Dickerson - January 16, 2025

Anthem is committed to providing the necessary support and resources to help navigate this state of emergency by making temporary changes to health plan benefits to provide relief and ensure healthcare access for members impacted by the wildfires and windstorm conditions. The changes are in effect January 7th through February 5th, 2025 . The changes also apply to emergency responders who have been activated to the impacted area by their state or local agency, but who do not live in the impacted area. Anthem can help with finding available doctors, refilling prescription drugs, and other health plan questions. For assistance during this emergency, please call 833-285-4030. Receiving care during the emergency • You can receive care from any doctor or hospital, even if they are not in your plan’s network. Anthem will cover the claims as if they are in your plan’s network. • If your doctor’s office or healthcare facility is closed because of the emergency, or if you are unable to travel there, call 833-285-4030. Anthem can help you find another doctor. • If you’re in a care management program and need to reach them, the contact number is 833-285-4030. Prescription drug refills • If your Anthem plan covers your prescription medicines, you can receive up to a 30-day emergency refill at any pharmacy now, even if it’s not in your plan’s network. • If you use Anthem’s home delivery pharmacy and your address changed, call 833-285-4030 to send your medicine to the right place. Medical equipment that is lost or damaged • Anthem can help you replace your equipment (also called durable medical equipment or DME). Call 833-285-4030. Eyeglasses or contact lenses that are lost or damaged • Anthem can help you replace your eyeglasses or contact lenses. Call 833-285-4030 Preapprovals or referrals • You have more time to request them. There won’t be any late fees. Call 833-285-4030 if you need an extension. Filing a claim • You and your doctors have more time to file claims. Call 833-285-4030 if you need an extension. Health plan premiums • If you receive a bill directly from Anthem for your monthly insurance premium and are experiencing financial difficulties because of the emergency, you have more time to pay your bill. Please call 833-285-4030 to discuss options. Mental health support • Anthem’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers mental health support and resources to help with legal and financial concerns, dependent-care needs, and other life challenges. Call the 24/7 EAP crisis line at 877-208-8240. • Anthem website also offers resources for mental health support. • Crisis support is available if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or behavior, is experiencing emotional distress, or is behaving in a way that could harm others. Call 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the confidential Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24/7. In addition to the above, Anthem is taking the following steps on behalf of members: • Activating business continuity procedures to ensure continued access to care for impacted members. Please refer to https://www.anthem.com/ca for more information • Identifying members who may be medically impacted by smoke and fire. • Coordinating with providers (e.g., hospitals and nursing homes) to assist in the event of site closures. Anthem is also offering free access to its online health option, LiveHealth Online to anyone living in the impacted area. LiveHealth Online offers video visits with U.S.-based board-certified doctors on a mobile device or computer from anywhere for non-emergency health conditions. The free visit offer will be available through the end of the state of emergency. Important Notes: • The timing and locations for these relaxed guidelines may change based on conditions. Please check https://www.anthem.com/ca for updates. • These changes are for impacted members who reside in Los Angeles and Ventura counties in California and who have Anthem group health plans through their employers, or Anthem individual and family plans. They do not apply to Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage, Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans, or fully insured trust funds. These plans have their own guidelines. • Anthem’s Specialty lines of business do not include any pharmacy coverage. Therefore, this specific requirement about a 30-day emergency prescription refill is not applicable. All other requirements will apply to Specialty. For More Information or Help Quoting Anthem, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

Blue Shield of California is committed to supporting those affected by the wildfires and has shared some key resources to assist those impacted. Blue Shield will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed. • Immediate Prescription Refills: Members in mandatory evacuation zones can receive immediate refills of their prescriptions, even if they are not yet due for a refill. • Continuity of Care: Blue Shield Medical Care Solutions will proactively reach out to members enrolled in care and disease management programs in mandatory evacuation zones to ensure they continue receiving the care they need. • Virtual Care Options Members can access various telehealth services, including Teladoc and NurseHelp 24/7℠. Visit blueshieldca.com to review the specific virtual care options available under your plan. • Mental Health Support Our mental health service administrator provides free access to resources, materials, and counseling services through a dedicated hotline: (800) 327-7451. • Vision Plan Assistance Vision plan members in affected areas who have lost or broken eyewear may be eligible for replacement lenses and/or frames. For assistance, call Vision Customer Service at (855) 492-9028 (TTY: 711) during operating hours, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST. • Out-of-Network Provider Access Displaced members can see an appropriate out-of-network provider at in-network benefit levels and can replace medical equipment and supplies if needed. • Member Identification (ID) Card Replacement If members have lost their ID card, they can view and print a new card by logging into their online account at www.blueshieldca.com/login. Alternatively, the Blue Shield of California mobile app allows access to the ID card on mobile devices. For member needs assistance, please call the Customer Service number on the back of your ID card. Please visit Blue Shield of California Wildfire Assistance for the latest information and additional resources. For fire status updates and locations, please visit CalFire. Learn about the air quality in your area and encourage members to do so as well - https://www.airnow.gov. For More Information or Help Quoting Blue Shield, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

