Quick Start Guide - COBRA Management
Contents
1. If you are not using window envelopes you can print an envelope from the icon on the top right of the screen You may need to try out the two different alignment settings to find the right one Finally just for your interest open the Letter History Audit Trail paper and pencil icon on the top right of the screen and see how Solo creates an audit trail Open Solo from the desktop icon and Login Click on the Admin button Close the Reminder Reports You can view a Reminder Report by highlighting one with your mouse pointer and clicking on the run button Ifa listed report has data in it it will be highlighted and will have a number to the left of its name Click on the Add N ew button on top left Enter the SSN choose active employee from the drop down box name and mailing address Save Enter any optional Personal Data necessary if location accounting or to build HIPAA Certificates data Enter Family Data necessary if a spouse has active coverage The red fields are required It is your choice to add any covered children Print General N otice Solo will complete the date printed for you You choose the number of copies whether or not you want a cover page for a window envelope and click on Print If you are not using window envelopes you can print an envelope from the icon on the top right of the screen You may need to try out the two different alignment settings to find the right one Finally just for your interest2. If you have qualified beneficiaries enrolled on COBRA you can add them to Solo for easier date tracking and letter issuance If you have a large number to enter you can import them but for most users entering each one will be the easiest B From the main screen click on the Admin button 6 Add the Primary Qualified Beneficiary PQB The first time you click on the Admin button it will open in the add mode Enter the PQB s core data and the initial COBRA qualifying event If that individual experienced a secondary events or a Social Security D isability after the initial event you will handle those later Save B Close MainMenu Edit Login Find Letters Reports Actions Reminders Help fi gt o erter 10 EIES z CORE Add New Cancel Save Add Mode Sterling nali Aavance OST 1 Election Io Mailing Address City State Zip J 7 Ba ay aa al Data Results Status Pending Enrollment B The next screen will be the standard COBRA Switchboard for the PQB You will work from the buttons on the right from top to bottom and then on the buttons on the bottom going from left to right Later in this document is amore detailed graphic See the next page for instructions a Solo COBRA File Login Letters Reports Actions Reminders Help Selo T T o COBRA Add New Cancel Save Termination
3. 18 months Mal First Name Mailing Address 300 City State Zip City Qualifying Event ROE Mea COBRA Effective Date a LURRAL COBRA Termination Date Maximum Continuation Date BREW IE Bailie Personal Data Family Data Print Initial Hotice Y COBRA Qualifying Event v Design Election Notice y Print Election Notice v HIPAA Certificate Results Status Pending Enrollment Payment Instructions PGB Status Elections Rect COBRA Tremiums Termination Buttons on the right B B D Personal Data Largely optional data With the exception of the assignment of a location code or building data for a HIPAA Certificate this information is optional Family Data Add any enrolled family members The form opens to the add mode You must enter the first name relationship and gender When done Save If you need to enter another dependent click on Add COBRA Qualifying Event Enter the Qualifying Event date If you don t have that date available enter the last day of active coverage When you use your enter or tab key the other dates are calculated for you DO NOT USE DESIGN ELECTION NOTICE DO NOT USE PRINT ELECTION NOTICE DO NOT USE HIPAA CERTIFICATE Buttons on the bottom B In PQB Status select Elected or Elected A waiting Premium from the Response Result drop down box on the far right of the form You are not required to enter
4. open the Letter History Audit Trail paper and pencil icon on the top right of the screen and see how Solo creates an audit trail If you want to return to the COBRA Qualifiers Screen click on the Magnifying G lass icon to left of SSN When it opens on the right of the screen choose All COBRA and click OK COBRA Elections How to Handle Procedure Overview Scenario Y ou have received a signed election form with or without the premium Y ou may want to refer to your CO BRA Procedures for guidance 1 In PQB Status change the status from Pending Enrollment to either Elected or Elected Awaiting Premium using the Response Result box on the far right 2 In Elections add the final COBRA Elections See detailed instructions below 3 In Elections and from the Letters button issue the Confirmation Letter See detailed instructions below 4 In Payment Instructions issue Premium Payment Instructions See detailed instructions below If you want to issue coupons refer to the User s Manual 5 When received record the Initial Premium in Premiums See detailed instructions below Elections Follow these steps to enter the benefit elections 1 If the final COBRA election is the same as the terminated active coverage then click on the Elected as Active button and the elections will be auto completed for you Otherwise Click on Add Select the Benefit Plan from the drop down box Selec
