Piedmont Community HealthCare http:// www.
pchp. net
2002
A Health Maintenance Organization
with a point of service product
Serving: The Virginia cities of Bedford and Lynchburg; the Virginia
counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham,
Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, Nelson,
Nottoway,
Pittsylvania, and Prince Edward.
Enrollment in this Plan is limited. You must live or work in our
Geographic service area to enroll. See page 7 for requirements.
Enrollment codes for this Plan:
2C1 Self Only 2C2 Self and Family
RI 73-799
For changes in
benefits, see page 8. 1
1
Page 2 3
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 2 Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………….....................................................................
4
Plain
Language………………………………………………………………....................................................................
4
Inspector General Advisory
………………………………………………………………............................................... 4
Section 1. Facts about this HMO plan
.................................................................................................................................
6
We also have point-of service (POS) benefits
...................................................................................................
6
How we pay providers
........................................................................................................................................
6
Your Rights
.........................................................................................................................................................
6
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................................................................................................................................................
9
Hospital
care...............................................................................................................................................
10
Circumstances beyond our
control...................................................................................................................
11
Services requiring our prior approval
..............................................................................................................
11
Section 4. Your costs for covered
services........................................................................................................................
12
Copayments
................................................................................................................................................
12
Deductible...................................................................................................................................................
12
Coinsurance
................................................................................................................................................
12
Your out-of-pocket
maximum..........................................................................................................................
12
Section 5.
Benefits…………………………………………………………....................................................................
13
Overview
...........................................................................................................................................................
13
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by
physicians and other health care professionals .............. 14
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians and
other health care professionals .......... 23
(c)
Services provided by a hospital or other facility, and ambulance services
......................................... 27
(d)
Emergency services/
accidents...............................................................................................................
30
(e) Mental health and substance abuse benefits
.........................................................................................
32
(f) Prescription drug
benefits......................................................................................................................
34
(g) Special features
......................................................................................................................................
36
Flexible benefits option 2
2 Page 3 4
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 3 Table of Contents
Local Service and Assistance
Fitness Club Discounts
Eyewear Discounts
(h) Dental benefits
......................................................................................................................................
37
(i) Point of service product
...........................................................................................................................
38
Section 6. General exclusions --things we don't
cover
...............................................................................................
40
Section 7. Filing a claim for covered
services...............................................................................................................
41
Section 8. The disputed claims process
.........................................................................................................................
42
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other
coverage
..................................................................................................
44
When you have…
Other
health
coverage...........................................................................................................................
44
Original
Medicare.................................................................................................................................
44
Medicare managed care
plan................................................................................................................
47
TRICARE/ Workers' Compensation/ Medicaid
............................................................................................
48
Other Government agencies
.........................................................................................................................
48
When others are responsible for
injuries......................................................................................................
48
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use in this
brochure
.............................................................................................
49
Section 11. FEHB facts
..................................................................................................................................................
51
Coverage information
...................................................................................................................................
51
No pre-existing condition
limitation....................................................................................................
51
Where you get information about enrolling in the
FEHB Program ................................................... 51
Types of coverage available for you and your family
........................................................................ 51
When benefits and premiums start
......................................................................................................
52
Your medical and claims records are
confidential..............................................................................
52
When you retire
...................................................................................................................................
52
When you lose
benefits.................................................................................................................................
52
When FEHB coverage ends
.................................................................................................................
52
Spouse equity
coverage.......................................................................................................................
52
Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC)
....................................................................................
52
Converting to individual
coverage......................................................................................................
53
Getting a Certificate of Group Health Plan
Coverage .......................................................................
53
Index ....................................................................................................................................................................
58
Summary of
benefits........................................................................................................................................................
59
Rates…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Back cover 3
3 Page
4 5
2002Piedmont Community HealthCare 4 Introduction/ Plain Language/
Inspector General Advisory
Introduction
Piedmont Community
HealthCare Benefit Plan
2255 Langhorne Road, Suite 2
Lynchburg, Virginia
24501
This brochure describes the benefits of Piedmont Community HealthCare under
our contract (CS 2858) with the
Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as
authorized by the Federal Employees Health Benefits law. This brochure
is
the official statement of benefits. No oral statement can modify or otherwise
affect the benefits, limitations, and
exclusions of this brochure.
If you are enrolled in this Plan, you are entitled to the benefits described
in this brochure. If you are enrolled for Self
and Family coverage, each
eligible family member is also entitled to these benefits. You do not have a
right to
benefits that were available before January 1, 2002, unless those
benefits are also shown in this brochure.
OPM negotiates benefits and rates with each plan annually. Benefit changes
are effective January 1, 2002, and
changes are summarized on page 59. 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 Piedmont Community
HealthCare.
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 OPM know. Visit
OPM's "Rate Us" feedback area at www.
opm. gov/ insure or e-mail OPM at fehbwebcomments@ opm. gov. You may
also write to OPM at the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Insurance
Planning and Evaluation Division,
1900 E Street, NW Washington, DC
20415-3650.
Inspector General Advisory
Fraud increases the cost of health care
for everyone. If you suspect that a
physician, pharmacy, or hospital has
charged you for services you did not
receive, billed you twice for the same
service, or misrepresented any
information, do the following:
Call the provider and ask for an explanation. There may be an error.
If the provider does not resolve the matter, call us at 1-888-674-3368 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
Stop health care fraud! 4
4 Page 5 6
2002Piedmont
Community HealthCare 5 Introduction/ Plain Language/ Inspector General
Advisory
Penalties for Fraud Anyone who falsifies a claim to
obtain FEHB Program benefits can be
prosecuted for fraud. Also, the
Inspector General may investigate
anyone who uses an ID card if the person
tries to obtain services for
someone who is not an eligible family member,
or is no longer enrolled
in the Plan and tries to obtain benefits. Your
agency may also take
administrative action against you. 5
5 Page 6 7
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 6 Section 1
Section
1. Facts about this HMO plan
This Plan is a health maintenance
organization (HMO). We require you to see specific physicians, hospitals, and
other providers that contract with us. These Plan providers coordinate your
health care services.
HMOs emphasize preventive care such as routine office visits, physical exams,
well-baby care, and immunizations, in
addition to treatment for illness and
injury. Our providers follow generally accepted medical practice when
prescribing any course of treatment.
When you receive services from Plan providers, you will not have to submit
claim forms or pay bills. You only pay
the copayments, coinsurance, and
deductibles described in this brochure. When you receive emergency services from
non-Plan providers, you may have to submit claim forms.
You should join an HMO because you prefer the plan's benefits, not because
a particular provider is available.
You cannot change plans because a
provider leaves our Plan. We cannot guarantee that any one physician,
hospital, or other provider will be available and/ or remain under contract
with us.
We also have Point-of-Service (POS) benefits:
Our HMO offers
Point-of-Service (POS) benefits. This means you can receive covered services
from a participating
provider without a required referral, or from a
non-participating provider. These out-of-network benefits have higher
out-of-pocket costs than our in-network benefits.
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 Piedmont Community HealthCare physician provides your health care. Your
primary care physician will
coordinate all of your health care needs. Please
note that a referral from your primary care physician is not necessary
for
emergency services or for up to two office visits each year for female members
to a Plan OB/ GYN physician.
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.
Piedmont Community HealthCare, Inc. has been in existence three years,
Piedmont Community HealthCare, Inc. is a for profit company,
Customer satisfaction surveys are conducted each year for Piedmont Community
HealthCare in conjunction with the parent company, Piedmont Community Health
Plan, Inc.,
The network providers include approximately 150 primary care physicians and
375 specialists, and
Providers are compensated based on our fee schedule
and have agreed to a 20 percent withhold from their payments.
If you want more information about us, call 434/ 947-4463, or write to
Piedmont Community HealthCare, P. O. Box
2455, Lynchburg, VA 24501. You may
also contact us by fax at 434/ 947-4465 or visit our website at www. pchp. net. 6
6
Page 7 8
2002
Piedmont Community HealthCare 7 Section 1
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 cities of
Bedford and Lynchburg; the counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford,
Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, Nelson,
Nottoway, Pittsylvania, and Prince
Edward.
Ordinarily, you should get your care from providers who contract with us. If
you receive care outside our service
area, we will pay only for emergency
care or point-of-service benefits.
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. Children in college
are covered for emergency and
urgent care, however, routine care is not covered at the higher point-of-service
level
while outside of our service area. 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 Piedmont
Community HealthCare 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
Changes to this Plan
Your share of the
non-Postal premium increase by 31.7% for Self Only or 30.7% for Self and Family.
We added a new Section after Section 11 to discuss the Long Term Care
Insurance Program that is coming in 2002.
We no longer limit total blood cholesterol tests to certain age groups.
(Section 5( a))
We now cover routine screening for chlamydial infection.
(Section 5( a))
We increased speech therapy benefits by removing the
requirement that services must be required to restore functional speech.
(Section 5( a))
We now cover certain intestinal transplants. (Section 5( b))
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. (Section 5( f))
We changed the address for sending disputed claims to OPM. (Section 8)
We clarified the Medicare Primary Payer Chart to explain how we coordinate
benefits for former spouses. (Section 9)
We clarified other language about coordinating benefits with Medicare.
(Section 9)
The following are ongoing Piedmont Community Health Plan patient
safety initiatives:
Piedmont Community Health Plan does concurrent chart
reviews of all patients hospitalized within its local hospitals to ensure
satisfactory delivery of care.
