To help you navigate the new provider networks, we’ve renamed the medical plans:

If you’re currently in the ArtCare plan or considering it for next year, be aware benefit levels will be different starting July 1—when it’s known as Blue Choice.

Coverage Tiers

Each time you receive care, you’ll have a choice of two tiers of in-network benefits:

• Tier 1*: Similar to the current ArtCare benefits (you pay no deductible or coinsurance), but available only if you use providers in the Blue Choice OPT PPO network
  Hospitals included: Advocate, Northwestern, Rush, and several other community hospitals
• Tier 2*: If you use providers outside the Blue Choice OPT PPO but still inside the Participating Provider Organization (PPO) Network, you’ll pay a deductible and coinsurance
  Hospitals included: Lurie Children’s, NorthShore, University of Chicago, and several other community hospitals that are not in Tier 1

*Each participating hospital is in EITHER Tier 1 or Tier 2, but not both. Out-of-network care is not covered.

For benefit details, see the Medical and Prescription Drug Plans at a Glance.

No Vision Coverage

ArtCare includes a small vision benefit that won’t be included in Blue Choice. For vision coverage effective July 1, 2020, consider the vision plan administered by EyeMed.

All three medical plans include MDLive telemedicine visits—convenient for many routine health care needs. See a qualified health care provider from the comfort and privacy of home, via online video or phone call.

Starting July 1, 2020, there’s no copay under the Blue Choice and Blue PPO plans for medical or behavioral health telemedicine visits. With the Blue PPO + HSA, you’ll continue cost sharing with the Art Institute because of IRS rules that apply to consumer-driven health plans. But you can use your HSA to pay for these services. And telemedicine visits apply toward Blue PPO + HSA plan deductibles.

Receive a prescription as part of a visit?  Your cost for medication is based on your medical plan’s prescription drug benefits.

Health care costs are a challenge for all of us, and we’re committed to sharing those costs in the fairest way possible. Over time, the Art Institute’s contribution toward ArtCare plan premiums has become disproportionately high when you consider that plan’s high benefit levels.

Starting July 1, 2020, the Art Institute will contribute roughly the same percentage toward each medical plan, with participants responsible for the remaining share. As a result, employee contributions for the Blue Choice (the ArtCare replacement) will increase while Blue PPO (ArtCare Plus) contributions will decrease. Blue PPO + HSA (Art Savvy) contributions will see only minimal changes, with the Art Institute continuing its HSA contribution: $500 for Employee Only or $1,000 for Employee + Dependent or Family coverage.

• Check to see if your providers are in-network for the BCBSIL plan you’re considering.
• Watch for a new medical/Rx plan ID card. To make sure claims are handled correctly, show your BCBSIL ID card at health care visits beginning July 1, 2020. Submit your claims for services through June 30, 2020 to Cigna.
• In the middle of prenatal care or treatment for a critical or chronic condition, and your current provider is not in-network with BCBSIL?
  Expect to hear from the BCBSIL health advocates by mail or phone to help you transition your care from Cigna to BCBSIL.
• Call BCBSIL health advocates at (855) 418-9393. The advocates are ready to answer your Open Enrollment questions starting now. And starting June 26, they’ll offer full-service assistance. Health advocates are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. CT.

Partnering with Prime Therapeutics for retail and mail order

Under all three medical plans, prescription drug benefits will be administered by Prime Therapeutics. Prime’s network includes most of the same pharmacies that are in-network with Express Scripts—CVS Caremark, Walgreens, Osco Drugs, and more. A few remote pharmacies may not be in-network.

To find an in-network pharmacy, call a BCBSIL health advocate at (855) 418-9393 or go to MyPrime.com. The pharmacy network is Traditional Select. Keep in mind, if you use an out-of-network pharmacy, your medications won’t be covered by the plan.

Note: Prescriptions will no longer be covered through the Express Scripts pharmacy network or mail order service.

