Covered California removes provider directory, again Following numerous complaints from both enrollees and providers, Covered California has removed its provider directory from the exchange website until further notice. "While the combined provider directory was a useful service for many consumers, some enrollees located physicians thought to be in their plan, and subsequently discovered they were not,” exchange staff wrote in a statement, noting that enrollees who relied upon information present in the provider directory should contact their health insurance plan to verify the provider is in the exchange network. CMA is also encouraging patients to contact ... February 12, 2014 Managed Care Covered California 0 0 Comment Read More »
Blue Shield exchange/off-exchange plans leading to confusion among physicians The California Medical Association (CMA) has seen a large increase in calls from physicians confused about the plans/products offered by Blue Shield both on and off the exchange. As you may know, federal law requires that every plan offered in the exchange also be offered off the exchange, using the same network. This has resulted in a number of practices unknowingly seeing patients out-of-network for products that use the insurer's narrower exchange network. It has also created an additional level of confusion for physician practices when checking patients' coverage ... February 12, 2014 Managed Care Covered California, Health Benefit Exchange, Health Insurance Exchange, Insurance/Reimbursement, Managed Care, Blue Shield 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA releases fact sheets regarding Covered California grace period, updates toolkit Recognizing the Affordable Care Act’s “grace period” provision to be one of the most confounding provisions of the law, the California Medical Association (CMA) has published an FAQ sheet dedicated entirely to helping physicians make sense of the issue. The fact sheet, “Covered California: Understanding the Grace Period for Subsidized Exchange Enrollees," is available through CMA’s exchange resource center. Federal law allows Covered California enrollees who receive financial subsidies to keep their health insurance for three months, even if they have stopped paying their premiums. This is known as the “grace ... February 7, 2014 General Grace Period, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchange, Covered California 0 0 Comment Read More »
Surviving the Second Month of Covered California As of January 15, Covered California reports that more than 625,000 individuals have enrolled in exchange plans. With that figure expected to grow by the end of the 2014 open enrollment period, it is critical that physicians and their staff know what to expect. To help answer some of the more common questions, the California Medical Association (CMA) offers this second tip sheet to help physicians survive the second month of Covered California. Available to members only. February 4, 2014 General Health Insurance Exchange, Practice Resources, Covered California 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA develops simple tool to identify physician participation status in exchange plans On January 1, 2014, Covered California began providing health coverage to more 500,000 patients statewide. With that figure expected to grow by the end of the 2014 open enrollment period, it is critical that physicians and their staff have a clear understanding of their exchange plan participation status so they can communicate this information to patients before scheduling. It’s equally as important that practices understand the reimbursement rates and other terms associated with the plans with which they are contracted. Even if you did not intentionally contract with any exchange ... January 27, 2014 General Covered California, Health Benefit Exchange, Insurance/Reimbursement, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
Surviving the first month of Covered California On January 1, 2014, California's health benefit exchange, Covered California, began providing health coverage to more 400,000 patients statewide. With that figure expected to grow by the end of the 2014 open enrollment period, it is critical that physicians and their staff know what to expect. To that end, the California Medical Association (CMA) offers these tips to survive the first month of Covered California. This document is available to members only. Please join CMA or Login to access the document. January 9, 2014 Managed Care Health Insurance Exchange, Covered California, Health Benefit Exchange, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
Updates to Covered California, the state's health benefit exchange CMA has updated our exchange toolkit, “CMA’s Got You Covered: A physician’s guide to Covered California, the state’s health benefit exchange.” There are significant updates since we last made updates in September that reflect key developments within the exchange including: • Updates on the grace period • Which plans have exited the exchange • How plans are building their networks • Information on how physicians can check their participation status on the Covered California website • Phone numbers of all of the plans in the event physicians have questions about their participation status December 10, 2013 General Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchange, Covered California, Insurance/Reimbursement 0 0 Comment Read More »
Covered CA Materials for Your Patients The CMA Foundation (CMAF) and California Medical Association (CMA) have been awarded a grant from Covered California, the state's new health benefit exchange/marketplace. The purpose of the grant is to educate doctors and their health care team about Covered California and resources that are available for patients on where to go for additional information on programs that may be available based on their specific needs. The CMA Foundation, in partnership with San Bernardino County Medical Society, can provide you with patient education materials to distribute to patients asking for ... December 2, 2013 General CMA Foundation, Covered CA, Covered California 0 0 Comment Read More »
NEPO launches regional Covered California health care provider outreach and education meetings The CMA Foundation's Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) is hosting its first Covered California provider outreach and education meeting December 7, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. at the Kaplan Medical offices in Pasadena. Physicians and other health care providers and their staff are invited to attend this 2.5 hour educational session. Participants will learn more about Covered California and how they can help patients get health insurance coverage. Registration is free, but space is limited, so secure your spot today. For more information or to register, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/9019901769. This is first ... November 6, 2013 General Covered California, Health Benefit Exchange, Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchange, NEPO 0 0 Comment Read More »
Provider search function operational on Covered California website In what has been one of the most fluid deadlines put forth by the state’s health benefit exchange, Covered California launched the online provider search function on Monday, October 7. The search will allow patients to determine if a particular physician is contracted with any of the participating health plans. Though aimed at patients, physicians can also use the search to determine which plans list them on their exchange provider directories. The California Medical Association (CMA) recommends physicians review their status with plans offered in their area to determine whether ... October 8, 2013 General Covered California, Health Benefit Exchange, Health Insurance Exchange, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
