BCBS to HP Transition Hub
Effective July 1, 2026, STMA is changing medical insurance carriers from BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) to HealthPartners. This page is designed to provide employees with the resources needed to navigate the change in carriers smoothly.
Key Contacts and Support
| Support Need | Contact Name | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
|
Michelle Neu, Benefits Coordinator | michellen@mystma.org |
|
Matt Bohlke, Benefits Consultant | mbohlke@zachmaninsurance.com |
|
HealthPartners Member Services | 952-883-5000 |
|
HealthPartners Nurse Navigator | 800-883-2177 |
Transition Details
- ID Cards & Historical Records
- Finding Care & Provider Networks
- Prescriptions & Pharmacy Benefits
- Deductibles & Run-Out Claims
ID Cards & Historical Records
New ID Cards
HealthPartners will print and mail physical ID cards to all enrolled employees in late June. Cards will be sent to the home address listed in your Skyward profile.
Digital Access
If you need to see a doctor on or after July 1 before your new card arrives, you can access a digital version through your online HealthPartners account or the HealthPartners mobile app.
BlueCross BlueShield Records
Once the district's contract with BCBS concludes on June 30, your access to the online BCBS member portal will end. We highly recommend logging in before June 30 to download copies of your recent Explanations of Benefits (EOBs), claim statements, and any other digital records.
Finding Care & Provider Networks
HealthPartners Open Access Network
Your new medical plans utilize the HealthPartners Open Access network. This is one of the largest and most flexible networks in the region, providing access to a vast array of independent clinics and major health systems across Minnesota and neighboring states.
Verifying Network Coverage
We encourage all enrolled employees to confirm your clinics and doctors are in the HealthPartners network. Use the HealthPartners Find a Provider tool to confirm your provider's network status.
Continuity of Care
If you or a dependent are currently undergoing a specific course of treatment with an out-of-network provider, you may be eligible for Continuity of Care benefits. Once you receive your ID cards, call HealthPartners at 800-883-2177 and ask to speak with a Nurse Navigator to request a review.
Prescriptions & Pharmacy Benefits
Covered Drug List (Formulary)
HealthPartners utilizes the PreferredRx formulary for prescription coverage. Because every insurance carrier builds its own covered drug list, a medication classified on the BCBS formulary may be classified differently by HealthPartners or require a different approval step.
Verify Medications
Check your prescriptions using the HealthPartners PreferredRx Online Tool. Select the "2026 PreferredRx Drug List" to ensure you are viewing the current formulary.
When viewing the formulary, abbreviations next to a drug name indicate a special condition applies to the medication. Common abbreviations are:
- PA (Prior Authorization): Prior authorization is required for this drug to be covered. Your doctor must submit notes before coverage applies.
- QL (Quantity Limit): There is a limit on the number of doses you can fill at one time.
Prior Authorizations
If you are currently taking a medication that requires prior authorization under BCBS, that approval does not automatically transfer to HealthPartners. You will need to connect with your provider to submit a new prior authorization to HealthPartners after July 1.
Summer Refills
To ensure you have enough medication on hand while records transfer from BCBS to HealthPartners, we encourage you to request a 30-day or 90-day refill from your doctor under your current plan before June 30.
Deductibles & Run-Out Claims
Calendar Year Deductible
While STMA's plan year runs July 1 through June 30, our medical insurance deductibles follow the calendar year (January 1 through December 31). Medical insurance deductibles will transfer from BCBS to HealthPartners and will not reset July 1.
Deductible Transfer Process
On June 30, BCBS will take a final snapshot of the exact deductible amounts you have accumulated and securely transmit this data to HealthPartners. This data will take a few weeks to process.
If you visit a doctor or log into your HealthPartners account in early to mid-July, your deductible balance may temporarily display as $0. HealthPartners will automatically adjust your balances and ensure you are credited properly once the transfer is complete.
Trailing Medical Claims
If you see a doctor in late June, BCBS may not receive/process the bill until July. BCBS will process these as run-out claims and send updates to HealthPartners throughout July and August to ensure your 2026 deductible is credited properly.
Transition Communications
- 6/5/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: ID Cards & Records
- 6/12/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: Network Verification and Continuity of Care
- 6/18/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: Prescriptions and Prior Authorizations
- 6/26/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: Deductible Transfers
- 6/30/2026 | Final Reminder: Insurance Carrier Change July 1
6/5/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: ID Cards & Records
To all staff,
As you wrap up the school year and get ready for summer, we want to share a few resources with you to help you prepare for the district's change in medical insurance carriers which will take effect July 1, 2026. Effective July 1, STMA is changing medical insurance carriers from BlueCross BlueShield to HealthPartners.
HealthPartners already functions as our dental insurance provider; this change to medical insurance streamlines the district's benefits by housing both medical and dental benefits under HealthPartners, and allows the district to offer more favorable medical premium rates to enrolled employees.