New drug formulary

Prime’s lists of approved generic and brand-name drugs (formulary) differs from Express Scripts’, so make sure you review the Prime lists before filling a prescription on or after July 1, 2020. For details, see the links under What you need to do now or call a BCBSIL health advocate at (855) 418-9393.

Options for maintenance medications (90-day supply only)

For drugs you take on an ongoing basis (maintenance medications), you’ll have two options:

• AllianceRx Walgreens Prime mail-order: Get a 90-day supply mailed to your home with free shipping and auto refills
• Walgreens retail: Pick up a 90-day supply at your local Walgreens

Maintenance medications will not be covered at non-Walgreens pharmacies or in supplies of less than 90-days.

Penalty if you choose brand over generic

If your doctor prescribes a brand-name drug and specifies “dispense as written,” you won’t be responsible for paying the difference between the brand name and generic (if available) cost. But if your doctor does not specify “dispense as written” and you choose a brand name over a generic drug, you’ll have to pay the cost difference.

• Check if your current pharmacy is in-network with Prime Therapeutics.
• To save money, see if your medications are on these lists:
  • Balanced Drug List (formulary), preferred with all three medical plans
  • No-Cost Preventive Drugs, no cost for all three medical plans
  • HSA Preventive Drugs, no deductible, 15% coinsurance for Blue PPO + HSA only (also referred to as Enhanced Drug List)

  If not, talk to your doctor about switching to similar medications that are listed. Some medications have special requirements like prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits. If any of these apply to you, Prime will work with you and your doctor to manage this transition.

• Currently using Express Scripts for home delivery?
  • If you have refills left, your information will automatically transfer to
    AllianceRx.
  • If you don’t have any refills left, ask your doctor to send a new 90-day prescription to AllianceRx on or after July 1, 2020. Contact your doctor well in advance, so you won’t have an interruption in your supply.
  • In both cases above, keep in mind the new drug formulary with Prime.
  • If you have questions:
    • During Open Enrollment, contact a BCBSIL health advocate at (855) 418-9393.
    • On or after July 1, 2020, you can also contact AllianceRx Walgreens Prime at (877) 357-7463. You may need to register at AllianceRx.

Both dental plans (Dental HMO and Dental PPO) will be administered by BCBSIL. Compared with our current administrator Cigna, BCBSIL gives you access to more dentists.

While Dental PPO benefits aren’t changing, the BCBSIL Dental HMO benefits may differ slightly from Cigna.

• Check if your current dentist is in-network with BCBSIL.
• Watch for a dental plan ID card from BCBSIL if enrolled in the Dental PPO. To ensure your claims are handled correctly, show your BCBSIL ID card at visits beginning July 1, 2020. Dental HMO participants will not receive a separate ID card.
• Submit claims for services through June 30, 2020 to Cigna.

To help simplify your financial life, we’re moving the Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) to Voya. You’ll still get the tax savings available with these pretax accounts, but now you’ll be able to access them through the same provider as your 403(b) retirement account.

Voya will be your single portal to view and manage multiple financial benefits from the Art Institute. You’ll find online calculators and other tools to help maximize your and/or your family’s overall finances.

• If you currently participate in the FSA(s) with PNC:
  • Continue to submit eligible expenses incurred through June 30, 2020 to PNC for reimbursement. The deadline for doing this is September 30, 2020.
  • If you enroll in an FSA for the plan year July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, watch for welcome materials explaining how to set up online account access.
  • If you have an unused Health Care or Limited Purpose FSA balance after September 30, 2020, that balance (up to $500) will transfer to your Voya FSA only if you re-enroll for the July 1, 2020–June 30, 2021 plan year.
• If you currently have an HSA with PNC: Voya will coordinate a transition of your current HSA balance to Voya Financial in September.
  Watch for more details after Open Enrollment.

Have a question?

Contact Voya at (833) 232-4673 or [email protected].