5. Quick Start Guide Skim first for content and then use as necessary Big Picture Not unlike accounting software you need to enter certain information into Solo in order to perform COBRA administration You will need to have available information on each one of your health type plans subject to COBRA including the contract number the full contractual rates and information on how the COBRA rates are structured And if you have anyone currently enrolled on COBRA all of their pertinent information including their original qualifying event date and reason mailing address the names of any family members enrolled on COBRA their current COBRA elections and the last month for which COBRA premiums were paid What s included in this Guide B B B B D D How to set up a company establish settings and enter the COBRA plans and rates How to use the Solo Template E ditor How to enter any qualified beneficiaries enrolled on COBRA Graphic orientation to the main administration screen for a COBRA Primary Qualified Beneficiary PQB How to issue notices How to handle a COBRA election Getting Started Install Solo You can install Solo on either a single workstation standard installation or a network installation whereby the data files are placed on a shared network drive Solo is multi user Solo s two desktop icons Solo COBRA Application This is where you set up your plans rates issue notices record el
6. ation that will be displayed on almost every letter or notice that you will issue Typically the Premium Payee Name is the same as the company name Information in the red data fields must be completed e Locations Tab rarely used Used to establish optional location tracking codes e Vendors Tab This is where you add the names of your health insurance type companies or other vendors Only the two red fields are required For example if Regence BlueShield is a vendor their Abbreviation will be Regence and their full name will be Regence BlueShield e Contract Tab This is where you enter your contract group or policy type number associated with each Vendor You will also enter the administration fee load 2 if charged and the next 3 renewal and rate change dates Note The contract type number is generally issued to you by the Vendor If you don t have anumber you can make one up or just enter the name of the Vendor For example if don t have a contract number for your vision plan just enter Vision e Plan Setup Tab Two step process Step 1 Click on the Add button at the bottom left of the screen This is where you add your COBRA Plan s create a Plan Number and select the closest possible rate grouping set for your COBRA Rates When selecting the rate grouping set avoid using Rate G rouping Five except for age banded or FSA plans Refer to the Setup Manual or contact us if you need assistance due to an unusual
7. ections track premiums and perform all day to day tasks Solo Template E ditor This is where you make necessary edits to the sample notices and other document templates You DO NOT perform COBRA administration or issue notices in this module Open Solo for the first time update You start Solo from the icon on your desktop The first time you open Solo you will see the Update screen Click on the Update button and Solo will close You will then re open Solo User Login Screen process and password The Login Window will appear each time you open Solo Unless you change your password security settings the User s Name must be affordable all lower case and the password must be left blank Click on Login and you will go to the Solo Expiration screen Click on Continue The Password can be left blank 12 14 2006 Expiration Screen Will appear each time you logon until you request a new activation key code You must submit the current ID code to services affordablesolutions com If your account is current you will be issued a code Otherwise you must make arrangement for payment Solo s Main Screen three buttons Setup Admin and the Camera icon Typically you will select either Setup or Admin In Setup you establish plans rates and settings In Admin you do your day to day administration Step One Setup Button Global Settings Plans and Rates In Setup you will work from left to rig
8. enter any other unique nine 9 digit identifier The SSN cannot be edited once entered and saved If you make an error you will need to delete the record and start over Tip If a PQB is terminated from COBRA and later re hired as active you will need to delete them after running some key reports ae a P Quick Reference Icons notepad epg Click magnifying glass to find active audit trail snapshot report amp print employees terminated PQBs or sort entries by envelopes or cover sheets status ate yo A Se Add New for new Employee or COBRA Qualifier Termination 18 months Perne TAE at After you Add Add Ne Cancel Save a Family Data x e ef these function boxes to add Pa COBRA Qualifying Even the rest of the aei EAN Design Election Hotice data and print Oo City wa E 98000 y Print Election Notice HOtices Print Initial Hotice First Name Qualifying Event BRO AI eee y HIPAA Certificate PQB Status enter COBRA Effective Date tracking dates and COBRA Termination Date aa Results Status change their sta _ Haximum Continuation Date Pending Enrollment COBRA Termination Payment POE Status Elections i Instructions Premiums Use the above function boxes after a CO BRA election E nter the CO BRA elections issue confirmation letters payment instructions or coupons amp record premiums Issue an E lection N otice by Data Entry Refer to Manuals f