Piedmont Community Health Plan does office chart reviews biannually to
verify accurate, comprehensive medical record keeping by each primary care
physician.
Piedmont Community Health Plan utilization review personnel
identify, investigate and resolve any complaints by patient regarding quality of
care issues. This activity is overseen directly by the Piedmont
Community
Health Plan medical and psychiatric medical directors. Piedmont Community Health
Plan
maintains a formal grievance resolution process for all grievances
whether they relate to issues of medial
necessity or other patient or
provider concerns.
Piedmont Community Health Plan maintains comprehensive credentialing
standards for network physicians, including biannual review of malpractice
insurance coverage and history of professional liability claims.
As a part of its Quality Assessment/ Quality Improvement Program, Piedmont
Community Health Plan uses targeted patient communications for patients with
certain medical conditions to ensure patients receive
recommended services
under the direction of their physicians. 8
8 Page 9 10
2002 Piedmont
Community HealthCare 9 Section 3
Section 3. How you get care
Identification cards We will send you an identification (ID) card. 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 888/
674-
3368.
Where you get covered care You get care from "Plan providers" and
"Plan facilities." You will only pay copayments, or coinsurance, and you will
not have to file claims. If
you use our point-of-service program, you can
also get care from non-Plan
providers, or from participating providers
without a required
referral, but it will cost you more. In those instances,
you will have a
deductible and higher coinsurance with no copayments.
Plan providers Plan providers are physicians, specialists and
other health care
professionals in our service area that we contract with to
provide covered
services to our members. We credential Plan providers
according to
national standards.
We list Plan providers in the provider directory, which we update
periodically. The list is also on our website.
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 website.
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. Simply complete the primary care physician
selection
form and return it to us.
Primary care Your primary care physician can be a family
practitioner, general practitioner, internist or pediatrician. Your primary care
physician will
provide most of your health care, or give you a referral to
see a specialist.
If you want to change primary care physicians or if your
primary care
physician leaves the Plan, call us. We will help you select a
new one.
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, you 9
9 Page
10 11
2002 Piedmont Community
HealthCare 10 Section 3
may see participating OB/ GYN physicians
twice a year 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 work with your
specialist and us to 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, you will receive point-of-service
benefits when you see a
specialist who does not participate
with our Plan.
If you are seeing a specialist and your specialist leaves the Plan, call
your primary care physician, who will arrange for you to see another
specialist. You may receive services from your current specialist
until
we can make arrangements for you to see someone else.
If you have a chronic or disabling condition and lose access to your
specialist because we:
terminate our contract with your specialist for other than cause; or
drop out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)
Program and
you enroll in another FEHB Plan; or
reduce our service area and you enroll in another FEHB Plan,
you may
be able to continue seeing your specialist for up to 90 days
after you
receive notice of the change. Contact us or, if we drop out of
the Program,
contact your new plan.
If you are in the second or third trimester of pregnancy and you lose
access to your specialist based on the above circumstances, you can
continue to see your specialist until the end of your postpartum care, even
if it is beyond the 90 days.
Hospital care Your Plan primary care physician or specialist
will make necessary
hospital arrangements and supervise your care. This
includes admission
to a skilled nursing or other type of facility.
If you are in the hospital when your enrollment in our Plan begins, call
our customer service department immediately at 1-888-674-3368. 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: 10
10 Page 11 12
2002 Piedmont
Community HealthCare 11 Section 3
You are discharged, not
merely moved to an alternative care center; or
The day your benefits from
your former plan run out; or
The 92 nd day after you become a member of
this Plan, whichever happens first.
These provisions apply only to the hospital benefits of the hospitalized
person.
Circumstances beyond our control Under certain extraordinary
circumstances, such as natural disasters, we may have to delay your services or
we may be unable to provide them.
In that case, we will make all reasonable
efforts to provide you with the
necessary care.
Services requiring our
prior approval Your primary care physician
has authority to refer you for most services. For certain services, however,
your physician must obtain approval from
us. Before giving approval, we consider if the service is covered,
medically necessary, and follows generally accepted medical practice.
We call this review and approval process precertification. Except for
services rendered under our Point of Service benefits, your physician
must obtain precertification for the following services such as:
referrals for covered services to non-participating providers
transplants
non-emergency ambulance or air ambulance transportation
physical
therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
Your primary care physician will submit a referral to us for these
services. We will establish that the appropriate criteria have been met
and provide an authorization to your primary care physician and to the
provider to whom you have been referred. Without the proper
authorization, services may be paid at the out-of-network benefit level or
not covered at all. 11
11 Page 12 13
2002 Piedmont
Community HealthCare 12 Section 4
Section 4. Your costs
for covered services
You must share the cost of some services. You are
responsible for:
Copayments A copayment is a fixed amount of
money you pay to the provider,
facility, pharmacy, etc., when you receive
services.
Example: When you see your primary care physician you pay a
copayment of
$10 per office visit.
Deductible A deductible is a fixed expense you must incur for
certain covered
services and supplies before we start paying benefits for
them.
Copayments do not count toward any deductible. We do not have a
deductible for in-plan benefits. A $500 individual and $1,000 family
deductible applies to out-of-plan benefits.
Note: If you change plans during open season, you do not have to start a
new deductible under your old plan between January 1 and the effective
date of your new plan. If you change plans at another time during the
year, you must begin a new deductible under your new plan
And, if you change options in this Plan during the year, we will credit the
amount of covered expenses already applied toward the deductible of
your
old option to the deductible of your new option.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our negotiated fee
that you must pay for
your care. Coinsurance applies to all services except
for office visits and
emergency/ urgent care services.
Example: In our Plan, you pay 10% of our allowance for all hospital
related services including inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic testing,
infertility services and durable medical equipment.
Your out-of-pocket maximum After your copayments and coinsurance total
$1,000 per person or $2,000 per family enrollment in any calendar year, you do
not have to pay any
more for covered services received in-plan. However,
copayments or
coinsurance for the following services do not count toward
your out-of-pocket
maximum, and you must continue to pay copayments or
coinsurance for these services:
Prescription drug copayments
Vision exam copayments
Be sure to keep accurate records of your copayments and coinsurance
since
you are responsible for informing us when you reach the maximum.
Please note
that your out-of-pocket maximum for Point of Service
benefits total to
$2,000 per person and $4,000 per family. (See page 38) 12
12 Page 13 14
Section 5. Benefits --OVERVIEW
(See page 8 for how our
benefits changed this year and page 59 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 888-674-3368
or at our website at www. pchp. net.
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other health
care professionals .............................. 13-22
Diagnostic and
treatment services
Lab, X-ray, and other diagnostic tests
Preventive
care, adult
Preventive care, children
Maternity care
Family
planning
Infertility services
Allergy care
Treatment therapies
Physical and occupational therapies
Speech therapy
Hearing services (testing, treatment, and
supplies)
Vision services (testing, treatment, and
supplies)
Foot care
Orthopedic and prosthetic devices
Durable medical
equipment (DME)
Home health services
Chiropractic
Alternative
treatments
Educational classes and programs
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians and other health
care professionals........................... 23-26
Surgical procedures
Reconstructive surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Organ/
tissue transplants
Anesthesia
(c) Services provided by a hospital or other facility, and ambulance
services.......................................................... 27-29
Inpatient hospital
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical
center
Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care
facility benefits
Hospice care
Ambulance
(d) Emergency services/ accidents
...............................................................................................................................
30-31
Medical emergency Ambulance
(e) Mental health and substance abuse
benefits..........................................................................................................
32-33
(f) Prescription drug benefits
......................................................................................................................................
34-35
(g) Special features
............................................................................................................................................................
36
Flexible benefits option
Local service and assistance
Fitness club discounts
Eyewear discounts
(h) Dental
benefits..............................................................................................................................................................
37
(i) Point of service benefits
........................................................................................................................................
38-39
Summary of
benefits............................................................................................................................................................
59
Rates......................................................................................................................................................................
Back Cover 13
13 Page
14 15
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.
The calendar year
deductible of $500 per individual and $1,000 per family only applies to
out-of-plan point of service benefits.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for
valuable information about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9 about
coordinating benefits with other
coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Diagnostic and treatment services
Professional services of
physicians
In physician's office $10 per office visit
Professional services of physicians
In an urgent care center
Office medical consultations
$10 per office visit
Second surgical opinion
During a hospital stay
In a skilled
nursing facility 10% of allowable charge
At home $10 per physician visit
10% of allowable charge for home
health services
Lab, X-ray and other diagnostic tests
Tests, such as:
Blood tests
Urinalysis
Non-routine pap
tests
Pathology
X-rays
Non-routine Mammograms
Cat Scans/
MRI
Ultrasound
Electrocardiogram and EEG
Nothing if you receive these
services during your office visit;
otherwise, $10 per visit
10% of allowable charge for
services performed at a hospital 14
14 Page 15 16
Preventive care, adult
$10 per office visit
Routine screenings, such as:
Total Blood Cholesterol – once every three
years
Colorectal Cancer Screening, including
Fecal occult blood test – one
annually at age 50 and older
Sigmoidoscopy, screening – every three to
five years starting at age 50
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA test) – one
annually for men age 50 and older $10 per office visit
Routine pap test
Note: The office visit is covered if pap test is
received on the same day;
see Diagnosis and Treatment, above.
