This Plan is a health maintenance organization (HMO) with a high deductible health plan (HDHP) option. The HMO will require you to see specific physicians, hospitals, and other providers that contract with us. These plan providers coordinate your healthcare services. We are solely responsible for the selection of these providers in your area. Contact us for a copy of our most recent provider directory.
OPM requires that FEHB plans be accredited to validate that plan operations and/or care management meet nationally recognized standards. AultCare holds the following accreditations: NCQA Accredited. To learn more about this plan’s accreditation(s), please visit the following websites:
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare (aaahc.org);
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (ncqa.org);
- URAC (URAC.org).
General features of our HMO (High Option)
HMOs emphasize preventive care such as routine office visits, physical exams, well-baby care, and immunizations, in addition to treatment for illness and injury. Our providers follow generally accepted medical practice when prescribing any course of treatment.
When you receive services from Plan providers, you will not have to submit claim forms or pay bills. You pay only the copayments described in this brochure. When you receive emergency services from Non-Participating providers, you may have to submit claim forms.
Preventive care services
Preventive care services are generally covered with no cost-sharing and are not subject to copayments, deductibles, or annual limits when received from a network provider.
Annual deductible
There is no Annual deductible for the High Option plan.
We have network providers
Our AultCare Healthcare Plan offers services through a network. When you use our network providers, you will receive covered services at reduced cost. AultCare is solely responsible for the selection of network providers in your area. Contact us for the names of network providers and to verify their continued participation. You can also go to our Web page, which you can reach through the FEHB website, www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance. Contact AultCare to request a network provider directory.
In-network benefits apply only when you use a network provider. Provider networks may be more extensive in some areas than others. We cannot guarantee the availability of every specialty in all areas.
How we pay providers
HMO Providers: We contract with individual physicians, medical groups, and hospitals to provide the benefits in this brochure. These Plan providers accept a negotiated payment from us, and you will only be responsible for your cost-sharing (copayments, deductibles, coinsurance and non-covered services and supplies).
AultCare HMO is an IPA model HMO, whereby the HMO has individual agreements with select physicians who have agreed to provide care for AultCare HMO enrollees. Each family member must select a primary care doctor who coordinates care for the HMO enrollee. There are approximately 938 primary care physicians from which to choose and nearly 3,136 specialists in our network.
The first and most important decision each member must make is the selection of a primary care doctor. The decision is important since it is through this doctor that all other health services, particularly those of specialists, are obtained. It is the responsibility of your primary care doctor to obtain any necessary authorizations from this Plan before referring you to a specialist or making arrangements for hospitalization. Services of other providers are covered only when their has been a referral by the member’s primary care doctor with the following exception(s): a woman may see her Plan gynecologist for her annual routine examination without a referral.
You should join an HMO because you prefer the plan’s benefits, not because a particular provider is available. You cannot change plans because a provider leaves our Plan. We cannot guarantee that any one physician, hospital, or other provider will be available and/or remain under contract with us.
General features of our High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
HDHPs have higher annual deductibles and annual out-of-pocket maximum limits than other types of FEHB plans. FEHB Program HDHPs also offer health savings accounts or health reimbursement arrangements. Please see below for more information about these savings features.
You can read additional information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at www.healthcare.gov.
Preventive care services
Preventive care services are generally covered with no cost-sharing and are not subject to copayments, deductibles, or annual limits when received from a network provider.
Annual deductible
The annual deductible of $2,000 for Self Only and $4,000 for Self Plus One or Self and Family for the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) must be met before Plan benefits are paid for care other than preventive care services.
Health Savings Account (HSA)
You are eligible for a Health Savings Account (HSA) if you are enrolled in an HDHP, not covered by any other health plan that is not an HDHP (including a spouse’s health plan, excluding specific injury insurance and accident, disability, dental care, vision care, or long-term care coverage), not enrolled in Medicare, not received VA (except for veterans with a service-connected disability) or Indian Health Service (HIS) benefits within the last three months, not covered by your own or your spouse's flexible spending account (FSA), and are not claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
- You may use the money in your HSA to pay all or a portion of the annual deductible, copayments, coinsurance, or other out-of-pocket costs that meet the IRS definition of a qualified medical expense.
- Distributions from your HSA are tax-free for qualified medical expenses for you, your spouse, and your dependents, even if they are not covered by a HDHP.
- You may withdraw money from your HSA for items other than qualified medical expenses, but it will be subject to income tax and, if you are under 65 years old, an additional 20% penalty tax on the amount withdrawn.
