Nebraska Department of Insurance
THE NEBRASKA HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, COUNSELING, AND ASSISTANCE (NICA) PROGRAM
JUNE 2002 NICA NEWS
THIS AND THAT
Air Travel with Injectable Medications
According to recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, people will be allowed to board an airplane with an injectable medication only if they can show a professional pre-printed pharmacy label that clearly identifies the medication. The FAA recommends that passengers pack their medication supplies in the original box with the printed prescription label on it. Due to concerns about possible forgeries, a physician's prescription or letter will not be considered an acceptable alternative to the prescription label.Airlines vary significantly in their security procedures. It is very important that people contact their airline before their departure date to ask what else they might need. Advise your clients that if they have any problems as a result of airport security measures, they should ask to speak to the security screener's supervisor or contact the FAA grounds security commissioner at the departure airport. For more information, call the FAA at 1-866-289-9673 or visit: www.faa.gov
Signature on File
Doctors can ask patients to sign a one-time authorization form that allows them to submit claims to Medicare on the patients' behalf without the patients signing a claim form every time they are seen. Both doctors who do and do not accept assignment are permitted to use this method to bill Medicare. The doctor's claim submission to Medicare will show that the patient's "signature is on file" at their office. This signature also permits medical information about the patient to be released, if necessary, to CMS. The Medicare carrier should be periodically inspecting this agreement to monitor possible fraud and abuse.Itemized Statements
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 gives people with Medicare the right to obtain an itemized statement from their providers or suppliers for any Medicare services or items that they have received. Since people with Medicare have an out-of-pocket copayment on many medical bills, it would benefit them to see a complete list of services provided in order to ensure that they are not being overbilled. Patients must submit these requests in writing to the provider or supplier, who is required by law to issue itemized statements within 30 days of the request or face monetary penalties.Long-Term Care Early Enrollment for Federal Employees
On March 25th, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management began to accept early enrollment of federal employees in the new federal long-term care insurance program.MetLife and John Hancock were selected to offer three prepackaged plans and a customized plan for long-term care insurance. Early enrollment allowed federal workers to choose between Plans A, B, and C.
Plan A provides benefits of $100 per day for three years, plan B provides $150 a day for three years, and plan C provides $150 a day for five years. Individuals may also opt to tailor their coverage to meet their needs, selecting a daily benefit between $50 and $300 (in increments of $25). Monthly premiums vary, depending on the package and the enrollee's age, and can range from $8.40 to $675.60 per month.
To be eligible for payment of benefits, a worker must be unable to perform two of six activities of daily living or have a severe cognitive impairment. Enrollees must wait 90 days before payments begin.
Open enrollment for these plans begins in July, when additional plans will be offered, and early enrollees have an option to switch plans at that time.
For more information, visit: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hpolicy.cfm#10259
The 2002 Comparison Guide for Medicare Supplement Insurance in Nebraska is Now Available!
NICA has just released the 2002 Comparison Guide for Medicare Supplement Insurance in Nebraska. The guide compares premiums and other features for Medicare supplement insurance sold in Nebraska.NICA provides the guide as a service of the State of Nebraska Department of Insurance. Consumers can request a free copy by calling 1-800-234-7119. The information is also on NICA's website at www.nol.org/home/ndoi.
Standardized Medicare supplement insurance is provided through ten different plans. The letters A through J identify the ten plans. Any lettered plan such as Plan C pays the same benefits no matter who sells it. Other features, such as price and ease of filing claims, are important differences when shopping. In addition to premiums, the guide also shows:
- Which companies have automatic claims filing
- Which companies charge a one-time application fee
- Which companies charge a higher rate for smokers
- How each company uses age to set premiums
The Guide explains the benefits found in the ten standardized plans.