Serving: All of New York and Northern New Jersey
Enrollment in this Plan is limited; see page 5 for requirements.
Enrollment codes for this Plan:
801 Self Only 802 Self and Family
Authorized for distribution by the:
United States Office of Personnel
Management
Retirement and Insurance Service http:// www. opm. gov/ insure
RI 73-7
For changes in benefits,
see page 6. 1
1
Page 2 3
2001 GHI
Health Plan 2 Introduction/ Plain Language
Table of Contents
Introduction
.....................................................................................................................................................................................
4
Plain
language...................................................................................................................................................................................
4
Section 1. Facts about this prepaid
Plan......................................................................................................................................
5
We also have Point-of Service (POS) benefits
.......................................................................................................
5
How we pay
providers.................................................................................................................................................
5
Patients' Bill of
Rights.................................................................................................................................................
5
Service Area
..................................................................................................................................................................
5
Section 2. How we change for
2001............................................................................................................................................
6
Program-wide
changes................................................................................................................................................
6
Changes to this
Plan.....................................................................................................................................................
6
Section 3. How you get
care..........................................................................................................................................................
7
Identification
cards.......................................................................................................................................................
7
Where you get covered care
.......................................................................................................................................
7
· Plan providers
........................................................................................................................................................
7
· Plan
facilities..........................................................................................................................................................
7
What you must do to get covered care
.....................................................................................................................
7
· Primary care
...........................................................................................................................................................
7
· Specialty care
.........................................................................................................................................................
7
· Hospital care
..........................................................................................................................................................
8
Circumstances beyond our
control............................................................................................................................
8
Services requiring our prior
approval.......................................................................................................................
8
Section 4. Your costs for covered
services.................................................................................................................................
9
·
Copayments............................................................................................................................................................
9
· Deductible
..............................................................................................................................................................
9
·
Coinsurance............................................................................................................................................................
9
Your out-of-pocket
maximum...................................................................................................................................
9
Section 5. Benefits
........................................................................................................................................................................
10
Overview.....................................................................................................................................................................
10
(a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other health
care professionals............. 11
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services
provided by physicians and other health care professionals......... 21
(c)
Services provided by a hospital or other facility, and ambulance services
.......................................... 26
(d) Emergency services/
accidents......................................................................................................................
29
(e) Mental health and substance abuse
benefits..............................................................................................
31
(f) Prescription drug benefits
.............................................................................................................................
33
(g) Special
features...............................................................................................................................................
35
(h) Dental benefits
................................................................................................................................................
36 2
2 Page 3 4
2001 GHI Health Plan 3 Introduction/ Plain
Language
Table of Contents (continued)
(i) Point of service
product.................................................................................................................................
38
(j) Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan members
........................................................................................
40
Section 6. General exclusions --things we don't
cover..........................................................................................................
41
Section 7. Filing a claim for covered services
..........................................................................................................................
42
Section 8. The disputed claims
process.....................................................................................................................................
43
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other
coverage.............................................................................................................
45
When you have…
· Other health coverage
.......................................................................................................................................
45
· What is Medicare
...............................................................................................................................................
45
· The Original Medicare plan
.............................................................................................................................
45
· Medicare managed care plan
...........................................................................................................................
47
· Enrollment in Medicare part
B........................................................................................................................
47
TRICARE/ Workers' Compensation/ Medicaid
......................................................................................................
48
When Government agencies are responsible for your care
.................................................................................
48
When others are responsible for injuries
................................................................................................................
48
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use in this brochure
.......................................................................................................
49
Section 11. FEHB
facts.................................................................................................................................................................
50
Coverage
information.................................................................................................................................................
50
· No pre -existing condition limitation
..............................................................................................................
50
· Where you get information about enrolling in the FEHB
Program.......................................................... 50
· Types of coverage available for you and your family
.................................................................................
50
· When benefits and premiums
start..................................................................................................................
51
· Your medical and claims records are
confidential.......................................................................................
51
· When you
retire..................................................................................................................................................
51
When you lose
benefits..............................................................................................................................................
51
· When FEHB coverage
ends.............................................................................................................................
51
· Spouse equity
coverage....................................................................................................................................
51
· Temporary Continuation of Coverage
(TCC)...............................................................................................
51
· Converting to individual
coverage............................................................................................................
51-52
· Getting a Certificate of Group Health Plan
Coverage.................................................................................
52
Inspector General Advisory
......................................................................................................................................
52
Index
....................................................................................................................................................................................
53
Summary of benefits
......................................................................................................................................................................
55
Rates
....................................................................................................................................................................
Back cover 3
3 Page
4 5
2001 GHI Health Plan 4
Introduction/ Plain Language
Introduction
Group Health
Incorporated
441 Ninth Avenue New York, NY 10001
This brochure describes the benefits of Group Health Incorporated under our
contract (CS 1056) with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as authorized
by the Federal Employees Health Benefits law. This brochure is the
official
statement of benefits. No oral statement can modify or otherwise affect the
benefits, limitations, and
exclusions of this brochure.
If you are enrolled in this Plan, you are entitled to the benefits described
in this brochure. If you are enrolled for Self
and Family coverage, each
eligible family member is also entitled to these benefits. You do not have a
right to benefits that were available before January 1, 2001, unless those
benefits are also shown in this brochure.
OPM negotiates benefits and rates with each plan annually. Benefit changes
are effective January 1, 2001, and are summarized beginning on page 6. Rates are
shown at the end of this brochure.
Plain Language
The President and Vice President are making the
Government's communication more responsive, accessible, and understandable to
the public by requiring agencies to use plain language. In response, a team of
health plan
representatives and OPM staff worked cooperatively to make this
brochure clearer. Except for necessary technical
terms, we use common words.
"You" means the enrollee or family member; "we" means Group
Health Incorporated.
The plain language team reorganized the brochure and the way we describe our
benefits. When you compare this Plan
with other FEHB plans, you will find
that the brochures have the same format and similar information to make
comparisons easier.
If you have comments or suggestions about how to improve this brochure, let
us know. Visit OPM's "Rate Us" feedback area at www. opm. gov/ insure
or e-mail us at fehbwebcomments@ opm. gov or write to OPM at Insurance
Planning and Evaluation Division, P. O. Box 436, Washington, DC 20044-0436.
4
4 Page 5 6
2001 GHI Health Plan 5 Section 1
Section 1. Facts about this prepaid Plan with a Point of Service
product
This Plan is a prepaid medical plan that offers a point of
service, or POS, product. Within the Plan's network you are
encouraged to
select a personal doctor who will provide or arrange your care and you will pay
minimal amounts for
comprehensive benefits.
Because the Plan emphasizes care through participating providers and pays the
cost, it seeks efficient and effective delivery of health services. By
controlling unnecessary or inappropriate care, it can afford to offer a more
comprehensive range of benefits than many insurance plans. In addition to
providing comprehensive health services
and benefits for accidents, illness
and injury, the Plan emphasizes preventive benefits such as office visits,
physicals, immunizations and well-baby care. You are encouraged to get medical
attention at the first sign of illness. Whenever
you need services, you may choose to obtain them from your personal doctor
within the Plan's provider network or go
outside the network for treatment.
When you choose a non-Plan doctor or other non-Plan provider, you will pay a
substantial portion of the charges, and the benefits available may be less
comprehensive.
You should join a prepaid plan because you prefer the plan's benefits, not
because a particular provider is available.
You cannot change plans because
a provider leaves our Plan. We cannot guarantee that any one physician,
hospital, or other provider will be available and/ or remain under contract with
us.
We also have Point-of-Service (POS) benefits:
Our Prepaid Plan
offers Point-of-Service (POS) benefits. This means you can receive covered
services from a non-participating provider. These out-of-network benefits have
higher out-of-pocket costs than our in-network
benefits.
How we pay
providers
We contract with individual physicians, medical groups, and hospitals to
provide the benefits in this brochure. These Plan providers accept a negotiated
payment from us, and you will only be responsible for your copayments or
coinsurance.
Patients' Bill of Rights
OPM requires that all
FEHB Plans comply with the Patients' Bill of Rights, recommended by the
President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health
Care Industry. You may get information
about us, our networks, providers,
and facilities. OPM's FEHB website (www. opm. gov/ insure) lists the specific
types
of information that we must make available to you. Some of the
required information is listed below.
· GHI is URAC-accredited and is licensed under Article 43 of the New
York State Insurance Law as a health
services corporation.
· GHI
has been in continuous existence for over sixty (60) years ·
GHI is a
not-for-profit New York corporation
If you want more information about us, call (212) 501-4GHI (4444), or write
to GHI, PO Box 1701, New York, NY 10023-9476. You may also visit our website at
www. ghi. com.
Service Area
To enroll with us, you must live or work in our
service area. This is where our providers practice. Our service area is:
all
of New York and the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex,
Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union.
If you or a covered family member move outside of our service area, you can
enroll in another plan. If your
dependents live out of the area (for
example, if your child goes to college in another state), you should consider
enrolling in a fee-for-service plan or an HMO that has agreements with
affiliates in other areas. If you or a family
member move, you do not have
to wait until Open Season to change plans. Contact your employing or retirement
office. 5
5 Page
6 7
2001 GHI Health Plan 6
Section 2
Section 2. How we change for 2001
Program-wide
changes
· The plain language team reorganized the brochure and
the way we describe our benefits. We hope this will make it easier for you to
compare plans.
· This year, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is
implementing network mental health and substance abuse parity. This means that
your coverage for mental health, substance abuse, medical, surgical, and
hospital
service from providers in our GHI BMP network will be the same with
regard to deductibles, coinsurance, copays, day and visit limitations when you
follow a treatment plan that we approve. Previously, we placed
"shorter
day or visit limitations" on mental health and substance abuse services
than we did on services to treat
physical illness, injury, or disease.
· Many healthcare organizations have turned their attention this past
year to improving healthcare quality and patient safety. OPM asked all FEHB
plans to join them in this effort. You can find specific information on our
patient safety activities by calling GHI at (212) 501-4444, or checking our
website, www. ghi. com. You can find
out more about patient safety on the
OPM website, www. opm. gov/ insure. To improve your healthcare, take these
five steps:
·· Speak up if you have questions or concerns. ··
Keep a list of all medicines you take.
·· Make sure you get
the results of any test or procedure.
·· Talk with your doctor
and healthcare team about your options if you need hospital care.
·· Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery.
· We clarified the language to show that anyone who needs a mastectomy
may choose to have the procedure performed on an inpatient basis and remain in
the hospital up to 48 hours after the procedure. Previously, the
language
referenced only women.
Changes to this Plan
· Your share of the non-Postal premium
will increase by 16.7% for Self Only or 12.7% for Self and Family.
·
Under the Substance Abuse benefit section, the 60 visit outpatient care
limitation and the 30 day inpatient care limitation has been eliminated.
· Under the Prescription Drug benefits section, the following benefit
changes were made: ·· The Retail Drug copays have been increased
from $20 for a name brand drug which is not listed on the
preferred
prescription drug formulary, to $30 for a brand name drug which is not listed on
the preferred
prescription drug formulary.
·· The Maintenance Drug copay has been increased from $20 for a
name brand drug to $30 for a name brand
drug. 6
6
Page 7 8
2001 GHI
Health Plan 7 Section 3
Section 3. How you get care
Identification cards We will send you an identification (ID) card when
you enroll. You should carry your ID card with you at all times. You must show
it
whenever you receive services from a Plan provider, or obtain a
prescription at a Plan pharmacy. Until you receive your ID card, use your
copy of the Health Benefits Election Form, SF-2809, your health benefits
enrollment confirmation (for annuitants), or your Employee Express
confirmation letter.
If you do not receive your ID card within 30 days
after the effective date of your enrollment, or if you need replacement cards,
call us at (212)
501-4GHI (4444).
Where you get covered care You
get care from "Plan providers" and "Plan facilities." You
will only pay copayments, deductibles, and/ or coinsurance, and you will not
have
to file claims. If you use our point-of-service program, you can also
get
care from non-Plan providers, but it will cost you more.
· · Plan providers A "provider" is any
duly-licensed doctor, dentist, podiatrist, qualified
clinical psychologist,
optometrist, chiropractor, nurse, certified midwife, nurse practitioner/
clinical specialist, or qualified clinical social worker
and any other duly-licensed, registered or certified practitioner or
privately-operated facility permitted to perform or render care or service
described in this brochure.
