New Health ID Card with Enhanced Cost-sharing Information Mailed to All Participants
November 17, 2021
In late December, UMR will mail new, redesigned health ID cards to participants in all NRECA medical, dental and vision plans for the 2022 plan year with the following changes required by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021:
Member service contact info will be augmented: Toll-free phone numbers and websites will be moved to the front of the health ID card. For participants in dental and vision plans only, as well as certain Medicare participants, new health ID cards will only include this change on the front.
Cost-sharing information will be added: Annual in-network and out-of-network deductible and out-of-pocket coinsurance maximum information (including individual and family amounts) will be added to the back of the card along with medical copay information.
No information or resources are being removed from the health ID cards.
When participants receive their new health ID cards, they should review them to ensure they are correct. If corrections are needed, participants can contact NRECA at 866.673.2299, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm, Central time.
On January 1, 2022, participants should dispose of their old health ID cards and begin using the new ones. As always, participants should show their health ID card whenever they or a covered dependent visit a health care provider.
Find a Doctor Expands to Find Care & Costs January 2022
November 17, 2021
Effective January 1, 2022, the Find a Doctor tool on the Employee Benefits website will be enhanced and renamed Find Care & Costs. The upgraded self-service tool will help increase cost and quality transparency by giving NRECA Medical Plan participants the ability to search for and compare cost information and quality ratings for health care providers in their area for certain procedures.
In addition to serving participants better, these enhancements are being made to ensure the NRECA Medical Plan complies with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, requirement for group health plans to make price comparison information available that promotes provider-specific cost and quality of care information by January 1, 2023.
To meet these requirements, NRECA will implement the Find Care & Costs tool from UnitedHealthcare (UHC) for the UHC network. In 2022, Find Care & Costs searches will return:
Negotiated provider fees for service and average areas cost
UHC quality care ratings
Patient-provided star ratings and reviews
The cost functionality of Find Care & Costs will be expanded for 2023 to provide estimated out-of-pocket costs based on the cost-sharing features (e.g., deductibles and coinsurance) of a participant’s plan.
Using Find Care & Costs as they make health care decisions can help participants—as well as the plan—incur lower claims expenses and receive the best quality care.