News Archive
All News
| Title | Issued Date |
|---|---|
Tax Form 1095-BBroker Update | January 2024 | Vol. 19 No. 1 Health insurers—including Univera Healthcare—are no longer mailing tax form 1095-B to members. Because taxpayers are not required to include the form when filing their taxes, the IRS no longer requires us to mail the form. Members can still download the form or request it... |
January 23, 2024 |
Gag Clause Confirmation Of Attestations CompletedBroker Update | January 2024 | Vol. 19 No. 1 On December 31, 2023, Univera Healthcare completed the gag clause attestations on behalf of our fully insured and minimum premium groups who have our Rx. A gag clause Certificate of Attestation is available to groups, upon request. Reach out to your account manager with... |
January 23, 2024 |
NEW For 2024: Virtual Physical Therapy Through Vori HealthBroker Update | January 2024 | Vol. 19 No. 1 Every business wants to help their employees live their best. That’s why we are providing another option for physical therapy, so employees can have more accessibility when it comes to the care they need. Univera Healthcare is now partnering with Vori Health to offer... |
January 23, 2024 |
Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) – Mailbox Update For Small GroupsBroker Update | January 2024 | Vol. 19 No. 1 Over the past several months there have been some AGIFs emailed to Univera (AnnualGroupInformationUnivera@UniveraHealthcare.com) that were not received through our email system. While most of the emails were received, we realize this could create a situation where a small... |
January 23, 2024 |
Univera On Demand Website Enhancements For Small GroupsBroker Update | January 2024 | Vol. 19 No. 1 To help create a better user experience for our Small Groups, we’ve updated Univera on Demand with the following enhancements: Medical Updates You can now compare the previous Q4 year rating period selected (Ex: 2022 to 2023) Added a new banner to link to dental... |
January 23, 2024 |
February Is American Heart MonthBroker Update | January 2024 | Vol. 19 No. 1 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventive (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, people aged 45 and over, and most races and Hispanic-origin groups, accounting for 1 in every 5 deaths in the US. The term “heart disease”... |
January 23, 2024 |
This Holiday Season We're Grateful To Be Right Here. For You.Broker Update | December 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 12 Thank you for your partnership and making our days merry and bright all year round. Wishing you peace, joy and even more success in 2024! Have a safe and happy holiday season! |
December 11, 2023 |
2024 Broker Guide Is HereBroker Update | December 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 12 The 2024 Broker Guide for Univera Healthcare is now available to help you better service our clients and grow your brokerage business. The guide is available in the broker portal on the Univera Healthcare website. If you have any questions, contact:... |
December 11, 2023 |
Our Next Step Toward Health EquityBroker Update | December 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 12 We want everyone to have the chance to be as healthy as possible. Health equity is about removing any barriers that get in the way of health. We notified you earlier this fall that we would begin contacting our group members and asking them to share more about themselves... |
December 11, 2023 |
Univera Healthcare Earns 85 Percent In Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-24 Corporate Equality IndexBroker Update | December 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 12 Univera Healthcare has received a score of 85 percent out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace... |
December 11, 2023 |
Gag Clause Prohibition Attestation Under The Consolidated Appropriation ActBroker Update | November 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 11 The gag clause prohibition under the Consolidate Appropriations Act (CAA) prohibits health plans from entering into contracts that restrict specific data and information that a plan can make available to another party. Plans must annually submit an attestation that they... |
November 27, 2023 |
Sunsetting Wellbeing Programs & How Members Can Claim Their RewardsBroker Update | November 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 11 With the much-anticipated transition to our new digital, wellbeing engagement program, VitalizeSM, we will be sunsetting several of our wellbeing programs. The following programs* will be discontinued the last day of a groups’ benefit year: ActiveRewards ... |
November 27, 2023 |
Fully Insured Large Groups To Move To Preferred Value FormularyBroker Update | November 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 11 Please be advised that all Commercial Fully Insured Large Groups will move from the current 3 Tier Open Formulary to our Preferred Value Formulary (PVF) based on their plan year. This change excludes Minimum Premium groups, who will continue to have the option to choose... |