· · Plan facilities Plan facilities are hospitals and
other facilities in our service area that we
contract with to provide
covered services to our members. We list these in the provider directory, which
we update periodically. The list is also
on our Web site.
What you must do to get
covered care Within the Plan's network,
you are encouraged to select a personal doctor who will provide or arrange your
care, in which case you will pay
minimal amounts for comprehensive benefits. When you choose a non-Plan
doctor or other non-Plan provider, you will pay a substantial portion of the
charges, and the benefits available may be less comprehensive.
· · Primary care You may seek care from covered, doctor,
dentist, podiatrist, qualified clinical psychologist, optometrist, chiropractor,
nurse, certified midwife,
nurse practitioner/ clinical specialist, or
qualified clinical social worker and any other duly-licensed, registered or
certified practitioner or
privately-operated facility permitted to perform
or render care or service
described in this brochure.
· · Specialty care You may see the specialist of your
choice, whenever you and your family
feel you need care. Here are other
things you should know about specialty care:
· If you have a chronic or disabling condition and lose access to your
specialist because we:
·· terminate our contract with your
specialist for other than cause;
or 7
7 Page 8 9
2001 GHI Health
Plan 8 Section 3
Section 3. How you get care (continued)
·· drop out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)
Program and you enroll in another FEHB Plan; or
·· reduce our service area and you enroll in another FEHB Plan,
you may be able to continue seeing your specialist for up to 90 days after
you receive notice of the change. Contact us or, if we drop out of
the
Program, contact your new plan.
If you are in the second or third trimester
of pregnancy and you lose
access to your specialist based on the above
circumstances, you can continue to see your specialist until the end of your
postpartum care, even
if it is beyond the 90 days.
· · Hospital care Your Plan primary care physician or
specialist will make necessary hospital arrangements and supervise your care.
This includes admission
to a skilled nursing or other type of facility.
If you are in the hospital when your enrollment in our Plan begins, call
our customer service department immediately at (212) 501-4GHI (4444). If you
are new to the FEHB Program, we will arrange for you to receive care.
If you changed from another FEHB plan to us, your former plan will pay for
the hospital stay until:
· You are discharged, not merely moved to an alternative care center;
or
· The day your benefits from your former plan run out; or
· The 92 nd day after you become a member of this Plan, whichever
happens first.
These provisions apply only to the benefits of the hospitalized person.
Circumstances beyond our control Under certain extraordinary
circumstances, such as natural disasters, providers may have to delay your
services or we may be unable to
provide them. In that case, we will make all
reasonable efforts to assist you with the necessary care.
Services requiring our prior approval For certain services, your
physician must obtain approval from us.
Before giving approval, we consider
if the service is covered, is medically necessary, and follows
generally-accepted medical practice.
We call this review and approval process precertification. Your physician
must obtain precertification for the following services:
· High-tech
nursing ·
Infusion therapy
· Mental Health and Substance
Abuse
· Non-emergency hospital admissions ·
All inpatient
hospital admissions for maternity care and skilled nursing facilities 8
8 Page 9 10
2001 GHI Health Plan 9 Section 4
Section 4. Your costs for covered services
You must share the
cost of some services. You are responsible for:
· Copayments A
copayment is a fixed amount of money you pay to the provider when you receive
services.
Example: When you see a participating provider you pay a copayment of $10 per
office visit and when you go in the hospital, you pay nothing.
·
Deductible A deductible is a fixed expense you must pay for certain
covered services and supplies before we start paying benefits for them.
Copayments do not count towards
any deductible.
The calendar year deductible for certain services is:
· For nursing service, you pay an annual deductible of $150 per
individual or family.
· For appliances, oxygen or equipment, you pay an annual deductible of
$100 per individual or family.
· For referred ambulatory, laboratory
tests and diagnostic x-rays, you pay a $25 deductible per referral.
·
Catastrophic services, you pay a $5000 annual deductible.
NOTE: If you
change plans during open season, you do not have to start a new
deductible
under your plan between January 1 and the effective date of your new plan. If
you change plans at another time during the year, you must begin a new
deductible under your new plan.
And, if you change options in this plan during the year, we will credit the
amount of
covered expenses already applied towards the deductible of your
option to any
deductible of your new option.
· Coinsurance Any amount in excess of 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule for POS services provided by non-participating providers.
Your out-of-pocket maximum
for deductibles, coinsurance,
and
copayments
After your out-of-pocket expenses total $5000 per person in any calendar year
for covered services provided by a non-participating provider, GHI will then pay
catastrophic benefits at 100% of reasonable and customary charges as
determined
by the Plan. Out-of-pocket expenses are calculated based upon the
reasonable and
customary charge for covered catastrophic services. Covered
catastrophic services
include: 1) surgery, 2) administration of anesthesia,
3) chemotherapy and radiation
therapy, 4) covered in-hospital service and
diagnostic services, and 5) maternity.
However, expenses for the following
services do not count toward your out-of-pocket
maximum:
· Home and office visits and related diagnostic services ·
Nursing, Appliances, Oxygen and Equipment
· Dental services · Vision services
· Prescription
drugs 9
9 Page 10
11
2001 GHI Health Plan 10 Section 5
Section 5. Benefits --OVERVIEW
(See page 6 for how our
benefits changed this year and page 55 for a benefits summary.)
NOTE: This benefits section is divided into subsections. Please read
the important things you should keep in mind at
the beginning of each
subsection. Also read the General Exclusions in Section 6; they apply to the
benefits in the following subsections. To obtain claims forms, claims filing
advice, or more information about our benefits, contact us
at (212) 501-4GHI (4444) or at our Web site at www. ghi. com.
(a) Medical
services and supplies provided by physicians and other health care
professionals................................ 10-20
· Diagnostic and treatment services
· Lab, X-ray, and other
diagnostic tests ·
Preventive care, adult
· Preventive
care, children
· Maternity care ·
Family planning
· Infertility services
· Allergy care ·
Treatment therapies
· Rehabilitative therapies
· Hearing services (hearing testing
and treatment)
·
Vision services (testing, treatment, and supplies) ·
Foot care
· Orthopedic and prosthetic devices ·
Durable medical
equipment (DME)
· Home health services
· Alternative
treatments ·
Educational classes and programs
(b) Surgical and anesthesia services provided by physicians and other health
care professionals............................ 21-25
· Surgical
procedures ·
Reconstructive surgery
· Oral and
maxillofacial surgery ·
Organ/ tissue transplants
·
Anesthesia
(c) Services provided by a hospital or other facility, and ambulance services
............................................................. 26-28
·
Inpatient hospital ·
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory
surgical
center
· Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care facility benefits
· Hospice care ·
Ambulance
(d) Emergency services/
accidents.........................................................................................................................................
29-30
· Medical emergency ·
Ambulance
(e) Mental health and substance abuse
benefits.................................................................................................................
31-32
(f) Prescription drug benefits
................................................................................................................................................
33-34
(g) Special
features.......................................................................................................................................................................
35
(h) Dental benefits
...................................................................................................................................................................
36-37
(i) Point of service benefits
........................................................................................................................................................
38
(j) Non-FEHB benefits available to Plan members
...............................................................................................................
40
Summary of
benefits......................................................................................................................................................................
55 10
10 Page 11
12
2001 GHI Health Plan 11 Section 5( a)
Section 5 (a) Medical services and supplies provided by physicians
and
other health care professionals
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
· Please remember that all benefits are subject to the
definitions, limitations, and exclusions
in this brochure and are payable
only when we determine they are medically necessary.
· Plan providers or non-Plan providers can provide or arrange your
care. Limit out-of-pocket costs by using participating providers.
· The calendar year deductible for certain services is:
·· For nursing services, you pay an annual deductible of $150
per individual or family.
·· For appliances, oxygen or equipment, you pay an annual
deductible of $100 per individual or family.
·· For referred
ambulatory laboratory test and diagnostic x-rays, you pay
a $25 deductible
per referral.
·· Catastrophic services, you pay a $5000 annual deductible.
We added asterisks -* -to show when the calendar year deductible does not
apply.
· Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered
services for valuable information about how cost sharing works. Also read
Section 9 about coordinating benefits with other
coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description
Note: A calendar year deductible applies to some
of the benefits in
this Section (see above). We use an asterisk -*-when it
does not
apply.
You pay
Diagnostic and treatment services*
Professional services of
physicians
· In physician's office
$10 per visit for
participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule
for non-participating providers, and
any difference between our fee schedule
and the billed amount.
Professional services of physicians
·
In an urgent care center
· Office medical consultations
·
Second surgical opinion
$10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule
for non-participating providers, and any difference between our fee
schedule
and the billed amount.
· During a hospital stay
· In a
skilled nursing facility
· Initial examination of a newborn child
covered under a family
enrollment
No copay for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule
for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount.
Diagnostic and treatment services continued on next page 11
11 Page 12 13
2001 GHI Health Plan 12 Section 5( a)
Diagnostic and treatment services* (continued) You pay
At home $10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule
for non-participating providers, and
any difference between our fee schedule
and the billed amount.
Lab, X-ray and other diagnostic tests*
Tests, such as:
· Blood tests
· Urinalysis
·
Non-routine Pap tests
· Pathology
· X-rays
·
Non-routine Mammograms
· CAT Scans/ MRI
· Ultrasound
· Electrocardiogram and EEG
No additional copay if you receive these services during your office visit.
Nothing if you receive these services from a participating lab.
POS: For non-participating providers,
you pay any difference between our
fee schedule and the billed amount.
Preventive care, adult*
Routine screenings, such as:
·
Blood lead level – One annually
· Total Blood Cholesterol
– once every three years, ages 19 through 64
· Colorectal
Cancer Screening, including
·· Fecal occult blood test
No additional copay if you receive these services during your office visit.
Nothing if you receive these services
from a participating lab.
POS: For non-participating providers, you pay any difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount.
·· Sigmoidoscopy, screening – every five years starting
at age 50 $10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's
fee schedule
for non-participating providers, and any difference between our
fee schedule
and the billed amount.
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA test) – one
annually for men age 40 and older No additional copay if you receive these
services during your office visit.
Nothing if you receive these services from a participating lab.
POS: For non-participating providers,
you pay any difference between our
fee schedule and the billed amount.
Routine Pap test
Note: The office visit is covered if Pap test is
received on the same day; see Diagnosis and Treatment, above.
No
additional copay if you receive
these services during your office visit.
Nothing if you receive these services
from a participating lab.
POS: For non-participating providers, you pay any difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount.
Preventive care, adult continued on next page. 12
12 Page 13 14
2001 GHI Health Plan 13 Section 5( a)
Preventive care, adult* (continued) You pay
Routine
mammogram –covered for women age 35 and older, as
follows:
· From age 35 through 39, one during this five year period
· From age 40 through 64, one every calendar year
· At age
65 and older, one every two consecutive calendar years
No additional copay if you receive
these services during your office
visit. Nothing if you receive these services
from a participating lab.
POS: For non-participating providers, you pay
any difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount.
Not covered: Physical exams required
for obtaining or continuing
employment or insurance, attending schools or
camp, or travel.
All charges.
· Routine immunizations and boosters (the cost of the immunization is
not covered).
$10 per visit for participating
providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount.
Preventive care, children* You pay
· Childhood
immunizations recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics
· Examinations done on the day of immunizations ( through age 22)
No copay for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount.
· Examinations, such as:
·· Eye exams to determine
the need for vision correction
·· Ear exams to determine the
need for hearing correction
$10 per visit for participating
providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount.
· Well-child care charges for routine exa minations, immunizations and
care (through age 22)
No copay for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee schedule
and the billed amount. 13
13 Page 14 15
2001 GHI Health Plan 14 Section 5( a)
Maternity care* You pay
Complete maternity (obstetrical)
care, such as:
· Prenatal care
· Delivery
·
Postnatal care
Note: Here are some things to keep in mind:
· You
must precertify your normal delivery. Maternity admissions should be
precertified no later than the second trimester.
· You may remain in the hospital up to 48 hours after a regular
delivery and 96 hours after a cesarean delivery. We will extend your inpatient
stay if medically necessary.
· We cover routine nursery care of
the newborn child during the covered portion of the mo ther's maternity stay. We
will cover other
care of an infant who requires non-routine treatment only if we cover
the
infant under a Self and Family enrollment.
