EHA News
EHA News
EHA Early Retiree Plan Benefit Options
Click on the headings below to view the informational power points.
Affordable Care Act Plan Year and Shared Responsibility Issues
Educator Health Alliance Summary of Coverage Booklets
The EHA and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska have posted the following 2013-2014 summary of coverage booklets. Please click on the links below to view.
2013-2014 EHA Medical/Dental Renewal Rates
The EHA Board of Directors met on Tuesday, October 16th and finalized the medical and dental renewal for our membership for the 2013-2014 contract year. Below are the documents for the upcoming renewal period.
IRS Delays Reporting of Group Health Plan Cost on W-2 Forms
On October 12, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2010-69, which provided a one-year delay in the Health Reform Act (PPACA) requirement to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on Form W-2. The IRS stated that this delay was necessary to allow employers to make changes to their payroll systems or procedures in preparation for compliance with the new PPACA requirement.
Previous to this announcement, the new rule was to apply for employees' tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2010. It will now be for tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2011, so payroll systems need to be updated for this change by January 2012.
The IRS also issued a draft W-2 Form for 2011, which would allow employers to voluntarily provide information about the cost of coverage.
Educators Health Alliance Launches New Wellness Program
The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) has announced a new wellness initiative aimed at assisting its members achieve higher levels of wellness.
EHA Board Chair Dr. Dan Ernst stated, “The EHA is pleased to offer a comprehensive wellness program to our members and looks forward to the benefits the program is designed to realize in individual members’ health and wellbeing. Nearly all of Nebraska’s public schools participate in the EHA and the wellness program seeks to achieve improved health for school employees, plus the financial benefits of reduced health care costs and lower absenteeism for school districts.“ The EHA is managed by a collaborative effort of the Nebraska Association of School Boards, the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska State Education Association.
The EHA Board of Directors has selected Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) and the Wellness Council of the Midlands (WELCOM) to design, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive wellness program for all the approximately 35,000 employees of EHA participating employers throughout Nebraska. The program is an expansion of a successful EHA pilot wellness program initiated a year ago and managed by BCBSNE and WELCOM.
The expanded wellness program will begin in early 2011 and provide members opportunities to improve and manage their health. EHA will offer the program to its members at no charge. The first phase of the program consists of developing a supportive work environment and creating regional wellness teams, which will help in the delivery of wellness programs and services.
Participants in the program will complete a personal health assessment (PHA) to provide feedback to each individual and determine the health risks, interests, and knowledge levels of the population. Following this confidential process, BCBSNE and WELCOM will work with each wellness team to analyze the health risk data and implement a targeted wellness action plan that will focus on maintaining or improving members’ current level of health and reducing lifestyle-related risk factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor diet, and obesity.
The program will undergo a rigorous evaluation to measure its overall effectiveness in improving members’ health status and lowering their health care costs
For more information, please contact your EHA/BCBSNE Regional Representative.
Sue Warner: 402-982-6836
Tara Stevenson: 402-982-8859
Notice of Privacy Practices- Educators Health Alliance
The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) is a fully insured health plan. The Alliance negotiates an annual contract with a health insurance carrier to provide health insurance coverage to employees of multiple employers who are members of the Alliance. The current insurance carrier is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska.
To transact its business, the EHA receives only summary health information from Blue Cross Blue Shield regarding utilization of medical services and plan benefits. The plan neither tracks nor requests information from Blue Cross Blue Shield regarding individuals or employer/employee groups covered by the plan. Nor does EHA request or maintain any Protected Health Information (PHI) as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, other than Summary Health Information. Protected Health Information is defined as an individual’s individually identifiable health information, including demographic information collected from the individual or created or received by a health care provider, his/her employer’s health plan, or the health insurance carrier which provides coverage.
Any inquiry regarding a plan participant’s personal services and insurance claims under the provisions of the plan should be directed to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. Any dispute regarding coverage or unpaid claims will be handled by Blue Cross Blue Shield consistent with that company’s appeal procedure and the Nebraska Health Carrier Grievance Procedure Act.
BCBSNE Summer Healthcare Reform Review
Below are the results of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Reform review:
