Banner Blue News                 

AA publication of  Wabash Memorial Hospital Association - Est 1884

  Spring Edition                                                              March ~ 2005

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  New Member Handbook                         Administrator Meets New Hires

The Wabash Board of Managers is pleased to announce                  

that a newly designed Member Handbook is heading to

the printer soon.  To comply with the Center for

Medicare / Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements, a

separate edition is being prepared for our Medicare

supplemental plan participants.  The new books will

provide not only our Summary Plan Description (SPD)

but also our complete General Rules, By-Laws, Eligibility

Requirements and individual benefit schedules                                  Wabash Administrator, Mr. Kimmons was

all recent updates to each.  There may have been                             introduced to several newly hired Carmen in

changes to our Plan adopted in the past years and                            Decatur recently by Mr. Eric Peden.  Wabash

announced in the Banner Blue News that you inadvertently            is happy to greet new members as well as       

missed.  All members are encouraged and advised to                       review history, explain how to use our                

read the new Handbook in its entirety.  It is each                       benefits and answer any questions that may

member's responsibility to know what the covered                           surface.  In the photo above are Mr. DeClerck,

benefits are and the payment limits for each.  Study                         Mr. Sharp, Mr. Peden, Mr. Higgason and

your new book and call us with questions.                                       Ms. Park.

Our new Handbook w ill revert to the former style                                __________________________

that was used prior to 1997 (i.e., a 5x8 softbound booklet).                           February Board Action

Our plan is to mail it as a separate piece so it can be                        Through action of the Board of Managers at the 

readily identified and easily stored for future referencing.                  February 25th meeting, two benefit changes       

We anticipate mailing the new edition to all Active and other        were approved. These changes are effective        

non-Medicare participants in late April.  Medicare                      for all dates of service after March 1, 2005.

participants will receive their special edition in late                         ~ Benefit Schedule L (Plan 15) maternity /   

May.  Any member who received a damaged book                         pregnancy benefits are now excluded.         

or no book at all by mid-June should call Carol at                           ~ Benefit Schedule A (Plans 1, 5, 17 and 22)   

1-888-800-9171.                                                                            now pays 100% for annual mammogram

_______________________________________________         screening in-network and 80% out-of-

                 Walgreen's Pharmacy In Network                              network.

Effective February of 2005, the Walgreen Drug Stores are back       

in our network of participating pharmacies.