Features
Making the switch
Smart Business Columbus | May 2008
Open enrollment for managed care organizations is this month, allowing employers to switch MCOs if they aren’t satisfied with their current organization.
Open enrollment is only once every two years.
“It would be too much of a mess to follow claims,” says AdvoCare Inc. President
Karen Agnich, describing the purpose of the open-enrollment time frame. “An
employer would not want to get lost in the mess.”
Switching is as easy as filling out a form — which can be obtained through the
Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) or an MCO — and then sending or
faxing the signed form back to the bureau. Or, you can do it over the phone.
Employers can also switch MCOs in between open enrollment but must get special permission from the BWC. Normally, this is allowed when an employer is experiencing issues with its MCO, usually due to bad service or communication. The
bureau will discuss the problem with the employer and the MCO in question to
determine if the employer’s issue is valid. According to Dan Neubert, executive
director of 1-888-OhioComp, an MCO, requests are generally granted.
