The following notice to employees was posted on the CMS website on August 17, 2011:
Current status of healthcare contracts
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) held a hearing on August 16, 2011, to consider a request by the State to continue to offer self-insured managed care plans. At the end of that hearing, COGFA voted to authorize the State to continue to offer the self-insured managed care plans through June 30, 2012.
Based on that decision, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services is in the process of negotiating with both the self-insured managed care plans (HealthLink OAP, PersonalCare OAP and Health Alliance Illinois) and the fully-insured managed care plans (Health Alliance HMO and PersonalCare HMO) on extensions of the current contracts.
The next step is a hearing before the Executive Ethics Commission (EEC). That hearing is scheduled for August 31, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. The EEC has the final authority to approve these contract extensions.
These hearings have no impact on the current contracts with CIGNA and Blue Cross/Blue Shield (HMO Illinois and BlueAdvantage HMO). Those contracts remain in place.
Special Enrollment Period
If the contract with any vendor is not extended, the Group Insurance Division will hold a Special Enrollment Period in September for the affected members of that plan(s) only. Those elections would be effective September 29th. A second Special Enrollment Period will be held for all members later in the fall. Alternatively, if all current contracts are extended, a Special Enrollment Period will be held for all members later in the fall.
What do members need to do
For now, the important thing to realize is that nothing has changed. Members remain enrolled in and covered by their current health carrier. Updated information will be posted on this website as it becomes available.
