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Health Insurance

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Important Notice: Pacific Blue Cross will be offline March 18-April 3

March 25, 2014by Gord Donas in Blog, Health Insurance

Pacific Blue Cross

Due to a major systems update the company will be off-line and unavailable for on-line administration or claims adjudication.  Administrators should make note of the following important dates:

March 18 to April 3, 2014:  Pacific Blue Cross is off-line

  • Health and dental claims are suspended
  • Pay direct drug cards are not active; drugs must be paid at pharmacy and a paper claim sent
  • Updating on ADMINnet is unavailable, hold all paperwork

April 4, 2014:  Pacific Blue Cross is back on-line

  • Re-Register on-line for the new and enhanced ADMINnet system
  • Enter all enrolments,  changes ,terminations on ADMINnet or send to Pacific Blue Cross to process
  • New ID cards will be mailed out over the next three months
  • Old ID cards will continue to work for a period to allow members to update their records
  • New ID cards may be downloaded from CARESnet

Questions?   Contact:  www.pbcopenhouse.ca/adminnet

How to Opt Out of “I Have a Plan” University Health and Dental Plan Coverage

December 2, 2013by Gord Donas in Blog, Health & Wellness, Health Insurance

“I Have a Plan” is a health coverage plan established by students for students, with coverage that typically costs less than a parent or employee plan. The coverage is specifically designed for students but most health plans through a students’ parent, employer, or spouse will have more benefits. It is important to read over the benefits you have now and what your school’s coverage provides in order to decide if you should opt out of “I Have a Plan”.

Universities automatically put the $198 “I Have a Plan” coverage in your tuition for the full year (September 1 – August 31).  If you started school in September, the Change-of-Coverage Period was from the end of August to the end of September. However, if you are a new student starting in January, the Change-of-Coverage Period is from the end of December to the end of January.

Many students are already covered by an equivalent health and/or dental plan from either their parent or spouse’s employee benefit plan, a plan provided by their band council, or through Health Canada.  In this case, the student will need to go to ihaveaplan.ca and opt out of the health and dental plan provided through their university.

In order to opt out of the “I Have a Plan” coverage, you need to opt out directly online (ihaveaplan.ca) with proof of coverage. Each year you are expected to opt out but you will not have to re-submit your coverage unless it has changed from the previous year.

New Unstable Pre-Existing Condition Coverage through Pacific Blue Cross

November 26, 2013by Gord Donas in Blog, Health Insurance, Travel Insurance tagged , , ,

As of December 1, 2013, Pacific Blue Cross will be providing single trip and annual trip emergency medical plans with an optional protection benefit for unstable pre-existing conditions up to the full $5 million in protection.

If you would like to get the optional protection benefit, most people will simply need to answer 4 qualifying questions. Ones who should get this travel insurance add-on are for those with unstable conditions that are not normally covered in their regular travel insurance. An important fact to note is that conditions or symptoms that arise within 7 days of departure or on the day of departure are excluded.

Christmas is just around the corner and if you are planning on traveling this holiday season, this new unstable pre-existing condition coverage will give you the piece of mind you want on your vacation.