The Board of Trustees of the Lake County Indiana NECA – I.B.E.W. Health and Benefit Plan recently performed and completed a proposal process to select a new third-party administrator to replace both Benefit Plan Administrators (BPA) and Paylocity. The Board considered proposals from a number of potential partners.
After much consideration, the Board of Trustees are pleased to announce that they have:
- Selected MagnaCare, a nationally recognized, third-party insurance claim administrator to replace BPATPA; and,
- Have chosen Create, the market leader in consumer directed healthcare benefit accounts, to replace Paylocity.
The switch from BPATPA and Paylocity to MagnaCare and Create will occur on August 1, 2020.
The Board’s decision to go with MagnaCare and Create was based on several factors, including:
- Both these company’s deep expertise in their areas of specialty.
- The investment they’ve made in technology, and how that will benefit our participants.
- Their appreciation for the skills and experience of the members of the I.B.E.W and their desire to remain a firm supporter of the Labor movement.
This change is expected to be a seamless transition for members. However, it will require you to be on the lookout for new medical identification cards and if you have an existing HRA balance, new debit Mastercard’s. Both of which will be arriving in your mail the week of July 20th, 2020.
Once received, you will need to use those medical cards when you seek any Rx, dental, medical or vision services on or after August 1, 2020.
If you should have an HRA Paylocity account, be advised that the transition will require the deactivation of all Paylocity debit cards and the freezing of any reimbursement transactions in the month of July. While an inconvenience, the deactivation of the cards and the freezing of your account for the month of July is required in order for the proper accounting of a participant’s HRA balance and subsequent transfer of those records to Create.
Consequently, participants with HRA balances are reminded that they are permitted three-hundred and sixty-five days from the date of service to submit HRA claims for consideration for reimbursement. If you have not already done so, and a day in the month of July of 2020 would represent the date that you would exceed that timely filing limit, the Board strongly suggests that you immediately fill out a claim form and submit it along with the supporting documentation to Paylocity for processing. Additionally, and like always, make certain that you keep any and all receipts for services incurred, especially those that are incurred in July so that you can submit them in August for reimbursement.
If you need to utilize your HRA monies to make your self-payments, make sure that you instruct Paylocity in sufficient time in order for them to get the Plan your payment by July 1, 2020. Generally, it takes Paylocity a week and half to get the Fund your payment.
A Calendar Summary of Events:
- July 1, 2020 - On July 1, 2020 and for the remainder of that month, all Paylocity accounts will be frozen and Paylocity debit cards deactivated. This is needed in order for the Benefit Fund office to conduct a full reconciliation of participant’s HRA accounts and to transfer the balances over to Create.
- July 1, 2020 - On July 1, 2020, participants need to destroy their Paylocity debit cards.
- Week of July 20th, 2020 - During the week of July 20th, 2020 participants will get new medical identification cards. These cards will be blue and white and have the name MagnaCare listed across the top of the card.
- Week of July 20th, 2020 - Participants that have HRA balances will also receive new HRA debit cards from Create. The new debit cards will have the name Create on them and will be arriving during the week of July 20th, 2020.
- Month of July – Participants need to still use the green and white medical identification cards that lists BPA on the top left for any Rx, dental, medical or vision services you seek through July 31, 2020.
- August 1, 2020 - On August 1, 2020 discard all the green and white medical cards in your possession and place the new blue and white cards with the MagnaCare logo on the face of the card within your wallet or purse. Participants are to utilize the new blue and white medical identification cards whenever they seek Rx, dental, medical or vision care going forward.
- August 1, 2020 – On August 1, 2020 all new Create HRA debit cards will be automatically activated and can be used.
- August 1, 2020 thru January 31, 2021 - Participants will still have access to their historical claim history at Benefit Plan Administrators (BPA) until February 1, 2021
FAQ’S
The Plan is switching third-party administrators (TPA), switching its Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) administrator and expanding its physician network.
A TPA, or third-party administrator, is an entity who directly or indirectly performs certain insurance administration.
BPATPA’s systems stood as a barrier to growth and to the kind of experience the Board wanted to deliver to the participants. Consequently, they looked for a solution that would help ensure a more positive experience.
The new TPA is MagnaCare.
August 1, 2020.
Yes, new medical identification cards will be arriving in your mail the week of July 20th, 2020. They will be mailed to you in a generic white envelope. Therefore, make certain to open all your mail that is delivered to you that week. Remember, the blue and white medical card with the MagnaCare logo on its face are to be used whenever you seek dental, medical, Rx and vision services on or after August 1, 2020.
Two. However, if you have a dependent that has a different address than you, and provided you made that fact known to the Fund office prior to June of 2020, a card will automatically be mailed directly to the address of that dependent.
On August 1, 2020, you are to discard them.
You will be able to access your records through BPATPA through February of 2021.
No. However, all participants are hereby notified that recertification will have to completed between October 1, 2020 and December 31st, 2020.
Yes. MagnaCare’s number is 855-295-1160. This is the same number in which you or your provider would call for precertification.
Yes; provided there exists a balance in an HRA account in your name at the end of June, you will be issued two new HRA cards. These cards will be arriving in your mail sometime during the week of July 20th, 2020.
No. They will arrive in separate nondescript envelopes.
On or after July 1, 2020 you should destroy them.
No. The Plan has to freeze activity within all HRA accounts in order to perform a thorough reconciliation of participant accounts. This is needed for the subsequent and successful transfer of balances to Create. Consequently, the Plan must deactivate all debit cards at midnight June 30th, 2020 and will not be able to process the submission of electronic and manual reimbursement requests after June 30th, 2020. Should you have claims to file, do so now and make certain that said claims arrive at Paylocity either on or prior to June 30th, 2020.
No. However, we are pleased to announce that the participants of the Plan will have access to the “PHCS” network which has a greater number of physicians than the “PHCS Practitioners Only” network.
No. The list of participating hospitals are those that are listed on the Health and Benefit Plan’s website landing page.
No. The current plan design is not changing. All Plan limits, provisions and rules remain the same.