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BLUE REWARDSFrequently Asked Questions

For Fully Insured Groups 51+

What is Blue Rewards?

Blue Rewards encourages members to learn more about their plan and take an active role in managing their health and well-being. Members can earn rewards by participating in activities for a healthier living, engaging in health and wellness programs, making smart decisions on where they seek care and taking an active role in their personal health care decisions.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) will notify members that they are eligible for rewards in various ways such as email, direct mail or on Blue ConnectSM. A member can always access the Blue Rewards Activity Center to see rewardable activities at any time. Participation in Blue Rewards activities is completely voluntary. The detailed responses for activities such as health screenings and health assessments will not be shared with the employer and won’t be used in making any employment decisions.

What are the most notable changes for Blue Rewards in 2017?

We are including more reward opportunities for targeted activities such as engaging in case management or getting a preventive screening at a high-quality, low-cost facility for SmartCare Colonoscopy. Rewards for these activities are only available to members identified and targeted by BCBSNC and are not available to all members. Also, the reward opportunities will be available to members on a limited timeframe. A member can see when each activity expires in the Blue Rewards Activity Center on Blue Connect.

When does the redesigned Blue Rewards launch?

New and renewing groups will be included in the redesigned Blue Rewards experience beginning with 1/1/17 effective dates. Groups with their effective dates prior to 1/1/17 will continue in their 2016 Blue Rewards experience.

What is the goal of Blue Rewards?

Reaching out to members when a specific need is identified is one way we help our members take control of their health. Blue Rewards is designed to encourage member accountability with an added incentive for making healthy decisions and engaging in specific programs.

Who can participate in Blue Rewards?

Members who are at least 18 or older may be eligible for Blue Rewards. Some activities may be available to all members 18+, while others may be available on a targeted basis. Reward opportunities may vary from member to member. Members should access their Blue Rewards Activity Center for their specific Blue Rewards opportunities. A member becomes eligible on their 18th birthday.

Which members are excluded from Blue Rewards?

Members under the age of 18, Student Group members, State Health Plan, FEP and ASO group members are excluded from Blue Rewards.

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How do members qualify for gift card rewards?

BCBSNC will continue to monitor the actions that can benefit our members to improve health outcomes and save on costs. Members will be targeted for specific activities, and will qualify for rewards for completing these activities.

For example, we know the importance of a member understanding their health plan. We are targeting all members, age 18 and older in the 51+ fully-insured group market, to be eligible for a reward for watching a video and taking a quick survey to learn more about their plan. Since this activity benefits the member the most near the beginning of their plan year, this reward will only be available for the first 90 days of the plan year.

Why is there an expiration date on when a member can receive a reward for an activity?

All Blue Rewards activities have an expiration date tied to when a member can receive the reward for completing the activity. Blue Rewards is designed to reach the member at the right time for an action to be taken that can have the most impact on health outcomes or cost avoidance. The reward is designed to steer the member to take the action at the most impactful time. The member can still complete the activity beyond the expiration date; however, the member will only receive the reward if completed prior to the expiration date. The expiration date can be found by viewing the activity on the Blue Rewards Activity Center.

How are members being targeted? Is claims data required to target members?

Targeted outreach is about continually analyzing the health status of our membership and identifying opportunities to create value; value that is realized through better health outcomes and/or reduced costs. We use many different types of data including claims data, provider data, program engagement, and member preferences to create relevant campaigns that encourage members to take action. The action might include participating in a health care program, completing a survey or getting a preventive screening. This persistent process is ongoing and these campaigns will continue to evolve as we mature the program. For example, BCBSNC may identify members through our segmentation model as being high risk and needing case management. We may incent these members for participating in this beneficial program offered by BCBSNC.

What programs can members of a new group receive a gift card for?

Since some of the rewardable activities are based off of claims information, groups that are new to BCBSNC and do not have at least 2 years of claims experience may not have members that are identified with open care gaps or other claims-based triggers. Although claims are used to target specific members for some activities, there are other engagement activities that new members may complete for a gift card reward.

What types of rewardable activities may be offered?

Rewardable activities are determined by BCBSNC and may vary throughout the year. Examples of potential reward opportunities include:

+ Watching a video to learn about your health plan

+ Updating your personal information

+ Taking surveys or assessments to learn about risk factors

+ Getting preventive care services at a high-quality, low-cost facility

+ Engaging in programs to improve your health and wellness or manage a condition

Not all activities are available to all members and dollar values may vary. Activities may be added or deleted throughout the plan year and activities may only be available for a limited time.

Why is BCBSNC offering gift cards for engagement?

BCBSNC believes in the importance of incenting and rewarding members for making good decisions around their health care. We are committed to improving the health outcomes of our members and keeping costs down. We know that informed decision making by our members helps with both of these goals. The gift card for completing an activity both acts as an incentive to motivate our members to engage with us and as a thank you for taking accountability for their health.

Do fully-insured groups have to opt into participation for the new Blue Rewards?

No, Blue Rewards is part of the standard offer for BCBSNC insured business.

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What if my group would like to opt out of the program?

Blue Rewards is offered to individual under-65 and group insured business as part of the BCBSNC standard offer. An insured group cannot opt out of the program.