$10 per office visit
Routine mammogram screening –covered for women age 35 and older,
as
follows:
From age 35 through 39, one during this five year period
From age 40
and older, one every calendar year
$10 per office visit
Not covered: Physical exams required for obtaining or continuing
employment or insurance, attending schools or camp, or travel.
All
charges.
Routine immunizations, limited to:
Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster –
once every 10 years, ages 20 and over (except as provided for under Childhood
immunizations)
Influenza/ Pneumococcal vaccines, annually if needed, ages 20 and over
$10 per office visit
Preventive care, children You pay
Childhood immunizations
recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics $10 per office visit
Well-child care charges for routine examinations, immunizations and care
(under age 22)
Examinations, such as:
Eye exams through age 17 to
determine the need for vision
correction.
Ear exams through age 17 to determine the need for hearing
correction
Examinations done on the day of immunizations ( under age 22)
$10 per office visit 15
15 Page 16 17
Maternity care
You pay
Complete maternity (obstetrical) care, such as:
Prenatal
care
Delivery
Postnatal care
Note: Here are some things to keep
in mind:
You will need one referral from your primary care physician to your OB/ GYN
for pregnancy, prenatal care, delivery and postnatal care.
Precertification for your normal delivery is included with your
referral;
see page 23, 27, and 39 for other circumstances, such as
extended stays for
you or your baby.
You may remain in the hospital up to 48 hours after a regular delivery and
96 hours after a cesarean delivery. We will extend
your inpatient stay if medically necessary.
We cover routine nursery
care of the newborn child during the covered portion of the mother's maternity
stay. We will cover other
care of an infant who requires non-routine treatment only if we
cover the
infant under a Self and Family enrollment.
We pay hospitalization and surgeon services (delivery) the same as for
illness and injury. See Hospital benefits (Section 5c) and
Surgery benefits (Section 5b).
$10 per visit (initial visit only, all
other routine visits, routine
testing
and delivery require no additional
copayments)
Not covered: Non-diagnostic routine sonograms to determine fetal age,
size or sex
All charges
Family planning
A broad range of voluntary family planning
services, limited to:
Voluntary sterilization
Surgically implanted
contraceptives (such as Norplant)
Injectable contraceptive drugs (such as
Depo provera)
Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
Diaphragms
NOTE: We
cover oral contraceptives under the prescription drug
benefit.
$10 per office visit
10% of allowable charge
(procedures performed at
a
hospital-inpatient or outpatient)
Not covered: reversal of voluntary surgical sterilization, genetic
counseling,
All charges 16
16 Page 17 18
Infertility
services You pay
Diagnosis and treatment of infertility, such as:
Artificial insemination:
intravaginal insemination (IVI)
intracervical insemination (ICI)
intrauterine insemination
(IUI)
Fertility drugs
Note: We cover injectable fertility drugs
under medical benefits and oral
fertility drugs under the prescription drug
benefit.
$10 per visit (office visit)
10% of allowable charge
(outpatient
facility)
Not covered:
Assisted reproductive technology (ART)
procedures, such as:
in vitro fertilization
embryo
transfer, gamete GIFT and zygote ZIFT
Zygote transfer
Services and supplies related to excluded ART procedures
Cost of donor sperm
Cost of donor egg
All charges.
Allergy care
Testing and treatment
Allergy injection
$10
per office visit
$5 per office visit
Allergy serum Nothing
Not covered: provocative food testing and
sublingual allergy
desensitization
All charges. 17
17 Page 18 19
Treatment therapies You pay
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 25.
Respiratory and inhalation therapy
Dialysis – Hemodialysis and
peritoneal dialysis
Intravenous (IV)/ Infusion Therapy – Home IV and
antibiotic therapy
Growth hormone therapy (GHT)
Note: – Growth hormone is covered under
the prescription drug benefit.
Note: – We will only cover GHT when we preauthorize the treatment.
Call
804-947-3590 for preauthorization. We will ask you to submit
information
that establishes that the GHT is medically necessary. Ask
us to authorize
GHT before you begin treatment; otherwise, we will
only cover GHT services
from the date you submit the information. If
you do not ask or if we
determine GHT is not medically necessary, we
will not cover the GHT or
related services and supplies.
$10 per visit (office visit)
10% of allowable charge
(outpatient
facility)
Not covered: All charges.
Early Intervention Services You pay
Benefits for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy,
physical
therapy and assistive technology services and devices for
dependents from
birth to age three who are certified by the Department
of Mental Health,
Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services
as eligible for services
under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act are limited
to $5,000 per member per calendar year.
$10 per office visit
Physical and occupational therapies You pay
90 visits per
condition for the services of each of the following:
qualified physical
therapists;
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. Services are limited to those
which can be expected to result
in significant improvement within a period
of 90 days.
Cardiac rehabilitation following a heart transplant, bypass
surgery or
a myocardial infarction, is provided for up to 90
sessions
$10 per visit (office visit)
10% of allowable charge
(inpatient or
outpatient facility) 18
18 Page
19 20
Not covered:
long-term rehabilitative therapy
exercise programs
All charges.
Speech therapy
90 visits per condition
Note: Speech therapy
services are limited to a $1000 per member
per calendar year.
$10 per visit (office visit)
10% of allowable charge
(inpatient or
outpatient facility)
Not Covered: All Charges
Hearing services (testing, treatment, and supplies)
First
hearing aid and testing only when necessitated by accidental injury
Hearing testing for children through age 17 (see Preventive care,
children)
$10 per office visit
Not covered:
all other hearing testing
hearing
aids, testing and examinations for them
All charges.
Vision services (testing, treatment, and supplies) You pay
One
pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct an impairment directly caused by
accidental ocular injury or intraocular surgery
(such as for cataracts)
$10 per office visit
Eye exam to determine the need for vision correction for children through
age 17 (see Preventive care, children)
Annual eye refractions
$10 per
office visit
Not covered:
Eyeglasses or contact lenses and, after age 17,
examinations for them
Eye exercises and orthoptics
Radial keratotomy and other
refractive surgery
All charges.
Foot care
Routine foot care when you are under active treatment
for a metabolic
or peripheral vascular disease, such as diabetes.
See orthopedic and prosthetic devices for information on podiatric shoe
inserts.
$10 per office visit 19
19 Page 20 21
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 You pay
Artificial limbs and
eyes; stump hose
Externally worn breast prostheses and surgical bras,
including necessary replacements, following a mastectomy
Internal prosthetic devices, such as artificial joints, pacemakers,
cochlear implants, and surgically implanted breast implant
following
mastectomy. Note: We pay internal prosthetic devices as
hospital benefits;
see Section 5 (c) for payment information. See
5( b) for coverage of the
surgery to insert the device.
Corrective orthopedic appliances for non-dental treatment of
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain dysfunction syndrome.
10% of allowable charge
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
prosthetic replacements provided less than 3 years after the last one we
covered
All charges. 20
20 Page 21 22
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. Limited to $2,000 per
member per
calendar year for any combination of items. Under this benefit,
we also
cover:
hospital beds;
wheelchairs;
canes, crutches, walkers, slings,
splints, cervical collars, and traction apparatus;
bedside commode, shower chair, and tub rails;
oxygen and oxygen
equipment;
ostomy supplies, including bags, flanges, and belts;*
catheters and catheter bags;*
respirators;
jobst stockings or
equivalent when prescribed by a vascular surgeon following vascular surgery;
the first pair of contact lenses or eyeglasses following approved cataract
surgery without implant; and
prosthetic devices
* Supplies to be purchased in quantities or units equivalent to a 30-day
supply.
Note: Call us at 434-947-3590 as soon as your Plan physician
prescribes
this equipment. We will arrange with a health care provider
to rent or sell
you durable medical equipment at discounted rates and
will tell you more
about this service when you call.
10% of allowable charge
Not covered:
Motorized wheel chairs
Any durable
medical equipment not listed above is not covered.
All charges.
Home health services
Home health care ordered by a Plan
physician and provided by a registered nurse (R. N.), licensed practical nurse
(L. P. N.), licensed
vocational nurse (L. V. N.), or home health aide.
Services include oxygen therapy, intravenous therapy and medications.
10% of allowable charge
Not covered:
nursing care requested by, or for the
convenience of, the patient or the patient's family;
Services primarily for hygiene, feeding, exercising, moving the patient,
homemaking, companionship or giving oral medication.
All charges. 21
21 Page 22 23
Chiropractic
Limited to $500 per calendar year
Manipulation of the spine and
extremities
Adjunctive procedures such as ultrasound, electrical muscle
stimulation, vibratory therapy, and cold pack application
$10 per visit
Not covered:
maintenance services
All charges.
Alternative treatments
Not covered:
acupuncture
services
naturopathic services
hypnotherapy
biofeedback
All charges.
Educational classes and programs
Coverage is limited to:
Diabetes self-management
Diabetes nutritional counseling for newly
diagnosed patients
$10 per office visit 22
22 Page 23 24
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.
The calendar year
deductible of $500 per individual and $1,000 per family only applies to
out-of-plan point of service benefits.
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.
YOU OR YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION OF SOME
SURGICAL PROCEDURES. Please refer to the precertification information shown in
Section 3 to be sure which services require precertification and identify
which surgeries require
precertification.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
After the calendar year deductible…
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 5( a) – Orthopedic and
prosthetic devices for device coverage information.