9. ht across the tabs Pay attention to the RED FIELDS as they are always required EE Ext Edt Login Utiities Help S i Company and Database Setup Screens i mlx Company Setup Settings Admin Locations Vendors Contract Setup Plan Setup I TG pre ee ge ot er Peet eo T states Before you start a note on COBRA rates COBRA rates can be charged differently than your contractual rates with respect to a spouse or a child ren who elect COBRA without the employee electing or in the case of a child ren without an adult family member Therefore you need to know how your carriers charge for a single enrollee that is other than the ex employee i e the spouse a child ren or some combination thereof It is advisable to contact your carriers or broker and ask them for your CO BRA rates for all possible enrollment categories e Company Tab The green data fields on the top left and the second set of contacts on the right side of the form are required All d thedhe Hark fidcs aeqdiarl e Settings Tab For most employers the default settings are correct if active coverage ends at the end of the month and CO BRA is always effective on the first of a month Some exceptions e Ifyou a a COBRA TPA you are the CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR e If your active coverage ends on the day after the qualifying event you will need to use the pro rate settings on the bottom right e Admin Tab This is where you add contact type inform
10. nd choose between the listed COBRA plans If you bundle your plans you will need to make an edit to those instructions on the Elect Forms For example if you have multiple Plans displayed on the Election Form but the COBRA Qualifier must elect_both medical and dental you will need to edit the Election Form to convey those instructions If you need sample text please contact us How You will click on the Elect Forms tab and select the company number from the drop down Company box and then you can view test print or edit the template text Navigating the Template Editor The Template Editor is in a tab format Each tab is for a different notice or letter From each tab you can test print the document go to the edit function or view a particular page Note We caution against making major text edits without consulting with us first KA Solo Template Editor Version 8 File Utilities Help Disability Medicare Premiums Late Payment Max Continue Termination General Notice Elect Notice Custom Elect Forms Status Change 2nd QE General Notice 4 1st Page of Notice 1 Summary Page Edit Pages 5 2nd Pane of Notice Test Print fa Optional Custom Page see Custom Tab 6 Sid Page of Notice Notice of GE Page 3 7 Ath Page of Notice Click on Admin Step Three Add Current COBRA Enrollees Button If you don t have COBRA enrollees skip this step
11. nts Auto Premium is very flexible and you can edit any of the data categories that have been completed for you But you must remember to keep the COBRA Month in sequence and to enter a unique Check Number C 111 11 1111 Sinale Enrollaes Add Mode Cancel Save COBRA Month el Month Due Sep BA COBRA Month ees Month Due Date Received D hrs Aug E Check Number E Click on Auto to SOUTE enter a Premium Sess payment You Pg _ can edit the entry Press to Auto enter the next Premium Initial Premium E ntry The first premium you receive from a PQB will be in most instances for multiple COBRA Months 1 Click on the Add button at the bottom of the Premiums Window 2 If you want to use the Auto function click on the button at the bottom of the Window If you want to manually enter the Premium amount complete the data categories in red Save 3 Ifthe amount received is greater than the amount due you will enter that amount in the Amount box e Ifthe amount received is greater than the Premium D ue you will be asked if you want to disburse this payment when you click on Save Click on the OK button If there is a partial month s payment left over you must Allocate the partial payment TIP If you receive multiple payments for the same COBRA Month make sure the COBRA month and month due are the same for both entries 11
12. or Details Open Solo from the desktop icon and Login Click on the Admin button Close the Reminder Reports You can view a Reminder Report by highlighting one with your mouse pointer and clicking on the run button Ifa listed report has data in it it will be highlighted and will have a number to the left of its name Click on the Add N ew button on top left Enter the SSN choose the qualifying event from the drop down box name and mailing address If the PQB had previously been set up as an active employee for issuance of the G eneral Notice just enter their SSN and follow the instructions Save Enter any optional Personal Data necessary if location accounting or for HIPAA Certificates Enter Family Data necessary if a dependent isa COBRA Qualifier The red fields are required Solo defaults to the PQ Bs last name and address Both can be edited COBRA Qualifying Event enter the Qualifying Event D ate and hit your enter key The rest of the dates will auto complete Design Election N otice O pen and select the Add button at the bottom of the screen Highlight the coverage s in effect at the time of the Qualifying Event Solo will auto select the other choices For example if you highlight employee and spouse Solo will select spouse only and employee only Print E lection N otice Solo will complete the date printed for you You choose the number of copies whether or not you want a cover page for a window envelope and click on Print