November 27, 2023 |
Updated Annual Group Information Form And Web Tool AvailableBroker Update | November 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 11 An updated version of the Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) is available for Large and Small Groups. The only change in this version is that a question has been added to the AGIF and online AGIF Web Tool which requires groups who offer a dental plan through the Health... |
November 27, 2023 |
Updated Brochures Now AvailableBroker Update | November 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 11 We’ve updated several brochures with our new Everybody Benefits logo. Please share these with your groups. Questions? Contact your account manager. Out-of-Pocket Protection Program Brochure (PDF) Rx Home Delivery Brochure (PDF) |
November 27, 2023 |
December Wellbeing Tip: Where To Go For CareBroker Update | November 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 11 Understanding where to go for medical care before you need it can help minimize frustration, time, and cost. Your primary care provider should be your first choice for routine medical care or minor illnesses or injuries that are not an emergency. A primary care provider... |
November 27, 2023 |
Rx Update - The Right Meds At The Best ValueBroker Update | November 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 11 A Univera Healthcare program is focusing on medication safety while saving millions of dollars in prescription drug costs. The program, Pharmacy Concierge, is available to most midsize and large employers through the health plan. “Improving care is the primary goal of... |
November 27, 2023 |
Medicare Recognizes Univera Healthcare For QualityBroker Update | October 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 10 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its 2024 quality ratings, and again this year recognized Univera Healthcare for its Medicare Advantage plans. This is the eleventh consecutive year the health plan has ranked above average or higher for its... |
October 18, 2023 |
Annual Rate Notices MailedBroker Update | October 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 10 Groups will receive Annual Rate Notices (ARNs) at the end of October. This includes the following products: Small Group Individual Medicare Supplement Medicare Advantage, Simply Prescription, Dental prospective pooled and dental/vision standalone group notices and... |
October 18, 2023 |
Change To 2024 New Business Medical Bonus ScheduleBroker Update | October 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 10 We have implemented a change to our Univera Healthcare 2024 Broker Commission Schedule regarding the New Business Medical Bonus. The new chart, which replaces our previous New Business Medical Bonus chart, is available to Brokers of record with us. If you have questions... |
October 18, 2023 |
2024 Broker Tips For Individual PlansBroker Update | October 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 10 We’ve compiled a sheet of 2024 Broker Tips to assist you during the upcoming Open Enrollment Period for SafetyNet and Individual Market Plans. The tip sheet includes: Important dates What’s new for 2024 Renewal details Health Plan features and updates Who to... |
October 18, 2023 |
November Is Diabetes Awareness MonthBroker Update | October 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 10 Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how your body turns food into blood sugar to use for energy. According to the CDC, one in three people have prediabetes and more than 37 million Americans (11.3% of the population) have diabetes. Because blood sugar in the body... |
October 18, 2023 |
Rx Update - Univera Healthcare Launches Innovative Program To Reduce CostsBroker Update | September 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 9 The Medication Assurance Program is a new initiative of Univera Healthcare aimed at reducing self-funded employer group overall spend. This program is designed to reduce spend on medications by holding manufacturers accountable for drugs that were approved through the... |
September 19, 2023 |
Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) Mailing IssueBroker Update | August 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 8 - Special Issue On July 31, Univera Healthcare mailed an Annual Group Information Form (AGIF) request to small groups. Unfortunately, some small groups with January 2024 renewals received the wrong letter. These groups should have received the initial notice to collect an AGIF, but... |
August 8, 2023 |
NEW STREAMLINED FORMAT - Annual Group Information (AGIF) Broker ReportBroker Update | July 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 7 The Small Group Underwriting AGIF Broker Report will feature some new and exciting changes that will help streamline both our AGIF and Healthy NY (HNY) groups into one report. The new version of the AGIF Broker Report will now also include: standalone Dental and Vision... |
July 28, 2023 |
