Benefits Administration Letter

Following Hurricane Katrina, Coventry Health Care of Louisiana (CHC-LA) provided out-of-network, non-emergency services to New Orleans area members who relocated outside of the plan's New Orleans service area. CHC-LA provided these services outside of their contractual obligations through its national provider network, First Health.

CHC-LA will cease to provide out-of-network, non-emergency services to these members effective January 1, 2006 for annuitants, and January 8, 2006 for all other enrollees. These members must change enrollment to another FEHB plan if they want to continue to receive full health care coverage. If these CHC-LA members remain enrolled in Code BJ and continue to reside outside of the CHC-LA service area, they will only be covered for emergency services after the above January 2006 dates. These members must travel back into the CHC-LA service area to receive full coverage under the Plan.

Attached is a special notice from CHC-LA addressing its special benefit arrangement.  Please provide a copy of this notice to members if they contact your office to make an enrollment change.  We ask that you exercise maximum flexibility in allowing these belated open season changes to assure minimal disruption of coverage.  A belated open season change is effective on the same day as a regular open season change, i.e., the first day of the first pay period that begins in January.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Opportunity for Coventry Health Care of Louisiana (Enrollment Code BJ) Enrollees who were Displaced by Hurricane Katrina to Change Plans [32 KB]

Download this Letter as a PDF File [32 KB]

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