December 21, 2012

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will be closed for the holidays on
Monday, Dec. 24, Tuesday, Dec. 25 and Tuesday, Jan. 1.
BlueVISION will not be published on Dec. 28.

Happy holidays to you and your family, and thank you for your continued business.

Legislative Update
W-2 Reporting
The Affordable Care Act requires employers to report the aggregate cost of coverage under applicable employer-sponsored coverage on an employee’s Form W-2.
Review the requirements and resources for employers.

Legislative Update
HHS Releases Frequently Asked Questions Document on Exchanges, Market Reforms and Medicaid
The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) recently issued Frequently Asked Questions to help answer questions states may have about Affordable Care Act-related subjects.
Find out what topics are included.

Legislative Update
December 2012 Legislative Highlights Available
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois creates "legislative highlight sheets" to help you stay current on the Affordable Care Act and other legislative issues that affect you the most. The new highlight sheet summarizes the most current legislative updates through November 2012. Topics include the presidential election outcomes, expectations for regulations in 2013, and more.

ACA Fees Take Effect Jan. 1, 2014
The Affordable Care Act established a number of taxes and fees that will affect fully insured and self-funded/ASO benefit plans starting on Jan. 1, 2014. Two of these fees are the Reinsurance Fee and the Health Insurer Fee.
Learn more about the fees and their impact.

Pharmacy Program Changes Effective Jan. 1, 2013
Additions, deletions and dispensing limit changes are being made to the standard formulary.
See what's changing.

Blue Access for Employers^SM Tip: Security Manager
If you're a Delegated Administrator or Alternate Delegated Administrator, now is a good time to review the users who have access to Blue Access for Employers (BAE) for your account.
Follow these easy steps.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans Are Focused on the New Health Care Environment Amid Affordable Care Act Implementation
Darren Rodgers, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas recently discussed current and future health care trends and their impact on the industry.
Learn more.

Health and Wellness
Help Make It a Stress-Free Holiday with an eCard for Health^SM
The Stress-Free Holidays eCard and coping tips are available to share with your employees.
Share these tips and eCard.

Fit Facts: Are You Drinking Your Calories?
From eggnog to glogg and more, this holiday season you might be getting a full day’s worth of calories before you even take your first bite.
Share these tips to help make good choices.

Do We Have Your Correct Contact Information?
If you have a new email address, log in to Blue Access for Employers^SM and click on the User Profile to update your information. Or contact your BCBSIL representative. Want a coworker to receive BlueVISION? Add coworkers here.