Covered Health Care Services We agree to provide coverage for medically necessary covered health care services listed in this agreement. If a service or category of service is not specifically listed as covered, it is not covered under this agreement. Only services that we have reviewed and determined are eligible for coverage under this agreement are covered. All other services are not covered. See Section 1.4 for how we identify new services and our guidelines for reviewing and making coverage determinations. We only cover a service listed in this agreement if it is medically necessary. We review medical necessity in accordance with our medical policies and related guidelines. The term medically necessary is defined in Section 8.0 - Glossary. It does not include all medically appropriate services. The amount of coverage we provide for each health care service differs according to whether or not the service is received: • as an inpatient; • as an outpatient; • in your home; • in a doctor’s office; or • from a pharmacy. Also coverage differs depending on whether: • the health care provider is a network provider or non-network provider; • deductibles (if any), copayments, or maximum benefit apply; • you have reached your plan year maximum out-of-pocket expense; • there are any exclusions from coverage that apply; or • our allowance for a covered health care service is less than the amount of your copayment and deductible (if any). In this case, you will be responsible to pay up to our allowance when services are rendered by a network provider. Please see the Summary of Medical Benefits to determine the benefit limits and amount that you pay for the covered health care services listed below. Please see the Summary of Pharmacy Benefits to determine the benefit limits and amount that you pay for prescription drug and diabetic equipment and supplies purchased at a pharmacy.
Vision Care Services For purposes of coordination of benefits, vision care services covered under other plans are not considered an allowable expense, as defined in the Coordination of Benefits and Subrogation in Section 7.
Health Care Savings Plan As provided in this Agreement, eligible ASF Members will participate in the health care savings plan (HCSP) established under Minnesota Statute 352.98, and as administered by the Plan Administrator. The Employer is responsible only for transferring funds, as specified in this agreement, to the Plan Administrator.
Urgent Care Services All Medically Necessary Covered Services received in Urgent Care Centers, Retail Clinics or your Primary Care Physician’s office after-hours to treat an Urgent Medical Condition will be covered by AvMed. Any request for reimbursement of payment made by a Member for services received must be filed within 90 days or as soon as reasonably possible but not later than one year unless the Member was legally incapacitated. If Urgent Medical Services and Care are required while outside the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii, it is the Member’s responsibility to pay for such services at the time they are received. For information on filing a Claim for such services, see Part XIII. REVIEW PROCEDURES AND HOW TO APPEAL A CLAIM (BENEFIT) DENIAL.
Emergency Care Services If you experience a medical emergency while traveling outside our service area, go to the nearest emergency or urgent care facility. When you receive Out-of-Area covered healthcare services outside our service area and the claim is processed through the BlueCard Program, the amount you pay for the Out-of-Area Covered healthcare services, if not a flat dollar copayment, is calculated based on the lower of: • the billed charges for your Out-of-Area covered healthcare services; or • the negotiated price that the Host Blue makes available to us. Often, this “negotiated price” will be a simple discount that reflects an actual price that the Host Blue pays to your healthcare provider. Sometimes, it is an estimated price that takes into account special arrangements with your healthcare provider or provider group that may include types of settlements, incentive payments and/or other credits or charges. Occasionally, it may be an average price, based on a discount that results in expected average savings for similar types of healthcare providers after taking into account the same types of transactions as with an estimated price. Estimated pricing and average pricing also take into account adjustments to correct for over- or underestimation of past pricing of claims, as noted above. However, such adjustments will not affect the price we have used for your claim because they will not be applied after a claim has already been paid. Negotiated (non–BlueCard Program) Arrangements With respect to one or more Host Blues, in certain instances, instead of using the BlueCard Program, we may process your claims for covered healthcare services through Negotiated Arrangements for National Accounts. The amount you pay for covered healthcare services under this arrangement will be calculated based on the negotiated price (refer to the description of negotiated price in the BlueCard® Program section above) made available to us by the Host Blue.
Dental Care Plan The Welfare Plan will include a Dental Care Plan which will reimburse members for expenses incurred in respect of the coverages summarized in Appendix "1". The Plan will not duplicate benefits provided now or which may be provided in the future by any government program.
Health Care Spending Account After six (6) months of permanent employment, full time and part time (20/40 or greater) employees may elect to participate in a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) Program designed to qualify for tax savings under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code, but such savings are not guaranteed. The HCSA Program allows employees to set aside a predetermined amount of money from their pay, not to exceed the maximum amount authorized by federal law, per calendar year, of before tax dollars, for health care expenses not reimbursed by any other health benefit plans. HCSA dollars may be expended on any eligible medical expenses allowed by Internal Revenue Code Section 125. Any unused balance is forfeited and cannot be recovered by the employee.
Post Retirement Health Care Benefit Employees who separate from State service and who, at the time of separation are insurance eligible and entitled to immediately receive an annuity under a State retirement program, shall be entitled to a contribution of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) to the Minnesota State Retirement System’s (MSRS) Health Care Savings Plan. Employees who have a HCSP waiver on file shall receive a two hundred fifty dollars ($250) cash payment. If the employee separates due to death, the two hundred fifty dollars ($250) is paid in cash, not to the HCSP. An employee who becomes totally and permanently disabled on or after January 1, 2008, who receives a State disability benefit, and is eligible for a deferred annuity under a State retirement program is also eligible for the two hundred fifty dollar ($250) contribution to the MSRS Health Care Savings Plan. Employees are eligible for this benefit only once.
Dependent Care Assistance Plan An employee may designate an amount per calendar year, from earnings on which there will be no federal income tax withholding for dependent care assistance (as defined in Section 129 of the Internal Revenue Code as amended from time to time.)
COVERED HEALTHCARE SERVICES This section describes covered healthcare services. This plan covers services only if they meet all of the following requirements: • Listed as a covered healthcare service in this section. The fact that a provider has prescribed or recommended a service, or that it is the only available treatment for an illness or injury does not mean it is a covered healthcare service under this plan. • Medically necessary, consistent with our medical policies and related guidelines at the time the services are provided. • Not listed in Exclusions Section. • Received while a member is enrolled in the plan. • Consistent with applicable state or federal law. We review medical necessity in accordance with our medical policies and related guidelines. Our medical policies can be found on our website. Our medical policies are written to help administer benefits for the purpose of claims payment. They are made available to you for informational purposes and are subject to change. Medical policies are not meant to be used as a guide for your medical treatment. Your medical treatment remains a decision made by you with your physician. If you have questions about our medical policies, please call Customer Service. When a new service or drug becomes available, when possible, we will review it within six (6) months of one of the events described below to determine whether the new service or drug will be covered: • the assignment of an American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code in the annual CPT publication; • final Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval; • the assignment of processing codes other than CPT codes or approval by governing or regulatory bodies other than the FDA; • submission to us of a claim meeting the criteria above; and • generally, the first date an FDA approved prescription drug is available in pharmacies (for prescription drug coverage only). During the review period, new services and drugs are not covered. For all covered healthcare services, please see the Summary of Medical Benefits and the Summary of Pharmacy Benefits to determine the amount that you pay and any benefit limits.
