Urgent Notification regarding Individual Healthcare Plans through
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Effective January 1, 2017 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will be discontinuing all individual and family insurance plans sold to members in Minnesota. As a result of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s decision to exit the individual marketplace, new clients seeking to apply for coverage and current clients seeking to renew coverage will not be able to place or renew coverage with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota coverage in 2017.

The decision made by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is solely that of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and not that of Mercer Consumer or The Minnesota State Bar Association.

Action Needed:

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Individual plan members will need to take action and must enroll in a new plan to have health insurance in 2017. The last day of coverage for these members, under their current plan, is December 31, 2016. 
• Please visit getinsured.com/mercerassociations or MNsure.org and look at other plans available that you may be eligible for on the Marketplace. The Marketplace offers a variety of coverage options from a number of insurers and premium assistance is available for those who qualify.
• If you are not currently enrolled in an individual health plan, need coverage prior between now and December 1, 2016 and have experienced a qualifying life event, you are eligible to enroll in an individual plan through BCBSMN outside the open enrollment period, with the understanding that your individual coverage will expire on December 31, 2016 with no option to renew, you may enroll on-line at https://www.bluecrossmn.com/healthy/public/personal/home/shopplans/shop-individual-family-plans

Examples of life qualifying events include but are not limited to; involuntary loss of coverage (COBRA included), births, adoptions, marriage and divorce.

If you do not have a life qualifying event or miss the 60-day window deadline to apply for coverage due to a qualifying event, you must also wait until the 2017 open enrollment period (November 2016) to submit an application for coverage to be effective January 1, 2017.

When do I need to make a decision?

To avoid gaps in coverage, you must apply for and purchase a new policy through the exchange (or your local broker), during the annual Open Enrollment period in November 2016 but no later than December 15, 2016 for an effective date of January 1, 2017.

You will be able to review rates and plan details about replacement policies when Open Enrollment begins on November 1, 2016.  

IMPORTANT OPEN ENROLLMENT DEADLINES (NO EXCEPTIONS):

• December 15, 2016: Applications received between November 1, 2016-December 15, 2016 will be effective January 1, 2017
• January 15, 2017: Applications received between December 16, 2016-January 15, 2017 will be effective February 1, 2017
• January 31, 2017: Applications received between January 16, 2017-January 31, 2017 will be effective March 1, 2017

If you do not apply or your application is not received by January 31, 2017 (at the latest), you must wait until the annual open enrollment for 2018, which begins in the fall of 2017.

What should I do before I decide on a new policy?

• Check to make sure any prescription medications you or your family take will be covered.
• Call the insurer or visit the insurer’s website to make sure your doctor and other health care providers will be in the plan network next year.
• For information on transitional care, you, your representative or your provider should contact your new health insurer to determine if you are eligible for transitional care.

If you have any questions, you may contact Mercer at 1-800-551-3053 or MNSURE at 855-366-7873 or visit their website at MNsure.org

SMALL GROUP HEALTH PLANS

If you are a small employer with at least one “common law” employee, who is not an owner, spouse or domestic partner, you may be eligible for an Employer Group Health Plan. In addition to the owner(s), partner(s) or corporate officer(s), the employee must receive a W-2 employee and work full-time to be eligible for group health insurance.

To obtain more information on plan offering, rates and a quote for group health insurance, please contact Digital Insurance directly at 770-250-2900 online at www.digitalinsurance.com