It s a HIT. Issue Highlights: Fall It s Time To Check Up On It.. 2. URGENT NOTICE Fraud Alert. 2. Standard Option A Popular Choice...

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1 It s a HIT Fall 2007 There are many types of hits. You have one-hit-wonders, Billboard top hits, Broadway hits, or a base hit in baseball. These hits are nothing like the HIT we re talking about. Our HIT is something that benefits you. HIT stands for Health Information Technology. In today s health care environment, HIT is taking on an increasingly important role. HIT initiatives will allow health care providers to share information securely with one another to improve the accuracy and quality of the care they deliver, enable patients to make more informed decisions, and insurers to provide more accurate and timely claims processing. More importantly, HIT will help reduce medical errors. For example, errors can occur when handwritten prescriptions are misinterpreted or when emergency medical care decisions are made without complete and accurate patient information, especially when the patient is unable to communicate. You may have noticed that some of your health care providers no longer provide you with a handwritten prescription; it is computer generated. You may see your doctor using a computer to document the discussion or findings during your office visit. You may have been asked to specifically designate someone with whom you would allow your health information to be shared. Perhaps you have researched health care provider cost and quality information on the Internet. These are all the results of HIT initiatives and other efforts towards informing consumer choices, sharing information, securing your personal health information and patient safety. Issue Highlights: It s Time To Check Up On It.. 2 URGENT NOTICE Fraud Alert. 2 Standard Option A Popular Choice See Clearly With Amerisight.. 4 Great Finds Online... 5 Departing P.O. Boxes... 5 (continued on page 4) 1

2 My Account Are you waiting for your EOBs to come in the mail? When you register for an online account with MHBP you will be able to check the status of your claims in advance of receiving your paper copy. There is lots of valuable information available to you in our secure online environment. Register for an online account when you visit and select My Account. It s Time To Check Up On It As we near the end of another year, it s a good time to check up on things relating to your health and benefits. Here s a quick list of things to give a check-up: Flexible Spending Account (FSAFEDS) balance How close are you to using the monies you allocated for your health care and/or dependent care spending accounts? Remember, when funds in your FSA are not used by a certain time, you lose the money you have contributed. Health Savings Account If you have MHBP Consumer Option, there s still time left for you to put more money into your HSA. Making contributions to your HSA has tax advantages for you and it s a great way to plan for future medical expenses. The 2007 total HSA contribution limits are: $2,850 for Self Only coverage or $5,650 for Self and Family coverage. Don t forget that if you are age you can make catch-up contributions to your HSA, which would be another $800 for 2007 above the IRS defined limit. Health care claims If you have used a non-network health care provider or pharmacy and you have not filed your claims, now would be a good time to do so. Remember, a key advantage of using participating network providers is that they file claims for you, which saves you time and money. Health goals Did you resolve at the beginning of the year to be a better steward of your health? Maybe you signed-up for the Healthier Feds President s Challenge. If so, you may want to check up on your progress towards meeting your goal. It s never too late to get on the right track. Dental and vision It s time to have your eyes and teeth checked, but you didn t sign-up for dental and vision benefits during last Open Season. It s not too late. You can enroll in MHBP Dental and Vision Supplemental Plans year round. Contact us today at or visit to get your dental or vision coverage started right way. Your coverage starts as soon as you pay your premium. Hurry and you can lock in the 2007 rates for the next 12 months! URGENT NOTICE Fraud Alert MHBP wants to alert you about some fraudulent activity. We recently learned that the Plan s name is being illegally used in a scheme in which individuals are informed that they have won a cash prize. The letter is titled The Mail Handlers Sweepstakes and is accompanied with a check that appears to have been issued by the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan. The Mail Handlers Benefit Plan does not participate in sweepstakes. Benefit checks legitimately issued by the Plan to health care providers or Plan members include an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). The EOB explains the processed claim(s) information for which the check is applicable. MHBP takes the utmost care to protect your privacy and ensure the safety and security of your information. Any information that is required to administer your health benefits is provided to us by the FEHB program when you enroll and by health care providers when you receive medical services. In situations where incomplete or insufficient information has been provided (e.g., Coordination of Benefits), our staff will contact you to obtain pertinent information for the purpose of administering your benefits. We will not use or share your personal information for purposes other than health benefit-related services (including, but not limited to, quality assessment, fraud detection, regulatory and mandatory legal activities), or for purposes about which you are notified. MHBP does not sell, lease or license your personal information to other companies. To view a copy of our privacy policy and practices you can visit and select Privacy Standards located at the bottom of the home page. Please contact our member service representatives at with any questions regarding this matter. 2 Contact us at or visit us on the Web:

3 Standard Option A Popular Choice MHBP Standard Option is one of the most popular plans among federal and postal employees and annuitants, covering nearly 325,000 members. The average tenure in the Standard Option is approximately 12 years. We thank you for your loyalty to MHBP. Standard Option continues to grow in popularity because of its affordable premiums, predictable out-of-pocket costs and comprehensive care: Low out-of-pocket costs low PPO copayments allow you to better predict your health care expenses: - $20 adult office visit copayment ($10 for dependent children under age 22) - $10 copayment for generic medications from in-network retail pharmacies and low copayments for brand name prescription drugs too, with no deductible - $15 copayment for chiropractic visits (up to a $2,000 maximum, includes alternative and rehabilitative therapies combined) A recent survey showed that 94% of members who joined MHBP in 2007 did so for the coverage and benefits. Nearly 90% joined for the premiums. 85% joined because of the participating network doctors and hospitals. 100% coverage for many routine services from PPO providers: - 100% coverage for an annual routine physical exam (age 18 and over-after you pay the low office visit copayment) - 100% benefit for covered wellness screenings such as mammograms, cholesterol tests and more - 100% complete maternity care including inpatient hospital room and board, pre and postnatal care and anesthesia MHBP is committed to providing quality care and service to all our health plan members. Whenever you have questions or need assistance you can count on MHBP to be there for you. Call us at or visit us online at

4 HealthBenefitPlanner (continued from page 1) MHBP is committed to making HIT an important part of our efforts to serve you more effectively, by giving you greater access to health care information. Some examples of information already available to you at include: Network Fee Lookup allows you to access the average PPO rates for medical procedures in a geographic area. See Clearly With Always working to bring you more Preferred value, MHBP LASIK is Pricing pleased to announce a new discount program for LASIK, laser vision correction surgery. We have partnered with Amerisight to bring you more savings on vision care services* that you need and want. Savings $895 per eye for standard LASIK or $1,300 per eye for custom Wavefront LASIK. Experienced Physicians access to credentialed, Board Certified Ophthalmologists who use FDA approved technologies. Financing interest free financing plans up to four months or payments as low as $42 a month** (Available to qualified members). Convenience choose from over 425 locations nationwide for a free consultation. Hospital Comparison Tool enables you to view quality results and cost information for certain medical procedures performed at network hospitals. My Account allows you to register online to view your medical claims and other personal information. Now you have the information you need to better understand HIT. HIT is a major pathway to improving the integration of the health care system with a key emphasis on keeping patients safe. No wonder it s a HIT! Included in the total cost are your pre-screen appointment, the procedure, all post-operative appointments, and a oneyear retreatment warranty. To access Amerisight s services and savings, you should call Monday through Friday from 7am to 9pm CST and Saturday 10am to 5pm CST. An Amerisight Care Manager will be happy to explain the plan and answer your questions. You can also visit for more information. Please note: The Amerisight program is not an insured benefit. The Amerisight program is available to members to provide access to Amerisight preferred pricing for LASIK surgery. Members are responsible for all costs associated with LASIK services. * These benefits are neither offered nor guaranteed under contract with the FEHB Program, but are made available to all enrollees and family members who become members of the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan. **At 11.9% APR. Subject to GE CareCredit Approval. 4

5 Departing P.O. Boxes Effective January 1, 2008, we will no longer be accepting mail at the following addresses: P.O. Box 45118, Jacksonville, Florida P.O. Box 44242, Jacksonville, Florida P.O. Box 24503, Tucson, Arizona P.O. Box 23824, Tucson, Arizona Great Finds Online Do you know what you can find when you visit MHBP online? Well, let us tell you. At you can: Locate a network provider medical, dental or pharmacy Order a replacement ID card Perform benefit inquiries online using our Live Chat feature Enroll in our Supplemental Dental and Vision Programs Check the status of a claim Obtain general health information Make an appointment with a new PPO doctor (first time only appointments) a benefit inquiry to our representatives Download health plan forms Find general health information using the Healthwise Knowledgebase Research provider cost and quality information Complete Health Risk Assessments And more Any mail sent to the addresses above will be returned to the sender. If you or any of your health care providers are currently sending mail to these addresses, please be sure to use the addresses below instead. Valid MHBP Mailing Addresses To submit a claim or other correspondence use the following mailing addresses: For medical claims (Standard, High and Consumer Options) and High Option dental claims: The Mail Handlers Benefit Plan PO Box 8402 London, KY For prescription drug claims (applies to paper claims only): The Mail Handlers Benefit Plan P.O. Box 8404 London, KY For MHBP Supplemental Dental Plan claims: The Mail Handlers Benefit Plan P.O. Box 8403 London, KY For MHBP Supplemental Vision Plan claims: VSP P.O. Box Sacramento, CA Visit us online today or whenever you have a question. The website is a great resource for our members, but don t worry, we re still here for you 24/7 should you need to call at Contact us at or visit us on the Web: 5

6 P.O. Box 8402 London, KY Contact Us MHBP Member Services TDD/TTY MHBP Supplemental Dental & Vision Plans Mail Order Pharmacy Refill Service U.S. Laser Network (laser vision correction) EyeMed Vision Care HearPO Network Information (888-HEARING) Quest Laboratory Overseas Enrollees Amerisight (laser vision correction) 2007 Coventry Health Care. All rights reserved. All product and/or service names and logos are (registered) trademarks of their respective owners. This is a summary of the features of the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan. Before making a final decision, please read the official Plan brochure RI All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and exclusions set forth in the official Plan brochure. Contact us at or visit us on the Web: 6