· We pay hospitalization and surgeon services (delivery) the same as
for illness and injury. See Hospital benefits (Section 5c) and Surgery
benefits (Section 5b).
A single $10 copay for all pre-and post-natal care from a participating
provider.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule for non-participating
providers, and any
difference between our fee schedule
and the billed amount.
Not covered: Routine sonograms to determine fetal age, size or sex. If
enrollment in the Plan is terminated during pregnancy, benefits will not be
provided after coverage under the plan has ended.
All charges.
Family planning*
· Voluntary sterilization
·
Surgically implanted contraceptives
· Injectable contraceptive drugs
· Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
Note: We cover injectable fertility
drugs under medical benefits and
oral fertility drugs under the prescription
drug benefit.
$10 per visit for participating
providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount.
Not covered: reversal of voluntary surgical sterilization, genetic
counseling.
All charges.
Infertility services* You pay
Diagnosis and treatment of
infertility, such as:
· In vitro fertilization (limited to three
transfers per lifetime)
· Embryo transfer
· Artificial
insemination
· Fertility drugs
Note: We cover injectable
fertility drugs under medical benefits and oral
fertility drugs under the
prescription drug benefit.
$10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee
schedule
and the billed amount.
Not covered:
· Cost of donor sperm
All charges.
14
14 Page 15
16
2001 GHI Health Plan 15 Section 5( a)
Allergy care* You pay
Testing and treatment
Allergy
injections
Treatment materials (such as allergy serum)
$10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee
schedule
and the billed amount.
Not covered:
· Provocative food testing and sublingual
allergy desensitization
All charges.
Treatment therapies* You pay
· Chemotherapy and radiation
therapy
Note: High dose chemotherapy in association with autologous bone
marrow transplants are limited to those transplants listed under
Organ/ Tissue Transplants on page 24.
· Respiratory and inhalation
therapy
· Dialysis – Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis
In a doctor's office, nothing for a
participating provider.
POS: In a doctors office, 50% of the Plan's fee schedule, for
non-participating
providers, and any difference between our fee schedule
and the billed
amount.
· High-tech nursing and infusion therapy
·· IV
infusion therapy
·· Parenteral and enteral therapy
·· Other home IV therapies
Note: Contact us at (212)
615-4662 prior to receiving services to ensure coverage.
· Intermittent home nursing service
·· Provided by a
Registered Nurse or Licensed Practitioner
·· Authorized and
supervised by a doctor
·· Intermittent visits less than 2
hours per day
Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All charges for
non-participating providers.
· Growth hormone therapy (GHT). This benefit is provided under our
Prescription Drug Benefits.
Generic drug: $5 copay per prescription
or refill
Name brand drug, listed on formulary: $15 copay per prescription or refill
Name brand drug not on formulary: $30 copay per prescription or refill
Not covered:
· Treatment for experimental or
investigational procedures.
· Therapy necessary for
transsexual surgery.
All charges. 15
15 Page 16 17
2001 GHI Health
Plan 16 Section 5( a)
Rehabilitative therapies* You pay
Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy –
· 60 visits per condition for the services of each of the following:
·· qualified physical therapist;
·· speech
therapist; and
·· occupational therapist.
Note: We only cover therapy to restore bodily function or speech when there
has been a total or partial loss of bodily function or functional speech
due
to illness or injury. Occupational therapy is limited to services that
assist the member to achieve and maintain self-care and improved functioning
in other daily living activities.
Cardiac rehabilitation following a heart transplant, bypass surgery or a
myocardial infarction.
$10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule
for non-participating providers, and any difference between our fee
schedule
and the billed amount.
Not covered:
· long-term rehabilitative therapy
· exercise programs
All charges.
Hearing services (testing, treatment, and supplies)*
·
Hearing testing $10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule for non-participating providers, and any
difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount.
Not covered:
· hearing aids
All charges. 16
16 Page 17 18
2001 GHI Health Plan 17 Section 5( a)
Vision services (testing, treatment, and supplies)* You pay
· Medical and surgical benefits for diagnosis and treatment of
diseases of the eye. $10 per visit for participating provider.
For
non-participating providers, you pay 50% of the Plan's fee schedule and
any difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount.
· Examination of the eyes to determine if glasses are required: once
each
calendar year.
· One set of single vision or bifocal lenses (toric kryptok or flat
top 22mm): once each calendar year.
· One pair of basic frames from available styles: one every two years.
· Contact lenses for certain unusual medical conditions (such as post
cataract surgery or keratoconus treatment).
· Replacement of broken lenses with lenses of the same prescription
and material originally supplied.
Nothing for services provided by
participating opticians, optometrists
and vision centers.
POS: For non-participating providers,
you pay any difference between our
fee schedule and the billed amount.
Not covered:
· Frames at any time unless lenses are also
provided.
· Replacement or repair of frames.
· Certain
bifocals and trifocals, tinted, plastic and oversized lenses and sunglasses and
frames other than basic frames; contact lenses for
cosmetic purposes.
· Charges in excess of the maximum GHI
allowance.
All charges.
Foot care*
Podiatric services, including the routine treatment of
corns, calluses,
and bunions, and the partial removal of toenails, are
limited to 4 visits per calendar year.
$10 per visit for participating
provider.
For non-participating providers, you pay 50% of the Plan's fee schedule and
any difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount.
Not covered:
· Treatment of weak, strained or flat feet
or bunions or spurs; and of any instability, imbalance or subluxation of the
foot (unless the
treatment is by open cutting surgery)
· Orthodic devices
for the feet.
All charges. 17
17 Page 18 19
2001 GHI Health
Plan 18 Section 5( a)
Orthopedic and prosthetic devices You
pay
· Artificial limbs and eyes; stump hose.
·
Externally worn breast prostheses and surgical bras, including necessary
replacements, following a mastectomy.
· Orthopedic devices, such as braces.
· Ostomy supplies.
· Internal prosthetic devices, such as artificial joints, pacemakers,
cochlear implants, and surgically implanted breast implant
following mastectomy.
20% of the Plan's fee schedule for a participating provider.
POS: 50% of
the Plan's fee schedule
and any difference between our allowance and the
billed amount for a
non-participating provider.
Note: $100 deductible applies per individual
or family. There is a
combined maximum of $25,000 per
year per person with these benefits and
private duty nursing.
Not covered:
· orthopedic and corrective shoes
· arch supports
· foot orthotics
· heel pads and heel cups
· lumbosacral
supports
· corsets, trusses, elastic stockings, support hose,
and other supportive devices
· corrective appliances for treatment of tempormandibular joint
(TMJ) pain dysfunction syndrome.
All charges.
Durable medical equipment (DME) You pay
Rental or purchase, at our
option, including repair and adjustment, of durable medical equipment prescribed
by your Plan physician, such as
oxygen and dialysis equipment. Under this
benefit, we also cover:
· hospital beds;
· wheelchairs;
· crutches;
· walkers;
· blood glucose
monitors; and
· insulin pumps.
Note: Call us at (212) 615-4662 as soon as your Plan physician
prescribes
this equipment. We will arrange with a healthcare provider to rent or sell you
durable medical equipment at discounted rates and
will tell you more about this service when you call.
20% of the Plan's fee scheduled for a participating provider.
POS: 50% of
the Plan's fee schedule
and any difference between our allowance and the
billed amount for a
non-participating provider.
Note: $100 deductible applies per individual
or family. There is a
combined maximum of $25,000 per
year per person with these benefits and
private duty nursing.
Not covered
· Hearing aids and air purification devices
· Alarm and Alert Services
All charges. 18
18 Page 19 20
2001 GHI Health
Plan 19 Section 5( a)
Home health services* You pay
The following conditions must be met:
· Home health care must
be provided and billed by a certified home health agency, which has an agreement
with GHI to provide home
health care services.
· You must remain under the care of a
medical doctor.
· The services are provided according to a plan of
treatment approved by the attending medical doctor.
· Medical evidence substantiates that you would have required further
inpatient care had the home health care not been available.
· The home health care begins within 5 days after the discharge from
the hospital.
The following services are covered:
· Part-time or intermittent
nursing care by a registered professional nurse (R. N.) or a home health aide
under the supervision of a
registered professional nurse.
· Physical therapy.
·
Respiration or inhalation therapy.
· Prescription drugs.
·
Medical supplies which serve a specific therapeutic or diagnostic purpose.
· Other medically necessary services or supplies that would have been
provided by a hospital if the subscriber were still hospitalized.
Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All charges for a
non-participating provider.
Private Duty Nursing services rendered at home or in the hospital by a
registered nurse (R. N.) or when an R. N. is not available by a licensed
practical nurse (L. P. N).
Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule
and any difference between our
allowance and the billed amount for a
non-participating provider.
Note: $150 annual deductible applies per
person or family. There is a
combined maximum of $25,000 per
calendar year per person with these
benefits and Durable Medical
Equipment.
Not covered:
· Homemaking services, including
housekeeping, preparing meals, or acting as a companion or sitter.
· Services and supplies related to normal maternity care.
· Services and supplies provided following a noncovered
hospital admission or admission to a facility that is not a participating
facility.
· Services and supplies provided when the subscriber would not have
required continued inpatient care.
· Services and supplies
provided by a non-participating facility for home
health care.
· High-tech nursing and infusion therapy.
All charges. 19
19 Page 20 21
2001 GHI Health
Plan 20 Section 5( a)
Alternative treatments*
Chiropractic services $10 per visit for participating providers.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule
for non-participating providers, and
any difference between our fee schedule
and the billed amount.
Not covered:
· chiropractic maintenance sessions
· naturopathic services
· hypnotherapy
· biofeedback
· acupuncture
All charges.
Educational classes and programs*
Self management programs are
available for:
· Diabetes
· Arthritis
· Asthma
· Hepatitis C
· Multiple sclerosis
· Digestic
health solutions
Nothing. 20
20 Page
21 22
2001 GHI Health Plan 21
Section 5( b)
Section 5 (b). Surgical and anesthesia services
provided by physicians and other
health care professionals
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
· Please remember that all benefits are subject to the
definitions, limitations, and exclusions in this brochure and are payable only
when we determine they are medically necessary.
· Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services
for valuable information about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9
about coordinating benefits with other
coverage, including with Medicare.
· The amounts listed below are for the charges billed by a physician
or other health care
professional for your surgical care. Look at Section 5
(c) for charges associated with facility (i. e., hospital, surgical center,
etc.).
· YOU MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION OF SOME SURGICAL PROCEDURES. Please
refer to the precertification information shown in Section 3 to be sure which
services
require precertification and identify which surgeries require
precertification.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Surgical procedures
·
Treatment of fractures, including casting
· Normal pre-and
post-operative care by the surgeon
· Correction of amblyopia and
strabismus
· Endoscopy procedure
· Biopsy procedure
· Removal of tumors and cysts
· Correction of congenital
anomalies (see reconstructive surgery)
· Surgical treatment of morbid
obesity --a condition in which an individual weighs 100 pounds or 100% over his
or her normal
weight according to current underwriting standards; eligible members must be
age 18 or over
· Insertion of internal prostethic devices. See 5( a) –
Orthopedic
braces and prosthetic devices for device coverage information.
$10 per office procedure for a participating provider.
Nothing for a
participating provider in a hospital or a participating ambulatory
surgery
center.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule and any difference between our
fee
schedule and the billed amount for non-participating
providers.
Surgical procedures continued on next page. 21
21 Page 22 23
2001 GHI Health Plan 22 Section 5( b)
Surgical procedures (continued) You pay
·
Voluntary sterilization
· Norplant (a surgically implanted
contraceptive) and intrauterine
devices (IUDs). Note: Devices are covered
under 5( a).
· Treatment of burns
$10 per office procedure for participating providers.
Nothing for a
participating provider in the hospital or a participating
ambulatory surgery
center.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule and any difference
between our fee schedule and the
billed amount for non-participating
providers.
Not covered:
· Reversal of voluntary sterilization.
· Elective cosmetic surgery.
· Cost of donor
sperm.
· Stand-by services.
All charges.
Reconstructive surgery
· Surgery to correct a functional
defect or correct a condition caused
by injury or illness if:
·· the condition produced a major effect on the member's
appearance and
·· the condition can reasonably be expected to be corrected by
such surgery.
· Surgery to correct a condition that existed at or
from birth and is a
significant deviation from the common form or norm.
