The completion of specific Qualifying Events (QE) determines your plan level for the following year.
Qualifying Events (QE) Deadlines:
- Lab Work: June 30, 2021
- All other Qualifying Events: August 31, 2021
Who Needs to Qualify For Plan Year 2022?
- All Health Plan Members who wish to be in the Better, Best, or Ultimate Plan Level, excluding new enrollees with a benefits effective date of 1/1/21 or after.
ULTIMATE Plan Level
BEST Plan Level
- Lab Work
- Wellness Exam
- Age Based Screenings
- Nicotine Exposed Qualifying Requirements
- Diabetes Care Program Criteria (if diabetic)
BETTER Plan Level
- Lab Work
- Wellness Exam
BASIC Plan Level
- No qualifying events are required
Children age 18 & under on January 1, 2021
Children complete Qualifying Events for the Ultimate Plan every year. Children are only eligible for the Ultimate or Better Plan Levels.*
- Wellness Exam
- Dental Exam and Cleaning
*No Child Qualifying Events are required for the Better Plan.
Plan Levels
All 4 plan levels have the same premium, prescription and LAMP benefits. The only difference among the 4 plan levels is level of reimbursement (deductible, coinsurance, out of pocket costs, etc.).
(Children are only eligible for the Ultimate or Better Plan Levels. No Child Qualifying Events are required for the Better Plan.)
Ultimate Plan
- Must be non-nicotine exposed for this plan level
- Highest Level of Reimbursement
- $0 deductible; no co-insurance
Best Plan
- For nicotine-exposed members
- Middle to Highest Level of Reimbursement
- $250 deductible; 20% co-insurance
Better Plan
- Middle Level of Reimbursement
- $500 deductible and 25% co-insurance applies
Basic Plan
- Lowest Level of Reimbursement
- $1000 deductible and 50% co-insurance applies
- No QE requirements
WHY YOUR PLAN LEVEL MATTERS
If you’re relatively healthy and only see your doctor for wellness exams and maybe one sick visit a year, you may think it’s not worth your time to complete annual qualifying events. But consider this: according to the CDC, more than 20% of American’s visit the emergency room each year. If you have an emergency, how much would you expect to pay? Consider John...
John is healthy. He is at a healthy weight, exercises several times a week, and doesn’t smoke. One day, John finds himself in the hospital undergoing an emergency appendectomy which costs, on average, $33,000. John didn’t complete any qualifying events, which means he is in the basic plan level. After the surgery, John owes:
Deductible: $2,000 (Physician deductible + Hospital deductible)
50% Coinsurance max: $8,000 (Physician and Hospital Charges)
Total Due: $10,000 (which is the annual out of pocket maximum)
If John was in the Ultimate Plan Level, he would have $0 deductible, 0% coinsurance, and $0 due.