NewsfromBlue
Important Updates for Benefit Administrators
May 2015
Inside topics
Managing Your Company’s Plan
• Online Training
• Guide for Group Administration
• International Travel Plans
Educating Your Employees
GO GREEN!
Get your invoices online!
• Understanding Member Demographics
• Member eNews goes High-tech
Keeping Up with Health and
Wellness
• Relief from Seasonal Allergies
• Cancer Awareness
CLICK HERE
Contact us:
Find us on
Enrollment, Maintenance and Billing: 1-866-946-2583 or
[email protected]
Claims and Customer Service: 1-800-352-2583
BlueBiz questions and topics for future newsletters: [email protected]
NewsfromBlue is published by Florida Blue. Visit us at floridablue.com
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Managing your Company’s Plan
Our Mission:
Helping people
and communities
achieve better
health, is the
Online Training for
Time-Saving Tools
Want to pay your invoices and enroll
employees quickly? Find out how
to get your job done faster with
easy-to-use tools— organized in one
convenient place— floridablue.com
for employers:
• Pay your invoices or set up reoccurring payments
company’s reason
• Process enrollment with or without employee self-service
for existence. It sets
• Download employee education materials
us apart from our
competitors, as we
are committed to
making a difference
for all of Florida’s
communities.
• Print ID cards and benefit booklets
• Run reports
• Grant Benefit Administrator access
• Obtain forms and guides
• Get your invoices online rather than by mail. Call 1-866-946-2503 to
get started.
Become an expert with helpful online training videos – and use the
videos to train co-workers. Everyone can use a backup person and we all
appreciate the extra help!
Your Guide for Group Administration
If you’re new to Florida Blue, understanding the enrollment and billing
process is important. That’s why it’s a good idea to review your Guide for
Group Administration. It’s an easy to use guide that explains topics such as:
• Eligibility for coverage
• Changes and timelines for enrollment
• Payment options and timelines
• Contacts for quick answers
• Time-saving tools and resources
• Travel Benefits
Some procedures are different for Florida Blue vs. Florida Blue HMO
plans. Those differences are clearly notated within the guide, and
good to know if you offer multiple health plan options that include an
HMO plan.
Familiar with the guide? Simply open your guide, right click your
mouse button, and select “find” to quickly search for a key word(s).
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Cover Your World
Traveling internationally?
Don’t forget to pack GeoBlue
GeoBlue international travel health insurance1 is available to you and your
employees. GeoBlue offers long-term expatriate plans, traveler plans and
student plans available through GeoBlue. These travel plans go beyond
that of traditional international health insurance.
GeoBlue members enjoy:
• Rich benefits — Coverage for
everything from hospitalization
to treatment for a sore throat
• Web and mobile support —
Find over 5,000 commonly used
medical terms and 4,000 medical health phrases in dozens of
languages
• Access to trusted doctors and
hospitals — GeoBlue has an
elite network of doctors from
most every specialty in over 180
countries
• No out-of-pocket costs for
services —
• Members do not have to pay
and submit a claim
Plus free 24/7 multi-lingual
concierge services:
• Appointment Scheduling —
With a doctor that speaks your
language
• Chronic Care and Maternity
Support — GeoBlue will line up
the best local resources to manage cancer, heart disease, sports
injuries, behavioral conditions
and maternity (for those in remote areas, video consultations
are available)
• Informed Choice Consultation
— Understand local, regional or
international treatment options
for serious unexpected medical
problems and let GeoBlue help
put a plan into action
to EmbodyHealth, an online tool
to manage health issues, reduce
risk and get the most from an
international experience.
While traveling, they can set
personal health goals, track their
progress, identify health risks and
get recommendations they can
discuss with a wellness coach.
For more information:
Please contact your agent or
sales representative if you would
like more information or to get a
quote.
GeoBlue is the trade name of
Worldwide Insurance Services,
LLC, an independent licensee of
the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association.
1
Mayo Clinic is an independent
company providing health and
wellness programs for GeoBlue.
2
• Members can prepare before
they depart —
For long term, replacement plans
(travel 180 days or more), these
services are also included:
• From security profiles on international destinations, to vaccination requirements and availability of prescription drugs in 25
countries
Wellness services:
GeoBlue has contracted with
the Mayo Clinic2 to provide
members with convenient access
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Educating
your
Employees
Member eNews
goes Hi-tech
The spring issue of Florida Blue
eNews has a new look, as well
as, fun and informative healthrelated reads. Redesigned to be
more mobile friendly, Florida Blue
members can read about:
• high-tech health topics
• mobile apps for improved
fitness
• Florida Blue’s innovative
HealthSpot, debuting in the
Miami Falls Florida Blue Center
• w
hen to get screened
• and much more!
