Dual Functionality Added
to HumanaAccess Card
New Card Allows Users to Pay for Services

Convenience counts. That’s the approach Humana took in redesigning — and rethinking — its HumanaAccess ^SM cards. The cards that Humana members began carrying in July now feature a streamlined design that makes it easy to access their Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Personal Care Account (PCA) funds.

“The card is an important aspect of Humana’s strategy to get consumers involved in their health care finances, and when we look at the adoption numbers, we can see that the card is making a difference,” said Benjamin Slen, product manager for the HumanaAccess card. “Adoption of the HumanaAccess card has been phenomenal. Not only have we been issuing more cards, but cardholders are using them more and more.”

Humana associates began using the card in July. The company plans to introduce the card to subscribers of other Humana plans throughout the year.

“The HumanaAccess card gives physicians the information they need to quickly verify member eligibility online through our physician portal at www.Humana.com,” said Slen. “The redesign of the card makes it easier for physicians and members to access information about benefits and to use FSA or PCA funds.”

The card also functions as the medical identification card for members enrolled in Humana medical plans with PCA or FSA options and is much easier to read, said Slen, because the member identification number and other plan information now have a white background. The new card allows members to deduct funds electronically from their Humana FSAs and PCAs for copayments and pharmacy expenses.

A physician’s office or pharmacy can swipe the Humana member’s card in its Visa® card reader and electronically debit the members’ FSA funds — the amounts that members can choose to deduct from their paychecks to purchase approved health care goods and services. The volume of card transactions and the associated spending for which the cards are used are growing by 20 percent to 30 percent a month, according to Slen.

Tracking of flexible spending improved
One of the card’s many conveniences to physicians is that it can be used to collect a patient’s copayment and other amounts owed at the time of service. For subscribers, the cards offer the dual convenience of a medical ID card and a payment card. The HumanaAccess card allows subscribers to avoid the task of mailing receipts for health care purchases and waiting for reimbursements.

The Internal Revenue Service still requires FSA claims to be substantiated, so Slen advises that physicians always provide receipts to those using cards to debit their FSA funds.

“We are able to match a large percentage of claims in our systems, eliminating the need for subscribers to submit receipts, but it’s wise for the subscriber to always have the receipts from their physicians as a backup,” he said.

Card helps members manage Personal Care Accounts
The cards also make it easier for physicians to get reimbursed through Humana member PCA funds — a health benefit plan option designed to pay for health services up to a predetermined amount.

Members whose HumanaAccess cards show that they have the PCA benefit will not owe copayments for services, such as office visits. As such, the physician should bill Humana after confirming user eligibility. The physician should then wait until Humana has adjudicated the claim before billing the member, according to Slen. If the physician accepts Visa cards, a member can write the HumanaAccess card number on the physician’s billing statement and return it to the physician. The physician’s office would then run the member’s card number through its Visa card machine to receive the payment.

“The advantage to the physicians with this process is that they get that payment much faster than they would with paper checks,” Slen said.

Slen explained that because the debit-only cards do not require the user to enter a personal identification number, the physician’s staff must enter the purchase amount into the system using the “credit” key, not the “debit” key on the card reader.

“If a card doesn’t work, the physician’s office staff is sure they are using their card reader correctly, the member has activated the card and the member is sure that there are funds remaining in the account, then the physician’s office should call Humana’s FSA/PCA customer service number listed on the back of the card,” he said.

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