/
Self Only or $3,000/ Family enrollment per year
Some costs do not count toward this protection 12 51
51 Page 52
2002
PersonalCare's HMO 52 Rates
2002 Rate Information for
PersonalCare's HMO Health Plan
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, 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 who are not career postal
employees. 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 Share Your Share USPS Share Your
Share
High Option
Self Only GE1 67.79 22.60 146.89 48.96 80.22 10.17
High Option
Self and Family GE2 174.32 58.11 377.70 125.90 206.28
26.15 52