COBRA Administration and Billing Update - August 2009
Effective August 1, 2009, our consolidation of COBRA administrative services will be complete when CONEXIS takes over all the COBRA invoicing and billing from the current UC health plans.
On this page you will find the CONEXIS timeline for the tasks involved in this process and a participant Q&A section.
COBRA Takeover Timeline
- “Takeover” Files from each UC health plan were processed and loaded into the CONEXIS system between 07/08/2009 and 07/10/2009.
- CONEXIS mailed introductory letters and invoices to takeover continuants, for August 2009 premiums, the week of July 14th.
Participant Communication
CONEXIS mailed a takeover communication letter to COBRA continuations and election pending individuals. Two different versions of this letter were mailed – one version to those who are currently using CONEXIS for Kaiser & StayWell COBRA (who may be adding Delta or VSP) and one version to those who are brand new to CONEXIS.
Election Notices and Premium Payments
- Any paper Election Notices (for qualifying events prior to 5/1/2009) received by UCOP after 07/01/2009 will be forwarded directly to CONEXIS.
- Any payments sent to the carriers for coverage after 8/1/2009 will be returned to the participant, with a letter advising them to send to CONEXIS.
CONEXIS Contact Information
Once the participants are loaded in the CONEXIS system, they may direct all questions about August 2009 COBRA billing directly to CONEXIS at 1-877-722-2667.
Participant Q&A
Q: I have not received my invoice for August 2009, when will I receive this?
A: The University of California has consolidated COBRA administration through CONEXIS. CONEXIS will begin billing you for the August 2009 coverage period. CONEXIS will mail a welcome letter and your August 2009 invoices around July 15, 2009. Please allow mailing time for these items to reach you.
Q: When is my August 2009 payment due?
A: Your August 2009 payment is due on August 1, 2009 with the legally allowed 30 day grace period. So, your payment is due August 1, 2009, but you have until August 31, 2009 to postmark your payment for August 2009. Your August coverage is not communicated to the health plan until your payment is received.
Q: What if I paid my health plan directly for August 2009 coverage or beyond?
A: CONEXIS will begin billing for August 2009 and later. If you have any credits on your health plan account, your plan will be issuing you a refund.
Q: Can I pay CONEXIS for coverage prior to August 2009?
A: CONEXIS has been contracted to begin billing for August 2009 and later. You are still required to send payments for coverage through July 31, 2009 directly to the UC health plan.
After reading this material, if you should have any questions, please contact Sharon Johnson (sdjohnson@berkeley.edu, 643-7547) or Ruby Thomas (rthom@berkeley.edu, 643-5835).