Accurate Effective Dates Help Ensure Employees Are CoveredBroker Update | July 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 7 Any employer who use the online Enroll & Update tool on the Univera Healthcare website to enroll a new employee in medical or dental plans must select the correct effective date in the online tool — a date that is in alignment with the new employee’s waiting period... |
July 28, 2023 |
Making It Easier To Reinstate & UpdateBroker Update | July 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 7 With the click of a button, we’re making it easier for groups to track and view requests to reinstate health plan policies for their members. Today on UniveraHealthcare.com, employers can go to the View/Update Policy tool to view or reinstate their members’ cancelled... |
July 28, 2023 |
Looking For Something?Broker Update | July 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 7 Ever found yourself looking for a certain broker blast article or announcement? You know you read it and filed it away but now can’t locate it! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We archive all our broker blast articles and announcements chronologically on the broker... |
July 28, 2023 |
Preparing Children For Peak Asthma SeasonBroker Update | July 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 7 If you have a child with asthma, now is the time to revisit their asthma action plan so you are prepared for the annual increase in asthma attacks that occurs each year as kids return to the classroom. A dramatic rise in the number of asthma flare-ups occurs each year... |
July 28, 2023 |
Vaccines Are Important For Adults TooBroker Update | July 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 7 Vaccinations are not just for children – adults need vaccinations, too. Immunity from some childhood vaccines can wear off over time and adults are at risk for different diseases (shingles, for example) than children. Vaccines are important during pregnancy too. According... |
July 28, 2023 |
Rx News - An Innovative Way To Reduce Spend On Specialty DrugsBroker Update | July 2023 | Vol. 18 No. 7 Learn about Specialty Drug Benefit Optimization, an innovative program aimed at reducing spend on specialty drugs. When medical and pharmacy benefits are integrated, this program allows us to target specialty drugs that can be covered at a lower cost under the pharmacy... |
July 28, 2023 |
NYS Prior Approval Of Rate Changes For Medicare SupplementBroker Update | July 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 7 On August 19, 2022, an application will be submitted requesting 2023 premium rate changes in accordance with New York state prior approval law. This rate application applies to Medicare Supplement products. Employer Group Communication Initial notification letters will... |
July 26, 2022 |
Coming In September: Virtual Training For 2023 Open EnrollmentBroker Update | July 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 7 Training for 2023 Open Enrollment will be virtual through the New Univera Sales Hub. This Sales Hub is designed to support all your open enrollment training and presentation needs for the 2023 season and beyond. Univera Sales Hub will go live in early August;... |
July 26, 2022 |
Pharmacy Reporting Under The Consolidated Appropriations ActBroker Update | July 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 7 To comply with the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), we will complete the required pharmacy benefit and prescription drug cost reporting for insured businesses and self-funded groups at no charge; however, there will be a charge for a self-funded group that... |
July 26, 2022 |
Univera Named To The Best Places To Work For Disability Inclusion®Broker Update | July 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 7 Univera Healthcare is pleased to be named to the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion after receiving a top score of 100 percent on the 2022 Disability Equality Index (DEI), a national benchmarking survey by Disability:IN and the American Association of People... |
July 26, 2022 |
COBRA And The New York State Extension Of Benefits For Dental And VisionBroker Update | July 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 7 Federal COBRA benefits are generally available to employers with 20 or more employees in the prior calendar year. The New York state continuation of coverage (Mini-COBRA) is available for all insured health plans with under 20 employees; however, it does not apply to... |
July 26, 2022 |
2023 Large Group Product UpdatesBroker Update | June 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 6 - Special Issue We know that health and wellbeing have taken on new meaning and significance over the past few years. We’ve got exciting changes planned that will help groups and their employees enjoy even better health and wellbeing in 2023. Let’s look at what’s in store.* Here’s... |
June 29, 2022 |