10% of allowable charge
Surgical procedures continued on next page. 23
23 Page 24 25
Surgical procedures (Continued) You
pay
Voluntary sterilization
Treatment of burns
Note: Generally, we pay for internal prostheses (devices) according to
where the procedure is done. For example, we pay Hospital benefits for
a
pacemaker and Surgery benefits for insertion of the pacemaker.
10% of allowable charge
Not covered:
Reversal of voluntary sterilization
Routine treatment of conditions of the foot; see Foot care.
Dorsal rhizotomy to treat spasticity
All charges.
Reconstructive surgery
Surgery to correct a functional defect
Surgery to correct a condition caused by injury or illness if:
the
condition produced a major effect on the member's
appearance and
the condition can reasonably be expected to be corrected by such
surgery
Surgery to correct a condition that existed at or from birth and is a
significant deviation from the common form or norm. Examples of
congenital anomalies are: protruding ear deformities; cleft lip; cleft
palate; birth marks; webbed fingers; and webbed toes.
All stages of breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy, such
as:
surgery to produce a symmetrical appearance on the other breast;
treatment of any physical complications, such as lymphedemas;
breast
prostheses and surgical bras and replacements (see
Prosthetic devices)
Note: If you need a mastectomy you may choose to have the procedure
on an
inpatient basis and remain in the hospital up to 48 hours after
the
procedure.
10% of allowable charge
Not covered:
Cosmetic surgery – any surgical procedure (or
any portion of a procedure) performed primarily to improve physical appearance
through change in bodily form, except repair of accidental injury
Surgeries related to sex transformation
All charges
Oral and maxillofacial surgery 24
24
Page 25 26
Oral
surgical procedures, limited to:
Reduction of fractures of the jaws or
facial bones;
Surgical correction of cleft lip, cleft palate or severe
functional malocclusion;
Removal of stones from salivary ducts;
Excision of leukoplakia or
malignancies;
Excision of cysts and incision of abscesses when done as
independent procedures; and
Other surgical procedures that do not involve the teeth or their supporting
structures.
10% of allowable charge
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.
Organ/ tissue transplants You pay
Limited to:
Cornea
Heart
Heart/ lung
Kidney
Kidney/ Pancreas
Liver
Allogeneic bone marrow transplants
Autologous bone marrow transplants (autologous stem cell and peripheral
stem cell support) for the following conditions: acute
lymphocytic or non-lymphocytic leukemia; advanced Hodgkin's
lymphoma;
advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; advanced
neuroblastoma; breast cancer;
multiple myeloma; epithelial ovarian
cancer; and testicular, mediastinal,
retroperitoneal and ovarian germ
cell tumors
Intestinal transplants (small intestine) and the small intestine with the
liver or small intestine with multiple organs such as the liver,
stomach,
and pancreas.
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.
10% of allowable charge
Not covered:
Donor screening tests and donor search expenses,
except those performed for the actual donor
Implants of artificial organs
Transplants not listed as
covered
All charges.
Anesthesia You pay 25
25 Page 26 27
Professional
services provided in –
Hospital (inpatient)
Professional services provided in –
Hospital outpatient department
Skilled nursing facility
Ambulatory surgical center
10% of allowable charge
10% of allowable charge 26
26 Page 27 28
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.
The calendar year deductible of $500 per individual and $1,000 per family
only applies to out-of-plan point of service benefits.
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).
YOU or YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION OF HOSPITAL
STAYS. Please refer to Section 3
to be sure which services require precertification.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Inpatient hospital
Room and board,
such as
ward, semiprivate, or intensive care accommodations;
general
nursing care; and
meals and special diets.
NOTE: If you want a private room when it is not medically necessary,
you
pay the additional charge above the semiprivate room rate.
10% of allowable charge
Inpatient hospital continued on next page. 27
27 Page 28 29
Inpatient hospital (Continued) You
pay
Other hospital services and supplies, such as:
Operating,
recovery, maternity, and other treatment rooms
Prescribed drugs and
medicines
Diagnostic laboratory tests and X-rays
Administration of
blood and blood products
Blood or blood plasma, if not donated or replaced
Dressings, splints, casts, and sterile tray services
Medical
supplies and equipment, including oxygen
Anesthetics, including nurse
anesthetist services
Take-home items
Medical supplies, appliances,
medical equipment, and any covered items billed by a hospital for use at home
10% of allowable charge
Not covered:
Custodial care
Non-covered
facilities, such as nursing homes, extended care facilities, schools
Personal comfort items, such as telephone, television, barber services,
guest meals and beds
Private nursing care
All charges.
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical center
Operating,
recovery, and other treatment rooms
Prescribed drugs and medicines
Diagnostic laboratory tests, X-rays, and pathology services
Administration
of blood, blood plasma, and other biologicals
Blood and blood plasma, if
not donated or replaced
Pre-surgical testing
Dressings, casts, and
sterile tray services
Medical supplies, including oxygen
Anesthetics
and anesthesia service
NOTE: – We cover hospital services and supplies related to dental
procedures when necessitated by a non-dental physical impairment. We
do
not cover the dental procedures.
10% of allowable charge
Not covered: blood and blood derivatives not replaced by the member All
charges
Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care facility
benefits You pay
Skilled nursing facility (SNF): limited to 100 days per
member per
calendar year 10% of allowable charge
Not covered: custodial care All charges 28
28 Page 29 30
Hospice care
Hospice services include
supportive or palliative care for a terminally ill
member in the home or a
hospice facility. Services include inpatient
and outpatient care, and family
counseling; these services are 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.
10% of allowable charge
Not covered: Independent nursing, homemaker services All charges
Ambulance
Local professional ambulance service when
medically appropriate 10% of allowable charge 29
29
Page 30 31
Section 5 (d). Emergency services/ accidents
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
Please remember that all benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations,
and exclusions in this brochure.
The calendar year deductible of $500 per individual and $1,000 per family
only applies to out-of-plan point of service benefits.
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 we
may determine are medical emergencies – what
they all have in common is the
need for quick action.
What to do in case of emergency:
Emergencies within our service area:
a. Medical care is available through your primary care physician 7 days a
week, 24 hours a day. If
you need medical care, you should call your primary
care physician immediately for instructions
on how to receive care.
b.
If the emergency is such that immediate medical attention is needed, you should
be taken to the
nearest appropriate medical facility.
c. The Plan covers
services rendered by providers other than participating Piedmont providers when
the condition treated is an emergency as defined above.
d. A telephone
call from you to your primary care physician while at an urgent care center or
emergency room will not be treated as a proper referral for urgent care or
other non-emergency
services.
e. Emergency services provided within our
service area shall include covered services from non-participating
Piedmont
providers only when a delay in receiving care from a participating
Piedmont
Provider could reasonably be expected to cause your condition to worsen if left
unattended.
Emergencies outside our service area: a. Urgent care and emergency
services outside the service area are covered services if you sustain an
injury or become ill while temporarily away from the service area.
Accordingly, benefits for these
services are limited to care which is
required immediately and unexpectedly. Neither elective care
nor care
required as a result of circumstances which could reasonably have been foreseen
prior to
departure from the service area is a covered service. Benefits for
maternity care do not cover
normal term delivery outside the service area,
but do include earlier complications of pregnancy or
unexpected delivery
occurring outside the service area.
b. If an emergency or urgent situation
occurs when you are temporarily outside the service area, you
should obtain
care at the nearest medical facility. You or your representative are responsible
for
notifying your primary care physician on the next working day or within
48 hours. Failure to do
so may result in reduced benefits or no benefits.
c. Benefits for continuing or follow-up treatment must be pre-arranged by
your primary care
physician and provided in the service area. 30
30 Page 31 32
Benefit Description You pay
Emergency within
our service area
Emergency care at a doctor's office
Emergency care at an urgent care
center
Emergency care as an outpatient or inpatient at a hospital,
including doctors' services
$10 per visit
$10 per visit
$50 per visit, (waived if
admitted )subject to
inpatient coinsurance
Not covered: Elective care or non-emergency care All charges.
Emergency outside our service area
Emergency care at a doctor's office
Emergency care at an urgent care
center
Emergency care as an outpatient or inpatient at a hospital,
including doctors' services
$10 per visit
$10 per visit
$50 per visit, (waived if
admitted)
subject to
inpatient coinsurance
Not covered:
Elective care or non-emergency care
Emergency care provided outside the service area if the need for care could
have been foreseen before leaving the service area
Medical and hospital costs resulting from a normal full-term delivery of
a baby outside the service area
All charges.
Ambulance
Professional ambulance service when medically
appropriate.
Air ambulance when medically necessary.
See 5( c) for
non-emergency service.
10% of allowable charge 31
31 Page 32 33
Section 5 (e).
Mental health and substance abuse benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
When you get our approval for services and follow a treatment plan we
approve, cost-sharing
and limitations for Plan mental health and substance
abuse benefits will be no greater than for
similar benefits for other
illnesses and conditions.
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations, and
exclusions in this brochure.
The calendar year deductible of $500 per
individual and $1,000 per family only applies to out-of-plan point of service
benefits.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services, for
valuable information about
how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9 about
coordinating benefits with other
coverage, including with Medicare.
