WSR 18-24-116
POLICY STATEMENT
HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY
(Public Employees Benefits Board)
[Filed December 5, 2018, 8:44 a.m.]
Notice of Administrative Policy Statements
The following is a list of administrative policies published by the public employees benefits board (PEBB) program. These policies are effective January 1, 2019. You can download the complete policy statements at www.hca.wa.gov/public-employee-benefits/rules-and-policies.
The following policies were amended:
Policy 11-1: Providing a notice to an employee and an employer. To clarify the requirements of an employer-to-employee and employee-to-employer notice, as stated in RCW 41.05.009(2) and 41.05.065 (4)(c)(iii), (iv), and (v).
Policy 11-3: Correcting employing agency and contracted vendor enrollment errors. This policy clarifies the requirements placed on an employing agency or contracted vendor when they correct their own enrollment errors as described in WAC 182-08-187.
Policy 15-1: Determining eligibility for a seasonal employee and maintenance of employer contribution through the off-season. This policy clarifies seasonal employee eligibility for PEBB benefits and the employer contribution.
Policy 17-2: Determining faculty eligibility after a layoff. Applying the criteria for maintaining the employer contribution toward insurance coverage for faculty following a layoff as described in WAC 182-12-129.
Policy 17-3: Determining faculty eligibility for off-quarter/semester or for decreases in workload. To clarify when a faculty member qualifies for the employer contribution toward insurance coverage during an off-quarter/semester or when there is a decrease in workload.
Policy 19-1: Termination due to loss of eligibility. This policy applies whenever coverage for a subscriber or a subscriber's dependent is terminated due to loss of eligibility.
Addendum 19-1A: Termination due to loss of eligibility: Employee.
Addendum 19-1B: Termination due to loss of eligibility: Self-pay subscriber.
Policy 21-1: Exemption from the retiree deferral form requirement. This policy exempts certain retirees from the "deferral form requirement" under WAC 182-12-171 (1)(d) and 182-12-205 (4)(a).
Policy 26-1: Administering PEBB insurance in coordination with Medicare Part D. To administer PEBB retiree medical plan enrollment in order to participate in the employer incentive program established in section 1860D-22 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.
Policy 31-1: Verifying dependent eligibility before enrollment. This policy clarifies which documents the PEBB program considers valid for dependent verification and identifies which accounts are included in the dependent verification process.
Policy 31-2: Use of premium surcharge help sheet and spousal plan calculator tools. This policy provides direction when a PEBB program subscriber enrolled in PEBB medical, but not enrolled in medicare Part A and Part B where medicare is the primary payer of claims, is determining if a premium surcharge will be applied for a spouse or state-registered domestic partner enrolled in PEBB medical.
Policy 33-1: Verifying legal union's residency status. This policy clarifies which documents the PEBB program considers valid for establishing state residency.
Policy 36-1: Certifying eligibility for a dependent child with a disability who is age 26 or older. This policy applies whenever a subscriber requests to enroll a dependent child with a disability who is age 26 or older to their PEBB program subscriber account.
Policy 37-1: Certifying eligibility for an extended dependent child. This policy applies when a subscriber submits the required forms to enroll an extended dependent child in the subscriber's PEBB benefits.
Policy 45-2: Special open enrollment (SOE). This policy applies whenever a subscriber requests an enrollment change or election change outside of the PEBB program annual open enrollment period.
Addendum 45-2A: Special Open Enrollment (SOE) matrix: Summary of permitted election changes.
Policy 56-1: Continuation coverage and retiree insurance coverage reinstatement for subscribers with mental or physical impairment or incapacitation. This policy applies whenever a subscriber (or another party acting on behalf of the subscriber) requests reinstatement of continuation coverage or retiree insurance coverage due to nonpayment of premiums, or applicable premium surcharges, for reason of mental or physical impairment or incapacitation.
This policy establishes the methodology that the PEBB program will use to make a determination of mental or physical impairment or incapacitation for the purpose of reinstatement of coverage terminated due to nonpayment of premiums, or applicable premium surcharges.
Policy 56-2: Election period tolling for applicants with mental or physical impairment or incapacitation. This policy applies whenever an applicant (or another party acting on behalf of the applicant) requests tolling of the continuation coverage, retiree insurance coverage, new employee eligibility, annual open enrollment, or special open enrollment election period for reason of mental or physical impairment or incapacitation.
This policy establishes the methodology that the PEBB program will use to make a determination of mental or physical impairment or incapacitation for the purpose of tolling the election period of continuation coverage, retiree insurance coverage, new employee eligibility, annual open enrollment, or special open enrollment.
Policy 60-1: Required appeals related documents when the PEBB program conducts a brief adjudicative proceeding. This policy clarifies what particular documents are required from an employing agency or third-party administrator when the PEBB program is conducting a brief adjudicative proceeding at the request of one of its employees or subscribers.
Policy 91-1: Requesting a reasonable alternative for completing wellness incentive program requirements or avoiding the tobacco use premium surcharge. This policy applies when a subscriber who is eligible to participate in the PEBB wellness incentive program is seeking a reasonable alternative to a wellness incentive program requirement in order to receive a wellness incentive as described in WAC 182-12-300.
This policy also applies when an enrollee on a PEBB medical plan is seeking a reasonable alternative so that a subscriber can avoid paying the tobacco use premium surcharge as described in WAC 182-08-185 (1)(c).
Policy 91-3: Washington wellness worksite designation program incentive requirements. This policy provides a set of requirements for state agencies to use when offering wellness incentives under the Washington wellness worksite designation program.
To receive a hard copy of the policy statements, contact Stella Ng, P.O. Box 42684, [Olympia,] WA 98501-2684, 360-725-0852, or Rob Parkman, 360-725-0883.