New Business Bonus Now Paid MonthlyBroker Update | April 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 4 A new section is now visible on your commission statement. It includes the group detail for the New Business Bonus. This ONE-TIME BONUS PAYMENT is now being made monthly rather than quarterly. Please contact the Broker Contracts Team with any bonus or commission questions. |
April 21, 2022 |
Legislative Update, Additional Resources Now AvailableBroker Update | April 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 4 Hinman Straub, our external legal counsel, is providing legislative updates for our brokers. Additional sessions are planned throughout the year. The first update is available and includes: 2021 recap of legislation signed into law 2022 NYS budget COVID policy moving... |
April 21, 2022 |
Updates To Small Group Non-EnrollmentBroker Update | April 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 4 We are updating our practices for groups that have had prolonged periods of no enrollment in their small group health plan. The following changes will take effect June 1, 2022: Small groups will be reviewed at the time of renewal and will be non-renewed if there has... |
April 21, 2022 |
Welvie My Surgery Web PageBroker Update | April 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 4 Welvie My Surgery℠ is now available to our Fully Insured commercial group plans, Qualified Health Plan, and Essential Plan members. This self-guided online program leads participants through the decision-making process if they’re considering an elective surgery. If... |
April 21, 2022 |
Making The Most Of Your Health PlanBroker Update | April 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 4 Many members are not aware of the programs, resources, and tools we make available to them. We want to help close that gap. That’s why we created the Making the Most of Your Health Plan video. The video provides a member-level overview of creating an online account, using... |
April 21, 2022 |
May Is Mental Health MonthBroker Update | April 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 4 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 41 percent of adults report struggling with mental health or substance use, which is up 20 percent from pre-pandemic reports. Our own data also reflects this trend with nearly 1/3 of adults now reporting... |
April 21, 2022 |
CAA Compensation Disclosure RequirementBroker Update | April 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 4 As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), we are required to identify for our ERISA groups all direct or indirect compensation we may potentially receive in connection with covered services of $1,000 or more, for the term of a group’s contract. Programs can... |
April 21, 2022 |
Small Group Underwriting Guideline UpdateBroker Update | March 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 3 The revised Small Group Underwriting Guidelines are based on the October 2021 updates and have been approved through New York State Department of Financial Services. The changes are effective immediately to ensure we are meeting all regulatory requirements for group... |
March 24, 2022 |
2022 Best Places To Work In Western New YorkBroker Update | March 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 3 Univera Healthcare is once again a top honoree in the Business First Best Places to Work, winning the Silver Award among employers with more than 250 employees. Companies were voted the best places to work in Western New York by those who know them best: their employees!... |
March 24, 2022 |
Small Group Underwriting Web UpdateBroker Update | March 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 3 The Medicare page/tab has been removed from the AGIF web tool as it was deemed no longer required in 2021. Groups are still not required to submit a Medicare AGIF and they will no longer be processed through SGUW. If a Medicare AGIF is submitted to SGUW, we will only save... |
March 24, 2022 |
Behind Every Great Health Care Outcome Is An Informed DecisionBroker Update | March 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 3 Introducing Welvie My Surgery℠ – We know that one of the keys to better health is better health literacy – the ability to understand health information and services and use that knowledge to make informed decisions. It’s especially important with major decisions like... |
March 24, 2022 |
April 16 Is National Healthcare Decisions DayBroker Update | March 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 3 National Healthcare Decisions Day was created to emphasize the importance of advance care planning. Advance care planning is the process we use to plan for future medical care, consider what matters most to us, share our values, beliefs, and goals with our loved ones and... |
March 24, 2022 |
Group Premium Payment ReminderBroker Update | February 2022 | Vol. 17 No. 2 - Special Issue The beginning of a new month is a good time to remind your groups, per contract, there is a 30-day grace period to make their premium payment. If payment is not received within the 30-day grace period, we will initiate the termination process. As a reminder, the first... |
February 28, 2022 |
