Individual Market News
Published September 16, 2021
Effective January 1, 2022, we will no longer offer individual
grandfathered and grandmothered plans. Find out below what this change means
for your clients, how we're communicating to them, and what you can do to help.
What your grandfathered and grandmothered clients need to do
Your
individual grandfathered and grandmothered clients must take action to have
coverage for January 1, 2022. If they do not take action, they will not have
coverage in 2022.
Here's what they should do:
- Sign up for a
new plan during open enrollment: November 1, 2021, through December 15,
2021.
They can enroll in a new Premera plan on the federal exchange, HealthCare.gov, or directly with Premera. We recommend they enroll through the exchange so they can take advantage of any tax credits (subsidy) they may qualify for.
- Set up a new
Premera account using their new ID number.
Your grandfathered and grandmothered clients will receive their new ID number on the invoice mailed to them after they sign up for a 2022 plan. They should use this new ID number to create a new
Premera account for their 2022 plan, even if they already have one for their current plan. They will also need to enroll in autopay in their new 2022 account as their current autopay will not carry over to their new plan.
- Make their first
payment for their new plan by December 31, 2021.
Once your clients set up their new 2022 account, they can make a one-time online payment. They can also use our automated phone payment system. View all their payment options at premera.com/visitor/pay-monthly-bill.
How we're communicating to your grandfathered and grandmothered clients
Alaska grandfathered and grandmothered members can expect the following communications and support from us:
- By early
October: Discontinuation notices will be mailed notifying them that their current plan will not be offered in 2022 and that they must take action in order to have coverage next year. The letter includes a 2022 plan recommendation, although members
can enroll in any metallic individual plan.
- Late October
through December 15: We will send regular communications to members through email, their secure online account, and home mailers. These communications will remind them to take action by December 15, 2021, and will outline the steps to enroll
in a new plan for January 2022.
- Our customer service team will be ready to answer questions about what's changing for 2022 and will encourage grandfathered and grandmothered members to contact their producer if they need help choosing a new plan for 2022.
How you can help
As a trusted expert and resource for your Premera individual clients, you can help get the message out about these changes, and assist your grandfathered and grandmothered clients in signing up for a new 2022 plan.
We're here to support you as well:
- By the end of September, your producer support team will provide you with a list of your grandfathered and grandmothered clients, including their contact information.
- We'll also provide ready-to-use content that you can copy and paste into emails to your clients.
- At the midpoint of open enrollment, producer support will provide you with an updated list of grandfathered and grandmothered clients who have not yet enrolled in a new plan. We ask that you join us in contacting these members to ensure they do not have a gap in coverage.
Thank you for joining us in helping our grandfathered and grandmothered members transition to a new plan for 2022. As always, your Premera individual producer support team is available to answer any questions.