Members can also find a timely
reminder about annual checkups,
celebrating awareness months
and tips for healthy snacking. The
newsletter can also be accessed
any time on FloridaBlue.com.
Member Demographics:
What’s your language preference?
This is one of several questions we will be encouraging all our members
to tell us. The more we know about each person, the better we can tailor
health programs and services to meet their needs. Health care is not a
“one-size fits all” solution, so understanding member preferences and
demographics is important.
Here’s what we are adding to our
member website:
• Written and spoken language
preferences
• A person’s race or physical characteristics
• Ethnicity or cultural factors, including nationality and culture
• The level of education completed
• Disability, if any, including vision
or hearing.
Did you know that ethnicity can
help identify certain health risks?
That’s right. So depending on
whether you’re German or Spanish,
we can build programs that focus
on helping people prevent a health
condition that’s common for their
ethnicity. It also helps us pave
the way for more multi-language
materials.
Now members can log in to
floridablue.com and provide their
personal preferences by using the
settings under MyAccount and
through WebMD (under Health and
Wellness).
Collecting this information is another
way we can help more people and
communities improve their health.
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Keeping up with Health and Wellness
Protect Your Skin
May is National Skin Cancer month
with more than 3.5 million new
cases found each year. Skin cancer
is the most common diagnosed
cancer in the United States. The
great news is that most skin cancers
can be prevented.
By using the helpful hints below,
you and your family can still enjoy
the beautiful Florida Sun.
• Apply sunscreen thoroughly, using the acronym BEENS to check
oft-forgotten spots: back of knees,
ears, eye area, neck and scalp.
• Use a PABA-free “hypoallergenic”
sunscreen providing UVA and UVB
protection.
The onset of Spring also means the
peak of allergy season
May is National Asthma and Allergy
Awareness Month. Seasonal allergic
rhinitis (i.e., hay fever) is usually
caused by pollens from trees,
grasses, and weeds. Those who are
allergic to these small, lightweight,
and airborne allergens are likely to
suffer in high pollen counts.
The pollen count measures the
pollen in the air. Essentially, counts
are lower in damp weather and
higher in dry, windy weather. If
you have allergies, it is important
to monitor pollen counts, and
understand how to prepare.
During allergy season, TV stations,
newspapers, or hospitals often
report local pollen counts. In
addition, the National Allergy
Bureau has pollen count information
online, at www.aaaai.org.
The exact dates of pollen season
vary throughout the United States,
but in general:
To protect your own skin from
harmful rays, use the tips below:
• Avoid sun tanning and the use of
tanning beds.
• Use the “shadow rule”: when your
shadow is shorter than you, the UV
rays are most intense.
• Apply sunscreen liberally and let
it dry about 30 minutes before
exposure.
• Water proof sunscreen wears off
in about 80 minutes in water, and
water resistant lasts 40 minutes.
• Buy clothing treated with chemicals to protect against UV rays.
• Wear sunglasses that filter both
UVA and UVB rays.
• The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends SunGuard, a laundry additive that adds UV-30 protection.
• Wear a wide 4 inch brim hat that
covers your neck, ears, eyes, and
scalp.
• Protect yourself, even on cloudy
days.
• Use caution in water, snow, and
sand, which reflect damaging rays
and increase sunburn risk.
• Reference: WebMD.com
Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, congestion, and a
runny nose. You can help to control these symptoms by avoiding
the things that cause them (allergens). If you suffer from seasonal
allergies, try these tips to reduce your symptoms:
• Stay inside when pollen levels
are high. Pollen counts are
generally lowest after sunrise
and increase throughout the
day. Counts begin to lower
around sunset.
• Keep windows and doors closed
and use air conditioning to
reduce the pollen that gets into
your home.
• Avoid bringing pollen back
into your home when you go
outdoors.
• Shower and change clothes after
being outside.
• Dry your clothes in a dryer instead of an outdoor clothes line.
• Plan your vacation during
peak pollen season, where the
plants you are allergic to don’t
grow.
• Avoid going outside on rainy or
windy days when mold spores
may be present.
Resources: Healthwise; Allergies: Avoiding
Outdoor Triggers; March 12, 2014 and
Healthwise; Types of Allergens; March 12, 2014
Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield Company
Health insurance is offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, DBA Florida Blue. HMO coverage is offered by Health Options, Inc., DBA Florida
Blue HMO, an HMO affiliate of Florida Blue. These companies are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
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