13. other dates Save In Elections add their current COBRA Elections Y ou will use the Add button DO NOT USE PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS UNLESS YOU WANT TO ISSUE NEW ONES In Premium click on the Add button and enter the last premium received by completing the red fields Y ou will need to determine the corresponding COBRA Month for that last payment The COBRA month is a number between 1 and 18 36 or 29 For future payments you will be able to use the Auto button If the PQB has elected COBRA but has not paid the initial premium you will skip this step Orientation to Solo s Main COBRA PQB Switchboard How to Navigate Between Records Assuming you have entered at least one COBRA Primary Qualified Beneficiary PQ B every time you open Solo and click on the Admin button you will open to this screen From the SSN drop down box at the top center you can switch between COBRA PQBs Note The active employees are found on another switchboard and are not co mingled with the COBRA PQBs Y ou switch between them by using the magnifying glass icon to the left of the SSN Find Active Employees Terminated PQBs or Sort COBRA Qualifiers Use the Search Icon magnifying glass to the left of the SSN to sort PQ Bs by status or to switch to Active Employees or to find a terminated PQB Social Security N umber as the Key Identifier The Social Security Number is the key identifier and cannot be entered in duplicate Instead of a SSN you can
14. rate grouping Tip on Rate Groupings If you have composite rates select rate grouping one through four If the rate grouping isn t quite right we can assist you in making some adjustments If you select the wrong Rate Grouping you must delete the entire Plan and start over How to delete a Plan from Utilities on the main menu bar select Edit D ata and then Edit Plans Using the row selector select the Plan to be deleted and use the D elete button Tip on Assigning Plan Numbers Sometimes you have more than one Plan under the same Vendor Contract For example a PPO and a HMO plan The Plan Number is how each one of those plans is identified It will also determine the sequence in which the Plans are displayed on various screens and reports So think about how you would like your Plans to be displayed For example all of your medical plans followed by your dental and vision plan A good sequence for Plan Numbers is 100 200 300 400 etc Example Blue Cross PPO Assigned Plan Number 100 Blue Cross HMO Assigned Plan Number 200 MetLife D ental Assigned Plan Number 300 VSP Assigned Plan Number 400 Step 2 This is where you add each plan s COBRA rates e You start by highlighting a plan on the blue screen and then clicking on the Add Edit Rates button at the bottom right e When the Add rates screen opens you will see an Excel type format on the bottom half with three sets of columns and your rate grouping categories on
15. t the Coverage Class from the drop down box DO NOT ENTER THE ENDS DATE fora current election When finished select Save The Add box will stay open Continue entering the benefit plan elections until you are done When finished exit the Add Mode by using the X at the top right of the screen From the Letters button issue a Confirmation Letter you will need to make a few choices from an interim form PIBN Payment Instructions You can issue Premium Payment Instructions or Coupons We recommend the Payment Instructions for an employer group 1 Select Print You will go to Print Preview first From Print Preview you can then print your Payment Instructions If necessary you can save to Word and edit fax or email Premiums Two Ways to Enter and Track Premiums There are two ways you can enter Premiums You can use the Auto Premium Auto feature or you can manually enter them With the exception of adding the first payment on aPQB who has been enrolled on COBRA prior to using Solo page six using Auto Premium will be the way to go With Auto Premium you can always edit the data that is automatically completed for you 10 Auto Premium Auto Button Auto Premium represented by a dollar sign icon is located at the bottom right of the Add Premium window When clicked the next premium transaction will be automatically entered You will only need to enter a Check Number and enter any Comme
16. the left The middle set of columns is for your current rates e At the top of the middle set of columns you check the box next to the date and then you enter the plan s active rate and Solo calculates the COBRA rate You can edit the COBRA rate if the rounding results in a rate different from the one being charged If you make an error in the active rate and need to start over you must delete both the active and the COBRA rate Edit Plan and Rates Contract Number Plan Number Plan Name 005 T 112006 M o T COBRA Active COBRA COBRA 50 00 75 00 100 00 45 00 7 00 100 00 100 00 Step Two Solo Template Editor Required Step O pen the icon on your Window s desktop N ote if you have bundled plans you may need to make an edit Important At a minimum you must open the Solo Template Editor from your Window s desktop to allow the template editor to connect to the rest of the Solo program Purpose of the Template Editor In the Template Editor you can edit the underlying templates for the notices and other frequently issued letters Before issuing any notice or letter you will need to quickly review the document to make sure it reflects your practices Refer to the Setup Manual for detailed instructions Plan Enrollment Instructions for Bundled Plans The default instructions on the Election Form indicates that the COBRA qualifiers can pick a
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