AlaskaCare Employee News | Quarterly Newsletter | Winter 2024
Alaska Department of Administration sent this bulletin at 01/31/2024 02:34 PM AKSTHaving trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
Winter 2024 | #110
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Effective January 1, 2024, your AlaskaCare plan is adding coverage for acupuncture for certain indications such as pain management, headache, post-operative and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, lower back pain, pain from osteoarthritis of knee/hip, and chronic neck pain when it’s medically necessary and part of a written plan of care. This new acupuncture benefit was designed to help you receive the holistic care you need. What is Acupuncture? Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners insert fine needles into the skin to treat health problems. The needles may be manipulated manually or stimulated with small electrical currents (electroacupuncture). It’s an alternative health care treatment that’s often integrated with traditional medical care. Studies suggest that acupuncture may help ease chronic pain and certain other conditions, and is a reasonable option for people with chronic pain to consider. Is acupuncture right for me? To determine whether you could benefit from acupuncture:
Note: Maintenance treatment, where the member's symptoms are neither regressing nor improving, is considered not medically necessary. Acupuncture is not a proven and accepted therapy for all conditions, and coverage excludes experimental and investigational procedures. |
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Manage your Health Care Costs with the Aetna Cost Estimator Tool |
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Everyone is feeling the squeeze of rising health care costs. Now, more than ever, you want to know what a doctor visit or medical test costs. Before you go, before the bill comes. And you don't want to pay more than you have to. The Aetna cost estimator tool can help you plan ahead and save money. Get average network and out-of-network costs for tests (X-rays and MRIs), office visits (including specialists), selected surgeries and procedures (such as colonoscopy, sinus surgery), routine physicals, and emergency room visits. If you have a chronic condition, such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure, you can find out the yearly costs, on average, associated with your condition. The cost estimator tells you where in your area — and in our network — you can find these services. Estimates are based on your own plan details, such as your deductible and coinsurance. So, they're personalized. Login to the Aetna member website to see the details.
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Previously known as Payflex, the flexible spending account and COBRA claims administrator under the AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan has changed their name to Inspira Financial, effective January 17, 2024. Postcards have been mailed out to members informing them of the change, and by January 20, 2024, PayFlex/Inspira expects to have branding updated on all of their flyers, letters, etc. Updates have also be made to the Division’s website. Inspira Financial is the claims administrator for the Health Flexible Spending Account (HFSA) which provides an opportunity for you to save by setting aside money for health care on a pre-tax basis. The funds can be used to pay for qualified health care expenses not covered by the plan. Each benefit year, you can decide if you would like to enroll in a HFSA and determine the amount you want to contribute, within the limit, on a pretax basis. During the benefit year, you file claims for eligible medical expenses, and are reimbursed with tax-free dollars from the account. You benefit from reduced taxes because you don’t pay taxes on the dollars you contribute to your account. The federal government imposes certain restrictions on HFSA plans to give you these pre-tax advantages, such as you cannot enroll in, cancel, or change your HFSA amount at any time during the year except during open enrollment. You may carry forward up to $610 from year to year (amount subject to change). Otherwise, you must spend down the account for qualified expenses in each benefit year. You have until March 31 of the following year to file claims for the current benefit year. List of HFSA eligible expenses and items:
Please find additional information on HFSA in the article below. |
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Health Flexible Spending Account (HFSA) The AlaskaCare Health Flexible Spending Account (HFSA) provides an opportunity for you to save by setting aside money for health care expenses on a pre-tax basis. You decide the amount you want to contribute each month, up to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) limit. You can also use your HFSA to pay for qualified health care expenses not covered by your insurance. How a HFSA Works During each benefit year, you contribute a predetermined amount from each paycheck to the account. When you incur medical expenses, you file claims and are reimbursed with tax-free dollars from the account. You benefit from reduced taxes because you don’t pay taxes on the dollars you contribute to your accounts. How to Enroll in a HFSA Setup of a HFSA is offered during the annual Open Enrollment period or a qualified status change event. You must elect this benefit each year to continue from one year to the next. How to Receive Reimbursement To be reimbursed for eligible medical expenses, claims for reimbursement to the HFSA may be submitted in one of the following ways: Streamlining If you do not have any other health coverage, you can elect to have your HFSA set up with “streamlining.” Streamlining automatically sends the unpaid portion of your eligible medical claim (deductible, your portion of the coinsurance, etc.) directly to your HFSA account for reimbursement. Non-Streamlining Direct Claims Submission With this option, you submit your claims to PayFlex on the Request for Reimbursement form after receiving your EOB from the plan or any other health plan in which you participate. Over-The-Counter (OTC) Claims Submission With this option, you submit claims to PayFlex on the HFSA OTC Claims form regardless of whether you have elected streamlined or direct claims submission. Great Reasons to Enroll in a HFSA
Such expenses may include:
Things to Keep in Mind …
For questions you can call PayFlex directly at (888) 678-8242, Mon-Fri 4am – 4pm AST, and Sat 6am – 11am AST, or visit inspirafinancial.com
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Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk of serious flu complications. There are two main types of influenza (flu) virus: Types A and B. The influenza A and B viruses that routinely spread in people (human influenza viruses) are responsible for seasonal flu epidemics each year. You can take Action to Protect Against Flu
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We Value Your Feedback! State of Alaska employee input is valued and important. Below is a list of ways to contact us with your feedback. Also, a full list of AlaskaCare health plan and partner contact information can be found on our website. AlaskaCare – Plan Administrator
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