Examples of congenital anomalies are: protruding ear deformities; cleft lip;
cleft
palate; birth marks; webbed fingers; and webbed toes.
$10 per office procedure for
participating providers.
Nothing for a participating provider in the hospital or a participating
ambulatory surgery center.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule and any
difference
between our fee schedule and the billed amount for non-participating
providers.
· All stages of breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy,
such as:
·· surgery to produce a symmetrical appearance on the
other breast
·· treatment of any physical complications, such
as lymphedemas
·· breast prostheses and surgical bras and
replacements (see Prosthetic devices).
Note: If you need a mastectomy, you may choose to have the procedure
performed on an inpatient basis and remain in the hospital up to 48
hours
after the procedure.
$10 per office procedure for participating providers.
Nothing for a
participating provider
in the hospital or a participating ambulatory surgery
center.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule
and any difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount for non-participating
providers.
Not covered:
· Cosmetic surgery – any surgical
procedure (or any portion of a procedure) performed primarily to improve
physical appearance
through change in bodily form, except repair of accidental injury
· Surgeries related to sex transformation
All charges 22
22 Page 23 24
2001 GHI Health
Plan 23 Section 5( b)
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral surgical procedures, limited to:
· Reduction of
fractures of the jaws or facial bones
· Surgical correction of cleft
lip, cleft palate or severe functional
malocclusion
· Removal of stones from salivary ducts
· Excision of
leukoplakia or malignancies
· Excision of cysts and incision of
abscesses when done as independent
procedures, and
· Removal of impacted teeth
· Other surgical procedures
that do not involve the teeth or their
supporting structures.
$10 per office procedure for participating providers.
Nothing for a
participating
provider in the hospital or a participating ambulatory
surgery center.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule and any difference
between our fee schedule and the
billed amount for non-participating
providers.
Not covered:
· Oral implants and transplants
· Procedures that involve the teeth or their supporting
structures (such as the periodontal membrane, gingiva, and alveolar bone)
· All other procedures involving the teeth or intra-oral areas
surrounding the teeth are not covered, including any dental care involved in the
treatment of teporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain dysfunction syndrome.
All charges. 23
23 Page 24 25
2001 GHI Health
Plan 24 Section 5( b)
Organ/ tissue transplants You pay
Limited to:
· Cornea
· Human Heart
·
Heart/ lung
· Kidney
· Kidney/ Pancreas
· Liver
· Lung: Single –Double
· Pancreas
·
Allogeneic (donor) bone marrow transplants
· Autologous bone marrow transplants (autologous stem cell and
peripheral stem cell support) for the following conditions: acute
lymphocytic or non-lymphocytic leukemia; advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma;
advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; advanced
neuroblastoma; breast cancer;
multiple myeloma; epithelial ovarian cancer; and testicular, mediastinal,
retroperitoneal and ovarian germ
cell tumors
· National
Transplant Program (NTP) – We will cover transplants approved as safe and
effective for a specific disease by the Federal Drug
Administration (FDA) or
National Institute of Health, or which our
Medical Director determines is
medically necessary, appropriate and advisable on a case-by-case basis. We will
cover the medical and
hospital services, and related organ acquisition costs. Eligibility for
transplants will be determined and approved in advance solely by our Medical
Director upon recommendation of your PCP. Additionally, all
transplants must be performed at hospitals specifically approved and
designated by us to perform these procedures. Specialty physician experts
from our designated centers of excellence will provide clinical
review and support to the Medical Director's decision.
$10 per office procedure for participating providers.
Nothing for a
participating provider
in the hospital or a participating ambulatory surgery
center.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee schedule
and any difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount for non-participating
providers.
We cover:
· We cover related medical and hospital expenses of the
donor when we cover the recipient up to a maximum of $10,000 per transplant.
· Travel expenses up to a maximum of $150 per person per day and
$10,000 per lifetime of the recipient if the recipient patient lives more
than 75 miles from the transplant center. This includes food and lodging
for the recipient patient and one adult family member (two, if the
recipient is a minor) to the city where the transplant takes place.
Note: The benefit period begins five (5) days prior to surgery and
extends for a period of up to one year from the date of surgery. There is
a separate lifetime maximum benefit up to $1,000,000 per recipient for
each type of covered transplant.
See above.
Organ/ tissue transplants continued on next page. 24
24 Page 25 26
2001 GHI Health Plan 25 Section 5( b)
Organ/ tissue transplants (continued) You pay
Not
covered:
· Donor screening tests and donor search expenses,
except those performed for the actual donor
· Implants of artificial organs
· Transplants not
listed as covered
All charges
Anesthesia
Professional services provided in –
·
Hospital (inpatient)
Nothing for a participating provider in the hospital or
a participating
ambulatory surgery center.
POS: Any difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount for
non-participating
providers
Professional services provided in –
· Hospital outpatient
department
· Skilled nursing facility
· Hospital
ambulatory surgical center
Nothing for a participating provider in the hospital or a participating
ambulatory surgery center.
POS: Any difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount for
non-participating
providers.
Not covered:
· Office
· Services
administered by the same practitioner performing surgery
All charges 25
25 Page 26 27
2001 GHI Health
Plan 26 Section 5( c)
Section 5 (c). Services provided by a
hospital or other facility, and
ambulance services
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to remember about these benefits:
· Please remember that all benefits are subject to the
definitions, limitations, and exclusions in this brochure and are payable only
when we determine they are
medically necessary.
· Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs
for covered services for valuable information about how cost sharing works.
Also read Section 9 about
coordinating benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
· The amounts listed below are for the facility charges billed by the
facility (i. e., hospital or surgical center) or ambulance service for your
surgery or care. Any
costs associated with the professional charge (i. e., physicians, etc.) are
addressed in Section 5( a) or (b).
· YOU MUST GET PRECERTIFICATION OF HOSPITAL STAYS. Please
refer to Section 3 to be sure which services require precertification.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Inpatient hospital
Room and board,
such as
· ward, semiprivate, or intensive care accommodations
·
general nursing care; and
· meals and special diets.
NOTE: If you want a private room when it is not medically necessary, you pay
the additional charge above the semiprivate room
rate.
Nothing for a Plan facility.
Inpatient hospital continued on next page. 26
26 Page 27 28
2001 GHI Health Plan 27 Section 5( c)
Inpatient hospital (continued) You pay
Other hospital
services and supplies, such as:
· Operating, recovery, maternity, and
other treatment rooms
· Prescribed drugs and medicines
·
Diagnostic laboratory tests and X-rays
· Administration of blood and
blood products
· Blood or blood plasma, if not donated or replaced
· Dressings, splints, casts, and sterile tray services
·
Medical supplies and equipment, including oxygen
· Anesthetics,
including nurse anesthetist services
· Take-home items
·
Medical supplies, appliances, medical equipment, and any covered items billed by
a hospital for use at home (Note: calendar year
deductible applies.)
Nothing for a Plan facility
Not covered:
· Custodial care, rest cures, domiciliary
or convalescent care
· Non-covered facilities, such as nursing
homes, extended care facilities,
and schools
· Personal comfort items, such as telephone, television, barber
services, guest meals and beds
· Private nursing care
· Long term rehabilitation
All charges.
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical center
·
Operating, recovery, and other treatment rooms
· Prescribed drugs and
medicines
· Administration of blood, blood plasma, and other
biologicals
· Pre-surgical testing
· Dressings, casts, and
sterile tray services
· Medical supplies, including oxygen
· Anesthetics and anesthesia service
Nothing for a Plan facility.
· Diagnostic laboratory tests, X-rays, and pathology services $25
copayment
· Chemotherapy and radiation Nothing for chemotherapy and
radiation provided in a participating
facility.
POS: 50% of the Plan's
fee schedule and any difference
between our fee schedule and the
billed amount for non-participating
providers.
Outpatient hospital continued on next page. 27
27 Page 28 29
2001 GHI Health Plan 28 Section 5( c)
Outpatient hospital or ambulatory surgical center
(continued)
You pay
Note: Limited benefits for inpatient dental procedures —
Hospitalization for certain dental procedures is covered when a doctor
determines there is a need for hospitalization for reasons totally unrelated to
the dental procedure; the Plan will
cover the hospitalization, but not the
cost of the professional dental services. Conditions for which hospitalization
would
be covered include hemophilia, impacted teeth, and heart disease; the
need for anesthesia, by itself, is not such a condition.
Not covered: blood and blood derivatives not replaced by the member
All charges
Extended care benefits/ skilled nursing care
facility
benefits
You pay
Skilled nursing facility (SNF): Limited to 30 days:
Bed, board and
general nursing care
· Drugs, biologicals, supplied and equipment
ordinarily provided or arranged by the skilled nursing facility when prescribed
by your
doctor as governed by Medicare guidelines.
Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All charges for a non-·
participating provider.
Not covered:
· custodial care
All charges
Hospice care
Supportive and palliative care for a terminally ill
member in the home or
hospice facility. Services include:
· inpatient/ outpatient care; and
· family counseling under
the direction of a doctor.
Note: Your provider must certify that you are in the terminal stages of
illness, with a life expectancy of approximately six months or less. The
hospice must have an agreement with us or recognized by Medicare as a
hospice.
Nothing
Not covered: Independent nursing, homemaker services All charges
Ambulance
· Ambulance services for each trip to or from a hospital for medically
necessary services. This includes the use of an ambulance for
emergency
outpatient care and maternity care, to the nearest facility.
All charges in
excess of $100.
Not covered:
· Air ambulance
·
Ambullette services
All charges 28
28 Page 29 30
2001 GHI Health
Plan 29 Section 5( d)
Section 5 (d). Emergency services/
accidents
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
· Please remember that all benefits are subject to the
definitions, limitations, and exclusions in this brochure.
· Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services
for valuable
information about how cost sharing works. Also read Section
9 about coordinating benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
What is a medical emergency?
A medical emergency is the sudden and unexpected onset of a condition or
an injury that you believe
endangers your life or could result in serious
injury or disability, and requires immediate medical or surgical care. Some
problems are emergencies because, if not treated promptly, they might become
more
serious; examples include deep cuts and broken bones. Others are emergencies
because they are
potentially life-threatening, such as heart attacks,
strokes, poisonings, gunshot wounds, or sudden inability to breathe. There are
many other acute conditions that we may determine are medical emergencies
– what
they all have in common is the need for quick action.
What to do in case of emergency:
If you are in an emergency
situation, please call your doctor. In extreme emergencies, if you are unable to
contact your doctor, contact the local emergency system (e. g., the 911
telephone system) or go to the nearest
hospital emergency room. It is your responsibility to ensure that the Plan
has been promptly notified.
Emergencies within the service area:
Benefits are available for care from non-Plan providers in a medical
emergency only if delay in reaching a Plan provider would result in death,
disability or significant
jeopardy to your condition.
Emergencies outside the service area:
Benefits are available for any medically necessary health service that is
immediately required because of injury or unforeseen illness.
Note: If you were admitted to the hospital from the Emergency Room the $25
copay is waived. A participating GHI provider must provide your follow-up care.
We cover care provided by a non-participating
provider at 50% of the Plan's
fee schedule.
Benefit Description You pay
Emergency within the service area
· Emergency medical/ surgical care at a doctor's office
·
Emergency medical/ surgical care at an urgent care center
$10 per office
visit for a
participating provider.
POS: Any difference between our fee schedule
and the billed amount for a non-participating provider.
Emergency within the service area continued on next page. 29
29 Page 30 31
2001 GHI Health Plan 30 Section 5( d)
Emergency within the service area (continued) You pay
· Emergency care as an outpatient or inpatient at a hospital,
including doctors' services
Note: Copay waived if admitted to the hospital.
If private physicians
who are not hospital employees provide the emergency
care, you may receive a separate bill for these services, which we will process
as a
medical benefit.
$25 copay and any charges that exceed the emergency
fee schedule.
Not covered: Elective care or non-emergency care All charges.
Emergency outside the service area
· Emergency
medical/ surgical care at a doctor's office
· Emergency medical/
surgical care at an urgent care center $10 per visit for a participating
provider.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule and any difference between our fee
schedule and
the billed amount for non-participating
providers
· Emergency care as an outpatient or inpatient at a hospital,
including doctors' services
Note: Copay waived if admitted to the hospital. If private physicians who are
not hospital employees provide the emergency care, you may
receive a
separate bill for these services, which we will process as a
medical
benefit.
