The Jefferson Health Plan

January 2022 Issue #28

The latest JHP News and Announcements

Welcome VIRGINIA to the Jefferson Health Plan

In the fall of 2021, JHP welcomed five Virginia political subdivisions to the consortium.

The picture to the left is of the Virginia Supervisory Board.

WELCOME!

JHP Semi-Annual Meeting

Wednesday

April 20, 2022

More information coming soon.

Be sure to mark your calendars and save the date!

State Employee Relations Board SERB Survey Time

JHP Account Managers (Jen, Kristin and Michelle) are offering to complete your group’s survey, on your behalf, and submit it to SERB by the deadline of March 4, 2022.

If you wish for the AM’s to do this, please communicate the following:

The SERB 2022 Health Insurance Survey email from Justin Brown, should have been sent to you directly.

Please forward the entire email to: jhpemployer@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

One of the AMs will confirm receipt and will be in touch should information be needed from you.

We ask that you let us know by February 4, 2022 if you want us to complete your survey. This gives our AMs time to gather the required information to complete the survey by the March 4th deadline.

Legal Update

W-2 Reporting of Health Coverage

The Affordable Care Act requires employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on an employee’s Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, in Box 12, using Code DD. The reporting requirement currently applies only to employers who filed 250 or more eligible employee W-2 Forms in the preceding year. Employers are required to provide the information by January 31, 2022. The reporting requirement remains optional for employers issuing fewer than 250 W2 forms. Additional information is at the IRS website at: https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/form-w-2-reporting-of-employer-sponsored-health-coverage (IRS page last reviewed or updated June 24, 2021).

CMS Disclosure for 1/1 Renewal

As you may recall, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require all employers who offer prescription drug plans to give plan participants annual notice that their current prescription drug coverage is as creditable as the coverage offered to qualified retirees through Medicare Part D plans. The notice for your plan was provided to you for distribution to your participants this past October. In addition to the distribution of notices to participants, employers are also required to electronically file a confirmation with CMS verifying some general plan information and that the notices were sentto participants onorbeforeOctober 15.ForCMS creditablecoverage reportingpurposes,“planyear” means annual renewal period. Disclosure to CMS must be made within 60 days after the beginning of the “plan year” (annual renewal period). Therefore, 1/1/2022 renewals must file online on or before March 1st 2022.

The website is as follows:
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-Drug-Coverage/CreditableCoverage/CCDisclosureForm.html

The CMS Guidance and Screen Prints for the electronic filing can be found to the left of the fields of entry. When reviewing the screen print examples, please note that some sections of the Disclosure Form may not apply to your plan. Only fields relevant to your plan may appear on your screen. Also note that Total Number of Medicare Part D Eligible Individuals covered as of Plan Year Beginning Date can be acquired from your TPA.

IRS’s Final 2021 ACA Reporting Forms and Instructions, and Proposed Regulations

The IRS has released final Affordable Care Act (ACA) information reporting forms 1094/1095-B and 1094/1095-C and instructions to report information about employer-sponsored health coverage for the 2021 calendar year. Links to the forms and instructions are below:

1094-B: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1094b--2021.pdf 1095-B: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1095b--2021.pdf 1094-C: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1094c--2021.pdf 1095-C: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1095c--2021.pdf
Instructions for Forms 1094/5 B: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i109495b--2021.pdf Instructions for Forms 1094/5 C: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i109495c--2021.pdf

Legal Updatecontinued . . .

As a reminder, ACA created reporting requirements under the Internal Revenue Code (Code) Sections 6055 and 6056. These sections require employers and providers of health insurance coverage to report certain information to the IRS, full-time employees, and other plan participants each year about the health plan coverage they offer (or do not offer) or provide to their employees. Reporting under Sections 6055 and 6056 involves one or both of two sets of forms: the

"B-Series” forms (Forms 1094-B and 1095-B) and the “C-Series” forms (Forms 1094-C and 1095-C) (collectively, the “Forms”). Each set of forms includes a transmittal form (Forms 1094-B and 1094-C), which serves as a cover page to the individualized forms (Forms 1095-B and 1095-C), which are prepared for each employee for whom the employer is required to report. The B Forms are filed by minimum essential coverage providers (mostly insurers and government-sponsored programs, but also some self-insuring employers and others) to report coverage information in accordance with Code § 6055. The C Forms are filed by applicable large employers (ALEs) to comply with Code § 6056, providing information that the IRS needs to administer employer shared responsibility under Code § 4980H and eligibility for premium tax credits. In addition to being filed with the IRS, Forms 1095-B and 1095-C are furnished to individuals. ALEs with self-insured health plans report coverage information on Form 1095-C.