Health Net is providing special assistance to members affected by the LA fires and windstorm conditions. Health Net is committed to ensuring its members have uninterrupted access to essential prescription medications, critical Health Net information and healthcare services. Prescription Information • During the duration of the State of Emergency, members in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties affected by the fires and windstorm conditions can obtain an emergency supply of medication from the drug store where they originally filled their prescription. • If a member's drug store is closed, they can call Health Net at 1-800-400-8987 for assistance. Help with Coping Health Net members have access to Health Net Behavioral Health Services for coping support including referrals to mental health counselors, local services and phone consultations. These services support members coping with grief, stress or trauma related to the fires and windstorm conditions. Health Net Behavioral Health is available for crisis support 24 hours a day, seven days a week 1-800-400-8987 (TTY: 711). Video Medical Appointments If members cannot reach their primary care provider during a declared State of Emergency, Health Net provides access to telehealth services at no cost. To make an appointment, members can refer to their Health Net ID card for more information on accessing telehealth services. Members can also find this information by registering with and logging on to HealthNet.com. Information for Healthcare Providers Doctors and nurse practitioners can call Health Net at 1-800-641-7761 for help with: • Emergency prescription refill guidelines • Escalating approvals to reduce approval turnaround times • Approval for out-of-network treatments when in-network resources are unavailable Serving Those In Need To better serve medically vulnerable members in the evacuation zones, Health Net has proactively reached out to members who may need the most help, including those identified as experiencing homelessness and members who are wheelchair-bound, oxygen dependent and homebound to check in. Health Net has connected with over 800 members to provide information about: • Emergency shelters • Emergency prescription refills • Necessary medical supplies • Telehealth services and more Health Plan Premium Flexibility due to Financial Hardship Employers or individual members experiencing financial hardship due to impact from the fires should call us to discuss payment flexibility. For employers, please contact us at 1-800-828-2525 option 1 or email HN_Collections@healthnet.com. Individual members should contact the number on their ID cards to discuss, for Off Exchange, 1-800-839-2172 and for Covered California members, 1-888-926-4988. Special Enrollment Period (SEP) Individual residents in Los Angeles County affected by the fires may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) through Covered CA until March 8, 2025. To assist consumers, select “County under state of emergency” from the Qualifying Life Event dropdown menu and enter the date of the Qualifying Life Event on the Covered CA Special Enrollment page. This Qualifying Life Event is only available through Covered CA and not offered off exchange. Depending on how long the members need additional assistance, Health Net may take additional steps to ensure its members have access to necessary healthcare services. For More Information or Help Quoting Health Net, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

President Biden signed into law two bills, H.R. 3797 (the Paperwork Reduction Act) and H.R. 3801 (the Employer Reporting Improvement Act), which will positively impact applicable large employers (ALEs) and other entities required to furnish Forms 1095-B or 1095-C to individuals. Summary of the New Laws The Paperwork Reduction Act considers employers to meet their requirement to furnish Form 1095-B or 1095-C to employees if the following conditions are met: • The employer or reporting entity (e.g., insurance carrier) provides a clear, conspicuous and accessible notice that any individual who is otherwise required to receive the Form 1095-B or 1095-C can request a copy. • The employee can request a copy of the form, which the employer or reporting entity must provide no later than the later of: o January 31 of the year following the calendar year for which the return was required to be made; o 30 days after the date of such request. The Paperwork Reduction Act is effective for calendar year 2024 forms that are required to be furnished to employees in 2025. The Employer Reporting Improvement Act allows employers to provide Form 1095-B or 1095-C to individuals electronically if they have consented to receive it electronically. It also allows employers to use an individual’s date of birth, in lieu of a Social Security number, if the Social Security number is not available when completing the forms, except when reporting the employee on Form 1095-C. In addition, the Employer Reporting Improvement Act provides employers more time to respond to IRS employer shared responsibility payment (ESRP) letters. In many cases, employers are given approximately 30 days to respond to an initial ESRP letter from the IRS; however, the new law requires the IRS to give employers 90 days to respond to the initial letter before the IRS can take any action against the ALE. This gives employers significantly more time to review Letter 226J and gather the necessary data to prepare an appeal. The law applies to assessments proposed in taxable years beginning after the enactment of the law, i.e. initial Letters 226J sent after December 23, 2024. It will not extend the deadline for Letters 226J already sent to employers before December 23, 2024. Finally, the Employer Reporting Improvement Act established a six-year statute of limitations, beginning from the date the Forms 1094-C and 1095-C were required to be filed (or the date they were filed if filed after the filing deadline) for the IRS to seek an ESRP. This portion of the law is effective for the 2024 tax year forms (which are due in 2025) and beyond. To Read More Click Here

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