Happy New Year to all. As we flip the calendars over to a new year, we have new changes and reminders regarding the insurance/employer reimbursement programs. Please take the time to read and share this information with your staff. When and if you and your staff have questions, please lean on NIHCA and our team to help you with the answers. We are here for you, the facility. The more informed you can be as a facility, the more helpful you will be to your members. If the member has a question that you do not know the answer to,
do not direct them to us - they will need to call the Customer Service number on the back of their card. However, we are happy to field questions from you, the club anytime.
The updates and reminders are as follows:
1.
HealthPartners
~ HealthPartners has notified NIHCA that there will be a slight delay in the members reimbursements for the November workout activity. Please expect your qualified HealthPartners members to receive their reimbursement the first week of Jan 2019. HealthPartners asks that you do not send a special communication to those members. This is just a notice for you, the facility, that if you get calls or inquires, that the HP member doesn't need to be concerned - just reassure them they simply need to look for their November workouts to pay out the first week of Jan 2019.
2.
BCBS of Minnesota (BCBSMN) ~ The $20 BCBSMN Blueprint for Health Fitness Discount program is not discontinuing in 2019 - however some employer groups will be moving to a new Fitness Incentive Step-based program, but certainly not all the groups. Groups that move over to the step-based program will not be eligible for the $20 Fitness Discount Program. Those groups that do not move to the step-based program will continue to be eligible for the $20 p/mo fitness reimbursement program as usual.
3.
BCBS of North Dakota (BCBSND) ~
Starting January 1, 2019, BCBSND Health Club Credit program will be a 9-month points program, from January-September months only. BCBSND will no longer be offering a $20 reimbursement program each month - instead, eligible BCBSND members will receive points (that will be equivalent to $27 p/mo) for working out 12 times a month at your facility. Yes, BCBSND member's will still be required to workout at NIHCA participating facilities in order to receive their points.
Also, November & December '18 workouts will be delayed due to taxation purposes and rewarded at the end of January 2019 as points, not as $20 reimbursements. Lastly, YES, BCBSND will require each eligible member to complete a 2019 Authorization.
4.
Northern Plains Insurance Pool (NPIP) ~ NPIP became a new partner of NIHCA's in the fall. NPIP encompasses 58 school districts in the state of SD where the employee receives $20 p/mo for working out 8 times per month. If you are in the state of SD and want more information on this, please ask NIHCA.
5.
South Country Health Alliance (SCHA) ~ SCHA is discontinuing the BeFit program only. The BeActive program will still be offered through SCHA, whereas the paid member doesn't have a workout requirement and SCHA will still pay up to $20 p/mo per eligible member. If you are informed of a BeFit member who is no longer eligible, you may "Expire" them in NIHCArewards, under Member Status, AFTER 2/1/19.
6.
Avera and
Bind are the two new reimbursement programs rolling out on 1/1/19. Avera members will need to workout eight (8) p/mo to receive an up to $20 reimbursement p/mo. Bind will roll out with the Medtronic group in the states MN, FL and CO. For those Medtronic folks that chose Bind as their provider, Bind will reward up to $20 p/mo for those Medtronic folks that workout 12 times per month.