Are you charging group clients extra for administration of gift cards for members?

There are no additional program fees for the Blue Rewards program or the administration of gift cards for fully-insured groups.

If a group has a renewal date outside of January 1, 2017, can they still participate in the new Blue Rewards incentive program?

The Blue Rewards experience will change for group members as the group renews in 2017. For non-January effective groups, their Blue Rewards experience will be the same as in 2016 until their 2017 renewal date.

If my group has members that live out of state, can they still receive rewards for engaging in targeted programs?

If out-of-state members are targeted, then they will have the ability to engage and earn a reward. However, there may be some steerage opportunities that may apply only to in-state members going to in-state network facilities.

If a group wants to add the enhanced Healthy Outcomes with Blue Rewards wellness program, how is this implemented?

The Healthy Outcomes with Blue Rewards wellness program is an employee wellness program that adds additional group onsite services and reward opportunities for employees. A group must notify their BCBSNC account representative to include this additional wellness program during the renewal/new sale process. The Healthy Outcomes with Blue Rewards program must be included at the time of quote. Please talk to your account representative for more details.

Is there group-facing reporting available to track engagement and incentive distribution?

There is a summary and detail report that is provided as part of the Healthy Outcomes with Blue Rewards wellness program. This report will not have all Blue Rewards engagement included due to the sensitive nature of some campaigns that include PHI.

How do members know about Blue Rewards opportunities?

BCBSNC will communicate reward opportunities to members through many different channels – email, direct mail and via Blue Connect. A member is directed to log in to BlueConnectNC.com to access the Blue Rewards Activity Center. There, they will see the activities and programs that they can do to earn rewards. As they complete activities, they can track their progress in the Blue Rewards Activity Center. Note that it may take some time for activities to appear as complete in the Activity Center.

How does a member know how to go about completing the reward activity?

Each reward opportunity will have details on what the member needs to do to earn their reward. This may include following a link to take a survey or watch a video, call a number to engage in a health and wellness program or selecting the appropriate place of service for a preventive screening.

When will an activity show up as completed?

When a member completes an activity, there is a delay before the activity will show as completed on their Activity Center. For most activities, there may be a delay of up to 10 days before the activity shows as complete. For claims-related services, this timeline may be longer. Members are encouraged to be patient and wait for the activity to show as complete based on timelines provided.

What is the timeline between qualification and reward redemption?

The timeline for each reward activity will vary depending on the activity. In general, if the reward is for a nonclaims-related activity, the time between completing an activity and receiving a reward may take up to six weeks. However, the member will be able to see the activity as completed on their Blue Rewards Activity Center within 10 days for nonclaims-related activities.

How do members receive the reward?

Four to six weeks (may be longer for claims-based activities) after completing an activity, the member will receive an e-certificate with a code in the mail that is used to redeem their gift card online. The member follows the directions on the e-certificate to go online, enter the code, shop through various merchants and redeem a gift card to the merchant of their choice.

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When will the member receive the reward certificate?

For nonclaims-based activities, the member should receive the e-certificate within four to six weeks. The timeline may be longer for claims-based activities.

Do gift card certificates expire?

Yes. Once the gift card code is mailed, the member must follow the instructions to select their gift card within two years.

How does a member use the e-certificate once received?

The e-certificate received by the member after completing a rewardable activity includes instructions on how the member redeems their e-certificate for a gift card of their choice. The member is instructed to go to bcbsnc.com/usebluerewards, where they can sign in if they have an account or register for a new account. This is not the same username and password as the Blue Connect member site.The member then can enter the code on their e-certificate and shop for their gift card. The member must enter their email address so an electronic gift card can be sent to them via email.

What if the member loses or does not receive their e-certificate for reward?

If a member loses their e-certificate or does not receive it in six weeks after completing their activity, then they can call 1-855-499-1577 to work with a customer service agent.

How is the gift card sent to the member?

Once the member has selected a gift card, they will receive an email with the electronic gift card from the merchant of the selected gift card.

Can a member actually earn the total $340 reward?

Yes, but they must be targeted for multiple activities.

What internet browsers are supported by Blue Rewards?

Our site works best with the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. If you’re having problems with your browser, check whether you’re using the most up-to-date version.

How does a member get support?

We encourage members to view the FAQ document on the Activity Center to help with questions. If the question is regarding a completed activity not showing, we encourage the member to allow for the completion to show based on the time frames provided in the FAQ. If a member cannot resolve their inquiry with the FAQ, then they should call the BCBSNC Customer Service number on their member ID card.

Must be at least 18 years old to participate. Participation restrictions apply based on plan type. BCBSNC reserves the right to change or discontinue Blue Rewards at any time, including changing dollar values and available rewards, without prior notification. Consult with your benefits administrator or visit bcbsnc.com/bluerewards, for full program terms and conditions.

Velocity Solutions, Inc. is an independent company that is solely responsible for the gift card services it is providing. Velocity does not offer Blue Cross or Blue Shield products or services.

BLUE CROSS®, BLUE SHIELD®, the Cross and Shield symbols, and service marks are marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. BCBSNC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. U12905, 2/17

Find out moreTalk to your BCBSNC Client Manager to learn how you can get the most out of Blue Rewards.