On	November	22,	2021,	the	Department	of	Treasury	and	the	IRS	issued	proposed	regulations (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-12-06/pdf/2021-25785.pdf, published on December 6, 2021), which would generally intended to provide Forms 1095-B and 1095-C reporting relief.
•	Permanent Extension of Individual Reporting Deadline: Under the statutory language of the ACA, reporting entities are supposed to issue the Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to employees and individuals by January 31 each year and current regulations allow the IRS to grant an extension of time of up to 30 days to furnish Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to individuals for good cause shown. Theproposedregulationsprovideapermanent 30-day extension for reporting entities to furnish Forms 1095-C and 1095-B to individuals, which generally means self-funded employers, ALEs, insurers, and other coverage providers now have until March 2, 2022 (or the next business day if this date falls on a weekend or legal holiday) to provide Forms 1095-B/C to employees and individuals. This extension for providing Forms 1095-B/C to individuals is now automatic and permanent.
•	Due Date NOT Extended for Forms to IRS: The due dates for filing Forms 1094-B/C with the IRS are not extended. Therefore, employers filing by paper must submit their Forms to the IRS by February 28, 2022. Those filing electronically have until March 31, 2022. Extensions of these filing deadlines are available by filing Form 8809. As a reminder,employersandcoverageproviderswhoarefilingmorethan250ofthesereportingformsarerequired to file electronically.
•	Alternative Method for Furnishing Certain Forms

o For “non-large” employers (generally, employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees) that sponsor self-funded group health plans, they are not required to furnish individuals with a copy of the Form 1095-B as long as the entity posts a “clear and conspicuous notice” on the entity’s website stating that individuals may receive a copy of their statement upon request. The notice must both an email and a physical address that individuals can use to request their Form 1095-B, and a telephone number that individuals can use to contact the entity with questions. The proposed regulations contain an example showing how an entity can provide a “clear and conspicuous notice.” The entity must also retain thenoticeonitswebsiteuntilOctober15oftheyearfollowingthecalendaryeartowhichtheformrelates. For example, for the 2021 reporting year, the notice must stay on the entity’s website until October 15, 2022.

Legal Updatecontinued . . .

o The proposed regulations generally do not extend this relief to “applicable large employers” (generally, employers with 50 or more full-time employees) that are subject to the ACA’s employer shared responsibility payment (i.e., the “pay or play” penalty) and sponsor self-funded group health plans. There is an exception for Forms 1095-C that are prepared on behalf of part-time employees and non-employees enrolled in the employer’s self-funded group health plan (such as former employees enrolled in the self-funded group health plan under COBRA or retiree coverage). With respect to these individuals, the employerwouldnotberequiredtofurnishForm1095-C totheseemployeesiftheemployercomplieswith therequirementslistedabove(i.e.,theemployerpostsa“clearandconspicuousnotice”ontheemployer’s website that the Form 1095-C is available upon request, retains the notice on its website until October 15 oftheyearfollowingthecalendar year towhich the formrelates, and furnishes the Form1095-Cwithin 30 daysuponrequest). Notably,thereliefdoesnotapplywithrespecttotheemployer’sfull-timeemployees.

•	Good Faith Relief No Longer Available: The IRS has historically provided penalty relief for failure to accurately complete these forms provided that employers made a good faith effort at compliance. Consistent with Notice 2020-76,pertheProposedRule,theIRSintendstoeliminatethegoodfaithefforttocomplyreliefthatwasineffect fromtaxyears2015-2020.theIRS has announcedthatrelieffor inaccuracieswill not begrantedin futureyears. For calendaryear2021reportingandbeyond,reportingentitieswillnolongerhavethisreliefavailableandmustensure accurateinformationisreported.Employerswhoarepenalizedforaccuracy-relatederrorsmayhaveanopportunity to appeal under the “reasonable cause” standard, which is stricter than the good faith standard.

Rapid COVID-19 Testing

The Biden administration is purchasing 500 million at home, rapid COVID-19 tests to distribute to Americans at no cost in response to a rise in cases spurred in part by the highly contagious Omicron variant, the White House announced in late December 2021. Here are some highlights/updates:

The White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials gave a briefing (White House COVID Briefing) on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 that “the deliveries of tests from manufacturers to the U.S. government will begin over the next week or so. Americans will start receiving free tests in the coming weeks. We will set up a free and easy system, including a new website, to get these tests out to Americans.”

(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/01/05/press-briefing-by-white-house-covid-19-response-team-and-public-health-officials-77/)

The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury will issue guidance by January 15th to clarify that individuals who purchase over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests will be able to seek reimbursement from their group health plan or health insurance issuer and have insurance cover the cost during the public health emergency. The reimbursement mandate won't be retroactive for past purchases. A White House official in the White House COVID Briefing on January 5, 2022 said that “the reimbursement for rapid at-home tests will start next week.”

Legal Updatecontinued . . .

In Ohio, the state government is working with various partners to make rapid COVOID testing available:

Community Access

The state is working with local health departments, public libraries, community health centers and other community partners to make rapid tests – both at-home and onsite – available and accessible for all Ohioans.

Schools

The state has also determined that education, both K-12 and higher education, are appropriate uses for these state-provided tests.

Employers

The state is not providing testing to directly support employer-based testing. However, the “Employer Testing Resources” https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/resources/general-resources/rapid-covid-19-test provides information about how employers can get start their own testing program.

