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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Med-Quest Enrollment Cancelled After HMSA Starts Losing Customers
By News Release @ 4:59 AM :: 7691 Views :: Health Care

State Spends $176K to Save HMSA

SA May 14, 2013: The additional expense is due to problems with this year’s Quest open enrollment, the annual period when members are allowed to change health plans. The department said Monday it canceled the open enrollment that began May 1 and was to have ended May 22.

The department sent information to 250,000 Quest members before the start of open enrollment. The problem with the first mailing was it left out Kaiser Permanente as a health plan choice on Oahu and Maui, so a second mailing was sent Wednesday.

The initial mailing cost $117,170, while a second correspondence to include Kaiser as an option cost $59,084, the department said Tuesday.

The department then canceled the open enrollment for May altogether and rescheduled it for June 17 to 28. The agency will send out a third mailing before June 17.

The department said the open enrollment was canceled because marketing by certain undisclosed health plans was not in compliance with state contracts.  (Uh-huh) In addition, (Finally getting to the point) a payment dispute between the Hawaii Medical Service Association and the Wai­anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center was causing confusion HMSA to lose 1000s of customers.

read ... State loses $176,254 on mailing blunders

  *   *   *   *   *

The Department of Human Services Reschedules 2013 Annual Health Plan Change

News Release from DHS May 13, 2013

The Department of Human Services (DHS) Med-QUEST Division (MQD) is canceling and rescheduling the current Annual Plan Change (APC) period.  The new APC period will be June 17 – 28, 2013.  Health plan changes will take effect August 1, 2013.  Reasons for the cancellation include the following:

  • Marketing by certain health plans was not done in compliance with requirements of their DHS contracts.  MQD continues to review all health plans marketing materials.
  • There has been some confusion about which QUEST health plans will be accepted by the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC). Although WCCHC may end its contract as a participating provider with HMSA QUEST, WCCHC will continue to be available to serve all community members including those with HMSA QUEST.

In addition, plan choice forms initially mailed by MQD on Oahu and Maui did not include Kaiser Permanente as a choice.  Kaiser lifted its enrollment limit and is now open to new members on those islands. DHS already addressed this issue by resending corrected plan choice forms on May 8, 2013.

The MQD will send new APC forms to all QUEST members. Members who prefer to remain with their current health plan should not fill out the plan change form.  This is the only time during the benefit year that QUEST clients can choose a health plan.

The five health plans serving QUEST members are AlohaCare, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, Ohana Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.  Kaiser is offered on Maui and Oahu only; the other health plans are offered statewide.

Health plan change requests already received by MQD will not be processed. Individuals, who wish to make a change to their current plan, must mail their new plan change form, or call MQD, during the new APC period June 17 – 28, 2013.  The DHS apologizes for the inconvenience.

For specific questions, Neighbor Island QUEST clients can contact their health plan directly, or call Med-QUEST Enrollment Services at 1-800-316-8005.  Oahu clients can call 524-3370.  More information about the DHS Med-QUEST Division, visit the DHS website

http://humanservices.hawaii.gov/mqd/

May 2: MED-QUEST EXTENDS ENROLLMENT DEADLINE

HNN: State delays enrollment for low-income health plans, costing taxpayers more money  "Waianae sent flyers to its 7,500 HMSA-covered QUEST patients saying their HMSA contracts would expire July 1, and as a result, thousands of people began signing up for other plans to get health coverage for visits there."

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