In this issue:

Agent iStore Gains Powerful New Tools

New Options Offer Better Access, Lower Cost for Flu Shots

2009 HSA Amounts and FAQ Available

PacificSource Provider Network Offers Choice

Clarification of Sales to Employee Clients

Letters Mail to Elect Premiere Members

Farrah Campbell—Just a Phone Call Away

What's the Advantage of Elect Plans?

From the variety of plans to our exceptional customer service rating, PacificSource Elect products offer you the PacificSource advantage. See our Top Reasons to Sell Elect flier for reasons why PacificSource Elect products are a top choice for your individual and family clients.

Volume 3, Issue 4: July 24, 2008

Agent iStore Gains Powerful New Tools

We are pleased to announce that we will upgrade PacificSource Agent iStore, July 25-27, and add some powerful new tools.

Please note: You will receive an e-mail (sample e-mail) that asks you to change your password if you currently have an Agent iStore account. Please click the link provided in the e-mail and follow the instructions by Friday, July 25. After that date, your current user ID and password will no longer be valid and you will need to contact us.

After the upgrade, you’ll see two new additions to the Account Center page, Generate a Quote and the Reports and Analytics section. These new tools will help you market to clients and track the status of applications.

Generate a Quote (Quote XP) allows you to suggest particular plans to clients with e-mail proposals. This tool will help you:

• Find plans that are right for your clients
• Generate, save, and send proposals
• Track proposals for easy follow up
• Start an application for a client

The Reports and Analytics section contains links to predefined Client Search Tool queries. These links allow you to view applications by status. For example, the iStore Traffic Report shows the six key indicators listed below, derived from consumer visits to the iStore. Values are displayed for each day during the selected date range and are totaled at the bottom.

• Quoted Sessions. The number of visitors that have seen the Quotes page.
• Started Applications. The number of visitors that have reached the first Application page.
• Submitted Applications. The number of visitors that have completed the Application pages and clicked the Submit button.
• Fully Submitted. The number of applicants that submitted the application, signed it, and provided anything else the carrier needs to make an approval decision.
• Sold Applications. The number of applications that have been approved by the carrier.
• Approved Members. The number of members on all applications that have been approved by the carrier.

The Banner Creation Tool has also been updated with new graphics. You can use this tool to create a graphic link from a Web site to your Agent iStore page. Similarly, you can use the Text Link Creation Tool to create a text link for your Web site or e-mail.

Our Individual Department staff is here to assist you, so please feel free to give us a call. We are updating our Agent iStore Guide and will make it available online. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact us.

Top of page

New Options Offer Better Access, Lower Cost for Flu Shots

We’re pleased to announce an expansion of our flu shot coverage for the 2008 flu season. Beginning this year, PacificSource members (except Short Term Medical) can enjoy greater access and less out-of-pocket expense for flu vaccinations by utilizing flu shot clinics at select retail pharmacy chains or their county health department.

Pharmacies. PacificSource and CVS/Caremark^® have contracted with pharmacies at Albertsons, Bi-Mart, Fred Meyer, and Safeway for direct billing on flu shot clinics.

• Members must have a pharmacy benefit and show their PacificSource member ID card to receive this benefit. (This benefit is not available on Short Term Medical policies.)
• The flu shot is free to members; any copay and/or deductible will be waived.
• If a member receives a flu shot from a pharmacy other than the chains listed above, the member will need to submit their receipt for reimbursement, subject to the nonparticipating provider benefit, even if the pharmacy is part of the CVS/Caremark^® network.

County Health Departments. Flu shots will be covered at the participating provider benefit level, even if the health department is a nonparticipating provider or out of our service area.

• The flu shot will be paid under the immunization benefit of the member’s health policy.
• Applicable copays and/or deductibles apply. These are listed in the benefit summary section of the member’s handbook under “participating providers.”

Other Flu Shots. Flu shots obtained from the member’s physician or from other flu shot clinics will continue to be covered under the member’s medical plan.

• Benefits are paid under the preventive care/immunization benefit.
• Applicable copays and deductibles apply.
• Participating or nonparticipating provider provisions apply.
• Our 2008 flu shot allowances are based on Medicare rates.

For more information, you're welcome to contact your Individual Sales Representative, or contact our Individual Sales Department at (541) 684-5585, or toll-free at (866) 695-8684, or by e-mail at individual@pacificsource.com.

Top of page

2009 HSA Amounts and FAQ Available

The 2009 Indexed amounts for HSAs have been released by the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service.

• The maximum annual HSA contribution for an eligible individual with self-only coverage will be $3,000.
• For family coverage, the maximum annual HSA contribution will be $5,950.
• Catch-up contributions for individuals who are 55 or older will increase by statute to $1,000 for 2009 and all years going forward.
• Individuals who are eligible on the first day of the last month of the taxable year (December for most taxpayers) will be allowed the full annual contribution (plus catch-up contribution, if 55 or older by year end) regardless of the number of months the individual was eligible in the year. For those who are no longer eligible individuals on that date, both the HSA contribution and catch-up contribution will apply pro rata based on the number of months of the year a taxpayer is an eligible individual.

