Virtual Enrollments for Life and Health Insurance Agents

With so many people staying home and staying safe due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to learn and use Virtual Enrollments.

In this PDF eBook you will learn to:

  • Identify your prospects and how you will reach them.
  • Meet with them virtually. Contact without contact.
  • Follow through the sale to effectuation.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD VIRTUAL ENROLLMENTS PDF >>

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Cigna Takes Action To Combat Systemic Racism And Improve Equality

Cigna Takes Action To Combat Systemic Racism And Improve Equity And Equality:  Cigna Corporation today issued a statement on systemic racism and a commitment to equity and equality:

“Racism and discrimination are destructive forces in any society,” said David Cordani, Cigna President and Chief Executive Officer. “We, as a global health service company, firmly and unequivocally denounce racism and discrimination in all forms and are committed to confronting these issues with intensity, empathy and accountability.”

In furtherance of this commitment, today we proudly launch our new Building Equity and Equality Program, a five-year initiative to expand and accelerate our efforts to support diversity, inclusion, equality and equity for communities of color.  Our mission is to improve the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve.  Below are key components of our program that are designed to fulfill this mission as we address these pressing issues.

Improve Health

There are striking differences in health outcomes in communities with poor social determinants of health, such as unstable housing, low income, unsafe neighborhoods or education.  It is well documented that these disparities disproportionately impact communities of color and, as a result, their health outcomes are worse than those of their white counterparts.

As part of our program, we are committing to closing these gaps in health outcomes by:

  • Eliminating barriers to health and improving access to care. Through the Cigna Foundation, we will continue to make grants available and convene a broad range of stakeholders – businesses, government entities, nonprofits, providers, delivery systems and community residents – all in an effort to eliminate barriers to health and improve access to care. This includes addressing needs amplified by COVID-19, such as food insecurity and mental health through our Healthier Kids For Our Future® program that specifically focus on the needs of our children. Additionally, we have been actively engaged with Congress and the Administration in efforts to address and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care delivery and outcomes. We will continue to use our seat at the table to share insights and solutions that address social determinants of health and improve our results to strengthen the health of all communities. For more information on our efforts to combat health disparities, please see our 2019 corporate responsibility report, Cigna Connects.
  • Expand Cigna’s Health Equity Council. Our team of multi-disciplinary leaders has collaborated on research, testing and solutions to prevent chronic diseases and improve health outcomes in minority communities since 2008. We will further accelerate these efforts to address clinical care, social determinants of health and health behaviors.

Improve Well-Being

Racism and bias not only impact health; they take a toll on overall well-being.  We believe that it is critical that no one feels the need to confront racism and bias alone and that everyone feels safe in their environment.  Therefore, as part of our program, we are taking the following actions:

  • Standing Together. We are inviting our 75,000+ employees to sign a commitment to embody inclusive behavior in their professional and personal lives. We are also inspiring and enabling our team members to collectively donate 100,000 hours of volunteerism annually for programs related to social justice, health equity, diversity and inclusion and community outreach.
  • Creating Inclusive Environments. We will now require unconscious bias training for all employees, and are planning cultural competency training for all managers, as a supplement to our existing training requirements. We will also continue to advance authentic and inclusive conversations about systemic racism in America. For example, in June, over 8,000 Cigna employees joined virtual, safe space facilitated discussions, which are now offered regularly. Additionally, we partnered with DiversityInc for a virtual panel on systemic racism in our communities, which was attended by more 12,300 clients and partners. The replay is available here.

Improve Peace of Mind

We recognize that financial health is a key element of peace of mind and that racism has a negative economic impact on people of color. We are taking steps to advance a positive trend for current and future generations by:

  • Creating Educational Opportunities. Education is the path to economic prosperity for many. Cigna is partnering with Howard University and the School Superintendent Association to bolster the effectiveness of school district leadership in our nation’s urban areas by funding fellowships for those on a career path to becoming an urban public school superintendent. We are also furthering Cigna Scholars, a program assisting dependents and grandchildren of employees who plan to pursue post-secondary or vocational education.
  • Promoting Equity and Equality in Career Advancement. We are committed to compensating our employees equitably and competitively, regardless of race, gender, age or sexual orientation. We will continue to proactively monitor our compensation programs for potential disparities, including conducting a regular annual review of pay equity, and diligently addressing disparities as warranted. Additionally, we will continue to support our mentoring program, including a key focus on creating cross-cultural pairings; we are committed to achieving increased diversity among leadership across the enterprise.
  • Supporting Minority Businesses. We are on track to achieve $1 billion in diverse supplier funding by 2025. We will also expand the Cigna Supplier Mentor Protégé Program, established in 2016, to assist minority suppliers by pairing them with Cigna executives for 18 months to help participants develop strategies to strengthen and grow their businesses.

