Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Florida Offers Enhanced Ceridian COBRA Continuation Services At No Cost

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) has negotiated with Ceridian to provide enhanced COBRA administration services for BCBSF and its subsidiaries, at no additional cost to the customer. Ceridian now will provide enhanced COBRA administrative services while continuing to provide customers with tools to help them comply with COBRA and perform COBRA compliance functions for customers of BCBSF and its subsidiaries.

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"We are pleased to be able to offer this value-added service to our customers," says Chip Kenyon, director, product line management. "Our enhanced service arrangement with Ceridian will mean that employers will no longer have to deal with most COBRA administrative functions. It means less work for employers, and the enhanced web capabilities are faster, more accurate and secure, so employers can communicate with Ceridian at their convenience."

Ceridian will provide employer groups and qualified beneficiaries with services such as:

  * General Notices of COBRA Rights and Obligations to newly covered
    employees and eligible dependents
  * Qualifying Event notifications sent by Ceridian after notified by the
    group that a COBRA qualifying event has occurred
  * Billing and reminder notices
  * A designated team of Ceridian associates who will provide support to
    customers of BCBSF and its subsidiaries
  * Toll-free telephone support to qualified beneficiaries

New BCBSF and its subsidiary groups will receive these enhanced services beginning in October 2004. Existing groups will begin transitioning in November 2004, with completion expected in February 2005.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (COBRA), requires employers offering group health plans who meet specific requirements to provide continuation coverage to employees and their dependents when certain events occur that result in the loss of health benefits.

Ceridian's COBRA Continuation Services is one of the nation's oldest and largest COBRA compliance service companies. Ceridian performs COBRA compliance functions for more than 40,000 employers, covering 6.5 million employees throughout the United States.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) is a leader in Florida's health industry. BCBSF and its subsidiaries serve more than 6.5 million people. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the company has been dedicated since 1944 to meeting the diverse needs of all those it serves by offering an array of choices. BCBSF is a private, policyholder-owned, tax- paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please see its website at http://www.bcbsfl.com/ .

CONTACT: Mark S. Wright of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida,+1-904-905-6935, or mobile, +1-904-233-3481

Web site: http://www.bcbsfl.com/