Notice 2008-59 (51 KB PDF) was also recently released by the Treasury and contains more than 40 new frequently asked questions and answers that cover a wide range of HSA topics, including:

• Who is an Eligible Individual?
• Issues related to High Deductible Health Plans
• Contributions
• Distributions
• Establishing an HSA

Top of page

PacificSource Provider Network Offers Choice

Our PacificSource provider network includes approximately 9,000 participating providers throughout Oregon and parts of southern Washington and western Idaho. The network covers the following geographic areas:

• All of Oregon
• Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum Counties in Washington
• Ada, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, and Washington Counties in Idaho

If a member lives or travels outside this service area, they have access to our contracted nationwide provider network, the First Health Network. First Health includes more than 4,400 hospitals and 454,700 physicians and outpatient healthcare providers throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Members can use our online Participating Provider Directory to find contracted healthcare providers in the PacificSource or First Health networks.

Nominating a Provider for the PacificSource Provider Network is Easy

If a client’s healthcare provider is not currently a PacificSource participating provider, it’s easy for your client to nominate their provider for our network. Your client only needs to fill in their name, address, and employer, on our Provider Nomination Form (78 KB PDF), and then give the form to their provider. The provider completes the form and returns it to us. Once we receive the form, we will follow up directly with the provider to complete the application and credentialing process. Approvals are usually granted quickly.

Our Provider Network Includes Alternative Care Providers

The Elect Premiere and Elect Preferred plans offer chiropractic, acupuncture, and naturopathic coverage. Alternative care providers are included in our participating provider network.

Members on our other plan designs can access discounts on alternative care products and services though our AlternaCare Savings Program. Elect and Short Term Medical plan members can enjoy discounts on chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage therapy, vitamins, and more. The AlternaCare program is not insurance and is designed to complement health insurance benefits. Our AlternaCare Savings Program (493 KB PDF) member flier provides additional details.

Top of page

Clarification of Sales to Employee Clients

Since many of your individual and family plan clients may work for an employer, it’s important to keep in mind that only your client may purchase their individual policy; the client's employer may not do so. Employers often wish to pay for short term or individual policies for their employees that are not yet eligible for group coverage, such as temporary workers or those in their eligibility waiting period. By law, however, we cannot accept payments from employers for individual and family plans. For more information about this requirement, see the Oregon Insurance Division’s Bulletin 2002-05.

Top of page

Letters Mail to Elect Premiere Members

Today, July 24, we mailed letters to members who have Elect Premiere policies about a correction to their urgent care benefit. The correction will result in a better healthcare benefit. Letter to Elect Premiere members (497 KB PDF).

The policy we previously sent to these members showed a participating provider benefit of $25 copay and 80 percent coinsurance for urgent care services. The actual benefit for urgent care according the policy is $25 copay and 100 percent coinsurance.

The urgent care benefit for nonparticipating providers was stated correctly ($25 copay and 60 percent coinsurance).

We will reprocess urgent care claims dating back to January 1, 2008, and issue refunds as necessary. Members do not need to resubmit these claims.

If any of your clients have questions, they are welcome to contact us by phone at (541) 684-5582 or toll free at (888) 977-9299, or by e-mail at cs@pacificsource.com.

Top of page

Farrah Campbell—Just a Phone Call Away

If you have a question about an individual application, Individual Service Representative Farrah Campbell is likely to have an answer. Farrah is often the first point of contact for applicants, and enjoys answering their questions or walking them through the application. Agents and members also call about the status of applications, termed policies, premium quotes, and changes to benefits and deductibles. “At PacificSource, a real person is just a phone call away,“ she says. “I’m here to answer any questions that agents have. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it.”

“At PacificSource, a real person is just a phone call away.”

Individual Service Representative Farrah Campbell with her sons.

Before joining PacificSource, Farrah worked in law and medical offices, as well as for a collections agency. She joined PacificSource in September 2006 as an Enrollment Technician in our Membership Department. Later, she worked as a Customer Service Representative with Manley Services before accepting the position in our Individual Department.

Farrah grew up in southern Oregon and is crazy about sports. Her grandfather was a University of Oregon linebacker in the 1950s, so she became a huge Ducks fan at an early age. Now, she watches her two sons play football, basketball, or Babe Ruth baseball.

Farrah is passionate about her work and remarks that, once she got to PacificSource, she knew this was where she wanted to be. Her relationship with customers and agents is the favorite part of her job. “It makes my day when I can share information and help someone else out,” she says. “I believe in what we do here and I enjoy coming to work every day!”

Top of page

Questions? You're always welcome to contact us!

Kelly Walker
Portland (503) 867-6828
toll-free (866) 540-1191

Mike McKibben
Bend (541) 225-2703
toll-free (888) 877-7996

Susie Chun
Medford (541) 858-0381
toll-free (800) 899-5866

Individual Sales
(541) 684-5585
(866) 695-8684 toll-free
individual@pacificsource.com (541) 684-5401 fax

Comments or suggestions about this publication?
E-mail us at individual@pacificsource.com