April 1999


Your benefits

BP gives care during travel, hearing aid advice pointers

 Benefit Plans has issued some important instructions concerning medical treatment if you should need it when away from home. Your primary care physician, or PCP, must be contacted before treatment.

The CIGNA Point-of-Service Plan and the Healthsource Point-of-Service Plan provide for “in-network” coverage when you are away on travel either for business or pleasure. However, this in-network benefit will apply only if you contact your primary care physician before receiving treatment so a referral can be entered in the system.

In the event of an emergency, your primary care physician must be contacted within 48 hours of receiving treatment. If you are out of the country, contact your primary care physician immediately upon your return. (The 800 numbers for the CIGNA and Health- source medical plans do not work outside of the United States.)

Because of this in-network provision, the company will no longer reimburse employees for out-of-network medical expenses incurred on business travel.

Claiming Hearing Aid Benefits

Benefit Plans has provided instructions for claiming hearing aid benefits through the CIGNA Point-of-Service Plan.
  • The patient should have a referral from the PCP to the ear, nose and throat, or ENT, physician for the evaluation.
  • If the ENT believes that a hearing aid is appropriate, the ENT can refer to any audiologist that they choose.
  • If the audiologist finds that a patient needs a hearing aid, the patient purchases the hearing aid from any vendor they choose.
  • The patient files a claim with CIGNA. Claim forms are available from CIGNA Member Services or the Benefits Home Page Web Site (UCN 557739). Note: Do not be concerned that the claim form is labeled “For Services Outside of the Network”).
  • When the claim is received from the hearing aid provider or patient, CIGNA pays the claim based on the referral or authorization. If the authorization is in the system, CIGNA pays up to $750 every three years. The claim should include the evaluation and the hearing aid.

Medical plan reps to visit

Representatives from CIGNA and Healthsource will be available to answer any questions concerning benefits or claims that employees or spouses my have in regard to the medical plans.  They will be at 701 Scarboro Road in the Lobby Conference Room on Thursday, April 22, from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Friday, April 23 from 7:30 a.m. until 12 noon.


      


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