You can expect a weekly email with key details related to the carrier change throughout the month of June as we prepare for the transition. We will additionally build a dedicated page on the district's website related to this topic to provide you with a central hub. We will share the link to that page once it is live.
This week, we want to highlight two updates regarding your physical ID cards and your historical insurance records.
Your New HealthPartners Cards
HealthPartners will print and mail physical ID cards to all enrolled employees in late June. Cards will be sent to the home address listed in your Skyward profile. Please login to your Skyward account and confirm your address is accurate.
If you need to see a doctor on or after July 1 before your new card arrives, you can register for an online HealthPartners account and/or download the HealthPartners mobile app to view a digital version of your ID card starting July 1. You can also contact HealthPartners Member Services team at 952-883-5000 for assistance.
BlueCross BlueShield Records
Once our contract with BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) concludes on June 30, your access to the online BCBS member portal will end. We highly recommend logging into your BCBS online portal before June 30 to download copies of your recent Explanations of Benefits (EOBs), claim statements, and any digital tax records. Having these saved in your personal records will help with any validation of year-to-date deductible balances later in the summer.
Please reach out to Michelle Neu, our Benefits and Leave Coordinator, at michellen@mystma.org or Matt Bohlke, our benefits consultant, at mbohlke@zachmaninsurance.com with any questions.
Sincerely,
Michelle Neu
6/12/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: Network Verification and Continuity of Care
To all staff,
As we continue to prepare for the district’s medical insurance carrier change from BlueCross BlueShield to HealthPartners, we want to provide you with the details you need to make sure your access to care is seamless. One of the most important steps you can take is to verify that your preferred doctors, clinics, and specialists are part of the HealthPartners Open Access network. This network is one of the largest and most flexible networks in the region. It provides you with access to a vast array of independent clinics and major health systems across Minnesota and neighboring states.
How do I verify my providers are in network?
Because this is a new medical insurance carrier for the district, we encourage all enrolled staff to use the HealthPartners Find a Provider tool to confirm their network status. Within the tool, confirm that the Open Access network is selected and then search for your specific doctors or clinics.
What if my doctor is not in-network?
If you or a dependent are currently undergoing a specific course of treatment (such as pregnancy, scheduled surgery, or chronic disease management) with a provider who is not in the HealthPartners network, you may be eligible for Continuity of Care benefits. This allows you to continue seeing your current provider for a limited time at in-network benefit levels.
To request Continuity of Care benefits, contact HealthPartners Member Services (800-883-2177) once you receive your new ID cards. Notify the representative that you are a new member and need to speak with a Nurse Navigator to request continuity of care. You may be asked to provide details about your current provider and treatment. HealthPartners medical reviewers will evaluate the request and notify you of the status of your request.
Please reach out to Michelle Neu or Matt Bohlke with any questions.
Sincerely,
Michelle Neu
6/18/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: Prescriptions and Prior Authorizations
To all staff,
This is an important reminder about the district’s upcoming change in medical insurance carriers. Effective July 1, 2026, STMA will be changing medical insurance carriers from BlueCross BlueShield to HealthPartners. This week, we want to highlight information and resources about pharmacy benefits and how to transition any prescription coverage.
Prescriptions and HealthPartners Formulary
HealthPartners utilizes the PreferredRx formulary for prescription coverage under its plans. A formulary is a master list of all the prescription medications that a health insurance company agrees to cover, and every insurance carrier builds its own covered drug list. A medication that was classified on the BCBS formulary may be classified differently by HealthPartners or require a different approval step. Generally, a medication falls into one of three categories:
- Formulary (Covered): The drug is on the approved list. This applies to almost all standard generic drugs and common brand-name medications.
- Non-Formulary: The drug is not on the preferred list. It may still be covered by HealthPartners, but it may have specific approval rules or your doctor may need to prescribe a comparable alternative.
- Excluded: The drug is completely outside the plan’s guidelines and is not eligible for coverage.
Action Steps before July 1
Prior to July 1, we encourage you to take a few steps to ensure your prescriptions are set up so that you do not have any surprises the next time you need to go to the pharmacy.
1. Check your medications online: You can easily check if your prescriptions are covered by using the HealthPartners PreferredRx Online Tool. This allows you to type in your current medications and confirm their coverage status. Select the 2026 PreferredRx Drug List in the tool to ensure you are viewing the current formulary.
Note: When you are viewing your prescriptions in the list, any special requirements for a prescription will display as an abbreviation behind the drug name. Common abbreviations are:
- PA (Prior Authorization Required) - your doctor must submit notes before insurance will cover the prescription
- QL (Quantity Limit) - there is a cap on how many doses you can have filled at one time.