POS: $25 copay and 20% of charges per hospital
emergency room visit or
urgent care center visit for
non-participating facilities.
Note: For
emergency services billed for by a doctor, you pay
any difference between our fee
schedule and the billed amount
Not covered:
· Elective care or non-emergency care
All charges.
Ambulance
Professional ambulance service to or from a hospital for
medically necessary services. This includes the use of an ambulance for
emergency outpatient care and maternity care, to the nearest facility.
See 5( c) for non-emergency service.
All charges in excess of $100.
Not covered: air ambulance and ambullette services All charges. 30
30 Page 31 32
2001 GHI Health Plan 31 Section 5( e)
Section 5 (e). Mental health and substance abuse benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Parity
Beginning in 2001, all FEHB plans' mental health and
substance abuse benefits will achieve "parity" with other benefits.
This means that we will provide mental
health and substance abuse benefits differently than in the past.
When
you get our approval for services and follow a treatment plan we approve,
cost-sharing and limitations for Plan mental health and substance abuse benefits
will be no greater than for similar benefits for other illnesses and
conditions.
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these
benefits:
· All benefits are subject to the definitions,
limitations, and exclusions in this brochure.
· Be sure to read
Section 4, Your costs for covered services for valuable information
about how cost sharing works. Also read Section 9 about coordinating
benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
· YOU MUST GET PREAUTHORIZATION OF THESE SERVICES. See the
instructions after the benefits description below.
· Only services rendered by a Participating Provider are covered.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Benefit Description You pay
Mental health and substance abuse benefits
All diagnostic and treatment services obtained from a Plan provider and
contained in a treatment plan that we approve. The treatment
plan may include services, drugs, and supplies described elsewhere in this
brochure
Note: Plan benefits are payable only when we determine the care is
clinically appropriate to treat your condition and only when you receive the
care as part of a treatment plan that we approve.
Your cost sharing responsibilities are no greater than for other
illnesses or conditions.
· Professional services, including individual or group therapy by
providers such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or clinical social workers
· Medication management
$10 per visit for outpatient care.
Network mental health and substance abuse benefits --continued on next
page. 31
31 Page
32 33
2001 GHI Health Plan 32
Section 5( e)
Mental health and substance abuse benefits
(continued) You pay
· Diagnostic tests Nothing
· Services provided by a Plan hospital or other Plan facility
· Services in approved alternative care settings such as partial
hospitalization, half-way house, residential treatment, full-day
hospitalization, or facility based intensive outpatient treatment
Nothing
$10 per visit
Not covered:
· Services we have not approved.
· Facility charges of a non-participating general hospital or
facility.
· Treatment by a non-participating provider.
Note: OPM will
base its review of disputes about treatment plans on the
treatment plan's
clinical appropriateness. OPM will generally not order
us to pay or provide
one clinically appropriate treatment plan in favor of
another.
All charges.
Preauthorization
To be eligible to receive these benefits you must
follow your treatment plan and all of our network authorization processes on
pages 8 and 31. Contact us at 1-( 800) 692-7311
Special transitional benefit
If a mental health or substance abuse
professional is treating you under our Plan as of January 1, 2001, you will be
eligible for continued coverage with your provider up to 90 days under the
following conditions:
· If your mental health or substance abuse professional provider with
whom you are currently in treatment leaves the Plan at our request for other
than cause
If this situation applies to you, we will allow you reasonable
time to transfer your care to a Plan mental health
or substance abuse
professional provider. During the transitional period, you may continue to see
your treating provider and will not pay any more out-of-pocket than you did in
the year 2000 for services. This transitional
period will begin with our notice to you of the change in coverage, and will
end 90 days after you receive our
notice. If we write to you before October
1, 2000, the 90-day period ends before January 1 and this transitional benefit
does not apply.
Limitation
We may deny your benefits if you do not follow your
treatment plan. 32
32 Page
33 34
2001 GHI Health Plan 33
Section 5( f)
Section 5 (f). Prescription drug benefits
I
M
P
O
R
T
A
N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
· We cover prescribed drugs and medications, as described in the
chart beginning on the next page.
· All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and
exclusions in this
brochure and are payable only when we determine they are
medically necessary.
· Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services
for valuable information about how cost sharing works, with special sections
for members
who are age 65 or over. Also read Section 9 about coordinating benefits with
other coverage, including with Medicare.
I
M
P
O
R
T
A
N
T
There are important features you should be aware of. These include:
· Who can write your prescription. A licensed doctor must
write the prescription.
· Where you can obtain them. You must
fill the prescription at a pharmacy that participates under the program through
PAID Prescription Inc. Coordinated Care Network III. You must fill the
prescription
at a Plan pharmacy, or by mail for a maintenance medication.
·
We use a formulary. A formulary is a list of carefully-selected
medications that can assist in maintaining quality care for patients while
helping to lower the cost of prescription drug benefits. An
independent Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee brought together by
Merck-Medco review each
drug on the list for safety and effectiveness. Many
different pharmaceutical companies, including Merck-Medco, make these drugs.
· These are the dispensing limitations. Prescription drugs
prescribed by a doctor and obtained at a pharmacy that participates under the
program through PAID Prescriptions, Inc. Coordinated Care Network
III will
be dispensed for up to a 31-day supply. Drugs are prescribed by doctors and
dispensed in accordance with the Plan's drug formulary. You pay a $5 copay for a
generic drug, a $15 copay per
prescription unit or refill for a name brand
drug listed on the preferred prescriptions drug formulary and a
$30 copay
per prescription unit or refill for a name brand drug not listed on the
preferred prescription drug formulary.
· · · · Mandatory Mail: Your prescription
coverage also includes a mandatory mail program. All maintenance
medications
must be sent to Merck Medco Rx Services. Two refills per prescription will be
allowed at any local "preferred" TelePAID pharmacy. When a new
maintenance medication is prescribed the
patient should request 2 prescriptions. The initial for a 31-day supply to be
filled at a retail pharmacy,
and the second, for up to a 90-day supply, to
be submitted to Merck Medco Rx Services. For all existing maintenance
medications at a retail pharmacy, the patient is required to obtain a new
prescription, for up to a 90-day supply, to be sent to Merck Medco Rx
Services.
· · · · Maintenance Drug Program —
The maintenance drug program permits long-term prescriptions to be filled for up
to a 90-day supply. You pay a $10 copay for a generic drug, and a $30 copay per
prescription unit for a name brand.
· When you have to file a
claim. For drugs obtained at a non-participating pharmacy in an emergency,
call 1( 800) 272-PAID and obtain a claim form.
Prescription drug benefits begin on the next page. 33
33 Page 34 35
2001 GHI Health Plan 34 Section 5( f)
Benefit Description You pay
Covered medications and supplies
Each new enrollee will receive a description of our prescription drug
program, a combined prescription drug/ Plan identification card, a mail
order form/ patient profile and a preaddressed reply envelope.
We cover the following medication and supplies prescribed by a physician
from either a Plan pharmacy or by mail. Note: Mandatory mail requirements
apply for maintenance drugs:
· Drugs for which a prescription is required by law. ·
FDA-approved prescription drugs and devices for birth control.
·
Fertility drugs. ·
Drugs to treat sexual dysfunction (Viagra is
limited to six tablets per every thirty-one days).
· Diabetic supplies, including insulin syringes, needles, glucose test
tablets and test tape.
· Disposable needles and syringes needed for
injection of covered
prescribed medication.
· Smoking cessation
drugs and medication, including nicotine patches (up to 90-day supply).
Intravenous fluids and medications for home use through our Participating
Provider network for home infusion therapy
Network Retail:
$5 generic
$15 brand name listed on the preferred
prescription drug formulary
$30 brand name drug not listed on the preferred prescription drug formulary.
Network Mail Order:
$10 generic
$30 brand name
Here are some things to keep in mind about our prescription drug
program:
· A generic equivalent will be dispensed if it is available, unless
your physician specifically requires a name brand. If you receive a name
brand drug when a Federally-approved generic drug is available, and
your
physician has not specified "dispense as written" for the name
brand drug, you have to pay the brand name copay.
· We administer an open formulary. If your physician believes a name
brand product is necessary or there is no generic available, your
physician
may prescribe a name brand drug from a formulary list.
This list of name
brand drugs is a preferred list of drugs that we selected to meet patient needs
at a lower cost. To order a
prescription drug brochure, call 1( 800) 272-PAID.
Network Retail:
$5 generic
$15 brand name listed on the preferred
prescription drug formulary
$30 brand name drug not listed on the preferred prescription drug formulary.
Network Mail Order:
$10 generic
$30 brand name
Not covered:
· Nonprescription medications
· Drugs obtained at a non-participating pharmacy, except for
emergencies.
· Vitamins and nutritional substances that can be purchased without
a prescription.
· Medical supplies such as dressings and antiseptics.
· Drugs for cosmetic purposes.
· Drugs to
enhance athletic performance.
All Charges 34
34 Page 35 36
2001 GHI Health
Plan 35 Section 5( g)
Section 5 (g). Special Features
Feature Description
Large Case Management The Plan provides a large case management
program that seeks to provide alternatives for improving the quality and cost
effectiveness of
care. The large case management program focuses on
catastrophic
illnesses — for example, major head injury, high-risk
infancy, stroke and severe amputations. The large case management process begins
when we are notified that you or covered family member has
experienced a
specific illness or injury with potential long-term effects or changes in
lifestyle. Case Managers evaluate individual needs, and
the full range of treatment and financial exposures, from the onset of a
condition or illness to recovery or stabilization. They review the efforts
of the health care team and family with the goal of helping the
patient return to pre-illness/ injury functioning or of lessening the
burden of a chronic or terminal condition. Case Managers provide the family
with support and advice ranging from referral to family
counseling. If it is determined that involvement of a Case Manager
would
be both care-and cost-effective, we will obtain the necessary authorization from
the patient to proceed. Throughout the process, we
will maintain strict confidentiality.
Customer Service AnswerLine For information and assistance 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, access our automated telephone AnswerLine at (212) 501-4GHI
(4444).
Services for deaf and
hearing impaired
If you have a question concerning Plan benefits or how to arrange for
care, contact (212) 721-4962 (Hearing impaired — TDD) or you may write
to us at Post Office Box 1701, New York, NY 10023-9476 or
contact our office nearest you. You may also contact the Plan at its
website at http:// www. ghi. com.
High risk pregnancies The Plan provides an intensive large case
management program as described above.
Centers of excellence for transplants/ heart
surgery/ etc.
We have a special network of hospitals that perform a broad range of cardiac
care and organ transplants. These centers are recognized
leaders in their
respective specialties and their services are available to you at no
out-of-pocket expense. Call GHI Managed Care at least
10 days before the
hospital admission to pre-certify coverage and for
details on how to use
this program.
Travel benefit/ services overseas As a GHI subscriber, you are not
restricted to just using members of our provider network. However, if you go
outside the network, your
out-of-pocket expenses will increase
significantly. You will receive 50% of our fee schedule if you use a
non-participating provider —
you are responsible for the balance of
the provider's charge. Also,
unlike when you use a network provider, you are
responsible for paying the non-participating provider up front and filing a
claim form
with us for reimbursement. 35
35 Page 36 37
2001 GHI Health
Plan 36 Section 5( h)
Section 5 (h). Dental benefits
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Here are some important things to keep in mind about these benefits:
· Please remember that all benefits are subject to the
definitions, limitations, and exclusions in this brochure and are payable only
when we determine they are
medically necessary.
· We cover hospitalization for certain dental
procedures only when a nondental physical impairment exists which makes
hospitalization necessary to safeguard
the health of the patient; we do not cover the dental procedure unless it is
described below. We will cover the hospitalization, but not the cost of the
professional dental
services. Conditions for which hospitalization would be
covered include
hemophilia, impacted teeth, and heart disease; the need for
anesthesia, by itself, is not such a condition.
· Be sure to read Section 4, Your costs for covered services
for valuable information about how
cost sharing works. Also read Section
9 about coordinating benefits with other coverage, including with Medicare.
I M
P O
R T
A N
T
Accidental injury benefit You Pay
We cover restorative services
and supplies necessary to promptly repair (but not replace) sound natural teeth.
Note: The need for these services must result from an accidental injury
caused by external means and services must be completed within one year.
Any difference between our fee schedule and the actual charges.
Not covered:
· Therapeutic service.
