Carriers have informed us that there will be big delays in group processing and implementation, especially for anything submitted after 12/21.
For instance, Blue Cross has indicated that groups submitted after 12/21 won’t be looked at until after January 1st and there is a good chance they won’t receive ID cards until after February 1st. This is something to educate your clients about upfront and to encourage the possibility of looking at 2/1 effective dates and beyond as an alternative. While we haven’t heard the exact same verbiage from other carriers, we do expect delays in the implementation process.
As for OCI’s internal processes, due to the delays projected from carriers and to help you as best we can, any quotes received today and beyond with a requested effective date of 1/1/2017 will be quoted for a 2/1/2017 effective date. If you have questions or concerns regarding this please contact your OCI account executive.
We sincerely appreciate your partnership and patience as we move through this busy season.
