New Rates Effective November 1, 2022 for Individual Business

Effective November 1, 2022, rates will increase as per below.

• Elements rates will increase on average by 3.9%
• Assured Access rates will increase by 2.5%
• Options and Options Plus rate will increase by 6.5%

The adjusted rates will apply to new sales as well as to members renewing their plans, based on their renewal month.

Your tools:

We’ve updated our rate guides to help you quote for new clients or renewals:

Your tools :

We’ve updated our rate guides to help you quote for new clients or renewals:

• • New Elements Rate Guide
  • New Options/Options Plus Rate Renewal Sheet (existing client renewals only)
  • New Assured Access Rate Guide

Please note: Our Elements and Assured Access rate calculators will be updated with the new rates on October 1, 2022. Accidental Death and Dismemberment terminates at age 65. This causes slight differences in the rates if one person is over age 65 and the other is under age 65.

Rates for the Guaranteed Issue Health Plan will increase effective January 1, 2023 and we will provide the updated rates in November.

If quoting for an application with an effective date earlier than November 1, please use our 2021-2022 Elements rate guide, 2021-2022 Options/Options Plus rate renewal sheet, or our 2021-2022 Assured Access Rate Guide.

For any questions or concerns, please contact our Agent Inquiry team.

Guaranteed Issue Product Changes – New Materials Now Available on Microsite

As mentioned in a previous communication the exclusive drug module offered on all new sales of the Guaranteed Issue Health Plan will have the $2500 maximum. The $1000 drug module under the GI plan will no longer be available. The rate calculator and online application have been adjusted to reflect this change.

These changes took effect on September 24, 2022.

The Physiotherapy benefit has changed to 70% up to $300 per person per calendar year to align with the other health practitioner amounts. Coverage will be maintained for members who previously purchased the 20 visit physiotherapy benefit.

Your tools:

We’ve updated our GI materials to help you service your clients, they can all be found in the “Resources” section of our Agent Microsite.

If there are any questions or concerns, please reach out to your Medavie Blue Cross Representative or the Agent Inquiry team.

Medication Quantity Limit Implementation Notice

As part of our formulary management standards and multi pronged Opioid Management Strategy, effective October 1, 2022, we are activating quantity limits for Regular and Automated Prior Authorization Opioid benefits. There will be some member impact for people over the limits on specific Opioids.

These limits and the entire Opioid Management Strategy combined help ensure Medavie Blue Cross is only reimbursing for safe quantities and where possible within the ranges of the opioid prescribing guidelines.

For implementation, depending on Opioid(s) being claimed, Medavie Blue Cross will grandfather some claimants over the limit while others will be impacted (no grandfathering).

Non-Grandfathered Opioids –We have sent letters, to these impacted members Mid July for October 1st effective date.

There is no exception for members on these Opioids because the higher doses either
• provide no added pain relief while increasing the risk for experiencing more pronounced adverse effects or
• could cause serious or potentially fatal liver damage.

Grandfathered Opioids - Some Opioids we are grandfathering members above the limit to not impact their therapy since the same harms as the non-grandfathering Opioids do not apply.

Claimants whose dose exceeds the limit can consult their health care professional on best course of future treatment.

Enhancing Our Portal Experience

For over a decade, our organization has been investing in our technology modernization strategy to ensure we are able to service our client base effectively. 2022 has been a true milestone in this journey, as several initiatives have coincided to bring major changes to our client experience.

Teams across Medavie Blue Cross have been working together on a range of enhancements to the Broker and member experience. These changes are impacting the experience today and setting the stage for even more innovation and efficiency in the future.

Launching on October 17, new enhancements will be put in place for our Member Services Site, including:

• New modern interface
• Consistent experience with mobile app
• Easier access to additional services like Connected Car
• Improved accessibility
• Adaptive display

The most evident initial change will be a much more modern look and overall experience. In addition, the transition of these tools off our legacy platforms will allow many more technology enhancements for clients today and in future.

Lancement officiel des produits de soins de santé individuels en Ontario

En juin 2022, Croix Bleue Medavie s’est associée à Croix Bleue de l’Ontario, membre de l’Association canadienne des Croix Bleue, pour lancer un projet pilote auprès de certains conseillers et conseillères en Ontario afin de distribuer notre gamme de régimes individuels de soins de santé et de soins dentaires.

Nous sommes heureux de vous annoncer qu’en raison du succès du projet pilote, nous étendons la distribution à tous les conseillers et conseillères de l’Ontario dès le 3 octobre 2022. Nous sommes ravis que cette association nous ait permis de présenter de meilleurs outils numériques à nos clients et à nos partenaires, toujours dans l’optique d’offrir une expérience client optimale.

Nous proposerons ces régimes aux conseillers et aux conseillères du Québec lors d’une prochaine phase du projet. Restez à l’affût des nouvelles à ce sujet.

Individual Health Products Officially Launched in Ontario

Back in June of 2022 Medavie Blue Cross worked with our partner Ontario Blue Cross, a member of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans, to launch a pilot program with select Advisors in Ontario to distribute our suite of individual health and dental plans.

We are pleased to advise that following the success of the pilot we are launching to all Advisors in Ontario starting October 3, 2022. We are excited that this partnership has provided better digital tools for clients and partners, while staying centred around an optimal client experience.

We will offer these plans up to Advisors in Quebec in a future phase, stay tuned for project updates.

Join Us For Our Next Webinar - Benefits for Small Business

Big Possibilities with the Small Companies who Employ Most Working Canadians

Tuesday, October 18, 2022
10 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. AT

Did you know? 72% of working Canadians employed by a small business would leave their current jobs for one that offers a health benefit package— something they don’t have in their current workplace. That’s a key finding of a survey recently commissioned by Medavie Blue Cross to take the pulse of small business employees and their employers on the relationship between health benefits and workplace wellbeing.

Join us for a special webinar when we share results of our research, plus enhancements we have made to our Benefits for Small Business product. Get in the know and grow your business by discovering how you can help small businesses (2-10 employees) meet their objectives with an affordable, flexible and sustainable solution that helps build healthy, productive workplaces.

Register today!