·
Other dental services not shown as covered.
· Charges which
exceed the Plan's fee schedule.
All charges
Dental benefits
This Plan provides the following program of dental
coverage. The emphasis is on prevention, with preventive and diagnostic dental
services covered with no copayments through Participating Plan Dentists.
Services by non-participating
dentists are covered in accordance with the
fees listed below.
Service You Pay
Examinations (maximum 2 per
calendar year) Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All charges in
excess of $10.00
Prophylaxes (under 12 years -maximum 2 per calendar year)
Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All charges in excess of $7.00
Prophylaxes (over 12 years maximum 2 per calendar year) Nothing for a
participating provider.
POS: All charges in excess of $10.00
Emergency
visits for relief of pain (1 per calendar year) Nothing for a participating
provider.
POS: All charges in excess of $10.00
X-rays (Full-mouth
series, 1 every 3 years) Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All
charges in excess of $20.00
Dental benefits continue on the next page.
36
36 Page 37
38
2001 GHI Health Plan 37 Section 5( h)
Dental benefits (continued)
Service You pay
Bitewings (4 per calendar year) Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All charges in excess of $2.50
per each bitewing
Space maintainers Nothing for a participating provider.
POS: All charges
in excess of $65.00
Fluoride Treatments – dependent children to age 22 Nothing for a
participating provider.
POS: All charges in excess of $5.00 37
37 Page 38 39
2001 GHI Health Plan 38 Section 5( i)
Section 5 (i). Point of service benefits
Point of Service
(POS) Benefits
Facts about this Plan's POS option At your option, you may
choose to obtain benefits covered by this Plan from non-participating doctors
and hospitals
whenever you need care, except for those benefits listed below
which are available only through plan providers. Benefits not covered under
Point of Service must be received from Plan doctors to be covered.
What is covered
All services are covered under our POS except:
· High-tech nursing and infusion therapy
· Skilled nursing
care facility confinements ·
Home health care services
·
Mental conditions and substance abuse ·
Prescription drugs
Remember, only participating providers have agreed to accept the Plan's
allowance, except for any applicable copayments, as payment in full. If you
choose to receive benefits not covered through non-participating or
out-of-network
providers, you will be reimbursed at the POS level that in
most cases is 50% of the Plan's allowance.
Covered POS benefits are available whether the services are received within
or outside the GHI Health Plan's Service
Area.
All non-emergency hospital admissions including inpatient admissions for
maternity care and skilled nursing facilities
must be pre-certified.
There is a $150 annual deductible for nursing services and a $100 annual
deductible for appliances, oxygen and
equipment. There is also a $25
deductible, per referral, for ambulatory laboratory test and diagnostic X-rays.
In most cases, the POS coinsurance is any amount in excess of 50% of the
Plan's fee schedule. The Plan's fee schedule
is set at approximately 50% of
the New York State 1999 HIAA mean. Members, when receiving POS services, will be
responsible for 50% of the Plan's fee schedule plus any difference between our
fee schedule and the billed amount.
After your out-of-pocket expenses total $5000 per person in any calendar year
for covered services provided by a non-participating provider, GHI will then pay
catastrophic benefits at 100% of reasonable and customary charges as
determined by the Plan. Out-of-pocket expenses are calculated based upon the
reasonable and customary charge for
covered catastrophic services. Covered
catastrophic services include: 1) surgery, 2) administration of anesthesia, 3)
chemotherapy and radiation therapy, 4) covered in-hospital services and
diagnostic services, and 5) maternity.
However, expenses for the following services do not count toward your
out-of-pocket maximum, and you must continue
to pay coinsurance and
deductibles for these services:
· Home and office visits and related diagnostic services
·
Nursing, appliances, oxygen and equipment ·
Dental services
· Vision services
· Prescription drugs
If you are in a true emergency situation, POS benefits are available within
or outside the GHI's Health Plan's
service area. 38
38 Page 39 40
2001 GHI Health Plan 39 Section 5( i)
Section 5 (i). Point of service benefits (continued)
Emergencies within the service are:
Benefits are available for
care from non-Plan providers in a medical emergency only if delay in reaching a
Plan provider would result in death, disability or significant jeopardy to your
condition.
Plan pays Emergency fee schedule for emergency care services to the extent
the services would have been covered if received from Plan providers.
You
pay $25 per hospital emergency room visit or urgent care center visit for
emergency services that are covered benefits of this Plan. You also pay charges
that exceed the Plan's emergency fee schedule. If the emergency care is
provided by private physicians who are not hospital employees, you may
receive a separate bill for these services, which will be processed as a medical
benefit.
Emergencies outside the service area:
Benefits are available for
any medically necessary health service that is immediately required because of
injury or
unforeseen illness.
Plan pays full emergency fee schedule for emergency care services to the
extent the services would have been covered if
received from Plan providers;
80% of charges from a non-participating hospital.
You Pay $25 plus 20% of charges per hospital emergency room visit or urgent
care center visit for non-participating
facilities and nothing for emergency
services billed for by a doctor, except charges which exceed the Plan's
emergency fee schedule, for services which are covered benefits of this Plan. If
the emergency care is provided by private
physicians who are not hospital employees, you may receive a separate bill
for these services, which will be processed
as a medical benefit.
What is covered
· Emergency care at a doctor's office or an urgent care center.
·
Ambulance service (see page 28).
· Emergency care as an
outpatient or inpatient at a hospital, including doctors' services.
If the medical/ surgical care received from non-participating providers is
not due to a medical emergency as defined above, the Plan will pay 50% of its
fee schedule. Follow-up care after an emergency is covered in full only if
received
from participating providers. 39
39
Page 40 41
2001
GHI Health Plan 40 Section 5( j)
Section 5 (j). Non-FEHB
benefits available to Plan members
The benefits on this page are not
part of the FEHB contract or premium, and you cannot file an FEHB disputed
claim about them. Fees you pay for these services do not count toward
FEHB deductibles or out-of-pocket
maximums.
Dental services are
available at reduced fees
If you should require additional dental
services, a GHI dental provider participating in the benefit offer will provide
these services at reduced fees. All reduced fees for dental services must be
paid directly to the participating dental
provider. You must verify that your provider is still participating in the
program.
Dental services available in the reduced fee program include:
DOWNSTATE* You Pay UPSTATE** You Pay
DIAGNOSTIC RESTORATIVE (Fillings)
Resin (anterior) 1 surface
Resin (anterior) 2 surface Resin (anterior) 3 surface
$52.00
$69.00
$86.00
$38.00
$48.00 $59.00
PROSTHODONTICS REMOVAL
Complete denture (upper or lower)
Partial denture resin base (Bilateral Chrome) Add tooth to existing partial
Add clasp to existing partial
$660.00
$664.00 $65.00
$73.00
$441.00
$453.00 $54.00
$59.00
PROSTHODONTICS FIXED
Bridge pontic (cast metal)
Porcelain fused to metal
Full cast crown with porcelain, veneer backing
$520.00 $510.00
$552.00
$409.00 $399.00
$432.00
ORAL SURGERY
Extraction (completely covered by bone) Soft tissue extraction $269.00
$172.00 $210.00 $118.00
PERIODONTICS (Gum Treatment)
Gingivectomy (per quadrant)
Osseous Surgery (per quadrant)
$200.00
$470.00
$169.00
$382.00
ENDODONTICS (Root Canal)
Therapeutic pulpotomy Root
canals (3 canals)
Apicoectomy (first root)
$82.00 $466.00
$306.00
$50.00 $466.00
$314.00
ORTHODONTICS (Braces)
Diagnostic and planning fee
Active Treatment Maximum $912.00 $2,220.00 $686.00 $1,680.00
Benefits on this page are not part of the FEHB contract. *
Downstate includes New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk,
Putnam, Orange, Rockland and Westchester Counties
and New Jersey ** Upstate
includes Eastern, Central, and Western New York Counties. 40
40 Page 41 42
2001 GHI Health Plan 41 Section 6
Section 6. General exclusions --things we don't cover
The
exclusions in this section apply to all benefits. Although we may list a
specific service as a benefit, we will not cover it unless your Plan doctor
determines it is medically necessary to prevent, di agnose, or
treat your
illness, disease, injury or condition.
We do not cover the following:
· Services, drugs, or supplies you receive while you are not enrolled
in this Plan
· Services, drugs, or supplies that are not medically
necessary
· Services, drugs, or supplies not required according to
accepted standards of medical, dental, or psychiatric practice
· Experimental or investigational procedures, treatments, drugs or
services
· Services, drugs, or supplies related to abortions except
when the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to
term or when the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest
· Services, drugs, or supplies related to sex transformations, or
· Services or supplies you receive from a provider or facility barred
from the FEHB Program. 41
41 Page 42 43
2001 GHI Health
Plan 42 Section 7
Section 7. Filing a claim for covered
services
When you see Plan physicians, receive services at Plan
hospitals and facilities, or obtain your prescription drugs at Plan pharmacies,
you will not have to file claims. Just present your identification card and pay
your copayment,
coinsurance, or deductible.
You will only need to file a
claim when you receive services from non-plan providers. If you need to file the
claim, here is the process:
Medical and hospital benefits In most cases, providers and facilities
file claims for you. Physicians must file the form HCFA-1500, Health Insurance
Claim Form. Facilities
will file the UB-92 form. For claims questions and
assistance, call us at
(212) 501-4GHI (4444).
When you must file a claim, submit the HCFA-1500 or a claim form that
includes the information shown below. Bills and receipts should be
itemized
and show:
· Covered member's name and ID number
· Name and
address physician or facility that provided the service or
supply
· Dates you received the services or supplies
· Diagnosis
· Type of each service or supply
· The charge for each
service or supply
· A copy of the explanation of benefits, payments,
or denial from any primary payer --such as the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN),
and
· Receipts, if you paid for your services.
Submit your claims
to: Group Health Inc.
P. O. Box 2832
New York, New York 10116-2832
Deadline for filing your claim Send us all of the documents for your
claim as soon as possible. You must submit the claim by December 31 of the year
after the year you
received the service, unless timely filing was prevented
by administrative operations of Government or legal incapacity, provided the
claim was
submitted as soon as reasonably possible.
When we need more informationPlease reply promptly when we ask for
additional information. We may delay processing or deny your claim if you do not
respond. 42
42 Page
43 44
2001 GHI Health Plan 43
Section 8
Section 8. The disputed claims process
Follow
this Federal Employees Health Benefits Program disputed claims process if you
disagree with our decision on your claim or request for services, drugs, or
supplies – including a request for preauthorization:
Step Description
1 Ask us in writing to reconsider our initial
decision. You must: (a) Write to us within 6 months from the date of our
decision; and
(b) Send your request to us at: 88 West End Avenue, New York,
NY 10023; and
(c) Include a statement about why you believe our initial
decision was wrong, based on specific benefit provisions in this brochure; and
(d) Include copies of documents that support your claim, such as physicians'
letters, operative reports, bills, medical records, and explanation of benefits
(EOB) forms.
2 We have 30 days from the date we receive your request to: (a) Pay
the claim (or, if applicable, arrange for the health care provider to give you
the care); or
(b) Write to you and maintain our denial --go to step 4; or
(c) Ask you or your provider for more information. If we ask your provider,
we will send you a copy of our request— go to step 3.
3 You or your provider must send the information so that we receive it
within 60 days of our request. We will then decide within 30 more days. If we do
not receive the information within 60 days, we will decide within 30 days of the
date the
information was due. We will base our decision on the information
we already have.
We will write to you with our decision.
4 If you do not agree with our decision, you may ask OPM to review it.
You must write to OPM within:
· 90 days after the date of our
letter upholding our initial decision; or
· 120 days after you first
wrote to us --if we did not answer that request in some way within 30 days; or
· 120 days after we asked for additional information.
Write to OPM at: Office of Personnel Management, Office of Insurance
Programs, Contracts Division II, P. O. Box 436, Washington, D. C. 20044-0436.
Send OPM the following information:
· A statement about why you
believe our decision was wrong, based on specific benefit provisions in this
brochure
· Copies of documents that support your claim, such as physicians'
letters, operative reports, bills, medical records, and explanation of benefits
(EOB) forms
· Copies of all letters you sent to us about the claim
· Copies of all letters we sent to you about the claim, and
· Your daytime phone number and the best time to call.