2. Refill prescriptions in June: If you or a family member take a medication on a regular basis, we encourage you to request a 30-day or 90-day refill from your doctor under your current BCBS plan before June 30. This ensures you have enough doses on hand while records transfer to HealthPartners.
3. Update prior authorizations: If a medication you take currently requires prior authorization under BCBS, that approval does not automatically transfer to HealthPartners. We recommend you connect with your provider to request new prior authorization be submitted to HealthPartners after July 1.
If you have specific questions about how your prescription will be handled, please reach out to HealthPartners Member Services at 800-883-2177. For other questions about your benefits, please contact Michelle Neu or Matt Bohlke.
Sincerely,
Michelle Neu
6/26/2026 | Preparation for July 1 Carrier Change: Deductible Transfers
To all staff,
Effective July 1, 2026, STMA is changing medical insurance carriers from BlueCross BlueShield to HealthPartners with the beginning of the new plan year. While our plan year runs July 1 - June 30, our medical insurance deductibles follow the calendar year (January 1 - December 31). As we approach July 1, we want to share information with you about how your deductible will transfer from BCBS to HealthPartners.
How will my information transfer?
On June 30, BCBS will take a final snapshot of the exact deductible amounts you have accumulated since January 1, 2026 (including any amounts carried over from the 4th quarter of 2025), and securely transmit this data to HealthPartners. This is known as an accumulator file.
It typically takes a few weeks for an insurance carrier to take and apply this data to member profiles, to ensure that the amounts are transferred and applied correctly. This means that if you visit a doctor or log into your HealthPartners account in early to mid-July, your deductible balance may temporarily display as $0. This is a normal part of the data conversion process; once the file has been fully processed by HealthPartners, your deductible amounts will be applied retroactively.
I have a doctor appointment in late June. How will that claim be processed?
If you see a doctor or fill a prescription in mid- to late June, BCBS may not receive the bill until sometime in July. It is normal for claims to take time to be processed. BCBS will continue to process these as “run-out” claims. BCBS will send weekly supplementary accumulator file updates to HealthPartners throughout July and August. When a run-out claim is processed, HealthPartners will receive the update and credit it toward your 2026 deductible.
What else can I do to verify my information is correct?
We highly recommend logging into your BCBS portal before June 30 to download or print your current Explanation of Benefits (EOB) showing your deductible totals. If a medical provider sends you a bill in early July before the accumulator file has been fully processed by HealthPartners, save your receipts. HealthPartners will automatically adjust your balances and ensure you are credited properly once the system has been updated.
If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Neu or Matt Bohlke.
Sincerely,
Michelle Neu
6/30/2026 | Final Reminder: Insurance Carrier Change July 1
To all staff,
Effective tomorrow, July 1, 2026, STMA’s medical insurance carrier will change from BlueCross BlueShield to HealthPartners. To ensure you are ready for the change, we have prepared the following checklist with the details shared in previous communications this month. This information is also posted on a dedicated page on the district’s website.
Insurance Cards and System Access
Physical ID cards were mailed out by HealthPartners in late June. Cards were mailed to the home address listed in your Skyward profile. If you have not received your cards, visit the HealthPartners website and/or use the HealthPartners mobile app to view a digital version of your card while you wait for your cards to arrive. You can also contact HealthPartners Member Services for assistance at 952-883-5000.
If you have not already done so, login to your BCBS online account to download copies of your recent Explanations of Benefits (EOBs), claim statements, and any digital tax records. Having these saved in your personal records will help with any validation of year-to-date deductible balances later in the summer.
Checking Care and Networks
Because this is a new medical insurance carrier for the district, we encourage all enrolled staff to use the HealthPartners Find a Provider tool to confirm their network status. Within the tool, confirm that the Open Access network is selected and then search for your specific doctors or clinics.
If you or a dependent are currently undergoing a specific course of treatment (such as pregnancy, scheduled surgery, or chronic disease management) with a provider who is not in the HealthPartners network, contact HealthPartners Member Services (952-883-5000) and ask to speak with a Nurse Navigator.
Prescriptions
At your first prescription pick-up in July, provide your new HealthPartners insurance information to your pharmacy. If you have not already done so, check the HealthPartners PreferredRx Online Tool to confirm your prescriptions are covered and work with your physician to re-submit prior authorizations to HealthPartners if needed.
Deductibles and Run-out Claims
BCBS will transmit deductible information from their system to HealthPartners beginning tomorrow (July 1). While this file is processed, your deductible may display as $0 in your HealthPartners account. Please keep your current Explanation of Benefits documents showing your deductible totals and save your receipts for any bills you receive in early July. HealthPartners will automatically adjust your balances and ensure you are credited properly once the file has been processed.
BCBS will continue to process run-out claims from mid- to late June and send this information to HealthPartners. You do not need to take any action for that process to occur.
If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Neu or Matt Bohlke.
Sincerely,
Michelle Neu