Enrollment

The Open Enrollment period is a busy time of year, so we want to make sure that you have the information you need to help both your customers enrolling in a new Independence Blue Cross plan and renewing members who wish to make plan changes. Below you’ll find some typical enrollment and renewal scenarios that we prepared, organized by customer type.

• New members
• Product changes for renewing membership
• Returning members with a subsidy
• Returning members without a subsidy
• Special Enrollment Period for changes

Enrolling new members (both subsidy-eligible and non-subsidy-eligible)

During Open Enrollment, you can enroll new non-subsidy members through https://www.ibx.com. New subsidy-eligible members can be enrolled through the PA State-Based Exchange (Pennie) at pennie.com.

Dates	Open Enrollment Period November 1 – January 15 The deadline to apply for January 1 coverage is December 15. The deadline to apply for February 1 coverage is January 15.
How to enroll new members	Log into the ibx4you.com retail platform via Sales Portal. Create a new proposal under the Create Proposal tab. Shop with a subsidy if your customer is eligible.¹ Shop without a subsidy if your customer is not eligible. Check to see if your customer may be eligible for a subsidy.
Additional notes	Direct Enrollment on ibx.com will only be available for the entire Open Enrollment period. If this enrollment is outside the Open Enrollment period, please see the Special Enrollment Period section below.

Renewing existing members with a subsidy

Important information on subsidy eligibility

The marketplace will automatically re-determine the customer’s eligibility based on the following factors:

• Projected annual household income from the most recent income data source available
• Family size from the most recent application
• Updated Federal Poverty Level tables
• Benchmark plan prices

If the member did not complete a tax return for last year and received a subsidy in the current year, the member will lose their subsidy eligibility for next year. However, they can reapply. At that time, the member will be asked to verify their income. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may require proper documentation verifying income for all subsidy-eligible members.

Subsidized members will receive a letter from Independence notifying them that their renewal letter will be sent out upon our receipt of their updated subsidy information from CMS.

• Renew their current plan. Members should visit the personalized URL provided in the renewal notices from Pennie. With a simple click of a button, their coverage will be renewed at the new rate.
• Update their subsidy. Members can update their Marketplace application and recalculate their subsidy starting November 1.
• Members are being instructed to act by November 30. This will ensure that they get their ID cards before January 1 and that their January invoice is correct. You can assist your customers with any of their renewal choices by logging into pennie.com.

Dates	Open Enrollment Period November 1 – January 15 Instruct members to act by November 30 to ensure billing is correct and new ID cards are received before January 1. The deadline to apply for January 1 coverage is December 15. The deadline to apply for February 1 coverage is January 15.
How to enroll existing subsidized members¹	All subsidized members must be enrolled directly through the PA State-Based Exchange at pennie.com

Renewing existing members without a subsidy

Members without a subsidy will receive their renewal letter from Independence at the end of October. The letter will include instructions on how they can renew or make changes to their plan at ibxpress.com.

• Renew their current plan. Members should visit the personalized URL provided in the renewal notice. With a simple click of a button, their coverage will be renewed with the at the new rate.

Members are being instructed to take action by November 30. This will ensure that they get their  ID cards before January 1 and that their December bill, for January premiums, reflects the correct amount. You can also assist your customers in renewing their coverage or changing plans by logging in to ibx.com through Sales Portal.

Dates	Open Enrollment Period November 1 – January 15 Instruct members to take action by November 30 to ensure billing is correct and new ID cards are received before January 1. The deadline to apply for January 1 coverage is December 15. The deadline to apply for February 1 coverage is January 15.
How to renew and make plan changes for existing non-subsidized members	Log in to the ibx.com retail platform via Sales Portal. Find your customer with the Advanced Search tool. If you are unable to locate your member, submit a new application.

Special Enrollment Period for changes

Outside of Open Enrollment, customers who have qualifying life events can still apply for a plan or make plan changes.

New members (on- and off-exchange)

You may enroll new members during the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) through the ibx4you.com retail platform if they are not eligible for a subsidy. If they are eligible for a subsidy, you must enroll through pennie.com. Direct enrollment is not available during SEP.

Dates	Special Enrollment Period January 16 – November 30
How to enroll customers	Confirm your customer’s eligibility for SEP. Check to see if your customer may be eligible for a subsidy. If your customer is not eligible for a subsidy, log into the ibx4you.com retail platform via Sales Portal. If your customer is eligible for a subsidy, visit pennie.com to shop for plans.

Changes for existing members in existing coverage

Please visit pennie.com if you need to make changes for any on-exchange members.

Dates	Type of change
Year-round	Remove a dependent	On-exchange demographic and policy changes must be made through pennie.com Direct enrollment can be used to make changes for on-exchange members during Open Enrollment only. Outside of Open Enrollment Changes must be made directly with pennie.com
	Update demographic information (such as address, phone number, date of birth, and smoker status)
	Cancel coverage
Special Enrollment Period January 16 – November 30	Change plans if they qualify for SEP
	Add a dependent

¹ Part of this process will occur on healthcare.gov.