By Board of Pension and Health Care Benefits
ALCOA, Tenn. (March 6, 2017) -- At the 2016 Holston Annual Conference, the Board of Pensions and Health Care Benefits Board announced that all active employee participants and spouses participating in the health-care plan provided by the Annual Conference must have an annual wellness (physical) exam or their premiums will increase by $75 per month in 2018.
All participants and spouses should have their annual wellness (physical) exams complete by June 30, 2017. Those who fail to do so will see a monthly increase of an additional premium to the participant's portion of the monthly bill of $75 for the entire billing cycle of 2018.
This is an ongoing annual requirement that will lessen health-care cost and hopefully provide some preventative care for participants. At the end of December 2016 (six months into the required one-year time frame), out of 884 individual participants (including spouses who participate) only 173 individual wellness (physical) exams had been recorded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. This represents only 20 percent participation in the first six months.
If you participate (and if your spouse participates) in the conference health-care plan schedule your wellness (physical) exam now. Do not wait. Those who fail to meet the deadline of June 30, 2017, will have to pay an additional $900 in health-care premiums in 2018.
These exams are provided once per year at no cost to the participant or spouse who participates in the conference health-care benefit. Make sure you tell your doctor or provider you need your annual wellness (physical) exam.
NOTE: The annual exam is offered at no-cost and no-co-payment. However, should you seek additional health care at the same time (things other than those included in the annual exam) you may be charged co-payments and other expenses as required under the plan.
For more information, contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield by calling the member service number listed on the back of your provider card.