Disclaimer: These articles are written three to four weeks before you receive the PORAC Law Enforcement News magazine. This article was prepared on February 5 for the March edition. It’s a bit of a crapshoot to try and predict one month ahead, but we really don’t have any choice in the matter.

You probably know by now that the trustees for the RMT have awarded a service provider contract to Benefit Programs Administration (BPA). They will be our new third-party administrator (TPA) effective April 1. 

For several weeks, we have been going through a transition process. Basically, what that means is the transfer of important files and information from the former TPA to the new TPA. Due to the technological age that we live in, most of those files are digital in nature — most, but not all. Dozens of boxes of hard files will also be exchanged.

The process to transition requires patience and cooperation on behalf of all of the involved parties. I’m happy to report that that part is going quite well. Additionally, in order to pass the baton successfully, we are going to need to take a short pause at the end of March. We need to go dark for a couple of weeks. But don’t worry, it really shouldn’t have too much of an effect on most of our participants.

Typically, claims that are filed by the 15th of a month are generally reimbursed by the 25th of that same month. That will not change for the month of March. If you have a claim to file in March and you want to be reimbursed by the 25th, you will need to file that claim by March 15. Any claims missing that deadline will have to wait for reimbursement until April 25.

The SIMON portal, used to file claims online, will become unavailable to you on March 16. At that point, you will not have access to file a claim online.

On April 1, we will post the OPEN sign on the door once again and be back open for normal, routine business. However, you will need to register your new account with BPA. Our website will have all of the information available for you, outlining exactly how you go about doing that. It won’t be complicated. Just answer a couple of challenge questions and you should get immediate access to your account. We will be detailing that process in the April edition of the PORAC email newsletter. It will also be outlined in my April article in the PORAC Law Enforcement News magazine. 

Trust me, I am fully aware that most cops are sometimes a bit averse to change. Unfortunately, with this change in our TPA service provider contract, we simply cannot avoid this small inconvenience. Please accept my apology in advance.

To recap and summarize for you, here are the salient points:

• File claims by March 15 in order to guarantee reimbursement by March 25.
• Access to your SIMON account will turn off on March 16.
• Access to your new BPA account won’t be available until April 1.
• It will be necessary for you to re-register your account on or after April 1.
• Information on how to register will be available on our website at PORACRMT.org. 
• The Trust office phone number will remain the same: (877) 808-5994.
• Beginning April 1, file claims via the new member portal or by using the contact information provided below:
  PORAC Retiree Medical Trust
  c/o Benefit Programs Administration
  1200 Wilshire Blvd., 5th Floor
  Los Angeles, CA 90017
  Phone: (877) 808-5994
  Fax: (562) 463-5894
  PORACRMT@bpabenefits.com

If you encounter a situation that you can’t resolve and you need some assistance, please reach out to me, Chairman Terry A. Moore, or to Field Consultant Earl Titman.