Types of Rapid At-Home Tests

Ohio has invested in two types of tests that can be used at home, for different purposes. The first is a proctored home test that uses a telehealth session to guide the user through the testing, and produces a documented result that can be used for official purposes like travel, return to school, or ending quarantine. Initiate a BinaxNOW Home test session by visiting Ohio.emed.com

The second type of test is an over-the-counter version of the BinaxNOW test, that is a self-administered test; i.e., there is no proctor to guide the user. The user may self-report results into the public health system through Abbott’s NAVICA smartphone app, or at www.mynavica.abbott. The over-the-counter test results are for personal use and do not produce a result that can be used for travel, return to school, or to end quarantine in Ohio.

•	Find rapid testing in Ohio using the testing map

Account Management Update

EAP – Employee Assistance Program

Monthly Engagement Themes 2022:

JHP EAP Program

The JHP EAP Program includes:

January February March April May June July August
September October November December

Understanding Drug & Alcohol Addiction Stress & Heart Health
Benefits of Good Sleep Autism Awareness Overcoming Stigma PTSD
Relax and Recharge
Back to School: Mental Wellness Suicide Prevention Awareness Recognizing Depression Caregiver Support
Financial Wellness

EAP Counseling Achieve Solutions Work/Life Service Legal/Financial Services

www.achievesolutions.net/jhp Articles
Audio-Video Clips Webinars Trainings Assessments Resources

EAP Workplace Consultants (EWCs) work directly with managers and human resources staff to help them grow their skills and learn how to

January Promotional Theme

“Understanding Drug and Alcohol Addiction”

The Achieve Solutions website contains many articles. Please visit the site www.achievesolutions.net/jhp to locate the information.

Addiction affects every aspect of a person’s life: their relationships, their financial stability, and their health. When addiction spills over into the workplace, the results can range from reduced productivity and increased absenteeism to impaired job performance and heightened workplace safety risk.

deal effectively with employees and workgroups providing: Trainings Health Fairs
Management Consultations Management Referrals Critical Incident Consultation Disruptive Event Management Consultation
EWCs are available 24/7 to consult with managers on an unlimited basis at no additional charge.

Call: 1.877.233.0976

Achieve Solutions is a Beacon Health Options website.

Finance & Underwriting Update

Paying your JHP Invoice	JHP SERVICE CONTACTS
Billing billing@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Investment (US Bank/Audit) invest@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Moratoria moratoria@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Making ACH payments to the Jefferson Health Plan is the quickest way to have funds posted to your reserve account. ACH payments eliminate the manual processing of check payments and bank deposits. Please consider sending your next payment via ACH. Use the following Huntington Bank information:

Huntington Bank, Routing #041215032, Account #01780411701

JHP Invoice Adjustments

Monthly invoices are generated using eligibility data from third party administrators (TPAs). Due to timing issues, invoice adjustments may be needed before payment is remitted. Please send invoice adjustments to the Jefferson Health Plan via email (billing@thejeffersonhealthplan.org). Once

Renewals renewals@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Legal and Compliance legal@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Ohio Valley Pool ovp@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Quotes quotes@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Employee with Questions (Wellness & EAP)
jhpmember@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Employer with Questions jhpemployer@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Broker with Questions broker@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Life Insurance lifeinsurance@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

received, a revised invoice will be sent. This process will ensure that payments match the invoice.

Don’t know who to contact?

Remember . . . If you need access to the GJM ShareFile site, which includes JHP Actuarial Valuation Reports; Liability and Funded Status Detail (which includes IBNR) and financial statements . . .

Contact your Account Manager for access and help with ACH or Invoice questions.

Reach out to any

JHP ACCOUNT MANAGER

Kristin Fischer kfischer@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Michelle Milliken mmilliken@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Jen Motter jmotter@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

JHP Update . . .

Welcome to JHP Carmella Vein!

Carmella Vein recently joined The Jefferson Health Plan as a Data/Business Analyst.	Her professional background includes Health Information Management and Healthcare Finance.	She is a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and plans to further her education and obtain more professional certifications. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Jason, and two daughters, Danielle and Gabriella, and dog, Jack. She alsoenjoys sports (she is a basketballmom) and she loves the city of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her hobbies include reading, photography, and learning to speak Italian. She is excited to be here and is looking forward to a new year of growth and development. Please join us in welcoming her to The Jefferson Health Plan!

Our quarterly newsletter is another way to reach out to current JHP groups and communicate issues that directly impact our members. We will be providing updates on what is happening in the consortium as well as pertinent information that affects us all.

If you have items that you would like to see in these updates, feel free to let us know!

Email: jhpemployer@thejeffersonhealthplan.org

Do you need HIPAA training and certification? JHP will provide on-line HIPAA training and certification that will be available for all JHP members.

More information coming soon!

The Jefferson Health Plan
2023 Sunset Blvd. ● Steubenville, OH 43952 740.792.4010 www.thejeffersonhealthplan.org Facebook: JHP Twitter: @JHealthplan