YOU MUST GET PREAUTHORIZATION OF THESE SERVICES. See the
instructions after the benefits description below.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
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
Mental health and substance abuse benefits -Continued on next page 32
32 Page 33 34
Mental health and substance abuse benefits
(Continued) You pay
Diagnostic tests $10 per office
visit
10% of allowable charge for
services performed at a
hospital
or facility
Services provided by a hospital or other facility
Services in
approved alternative care settings such as partial
hospitalization, half-way
house, residential treatment, full-day
hospitalization, facility based
intensive outpatient treatment
10% of allowable charge
Not covered: Services we have not approved.
Note: OPM will base its
review of disputes about treatment plans on the
treatment plan's clinical
appropriateness. OPM will generally not
order us to pay or provide one
clinically appropriate treatment plan in
favor of another.
All charges.
Preauthorization To be eligible to receive these benefits you must
obtain a treatment plan and follow all of the following authorization processes:
Contact your primary care physician for a referral or contact Employee
Assistance of Central Virginia (EACV) for a referral. EACV can be
reached locally at (804) 845-1246 or toll free at 1-800-645-1246. 33
33 Page 34 35
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.
All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and exclusions in
this brochure and are payable only when we determine they are medically
necessary.
Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services,
for valuable information about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9
about coordinating benefits with
other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
There are important features you should be aware of. These include:
Who can write your prescription. A plan physician or licensed
dentist must write the prescription.
Where you can obtain them. You
must fill the prescription at a plan pharmacy, or by mail for a maintenance
medication.
These are the dispensing limitations. Medically necessary prescribed
legend drugs (drugs not available over the counter) incidental to outpatient
care are covered services, including compound
medications of which at least
one ingredient is a legend drug, injectable insulin and syringes and
needles
for the administration thereof. For each prescription filled at the pharmacy, we
will cover up
to a 31-day or 100 unit supply, whichever is less. For
maintenance medications received through the
mail order benefit, we will
cover up to a 90-day or 300 unit supply, whichever is less. Generic drugs
will be dispensed except when a participating physician requires brand name
drugs. If the physician
does not require a brand name drug, you may request
a brand name drug and pay the difference
between the brand name drug and the
generic drug, in addition to your appropriate copayment. Only
maintenance
medications may be ordered through the mail order benefit. You should allow two
weeks for delivery. At least 60% of the maintenance medication must be used
before a refill can be
issued.
Why use generic drugs? Generic drugs are lower-priced drugs that are
the therapeutic equivalent to more expensive brand-name drugs. They must contain
the same active ingredients and must be
equivalent in strength and dosage to
the original brand-name product. Generics cost less than the
equivalent
brand-name product. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration sets quality
standards for
generic drugs to ensure that these drugs meet the same
standards of quality and strength as brand-name
drugs.
You can save money by using generic drugs. However, you and your physician
have the option to
request a name-brand if a generic option is available.
Using the most cost-effective medication saves
money.
When you have to file a claim. Our participating providers will file
claims for you. If you need to file a claim, contact customer service at
888-674-3368 and request a medical claim form. Complete the
form, attach any
receipts and mail it in to the address on the form.
Prescription drug
benefits begin on the next page. 34
34 Page 35 36
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 or through our mail order
program:
Drugs and medicines that by Federal law of the United States require a
physician's prescription for their purchase, except as
excluded below.
Insulin
Disposable needles and syringes for the administration of covered
medications
Drugs for sexual dysfunction (see Prior authorization below)
Contraceptive drugs and devices
Fertility drugs
Growth Hormone drugs
$5 per generic (30-day supply)
$15 per brand name (30-day
supply)
$10 per generic (90-day supply
through mail service)
$30 per brand name (90-day
supply through mail service)
Note: If there is no generic
equivalent available, you will still
have to pay the brand name copay.
Not covered:
Drugs and supplies for cosmetic purposes
Drugs to enhance athletic performance
Vitamins,
nutrients and food supplements even if a physician prescribes or administers
them
Nonprescription medicines
Drugs obtained from a non-Plan
pharmacy, unless emergency
Tobacco cessation products
Anorexiants
Drugs and medications not approved by the FDA
DESI drugs (i. e. drugs which are of questionable therapeutic value
as designated by the FDA's Federal Drug Efficacy Study)
Any other drug deemed not medically necessary by the Plan.
All Charges 35
35 Page 36 37
Section 5 (g).
Special features
Feature Description
Flexible benefits
option
Under the flexible benefits option, we determine the most effective
way
to provide services.
We may identify medically appropriate alternatives to traditional care and
coordinate other benefits as a less costly alternative
benefit.
Alternative benefits are subject to our ongoing review.
By approving an alternative benefit, we cannot guarantee you will get it in the
future.
The decision to offer an alternative benefit is solely ours, and we may
withdraw it at any time and resume regular contract benefits.
Our decision
to offer or withdraw alternative benefits is not subject to OPM review under the
disputed claims process.
Local Service and
Assistance
As a company located in the heart of its service area, which spans
across
the Central Virginia area only, we can offer our members local
service and
assistance. We are in the same community with you and
work with your medical
providers on a daily basis. Customer service
representatives and medical
management staff are in the office and
available to assist you.
Fitness Club Discounts By presenting your Piedmont Community
HealthCare identification card at the Central Virginia YMCA or Courtside, you
will receive a
discount on membership fees.
Eyewear Discounts By presenting your Piedmont Community HealthCare
identification card at these Lynchburg locations: AG Jefferson, Inc.; Cooper
& Elder
Optical; Elegance in Eyewear; McBride & Blackburn Opticians,
Inc.,
Target, Sears Optical and Pearle Vision, you will receive discounts on
eyewear. 36
36 Page
37 38
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:
We do not provide dental benefits. I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Accidental injury benefit
We cover restorative services and
supplies necessary to promptly repair (but not replace) sound natural teeth. The
need for these services must result from an accidental injury if the jaw is
broken, the accident occurred while you
were enrolled with the Plan and you
submit a plan of treatment within 60 days of the date of your injury. You pay
10% of the allowable charge.
Dental benefits
We have no other dental benefits. 37
37 Page 38 39
Section 5 (i). Point of service benefits
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.
Point of service benefits or out-of-network
benefits will be provided when you receive services from providers other than
your primary care physician without a
referral from your primary care physician. Exceptions are emergency care and
two visits per year to participating Plan OB/ GYN physicians.
The calendar year deductible is $500 per individual, $1,000 per family. The
calendar year deductible applies to all benefits in this Section.
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
Section 5( a) or (b).
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Point of Service (POS) Benefits
Facts about this Plan's POS option
At
your option, you may choose to obtain benefits covered by this Plan from
non-Plan doctors and hospitals
whenever you need care, except for the
benefits listed below under "What is not covered." Benefits not covered
under Point of Service must either be received from or arranged by Plan
doctors to be covered. When you obtain
covered non-emergency medical
treatment from a non-Plan doctor or a Plan doctor without a referral from your
primary care physician, you are subject to the deductibles, coinsurance and
maximum benefit stated below.
What is covered
All medical services listed as covered in the previous
sections are covered services under the point of service or out-of-
plan
benefit.
Once you receive services from a non-Plan provider or without a referral from
your primary care physician, then all
charges related to those services are
paid at the point of service or out-of-plan level. For example, if you see a
specialist, Plan specialist or non-Plan specialist, without a referral from
your primary care physician and then that
specialist send you to a facility,
Plan facility or non-Plan facility, then all of those charges will be paid at
the point of
service or out-of-plan level. Therefore, point of service
coverage may be obtained in the service area or out of the
service area.
Precertification
Precertification is not required for point of service or
out-of-plan benefits.
Deductible
$500 per individual per calendar year, $1,000 per family per
calendar year.
Coinsurance
You pay 30% of the allowable charge after the deductible for
all covered services.
Maximum benefit
There is no maximum benefit under the point of service
benefits; however, you do have an out-of-pocket maximum
of $2,000 per
individual per calendar year, and $4,000 per family per calendar year. Amounts
over the allowable
charge amounts, outpatient mental health services,
prescription drug copayments and the vision exam copayment do
not count
towards the out-of-pocket maximum. 38
38 Page 39 40
Hospital/ extended
care
The same covered services listed in the previous sections are covered
under the point of service benefits. The same
limitations apply. The
allowable charge for facilities is the same as the actual charge so you will be
responsible for
30% of those facility charges. The facility charge does not
cover any charges for doctors' services.
Emergency benefits
Non-emergent conditions treated at an emergency room
are always payable as out-of-plan benefits.
What is not covered
The same services listed as not covered in the
previous sections, are not covered under the point of service or out-of-plan
benefits either. In addition, all charges over the allowable charge amount
are not covered.
How to obtain benefits
You may be required to file claim forms for
services received from non-Plan providers. Contact customer service at
888-674-3368 to request claim forms. Complete the form, attach your receipt
and mail in to the address on the form. 39
39
Page 40 41
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:
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.
Experimental/ Investigative medical or
surgical procedures and drugs, as determined by the Plan, in its sole
discretion;
Except as provided by federal law, the cost of care for conditions that
federal, state or local law require be treated in a public facility or services
or supplies provided or arranged by a governmental
facility which no charge
would be made if you had no health benefits insurance
1. Care for military
service-connected disabilities and conditions for which you are legally entitled
to health services and for which facilities are reasonably accessible to
you.