- For each month that you are enrolled in an HDHP and eligible for an HSA, the HDHP will pass through (contribute) a portion of the health plan premium to your HSA. In addition, you (the account holder) may contribute your own money to your HSA up to an allowable amount determined by IRS rules. Your HSA dollars earn tax-free interest.
- You may allow the contributions in your HSA to grow over time, like a savings account. The HSA is portable – you may take the HSA with you if you leave the Federal government or switch to another plan.
Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
If you are not eligible for an HSA, or become ineligible to continue an HSA, you are eligible for a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). Although an HRA is similar to an HSA, there are major differences.
- An HRA does not earn interest.
- An HRA is not portable if you leave the Federal government or switch to another plan.
Catastrophic protection (HDHP)
We protect you against catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses for covered services. The IRS limits annual out-of-pocket expenses for covered services, including deductibles and copayments, to no more than $6,900 for Self Only enrollment and $13,800 for a Self Plus One or Self and Family. When you use network providers, your specific annual out-of-pocket plan limits, including coinsurance and copayments, cannot exceed $4,000 for Self Only enrollment, or $8,000 for Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment. The out-of-pocket limit for this Plan may differ from the IRS limit, but cannot exceed that amount.
We have network providers
Our AultCare Healthcare Plan offers services through a network. When you use our network providers, you will receive covered services at reduced cost. AultCare is solely responsible for the selection of network providers in your area. Contact us for the names of network providers and to verify their continued participation. You can also go to our Web page, which you can reach through the FEHB website, www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance. Contact AultCare to request a network provider directory.
In-network benefits apply only when you use a network provider. Provider networks may be more extensive in some areas than others. We cannot guarantee the availability of every specialty in all areas.
How we pay providers
HMO Providers: We contract with individual physicians, medical groups, and hospitals to provide the benefits in this brochure. These Plan providers accept a negotiated payment from us, and you will only be responsible for your copayments.
AultCare HMO is an IPA model HMO, whereby the HMO has individual agreements with select physicians who have agreed to provide care for AultCare HMO enrollees. Each family member must select a primary care doctor who coordinates care for the HMO enrollee. There are approximately 938 primary care physicians from which to choose and nearly 3,136 specialists in our network.
The first and most important decision each member must make is the selection of a primary care doctor. The decision is important since it is through this doctor that all other health services, particularly those of specialists, are obtained. It is the responsibility of your primary care doctor to obtain any necessary authorizations from this Plan before referring you to a specialist or making arrangements for hospitalization. Services of other providers are covered only when their has been a referral by the member’s primary care doctor with the following exception(s): a woman may see her Plan gynecologist for her annual routine examination without a referral.
PPO Providers: Allowable benefits are based upon charges and discounts which we or our PPO administrators have negotiated with participating providers. PPO provider charges are always within our plan allowance.
Non-PPO providers: We determine our allowance for covered charges by using healthcare charge data prepared by the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) or other credible sources, including our own data, when necessary.
Health education resources and accounts management tools
Your rights and responsibilities
OPM requires that all FEHB plans provide certain information to their FEHB members. You may get information about us, our networks, and our providers. OPM’s FEHB Website (www.opm.gov/insure) lists the specific types of information that we must make available to you. Some of the required information is listed below.
- AultCare has been in existence since 1985
- AultCare is a for-profit organization
You are also entitled to a wide range of consumer protections and have specific responsibilities as a member of this Plan. You can view the complete list of these rights and responsibilities by visiting our website, www.aultcare.com. You can also contact us to request that we mail a copy to you.
If you want more information about us, call 800-344-8858 or visit our website at www.aultcare.com.
By law, you have the right to access your protected health information (PHI). For more information regarding access to PHI, visit our website www.aultcare.com to obtain our Notice of Privacy Practices. You can also contact us to request that we mail you a copy of that Notice.
Your medical and claims records are confidential
We will keep your medical and claims records confidential. Please note that we may disclose your medical and claims information (including your prescription drug utilization) to any of your treating physicians or dispensing pharmacies.
Service Area
To enroll in this Plan, you must live or work in our service areas. This is where our network providers practice. Our Service Areas are:
• Stark
• Carroll
• Holmes
• Tuscarawas
• Wayne Counties in Ohio
• Canton metropolitan area in Ohio
Ordinarily, you must get your care from providers who contract with us. If you receive care outside our service area, we will pay only for emergency care benefits. We will not pay for any other healthcare services out of our service area unless the services have prior plan approval.
If you or a covered family member move outside of our service area, you can enroll in another plan. If a dependent lives out of the area (for example, if your child goes to college in another state), you should consider enrolling in a fee-for-service plan or another plan that has agreements with affiliates in other areas. If you or a family member move, you do not have to wait until Open Season to change plans. Contact your employing or retirement office.