Governance

Accountability is a key foundation of our overall program and we are establishing a governance process to oversee the program elements, while tracking and reporting on progress.

  • Enterprise Diversity & Inclusion Council. This Council will oversee all elements of our program and will regularly report progress to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer. Those executives will in turn regularly report progress to Cigna’s Board of Directors.
  • Diversity Scorecard. We will also develop and publish an annual diversity scorecard to advance the principles of diversity, equity and equality.

For more information on Cigna’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy, click here.

About Cigna
Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being, and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates, and Life Insurance Company of North America. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 180 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

 

Get Contracted with Cigna Health Today:

Get Contracted Now

 

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BCBSTX Launches Financial Relief Program to Help New and Existing Insured Customers

We’ve worked closely with our customers throughout the pandemic to understand the economic and health challenges they, their employees and our communities face. Every decision we’ve made as a company during these extraordinary times is through the lens of a long-term commitment to our members and our communities, with the goal to support our customers and members, just as we always have. In many cases, we have been actively working with our customers on a one-to-one basis to identify solutions that will provide short-term relief.

Now, as a result of our ongoing discussions with customers, we’re excited to announce the COVID-19 Economic Response Program, which is designed to help new and existing fully insured employer group customers during this unprecedented national emergency.

Briefly, we’re offering a premium deferral to existing fully insured customers and a two-year rate guarantee to new fully insured customers.

The charts below provide more detail.

COVID-19 Economic Response Program for Existing Insured Customers

Customers Option Method Recoupment Plan Decision
  • Fully insured
  • Size 51+ enrolled employees*
 Defer 50% of July billed medical and dental monthly premium

 

 

 Line item credit on future Customer Statement**

Example: Client X deferred one monthly premium in 2020 = $240,000

 

 Spread evenly across 12 monthly invoices in 2021 as a line item charge (regardless of anniversary date).

Impact is approx. 4.2% increase additional premium in 2021.

Example: Client X’s 2021 monthly invoice line item deferred premium charge = $240,000/12 = $20,000

*Account executives will help customers determine if an employer is eligible.
**Actual invoices credited will be subject to opt-in decision timing by customer. If opt-in signed form is received and processed by July 31, 2020, then credit will appear on the September Customer Statement. If received and processed after July 31, 2020, or signed opt-in form is received by Aug. 15, 2020, then credit will appear on the October Customer Statement.

COVID-19 Economic Response Program for New Insured Business (New Employer Group to BCBSTX) with effective dates from July 2020 through January 2021

Customers Option Method Recoupment Plan Decision
  • New customers with effective dates from July 2020 through January 2021
  • Fully insured
  • Size 51+ enrolled employees
 Default Option 24-month rate guarantee at first 12 months rates for medical and dental No rate increases in the first 24 months. Policy year limited to 12 months and a renewal will be provided. No recoupment needed Decision and criteria will be indicated in the additional provisions of the BPA, which must be signed prior to the effective date.
Alternate Option Defer 30% of first 3 months of medical and dental premiums* Line item credits** for first 3 months will appear on customer statements for months 2-4 and recoupment over the last 8 months will appear on customer statements for months 5-12. Recoup the deferment in the remaining eight months as a line item charge with maximum 9.9% first-year renewal increase for medical and maximum 5.0% first-year renewal increase for dental

 

 Decision and criteria will be indicated in the additional provisions of the BPA, which must be signed prior to the effective date.

Exceptions will be made for July and August 2020 effective dates to process and sign a revised BPA given the timing of the release of the COVID-19 Economic Response Program.

*Account executive to work with underwriter to capture and document.
**Actual invoices credited will be subject to opt in to this option and decision timing by customer.

Who’s eligible?
Most fully insured groups 51+ enrolled employees will be eligible.

Who isn’t eligible?

  • Self-funded groups, MPP, Cost+, ACA-rated small groups, Blue Balance FundedSM, student health, ADM, MEWA/PEO, association health plans, retrospective premium accounts, customers on private multi-carrier exchanges, and prospective retention accounts.
  • Accounts in stage two of delinquency are also not eligible, but those groups will be given a chance to rectify that status by July 31, 2020, so that they may qualify. (Stage two delinquency is defined as accounts with payments that are 30 days past due.)

 

Looking for BCBS o Texas Contracting?  Look no further…

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