This is a tool that will help control health care costs by verifying and removing any ineligible dependents from the City's plan. So start gathering your dependent documents now. If you need to re-order a birth certificate or marriage certificate, now is the time to do so. If you cannot verify a dependent, they will not be eligible to remain on the plan.

Get your dependent documents ready! Everyone will be required to submit dependent verification during the open enrollment period if you have dependents on your benefits. But don't worry, you will have multiple convenient ways to submit your documents.

Yes, if you do not participate in open enrollment, your benefits will remain the same as they were for 2021 except for flexible spending accounts.

Passive enrollment means that employees are not required to re-elect benefits for the upcoming year. If an employee takes no action, benefits will remain the same, except for flexible spending accounts.

When sending verification documents that contain sensitive financial and/or personal identification information, please black out the information using the sample tax form attached as a guide. Please note that it is a felony to falsify IRS tax forms in any way. Be careful not to obscure information that will be needed to verify your dependent's eligibility.

Yes. A printout of page one of your electronically submitted tax return showing your claimed dependent(s) is acceptable documentation as a substitute for the full tax return. It is not acceptable in place of any other documentation, including marriage or birth certificates.

Your former spouse does not qualify as a dependent under City of Tuscaloosa BCBS Alabama Medical & Dental and/or VSP Vision Plan(s) and must be removed from coverage on or before the deadline date. City of Tuscaloosa has arranged for Hodges-Mace, LLC to help all removed dependents find alternative coverage. Depending on when the divorce was final, your former spouse may be eligible for COBRA.

Please do not submit original documents to Hodges-Mace, LLC, only photocopies. Once Hodges-Mace, LLC receives your documentation, the paper documentation is converted to an electronic image, which will be stored on secure systems with password-protected access. Your documents will be kept confidential and secure.

Yes. Hodges-Mace, LLC will provide a confirmation postcard via the US Postal Service once your verification is complete. If your required documents were processed but were determined to be incomplete, Hodges-Mace, LLC will send a reminder postcard stating you have not completed the process and should contact them for additional assistance.

Dependents dropped from coverage should seek the assistance of Hodges-Mace, LLC to find alternative coverage. Hodges-Mace, LLC has access to a broad range of affordable alternatives for a variety of situations. Some dependents may be eligible for COBRA coverage due to a qualified event if it occurred recently (such as divorce, legal separation, or aging out). If eligible, dependents will receive a COBRA package. However, receipt of the package does not automatically entitle them to COBRA coverage. For example, parents, grandparents, and siblings of members were never considered eligible dependents under the health plan are not eligible for COBRA coverage. City of Tuscaloosa reserves the right to request documentation proving prior eligibility status such as a divorce agreement, school registration, or court order from individuals who enroll in COBRA.

Yes. You are not being asked to submit sensitive personal information such as social security numbers and financial account numbers. You may black out any such information before you submit a copy of the required documentation.

If you do not return the Dependent Verification Affidavit and required documentation, your dependents will be removed from coverage on the City of Tuscaloosa BCBS Alabama Medical & Dental and/or VSP Vision Plan(s). You may also be responsible for claims incurred for ineligible dependents.

You must respond by the Deadline Date listed on the first page of this packet to certify that your dependents meet all eligibility criteria. If you have an ineligible person enrolled as a dependent, you must remove that person during this period by indicating the box in Column 'D' on the Dependent Eligibility Affidavit.

You must check the box in column 'D' next to the dependent's name and fill in the date in column 'E' on the Dependent Verification Affidavit. Your ineligible dependents will be removed from coverage. You may contact Hodges-Mace, LLC to discuss coverage alternatives.

Yes, dependent verification is a legal process. City of Tuscaloosa has the responsibility to ensure everyone enrolled in the plan meets the eligibility criteria. The specified documentation listed in the matrix will be needed to establish eligibility for your dependents. If Hodges- Mace, LLC does not receive this documentation, you risk your dependents not being covered by the health plan.

This dependent verification project is for US employees that have dependents on the City of Tuscaloosa BCBS Alabama Medical & Dental and/or VSP Vision Plan(s). No one person is being singled out for this.

No. Please send verification documents to Hodges-Mace, LLC via fax, mail or by securely uploading your documents on the web portal. Hodges-Mace, LLC will review your documents and confirm verification of your dependents.

If you read the Dependent Eligibility Matrix and still have questions, there is a customized web site available at www.depconfirm.com/COT You can also call Hodges- Mace, LLC toll free at 1 (855) 210-1938. Representatives are available from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. EST Monday through Friday.

Faxed documents are entered into a HIPAA secured system as electronic images and are not printed to paper. Paper documents submitted are converted into electronic images and the paper is saved in a secure facility until they are destroyed upon completion of the project.

Yes.

Hodges-Mace, LLC is an independent third-party company located in Atlanta, GA. City of Tuscaloosa has contracted with Hodges-Mace, LLC to audit the eligibility of dependents currently covered under its medical, dental and/or vision plan(s). City of Tuscaloosa has also retained the services of Hodges-Mace, LLC to help find displaced dependents alternative health coverage for their particular situation.

City of Tuscaloosa, as defined by the plan, is required by law to administer its health care plan so that it benefits only eligible individuals. The company is also sensitive to the rising cost of health care and recognizes that covering ineligible participants drives up the cost of health care for all eligible employees. As such, City of Tuscaloosa must ensure that benefit dollars are being spent only on eligible participants. Dependent eligibility verification of health plan enrollments is a standard business practice.