Note: If you want OPM to review different claims, you must clearly identify
which documents apply to
which claim. 43
43
Page 44 45
2001
GHI Health Plan 44 Section 8
Section 8. The disputed claims
process (continued)
The Disputed Claims process
Note: You are the
only person who has a right to file a disputed claim with OPM. Parties acting as
your
representative, such as medical providers, must provide a copy of your
specific written consent with the review request.
Note: The above deadlines may be extended if you show that you were unable to
meet the deadline because
of reasons beyond your control.
5 OPM will review your disputed claim request and will use the
information it collects from you and us to decide whether our decision is
correct. OPM will send you a final decision within 60 days. There are no other
administrative appeals.
6 If you do not agree with OPM's decision, your only recourse is to
sue. If you decide to sue, you must file the suit against OPM in Federal court
by December 31 of the third year after the year in which you received the
disputed services, drugs, or supplies. This is the only deadline that may not be
extended.
OPM may disclose the information it collects during the review
process to support their disputed claim
decision. This information will
become part of the court record.
You may not sue until you have completed the disputed claims process.
Further, Federal law governs your lawsuit, benefits, and payment of benefits.
The Federal court will base its review on the record that was
before OPM when OPM decided to uphold or overturn our decision. You may
recover only the amount of benefits in dispute.
NOTE: If you have a serious or life threatening condition (one that
may cause permanent loss of bodily
functions or death if not treated as soon
as possible), and
(a) We haven't responded yet to your initial request for care or
preauthorization/ prior approval, then call us at
(212) 615-4662 and we will
expedite our review; or
(b) We denied your initial request for care or preauthorization/ prior
approval, then:
·· If we exp edite our review and maintain our
denial, we will inform OPM so that they can give your claim expedited treatment
too, or
·· You can call OPM's Health Benefits Contracts Division II at
(202) 606-3818 between 8 a. m. and 5 p. m. eastern time. 44
44 Page 45 46
2001 GHI Health Plan 45 Section 9
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other coverage
When you
have other health coverage You must tell us if you are covered or a family
member is covered under another group health plan or if you have automobile
insurance that pays
health expenses without regard to fault. This is called
"double coverage."
When you have double coverage, one plan normally pays its benefits in full as
the primary payer and the other plan pays a reduced benefit as the
secondary
payer. We, like other insurers, determine which coverage is
primary
according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' guidelines.
When we are the primary payer, we will pay the benefits described in this
brochure.
When we are the secondary payer, we will determine our allowance.
After the primary plan pays, we will pay what is left of our allowance,
up
to our regular benefit. We will not pay more than our allowance.
· · What is Medicare? Medicare is a Health Insurance
Program for: ·· People 65 years of age and older.
·· Some people with disabilities, under 65 years of age.
··
People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney
failure
requiring dialysis or a transplant).
Medicare has two parts:
·· Part A (Hospital Insurance).
Most people do not have to pay for Part A. ··
Part B (Medical
Insurance). Most people pay monthly for Part B.
If you are eligible for Medicare, you may have choices in how you get your
health care. Medicare + Choice is the term used to describe the
various
health plan choices available to Medicare beneficiaries. The
information in
the next few pages shows how we coordinate benefits with Medicare, depending on
the type of Medicare managed care plan
you have.
· · The Original Medicare Plan The Original Medicare
Plan is available everywhere in the United States. It is the way most people get
their Medicare Part A and Part B benefits.
You may go to any doctor,
specialist, or hospital that accepts Medicare. Medicare pays its share and you
pay your share. Some things are not
covered under Original Medicare, like
prescription drugs.
When you are enrolled in this Plan and Original
Medicare, you still need
to follow the rules in this brochure for us to
cover your care. Your care must continue to be precertified as required.
We will waive some copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles as follows:
Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other health
care professionals. If you are enrolled in Medicare Part B, we will waive
the $10 copay for office visits and deductible and coinsurance for durable
medical equipment. 45
45 Page 46 47
2001 GHI Health
Plan 46 Section 9
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other
coverage (continued)
The following chart illustrates whether Original
Medicare or this Plan should be the primary payer for you according to your
employment status and other factors determined by Medicare. It is critical that
you tell us if you or a covered
family member has Medicare coverage so we can administer these requirements
correctly.
Primary Payer Chart
Then the primary payer is… A.
When either you --or your covered spouse --are age 65 or over and …
OriginalMedicare This Plan
1) Are an active employee with the Federal government (including when you or
a family member are eligible for Medicare solely because of a
disability),
ü
2) Are an annuitant, ü
3) Are a reemployed annuitant with the
Federal government when…
a) The position is excluded from FEHB,
or………………………………
……….. ü
b) The position is not excluded from
FEHB………………………….
Ask your employing office which of these applies to you.
……………………..
……… ü
4) Are a Federal judge who retired under title 28, U. S. C., or a Tax Court
judge who retired under Section 7447 of title 26, U. S. C. (or if
your
covered spouse is this type of judge), ü
5) Are enrolled in Part B
only, regardless of your employment status, ü (for Part B
services)
ü
(for other services)
6) Are a former Federal employee receiving Workers' Compensation
and the
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs has determined that you are unable to
return to duty,
ü
(exceptforclaims
relatedtoWorkers' Compensation.)
B. When you --or a covered family member --have Medicare
based on end
stage renal disease (ESRD) and…
1) Are within the first 30 months of eligibility to receive Part A
benefits solely because of ESRD, ü
2) Have completed the 30-month ESRD coordination period and are still
eligible for Medicare due to ESRD, ü
3) Become eligible for Medicare due to ESRD after Medicare became primary for
you under another provision, ü
C. When you or a covered family
member have FEHB and…
1) Are eligible for Medicare based on
disability, and
a) Are an annuitant,
or………………………………………………
………. ü
b) Are an active
employee…………………………………………
………………………..
……. ü 46
46 Page 47 48
2001 GHI Health
Plan 47 Section 9
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other
coverage (continued)
Claims process – You probably will
never have to file a claim form
when you have both our Plan and Medicare.
· When we are the primary payer, we process the claim first.
· When Original Medicare is the primary payer, Medicare processes
your claim first. In most cases, your claims will
be coordinated
automatically and we will pay the balance of covered charges. You will not need
to do anything. To
find out if you need to do something about filing your
claims, call us at (212) 501-4GHI (4444), or access our web site at http://
www. ghi. com
We waive some costs when you have Medicare – When Medicare is
the primary payer, we will waive some out-of-pocket costs, as follows:
· Medical services and supplies provided by physicians and other
health care professionals . If you are enrolled in
Medicare Part B, we will
waive the $10 copay for office visits and deductible and coinsurance for durable
medical
equipment.
· · Medicare managed care plan If you are eligible for
Medicare, you may choose to enroll in and get your Medicare benefits from a
Medicare Managed care plan. These are health
care choices (like HMOs) in
some areas of the country. In most
Medicare managed care plans, you can only
go to doctors, specialists, or hospitals that are part of the plan. Medicare
managed care plans cover all
Medicare Part A and B benefits. Some cover extras, like prescription
drugs. To learn more about enrolling in a Medicare managed care plan,
contact Medicare at 1( 800) MEDICARE (1( 800) 633-4227) or at
www. medicare. gov. If you enroll in a Medicare Managed Care plan, the
following options are available to you:
This Plan and another Plan's Medicare managed care plan: You
may
enroll in another plan's Medicare managed care plan and also remain enrolled in
our FEHB plan. We will still provide benefits when
your Medicare managed care plan is primary.
Suspended FEHB coverage
and a Medicare managed care plan: If
you are an annuitant or former
spouse, you can suspend your FEHB
coverage to enroll in a Medicare managed
care plan, eliminating your FEHB premium. (OPM does not contribute to your
Medicare managed
care plan premium.) For information on suspending your FEHB
enrollment,
contact your retirement office. If you later want to re-enroll in the FEHB
Program, generally you may do so only at the next open
season unless you involuntarily lose coverage or move out of the
Medicare+ Choice service area.
· · Enrollment in Note: If you choose not to enroll in
Medicare Part B, you can still be Medicare Part B
covered under the
FEHB Program. We cannot require you to enroll in Medicare. 47
47 Page 48 49
2001 GHI Health Plan 48 Section 9
Section 9. Coordinating benefits with other coverage (continued)
TRICARE TRICARE is the health care program for eligible dependents of
military persons and retirees of the military. TRICARE includes the CHAMPUS
program. If both TRICARE and this Plan cover you, we pay first. See your
TRICARE Health Benefits Advisor if you have questions about
TRICARE
coverage.
Workers' Compensation We do not cover services that:
· you need because of a workplace-related disease or injury that the
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) or a similar Federal or
State agency determines they must provide; or
· OWCP or a similar agency pays for through a third party injury
settlement or other similar proceeding that is based on a claim you
filed
under OWCP or similar laws.
Once OWCP or a similar agency pays its maximum
benefits for your treatment, we will cover your benefits. You must use our
providers.
Medicaid When you have this Plan and Medicaid, we pay first.
When other Government agencies are responsible for your care We do
not cover services and supplies when a local, State, or Federal Government
agency directly or indirectly pays for them.
When others are responsible for
injuries
When you receive money to compensate you for medical or hospital care
for
injuries or illness caused by another person, you must reimburse us for any
expenses we paid. However, we will cover the cost of treatment
that exceeds the amount you received in the settlement.
If you do not seek damages you must agree to let us try. This is called
subrogation. If you need more information, contact us for our
subrogation
procedures. 48
48 Page
49 50
2001 GHI Health Plan 49
Section 10
Section 10. Definitions of terms we use in this
brochure
Calendar year January 1 through December 31 of the same year.
For new enrollees, the calendar year begins on the effective date of their
enrollment and ends on
December 31 of the same year.
Copayment A copayment is a fixed amount of money you pay when you
receive covered services. See page 9.
Coinsurance Coinsurance is the percentage of our allowance that you
must pay for your care. See page 9.
Covered services Care we provide
benefits for, as described in this brochure.
Deductible A deductible
is a fixed amount of covered expenses you must incur for certain covered
services and supplies before we start paying benefits for
those services.
See page 9.
Experimental or investigational services Experimental treatment is a
treatment that has not been tested in human beings; or that is being tested but
has not yet been
approved for general use; or that is subject to review or
approval
by an Institutional Review Board.
Investigational treatment includes, but is not limited to, services or
supplies which are under study or in a clinical trial to evaluate
their toxicity, safety and efficiency for a particular diagnosis or set of
indications.
Clinical trials include, but are not limited to, controlled
experiments
having a clinical event as an outcome measurement involving persons having a
specific disease or health condition;
or involving the administration of different study treatments in a
parallel treatment design done to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a test
measurement. Clinical trials include Phase I, Phase II,
and Phase III studies. Clinical trials also include randomized
trials or
studies.
Plan allowance Plan allowance is the amount we use to determine our
payment and your coinsurance for covered services. Fee-for-service plans
determine their
allowances in different ways. We determine our allowance as
follows:
The Plan allowance is the fee schedule or negotiated rate that GHI uses as
payment in full for covered services rendered by participating providers.
Us/ We Us and we refer to Group Health Incorporated
You You
refers to the enrollee and each covered family member. 49
49 Page 50 51
2001 GHI Health Plan 50 Section 11
Section 11. FEHB facts
No pre-existing condition We will not
refuse to cover the treatment of a condition that you had limitation
before you enrolled in this Plan solely because you had the condition
before you enrolled.
Where you can get information See www. opm.
gov/ insure. Also, your employing or retirement office
about enrolling in
the can answer your questions, and give you A Guide to Federal Employees
FEHB Program Health Benefits Plans, brochures for other plans,
and other materials you
need to make an informed decision about:
· When you may change
your enrollment.
· How you can cover your family members.
· What happens when you transfer to another Federal agency, go on
leave without pay, enter military service, or retire.
· When your enrollment ends; and
· When the next open
season for enrollment begins.
We don't determine who is eligible for
coverage and, in most cases,
cannot change your enrollment status without
information from your employing or retirement office.
Types of coverage available Self Only coverage is for you alone. Self
and Family coverage is for for you and your family you, your spouse, and
your unmarried dependent children under age 22,
including any foster
children or stepchildren your employing or
retirement office authorizes
coverage for. Under certain circumstances, you may also continue coverage for a
disabled child 22 years of age or
older who is incapable of self-support.