2. The cost of health care services covered under the Medicare or Medicaid
programs; or
Services for injuries or diseases related in any way to
employment, when:
1. You receive payment from the employer on account of the
disease or injury
2. The employer is required by federal, state or local
laws or regulations to provide benefits to you
or a covered family member
3. You could have received benefits for the injury or disease if you had
complied with applicable
laws and regulations.
This exclusion applies whether or not you have waived your rights to payment
for the services available or
have failed to comply with procedures set out
by the employer to receive these benefits. It also applies if the
employer
or the Plan reaches any settlement with you for an injury or disease related in
any way to
employment. 40
40 Page 41 42
Section 7.
Filing a claim for covered services
When you see Plan physicians,
receive services at Plan hospitals and facilities, or obtain your prescription
drugs at
Plan pharmacies, you will not have to file claims. Just present
your identification card and pay your copayment,
coinsurance, or deductible.
You will only need to file a claim when you receive emergency services from
non-plan providers. Sometimes these
providers bill us directly. Check with
the provider. If you need to file the claim, here is the process:
Medical and hospital 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 888-674-3368.
When you must file a claim --such as for out-of-area care --submit it on
the HCFA-1500 or a claim form that includes the information shown
below.
Bills and receipts should be itemized and show:
Covered member's name and ID number;
Name and address of the
physician or facility that provided the service or supply;
Dates you received the services or supplies;
Diagnosis;
Type of
each service or supply;
The charge for each service or supply;
A
copy of the explanation of benefits, payments, or denial from any primary payer
--such as the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN); and
Receipts, if you paid for your services.
Submit your claims to:
Piedmont Community HealthCare, P. O.
Box 14408, Cincinatti, Ohio 45250-0408
Prescription drugs Prescriptions must be received from Plan pharmacies
in order to be covered. Plan pharmacies file the claims for you. If for some
reason you
need to file a claim, contact customer service at 800-966-5772 to
request
a claim form, complete the form and mail it to the address below.
Submit your claims to: PCS Health Systems, Inc., PO Box 52116,
Phoenix, Arizona 85072-2116
Deadline for filing your claim Send us all of the documents for your
claim as soon as possible. You must submit the claim by December 31 of the year
after the year you
received the service, unless timely filing was prevented
by administrative
operations of Government or legal incapacity, provided the
claim was
submitted as soon as reasonably possible.
When we need more information Please reply promptly when we ask for
additional information. We may delay processing or deny your claim if you do not
respond. 41
41 Page
42 43
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: Piedmont Community HealthCare, P. O. Box 2455, Lynchburg, VA
24501,
ATTN: Operations Manager; and
(c) Include a statement about why you believe our initial decision was wrong,
based on specific benefit
provisions in this brochure; and
(d) Include copies of documents that support your claim, such as physicians'
letters, operative reports, bills,
medical records, and explanation of
benefits (EOB) forms.
2 We have 30 days from the date we receive your request to: (a) Pay
the claim (or, or if applicable, arrange for the health care provider to give
you the care); or
(b) Write to you and maintain our denial --go to step 4;
or
(c) Ask you or your provider for more information. If we ask your
provider, we will send you a copy of our
request— go to step 3.
3 You or your provider must send the information so that we receive it
within 60 days of our request. We will then decide within 30 more days. If we do
not receive the information within 60 days, we will decide within 30 days of the
date the
information was due. We will base our decision on the information
we already have.
We will write to you with our decision.
4 If you do not agree with our decision, you may ask OPM to review it.
You must write to OPM within:
90 days after the date of our letter
upholding our initial decision; or
120 days after you first wrote to us
--if we did not answer that request in some way within 30 days; or
120
days after we asked for additional information.
Write to OPM at: Office of Personnel Management, Office of Insurance
Programs, Contracts Division 3,
1900 E Street, NW, Washington, D. C.
20415-3630.
Send OPM the following information:
A statement about why you believe
our decision was wrong, based on specific benefit provisions in this brochure;
Copies of documents that support your claim, such as physicians' letters,
operative reports, bills, medical records, and explanation of benefits (EOB)
forms;
Copies of all letters you sent to us about the claim;
Copies
of all letters we sent to you about the claim; and
Your daytime phone
number and the best time to call.
Note: If you want OPM to review different claims, you must clearly identify
which documents apply to
which claim. 42
42
Page 43 44
Note:
You are the only person who has a right to file a disputed claim with OPM.
Parties acting as your
representative, such as medical providers, must
include a copy of your specific written consent with the
review request.
Note: The above deadlines may be extended if you show that you were unable to
meet the deadline because
of reasons beyond your control.
5 OPM will review your disputed claim request and will use the
information it collects from you and us to decide whether our decision is
correct. OPM will send you a final decision within 60 days. There are no other
administrative appeals.
6 If you do not agree with OPM's decision, your only recourse is to
sue. If you decide to sue, you must file the suit against OPM in Federal court
by December 31 of the third year after the year in which you received the
disputed services, drugs, or supplies or from the year in which you were denied
precertification or prior
approval. This is the only deadline that may not
be extended.
OPM may disclose the information it collects during the review
process to support their disputed claim
decision. This information will
become part of the court record.
You may not sue until you have completed the disputed claims process.
Further, Federal law governs your
lawsuit, benefits, and payment of
benefits. The Federal court will base its review on the record that was
before OPM when OPM decided to uphold or overturn our decision. You may
recover only the amount of
benefits in dispute.
NOTE: If you have a serious or life threatening condition (one that
may cause permanent loss of bodily
functions or death if not treated as soon
as possible), and
(a) We haven't responded yet to your initial request for care or
preauthorization/ prior approval, then call us at 804-
947-4463 or
800-400-7247 and we will expedite our review; or
(b) We denied your initial request for care or preauthorization/ prior
approval, then:
If we expedite our review and maintain our denial, we
will inform OPM so that they can give your claim
expedited treatment too, or
You can call OPM's Health Benefits Contracts Division III at 202/ 606-0755
between 8 a. m. and 5 p. m.
eastern time. 43
43
Page 44 45
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other coverage
When you have
other health coverage You must tell us if you are covered or a family member
is covered under another group health plan or have automobile insurance that
pays
medical expenses without regard to fault. This is called "double
coverage."
When you have double coverage, one plan normally pays its benefits in
full as the primary payer and the other plan pays a reduced benefit as the
secondary payer. We, like other insurers, determine which coverage is
primary according to the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners' guidelines.
When we are the primary payer, we will pay the benefits described in this
brochure.
When we are the secondary payer, we will determine our allowance.
After
the primary plan pays, we will pay what is left of our allowance, up
to our
regular benefit. We will not pay more than our allowance.
What is Medicare? Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for:
People 65 years of age and older.
Some people with disabilities,
under 65 years of age.
People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent
kidney failure requiring
dialysis or a transplant).
Medicare has two parts:
Part A (Hospital Insurance). Most people do
not have to pay for Part A. If you
or your spouse worked for at least 10
years in Medicare-covered
employment, you should be able to qualify for
premium-free Part A
insurance. (Someone who was a Federal employee on
January 1, 1983 or
since automatically qualifies.) Otherwise, if you are age
65 or older, you
may be able to buy it. Contact 1-800-MEDICARE for more
information.
Part B (Medical Insurance). Most people pay monthly for Part B. Generally,
Part B premiums are withheld from your monthly Social Security check
or
your retirement check
If you are eligible for Medicare, you may have choices in how you get your
health
care. Medicare managed care plan is the term used to describe the
various health
plan choices available to Medicare beneficiaries. The
information 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 a Medicare+ Choice plan that is available
everywhere in the United States. It is the way
everyone used to get Medicare benefits and is the way most people get
their Medicare Part A and Part B benefits now. You may go to any
doctor,
specialist, or hospital that accepts Medicare. The Original
Medicare Plan
pays its share and you pay your share. Some things are
not covered under
Original Medicare, like prescription drugs.
When you are enrolled in Original Medicare along with this plan, you
still need to follow the rules in this brochure for us to cover your care.
44
44 Page 45 46
Your care must continue to be authorized by your Plan
PCP, or
precertified as required. We will waive some copayments,
coinsurance,
and deductibles, as follows:
If Medicare pays more on the claim than the Plan, then you will not be
required to pay your copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles under the
Plan benefits.
(Primary payer chart begins on next page.) 45
45 Page 46 47
The following chart illustrates whether the
Original Medicare Plan or this Plan should be the primary payer for you
according to your employment status and other factors determined by
Medicare. It is critical that you tell us if you or
a covered family member
has Medicare coverage so we can administer these requirements correctly.
Primary Payer Chart
Then the primary payer is… A. When either you --or
your covered spouse --are age 65 or over and …
Original Medicare This Plan
1) Are anactive employee with
theFederalgovernment(including whenyou or
afamily member areeligiblefor
Medicaresolely because of adisability),
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 your employing office
which of these applies to you.)
4) Are a Federal judge who retired under title 28, U. S. C., or a Tax
Court judge who retired under Section 7447 of title 26, U. S. C. (or if
your covered spouse is this type of judge),
5) Are enrolled in Part B only, regardless of your employment status, (for
Part B
services)
(for other
services)
6) Are a former Federal employee receiving Workers' Compensation
and the
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs has determined
that you are unable
to return to duty,
(exceptfor claims
related to Workers'
Compensation.)
