September 2011 | View complete issue

OpenEnrollment123.com – tools at your fingertips

Fall is crunch time in the benefits business. We can help make it easier for you, your staff and your clients -- with ready-to-roll education and communication tools from openenrollment123.com.

• Find resources for health savings account, health reimbursement account, flexible spending account (HSA, HRA, FSA) and transportation services education for clients with tax-advantaged accounts from OptumHealth^TM and OptumHealth Bank^SM
• Pick the right tools for pre-enrollment communications, benefits meetings and post-enrollment education
• Share the brochures, videos, self-guided tours and live webinar dates and times with your clients to use with their employees.

Update on ‘HSA establishment date’

With benefit open enrollment season around the corner for many of your clients, it’s time to review the definition of “establishment date” for owners of health savings accounts (HSAs).

In short, an HSA at OptumHealth Bank, Member FDIC, is considered “established” when it is opened. This applies even if the account at OptumHealth Bank is not immediately funded.

This matters because health care expenses incurred before the HSA establishment date may not later be reimbursed from the OptumHealth Bank account.

Expanded implementation service team

Adoption of tax-advantaged accounts to help individuals plan, save and pay for health care is on the rise. Many employers are offering multiple accounts – HSAs, FSAs and HRAs – to their employees.
Full article

Note mail address and fax number changes

You and your clients may notice that the addresses and fax numbers printed on forms and other materials from us have changed. That’s because we have centralized our mail operations in order to improve service.

With the new mail operation, checks, claims, appeals and other mail can be scanned and available for account managers and customer service professionals to access more quickly to respond to your questions or inquiries.

The new addresses and fax numbers will be printed on all communications by September. If something is sent to an old post office box or fax number, you can rest assured it will be forwarded to the central mail operation.