If you have a Self Only
enrollment, you may change to a Self and Family enrollment if you marry, give
birth, or add a child to your family. You
may change your enrollment 31 days
before to 60 days after that event. The Self and Family enrollment begins on the
first day of the pay period
in which the child is born or becomes an
eligible family member. When
you change to Self and Family because you
marry, the change is effective on the first day of the pay period that begins
after your employing office
receives your enrollment form; benefits will not be available to your
spouse until you marry.
Your employing or retirement office will not notify you when a family
member is no longer eligible to receive health benefits, nor will we. Please
tell us immediately when you add or remove family members
from your coverage for any reason, including divorce, or when your child
under age 22 marries or turns 22.
If you or one of your family members is enrolled in one FEHB plan, that
person may not be enrolled in or covered as a family member by another FEHB
plan. 50
50 Page
51 52
2001 GHI Health Plan 51
Section 11
Section 11. FEHB facts (continued)
When
benefits and The benefits in this brochure are effective on January 1. If
you are new
premiums start to this Plan, your coverage and premiums
begin on the first day of your first pay period that starts on or after January
1. Annuitants' premiums
begin on January 1.
Your medical and claims We will keep your
medical and claims information confidential. Only
records are
confidential the following will have access to it:
· OPM, this Plan, and subcontractors when they administer this
contract
· This Plan, and appropriate third parties, such as other
insurance plans and the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), when
coordinating benefit payments and subrogating claims
· Law
enforcement officials when investigating and/ or prosecuting alleged civil or
criminal actions
· OPM and the General Accounting Office when conducting audits
· Individuals involved in bona fide medical research or education
that does not disclose your identity or
· OPM, when reviewing a disputed claim or defending litigation about a
claim.
When you retire When you retire, you can usually stay in the FEHB
Program. Generally, you must have been enrolled in the FEHB Program for the last
five years
of your Federal service. If you do not meet this requirement, you
may be eligible for other forms of coverage, such as Temporary Continuation of
Coverage (TCC).
When you lose benefits
· · When
FEHB coverage ends You will receive an additional 31 days of coverage, for
no additional
premium, when:
·· Your enrollment ends, unless you cancel your enrollment, or
·· You are a family member no longer eligible for coverage.
You may be eligible for spouse equity coverage or Temporary Continuation of
Coverage.
· · Spouse equity If you are divorced from a Federal
employee or annuitant, you may not coverage
continue to get benefits
under your former spouse's enrollment. But, you may be eligible for your own
FEHB coverage under the spouse equity
law. If you are recently divorced or are anticipating a divorce, contact
your ex-spouse's employing or retirement office to get RI 70-5, the Guide
to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for Temporary
Continuation of Coverage and Former Spouse Enrollees, or other
information about your coverage choices.
· · Temporary Continuation If you leave Federal service,
or if you lose coverage because you no Coverage (TCC)
longer qualify
as a family member, you may be eligible for Temporary Continuation of Coverage
(TCC). For example, you can receive TCC if
you are not able to continue your FEHB enrollment after you retire.
You
may not elect TCC if you are fired from your Federal job due to gross
misconduct. 51
51 Page
52 53
2001 GHI Health Plan 52
Section 11
Section 11. FEHB facts (continued)
Get the RI
79-27, which describes TCC, and the RI 70-5, the Guide to Federal Employees
Health Benefits Plans for Temporary Continuation of
Coverage and Former Spouse Enrollees, from your employing or
retirement office or from www. opm. gov/ insure.
· · Converting to You may convert to a non-FEHB
individual policy if: individual coverage ··Your
coverage under TCC or the spouse equity law ends. If you canceled your
coverage or did not pay your premium, you cannot convert
··You decided not to receive coverage under TCC or the spouse
equity law; or
··You are not eligible for coverage under TCC
or the spouse equity law.
If you leave Federal service, your employing
office will notify you of your right to convert. You must apply in writing to us
within 31 days
after you receive this notice. However, if you are a family member who
is
losing coverage, the employing or retirement office will not notify you.
You must apply in writing to us within 31 days after you are no
longer eligible for coverage.
Your benefits and rates will differ from
those under the FEHB Program; however, you will not have to answer questions
about your health, and
we will not impose a waiting period or limit your
coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Getting a Certificate of If you leave the FEHB Program, we will give
you a Certificate of Group Group Health Plan Coverage Health Plan
Coverage that indicates how long you have been enrolled
with us. You can use
this certificate when getting health insurance or
other health care
coverage. Your new plan must reduce or eliminate waiting periods, limitations,
or exclusions for health related conditions
based on the information in the certificate, as long as you enroll within
63 days of losing coverage under this Plan.
If you have been enrolled with us for less than 12 months, but were
previously enrolled in other FEHB plans, you may also request a certificate
from those plans.
Inspector General Advisory Stop health care fraud! Fraud increases the
cost of health care for everyone. If you suspect that a physician, pharmacy, or
hospital has
charged you for services you did not receive, billed you twice
for the
same service, or misrepresented any information, do the following:
· Call the provider and ask for an explanation. There may be an error.
· If the provider does not resolve the matter, call us at (888)
456-3728 and explain the situation.
· If we do not resolve the issue, call THE HEALTH CARE FRAUD
HOTLINE—( 202) 418-3300
or write to: The United States Office of
Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General Fraud
Hotline, 1900 E Street, NW, Room 6400, Washington, DC 20415.
Penalties
for Fraud Anyone who falsifies a claim to obtain FEHB Program benefits can
be prosecuted for fraud. Also, the Inspector General may investigate
anyone who uses an ID card if the person tries to obtain services for
someone who is not an eligible family member, or is no longer enrolled
in the Plan and tries to obtain benefits. Your agency may also take
administrative action against you. 52
52
Page 53 54
2001
GHI Health Plan 53 Index
Index
Do not rely on this
page; it is for your convenience and does not explain your benefit coverage.
Accidental injury 29 Allergy tests 15
Alternative treatment 20
Ambulance 28
Anesthesia 25 Autologous bone marrow
transplant 24 Blood
and blood plasma 27
Breast cancer screening 13 Casts 21
Catastrophic
protection 9 Changes for 2001 6
Chemotherapy 15 Childbirth 14
Cholesterol tests 12 Claims 42
Coinsurance 9 Colorectal cancer screening
12
Congenital anomalies 21 Contraceptive devices and drugs 34
Coordination of benefits 45 Covered charges 9
Covered providers 7
Crutches 18 Deductible 49
Definitions 49 Dental care 36
Diagnostic services 11 Disputed claims
review 43
Donor expenses (transplants) 24 Durable medical equipment
(DME) 18 Educational classes
and programs 20 Effective date of
enrollment 51
Emergency 29 Experimental or investigational 49
Eyeglasses
17 Family planning 14
Fecal occult blood test 12 General
exclusions 41
Hearing services 16
Home health services 19 Hospice care 28
Home nursing care 19 Hospital 26
Immunizations 13
Infertility 14 Inhospital physician care 11
Inpatient hospital benefits 26 Insulin 34
Laboratory and
pathological services 12
Magnetic Resonance Imagings
(MRIs) 12
Mail order prescription drugs 33
Mammograms 13 Maternity benefits 14
Medicaid 48 Medically necessary 41
Medicare 45 Members 50
Mental conditions/ substance abuse benefits 31
Neurological testing 12
Newborn care 14 Non-FEHB Benefits 40
Nurse · Licensed Practical Nurse 19
· Nurse midwife 7
· Nurse practitioner 7
· Registered nurse 19 Nursery charges
14
Obstetrical care 14
Occupational therapy 16 Office visits 11
Oral and maxillofacial surgery 23 Orthopedic devices 18
Ostomy and
catheter supplies 18 Out-of-pocket expenses 9
Outpatient facility care 27
Oxygen 18
Pap test 12
Physical examination 12
Physical therapy 16 Physician 11
Point of service (POS) 38 Pre-admission
testing 27
Precertification 8 Preventive care, adult 12
Preventive care,
children 13 Prescription drugs 33
Preventive services 12 Prior approval 8
Prostate cancer screening 12 Prosthetic devices 18
Psychologist 31
Psychotherapy 31
Radiation therapy 15
Rehabilitation therapies 16
Renal dialysis 15
Room and board 26 Second surgical opinion 11
Skilled nursing
facility care 28
Smoking cessation 34 Speech therapy 16
Splints 18
Subrogation 48
Substance abuse 31 Surgery 21
Anesthesia 25 Oral 23
Outpatient 27 Reconstructive 22
Syringes 34 Temporary
continuation of
coverage 51 Transplants 24
Treatment therapies 15
Vision services 17
Well child care 13
Wheelchairs 18
Workers' compensation 48
X-rays 12 53
53 Page
54 55
2001 GHI Health Plan 54
NOTES: 54
54 Page
55 56
2001 GHI Health Plan 55
Summary
Summary of benefits for the GHI Health Plan -2001
· Do not rely on this chart alone. All benefits are
provided in full unless indicated and are subject to the definitions,
limitations,
and exclusions in this brochure. On this page we summarize
specific expenses we cover; for more detail, look inside.
· If you want to enroll or change your enrollment in this Plan, be
sure to put the correct enrollment code from the cover on your
enrollment
form.
Benefits You Pay Page
Medical services provided by physicians:
· Diagnostic and treatment services provided in the
office................................................................................................
$10 per visit for a Participating Provider.
POS: 50% of the Plan's fee
schedule and any difference between our fee schedule and the billed amount for a
non-participating
provider.
11
Services provided by a hospital:
·
Inpatient................................................................................................
·
Outpatient................................................................................................
Nothing
Note: $25 deductible per referral for ambulatory laboratory test
and diagnostic X-rays when referred and rendered.
26
27
Emergency benefits:
·
In-area................................................................................................
·
Out-of-area................................................................................................
$25 per hospital emergency room visit or urgent care center visit and charges
that exceed the Plan's emergency fee schedule.
$25 plus 20% of charges per hospital emergency room visitor urgent care
center visit for non-participating facilities.
29
29
Mental health and substance abuse treatment................................
Regular cost sharing. 31
Prescription drugs prescribed by a doctor and
obtained at a participating
pharmacy................................................................
Mandatory Mail
...............................................................................................
$5 copay for generic drugs; $15 copay per prescription unit or refill for
name brand drugs listed on the preferred prescription
drug formulary, and
$30 copay per prescription unit or refill for a name brand drug not listed on
the preferred prescription drug
formulary. For mail-order maintenance you
pay a $10 copay for generics and a $30 copay for name brand.
All maintenance medications must be sent to Merck Medco Rx Services. Two
refills per prescription will be allowed at any local
"preferred"
TelePAID pharmacy.
33
Dental Care
................................................................................................
Nothing for preventive services provided by Participating Providers. For
non-participating providers, you pay any
difference between GHI's fee
schedule and the billed amount.
36
Vision Care
................................................................................................
One refraction annually. Lenses (annually) andframes(everytwo years). Nothing to
Participating Vision Centers. 17
Special features: Large Case Management,
High Risk Pregnancies, Centers of Excellence for Transplants/ Heart/ Surgery/
etc., Travel Benefits/ Services Overseas 35
Point of Service benefits --Yes
38
Protection against catastrophic costs (your out-of-pocket
maximum)................................................................ Nothing
after $5,000 per person per year
Some costs do not count toward this
protection 9 55
55 Page
56
2001 GHI Health Plan 56
2001 Rate Information
for
GHI Health Plan
Non-Postal rates apply to most non-Postal enrollees. If you are in a
special enrollment category, refer to the FEHB
Guide for that category or
contact the agency that maintains your health benefits enrollment.
Postal rates apply to career Postal Service employees. Most employees
should refer to the FEHB Guide for United
States Postal Service Employees,
RI 70-2. Different postal rates apply and special FEHB guides are published for
Postal Service Nurses; for Tool & Die employees (see RI 70-2B); and for
Postal Service Inspectors and Office of
Inspector General (OIG) employees (see RI 70-2IN).
Postal rates do not apply to non-career postal employees, postal retirees, or
associate members of any postal
employee organization. Refer to the
applicable FEHB Guide.
Non-Postal Premium Postal Premium
Biweekly Monthly Biweekly
Type
of Enrollment Code Gov't Share Your Share Gov't Share Your Share USPS Share Your
Share
Self Only 801 $86.59 $30.60 $187.61 $66.30 $102.22 $14.97
Self and
Family 802 $195.82 $97.14 $424.28 $210.47 $231.17 $61.79 56