B. When you --or a covered family member --have Medicare
based on end
stage renal disease (ESRD) and…
1) Are within the first 30 months of eligibility to receive Part A
benefits solely because of ESRD,
2) Have completed the 30-month ESRD coordination period and are
still
eligible for Medicare due to ESRD,
3) Become eligible for Medicare due to ESRD after Medicare became
primary
for you under another provision,
C. When you or a covered family member have FEHB and…
1) Are
eligible for Medicare based on disability, and
a) Are an annuitant, or
b) Are an active employee, or
c) Are a former spouse of an annuitant,
or
d) Are a former spouse of an active employee
Please note, if your Plan physician does not participate in Medicare, you
may have to file a claim with Medicare. 46
46
Page 47 48
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 up to
the maximum benefit under our plan. You
will not need to do
anything. To find out if you need to do something about
filing your
claims, call us at 1-888-674-3368 or contact us at www. pchp. net
"We do not waive any costs when you have medicare."
Medicare managed care plan If you are eligible for Medicare,
you may choose to enroll in and get your Medicare benefits from another type of
Medicare+ Choice plan --a
Medicare managed care plan. These are health care
choices (like HMOs)
in some areas of the country. In most Medicare managed
care plans, you
can only go to doctors, specialists, or hospitals that are
part of the plan.
Medicare managed care plans provide all the benefits that
Original
medicare covers. Some cover extras, like prescription drugs. To
learn
more about enrolling in a Medicare managed care plan, contact Medicare
at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or at www. medicare. gov.
If you enroll in a Medicare managed care plan, the following options are
available to you:
This Plan and our Medicare managed care plan: You may enroll in
our Medicare managed care plan and also remain enrolled in our FEHB
plan. In this case, we do not waive any of our copayments, coinsurance,
or deductibles for your FEHB coverage.
This Plan and another plan's Medicare managed care plan: You may
enroll in another plan's Medicare managed care plan and also
remain enrolled
in our FEHB plan. We will still provide benefits when
your Medicare managed
care plan is primary even out of the managed
care plan's network and/ or
service area (if you use our Plan providers),
but we will not waive any of
our copayments, coinsurance, or
deductibles. 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
premiums. (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
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. 47
47 Page 48 49
TRICARE TRICARE is the health care program for
eligible dependents of military persons and retirees of the military. TRICARE
includes the CHAMPUS
program. If both TRICARE and this Plan cover you, we
pay first. See
your TRICARE Health Benefits Advisor if you have questions
about
TRICARE coverage.
Workers' Compensation We do not cover services that:
you need because of a workplace-related illness or injury that the
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) or a similar
Federal or
State agency determines they must provide; or
OWCP or a similar agency pays for through a third party injury
settlement or other similar proceeding that is based on a claim you
filed under OWCP or similar laws.
Once OWCP or similar agency pays its maximum benefits for your
treatment,
we will cover your care. You must use our providers.
Medicaid When you have this Plan and Medicaid, we pay first.
When other Government agencies We do not cover services and supplies
when a local, State,
are responsible for your care or Federal
Government agency directly or indirectly pays for them. 48
48 Page 49 50
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use in this
brochure
Calendar year January 1 through December 31 of the same year.
For new enrollees, the calendar year begins on the effective date of their
enrollment and ends on
December 31 of the same year.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our allowance that you
must pay for your care. See page 12.
Copayment A copayment is a fixed amount of money you pay when you
receive covered services. See page 12.
Covered services Care we
provide benefits for, as described in this brochure.
Custodial care
Custodial care is care (including room and board needed to provide that
care) that is given principally for personal hygiene or for assistance in
daily activities and can, according to generally accepted medical
standards, be performed by persons who have no medical training.
Examples of custodial care are help in walking and getting out of bed;
assistance in bathing, dressing, feeding; or supervision over medication
which could normally be self-administered.
Deductible A deductible is a fixed amount of covered expenses you must
incur for certain covered services and supplies before we start paying benefits
for
those services. See page 12.
Experimental or
Investigational services Experimental or
investigative means any service or supply which is determined to be experimental
or investigative in the Plan's sole
discretion. The Plan will apply the following criteria in exercising its
discretion:
1. Any supply or drug used must have received final approval
to
market by the United States Food and Drug Administration;
2. There
must be sufficient information in the peer reviewed medical
and scientific
literature to enable the Plan to make conclusions about
safety and efficacy;
3. The available scientific evidence must demonstrate a beneficial
effect on health outcomes outside a research setting; and
4. The service
or supply must be a safe and effective outside a research
setting as
existing diagnostic or therapeutic alternatives.
A service or supply will be
experimental or investigative if the Plan
determines that any one of the
four criteria is not satisfied.
Medically necessary Medically necessary services mean those covered
services received are consistent with the diagnosis and treatment of the
member's condition ,
are efficacious, are in accordance with standards of
good medical
practice, are not simply for the convenience of the member of
provider
and are performed in the most cost-effective setting available to
the
member. We will determine the medical necessity of a given service or
procedure.
Plan allowance Plan allowance is the amount we use to determine our
payment and your coinsurance for covered services. Plans determine their
allowances in
different ways. We determine our allowance by a set fee
schedule for
covered services. Our allowable charge means the amount
determined by 49
49 Page
50 51
the Plan for a specified covered
service or the provider's actual charge
for that service, whichever is less.
We will never pay more than our
allowable charge for any covered service.
Us/ We Us and we refer to Piedmont Community HealthCare.
You
You refers to the enrollee and each covered family member. 50
50 Page 51 52
HMO Plan 51 Section 11
Section 11. FEHB facts
No
pre-existing condition We will not refuse to cover the treatment of a
condition that you had
limitation before you enrolled in this Plan
solely because you had the condition before you enrolled.
Where you can get information See www. opm. gov/ insure. Also, your employing
or retirement office
about enrolling in the can answer your
questions, and give you a Guide to Federal Employees
FEHB Program
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 Self Only coverage is for you alone. Self
and Family coverage is for
for you and your family you, your spouse,
and your unmarried dependent children under age 22, including any foster
children or stepchildren your employing or retirement office authorizes coverage
for. Under certain circumstances, you may also continue coverage for a
disabled child 22
years of age or older who is incapable of self-support.
If you have a Self Only enrollment, you may change to a Self and Family
enrollment if
you marry, give birth, or add a child to your family. You may
change your enrollment 31
days before to 60 days after that event. The Self
and Family enrollment begins on the
first day of the pay period in which the
child is born or becomes an eligible family
member. When you change to Self
and Family because you marry, the change is effective
on the first day of
the pay period that begins after your employing office receives your
enrollment form; benefits will not be available to your spouse until you
marry.
Your employing or retirement office will not notify you when a family
member is no
longer eligible to receive health benefits, nor will we. Please
tell us immediately when
you add or remove family members from your coverage
for any reason, including
divorce, or when your child under age 22 marries
or turns 22.
If you or one of your family members is enrolled in one FEHB plan, that
person may not
be enrolled in or covered as a family member by another FEHB
plan. 51
51 Page
52 53
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 52 Section 11
When
benefits and The benefits in this brochure are effective on January 1. If
you joined
premiums start 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.
Your medical and claims We will keep your medical and claims
information confidential. Only
records are confidential the following
will have access to it:
OPM, this Plan, and subcontractors when they administer this contract;
This Plan and appropriate third parties, such as other insurance plans and
the Office of
Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), when coordinating
benefit payments and
subrogating claims;
Law enforcement officials when investigating and/ or prosecuting alleged
civil or
criminal actions;
OPM and the General Accounting Office when conducting audits;
Individuals involved in bona fide medical research or education that does not
disclose
your identity; or
OPM, when reviewing a disputed claim or defending litigation about a claim.
When you retire When you retire, you can usually stay in the FEHB
Program. Generally, you must have been enrolled in the FEHB Program for the last
five years of your Federal service. If you do not meet
this requirement, you
may be eligible for other forms of coverage, such as Temporary Continuation
of Coverage (TCC).
When you lose benefits
When FEHB coverage ends You
will receive an additional 31 days of coverage, for no additional premium, when:
Your enrollment ends, unless you cancel your enrollment, or
You
are a family member no longer eligible for coverage.
You may be eligible for
spouse equity coverage or Temporary Continuation of Coverage.
Spouse equity If you are divorced from a Federal employee or
annuitant, you may not
coverage continue to get benefits under your
former spouse's enrollment. But, you may be eligible
for your own FEHB
coverage under the spouse equity law. If you are recently divorced
or are
anticipating a divorce, contact your ex-spouse's employing or retirement office
to
get RI 70-5, the Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for
Temporary
Continuation of Coverage and Former Spouse Enrollees, or other
information about your
coverage choices.
Temporary continuation of
coverage (TCC) If you leave
Federal service, or if you lose coverage because you no longer qualify as a
family member, you may be eligible for Temporary Continuation of Coverage
(TCC).
For example, you can receive TCC if you are not able to continue your
FEHB enrollment
after you retire, if you lose your job, if you are a covered
dependent child and you turn 22
or marry, etc.
You may not elect TCC if you are fired from your Federal job due to gross
misconduct.
Enrolling in TCC. Get the RI 79-27, which describes TCC,
and the RI 70-5, the Guide
to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for
Temporary Continuation of Coverage
and Former Spouse Enrollees, from your
employing or retirement office or from
www. opm. gov/ insure. It explains what you
have to do to enroll. 52
52 Page 53 54
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 53 Section 11
Converting to You may convert to a non-FEHB individual policy if:
individual coverage Your coverage under TCC or the spouse equity
law ends (If you canceled your
coverage or did not pay your premium, you
cannot convert);
You decided not to receive coverage under TCC or the spouse equity law; or
You are not eligible for coverage under TCC or the spouse equity law.
If you leave Federal service, your employing office will notify you of your
right to
convert. You must apply in writing to us within 31 days after you
receive this notice.
However, if you are a family member who is losing
coverage, the employing or
retirement office will not notify you. You
must apply in writing to us within 31 days
after you are no longer eligible
for coverage.
Your benefits and rates will differ from those under the FEHB Program;
however, you
will not have to answer questions about your health, and we
will not impose a waiting
period or limit your coverage due to pre-existing
conditions.
Getting a Certificate of The Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996.
Group Health Plan Coverage (HIPAA) is a
Federal law that offers limited Federal protections for health coverage
availability and continuity to people who lose employer group coverage. If you
leave the
FEHB Program, we will give you a Certificate of Group Health Plan Coverage
that
indicates how long you have been enrolled with us. You can use this
certificate when
getting health insurance or other health care coverage.
Your new plan must reduce or
eliminate waiting periods, limitations, or
exclusions for health related conditions based
on the information in the
certificate, as long as you enroll within 63 days of losing
coverage under
this Plan. If you have been enrolled with us for less than 12 months, but
were previously enrolled in other FEHB plans, you may also request a
certificate from
those plans.
For more information, get OPM pamphlet RI 79-27, Temporary Continuation of
Coverage (TCC) under the FEHB
Program. See also the FEHB web site
(www. opm. gov/ insure/ health);
refer to the "TCC and HIPAA" frequently asked 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. 53
53
Page 54 55
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 54 Section 11
Long
Term Care Insurance Is Coming Later in 2002!
The Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) will sponsor a high-quality long term care insurance program
effective in October
2002. As part of its educational effort, OPM asks you
to consider these questions:
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 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? 54
54 Page 55 56
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 55
Section 11
NOTES 55
55 Page 56 57
2002 Piedmont
Community HealthCare 56 Section 11
NOTES 56
56 Page 57 58
2002 Piedmont Community HealthCare 57
Section 11
NOTES 57
57 Page 58 59
Index
Do not rely on this page; it is for your convenience and may not show
all pages where the terms appear.
Accidental injury 19, 24, 37
Allergy 13, 17
Alternative treatment 13, 22, 49 Allogenetic (donor) bone
marrow
transplant Ambulance 2, 11, 13, 27, 29, 31,
38 Anesthesia 2, 13,
23, 26, 28
Autologous bone marrow transplant 18, 25
Blood and blood
plasma 14, 15, 28 Breast cancer screening 25
Casts 28 Changes for 2002 8
Chemotherapy 18
Cholesterol tests 15 Claims 3, 8, 12, 13, 34, 36, 38,
41,
42, 43, 47, 52 Coinsurance 2, 6, 9, 12, 38, 41,
45, 47, 49 Colorectal
cancer screening 15
Congenital anomalies 23, 24 Contraceptive devices and
drugs 16, 35
Coordination of benefits 43 Covered charges 47
Crutches 21
Deductible 2, 6, 9, 12, 14, 23, 27, 30, 32, 38, 41, 45, 47, 49
Definitions 3, 14, 23, 27, 30, 32, 34, 38, 49, 57
Dental care 13, 28, 34,
37 Diagnostic services 12, 13, 14, 16,
28, 32, 33, 45 Disputed claims review
36, 42, 43,
52 Dressings 28
Durable medical equipment (DME) 12, 13, 31
Educational classes and programs 13, 22
Emergency 2, 7, 11, 12,
13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 39
Experimental or investigational 40, 49
Eyeglasses
19, 21
Family planning 13, 16 Fecal occult blood test 15
General Exclusions 3, 13 Hearing services 13, 15, 19
Home
health services 13, 14, 21 Hospice care 13, 29
Hospital 2, 4, 6, 8-12, 13,
14, 16, 20, 28, 31, 33, 38, 39, 41, 44,
47, 54, 57
Immunizations
6, 15 Infertility 12, 13, 17
Inpatient Hospital Benefits 12, 13, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31
Insulin 34, 35
Laboratory and pathological services 28
Magnetic Resonance Imagings (MRIs) 14
Mail Order Prescription Drugs 34,
35
Mammograms 14 Maternity Benefits 13, 16, 28, 30
Medicaid 3, 40, 48,
54 Medically necessary 11, 14, 16,
18, 23, 27, 29, 31-34, 38, 45 Medicare 3,
8, 14, 23, 27, 30, 32,
34, 38, 41, 44, 45, 46, 47, 54 Members 6, 9, 23, 36,
51, 54, 58
Mental Conditions/ Substance Abuse Benefits 2, 13, 18, 32,
33, 38 Newborn care 16
Nurse Licensed Practical Nurse 21
Nurse
Anesthetist 28 Registered Nurse 21
Nursery charges 16
Obstetrical
care 16 Occupational therapy 11, 13, 18
Ocular injury 19 Office visits 6, 12, 14, 15, 31
Oral and maxillofacial
surgery 13, 25 Orthopedic devices 13, 19, 20, 23
Ostomy and catheter
supplies 21 Out-of-pocket expenses 2, 6, 12,
38 Oxygen 21, 28
Pap
test 14, 15 Physical therapy 11, 13, 18
Physician 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 27, 30-33, 34, 35,
38, 41-43, 57
Point of service (POS) 13, 14,
23, 27, 30, 32, 38 Precertification 11, 16,
23,
27, 38 Preventive care, adult 6, 13,
15 Preventive care, children 6,
13,
15, 19 Prescription drugs 2, 9, 12,
13, 16, 17, 18, 34, 35, 38, 41,
44, 47
Prior approval 2, 11, 35 Prosthetic devices 13, 19, 20,
21, 23,
24 Psychologist 32
Radiation therapy 18 Renal dialysis 44, 46
Room and board 27, 45
Second surgical opinion 14 Skilled nursing
facility care 9, 13,
14, 26, 28 Speech therapy 8, 13, 18, 19
Splints 21, 28 Sterilization
procedures 16,
24, Substance abuse 2, 13, 18,
32, 33 Surgery 13, 16, 18,
19-21, 23,
24, 25, 27, 38
Anesthesia 2, 12, 13, 23, 26, 28
Oral 13, 25 Outpatient 12, 13, 28
Reconstructive 13, 23, 24
Syringes 34, 35
Transplants 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 25
Treatment
therapies 13, 18
Vision services 12, 13, 15, 19, 28, 36, 38,
Wheelchairs 21
X-rays 14, 28 58
58
Page 59 60
Summary of benefits for the Piedmont Community Health Plan
– 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 per office visit 14
Services provided by a hospital:
Inpatient.................................................................................................
Outpatient
..............................................................................................
10% of allowable charge
10% of allowable charge
27
28
Emergency benefits:
In-area..................................................................................................
Out-of-area
..........................................................................................
$50 per visit (waived if admitted)
$50 per visit (waived if admitted)
30
30
Mental health and substance abuse treatment
........................................ Regular cost sharing. 32
Prescription drugs
.....................................................................................
30 day suppply
$5.00 per generic
$15.00 per brand name
90 day supply ( mail service)
$10.00 per generic
$30 per brand name
34
Dental Care
............................................................................................
No benefit. 37
Vision Care
............................................................................................
$10 per office visit 19
Special features: Flexible benefits option, Local
Service and Assistance, and Fitness Club Discounts 36
Protection against catastrophic costs
(your out-of-pocket
maximum).............................................................
Nothing after $1,000/ Self Only or
$2,000/ Family enrollment per year
(Some costs do not count toward
this protection)
12
Point of Service benefits --38
Protection against catastrophic costs
(your point-of-service out of pocket maximum)………………………
100% of allowable amount after
$2,000/ Self Only or
$4,000/ Family
enrollment per
year (Some costs do not count
toward this protection)
38 59
59 Page
60
2002 Rate Information for
PIEDMONT COMMUNITY
HEALTHCARE (VIRGINIA)
Non-Postal rates apply to most non-Postal enrollees. If you are in a
special enrollment category,
refer to the FEHB Guide for that category or
contact the agency that maintains your health benefits
enrollment.
Postal rates apply to career Postal Service employees. Most employees
should refer to the FEHB
Guide for United States Postal Service Employees,
RI 70-2. Different postal rates apply and
special FEHB guides are published
for Postal Service Nurses and Tool & Die employees (see RI
70-2B); and
for Postal Service Inspectors and Office of Inspector General (OIG) employees
(see
RI 70-2IN).
Postal rates do not apply to non-career postal employees, postal retirees, or
associate members of
any postal employee organization. Refer to the
applicable FEHB Guide.
Non-Postal Premium Postal Premium
Biweekly Monthly Biweekly
Type
of
Enrollment Code
Gov't
Share
Your
Share
Gov't
Share
Your
Share
USPS
Share
Your
Share
Self Only 2C1 $97.86 $36.73 $212.03 $79.58 $115.52 $19.07
Self and
Family 2C2 $223.41 $84.78 $484.06 $183.69 $263.75 $44.44 60