FAQs
Getting Started
I have been newly assigned to this position and need to submit my company's data to EMPAQ®. How do I get started?
(show/hide answer)
The best place to start is to login and register. EMPAQ ® provides a secure, online data submission tool at www.empaq.org. Business Group members should use their existing usernames and passwords to login while non-members must create an account. You must complete a brief tutorial (10 minutes) and accept the EMPAQ ® Terms and Conditions before getting access to the online data submission tool.
Helpful materials are available on the EMPAQ ® tools and resources page, such as:
Which data suppliers and vendors submit data to EMPAQ® for their clients?
(show/hide answer)
What is the cost to participate?
(show/hide answer)
Here is the price to participate in EMPAQ ® for the 2010 cycle.
- Member Companies: EMPAQ® is a membership benefit for all National Business Group on Health members. There is no additional cost for the basic reporting package.
- Non-member Companies: Employers who are not Business Group members may submit data free of charge. The price per benchmarking report is $750 per program up to a $2,500 maximum.
- Data Suppliers: Companies submitting on behalf of their clients may submit data free of charge, regardless of their clients' Business Group membership status. The price per benchmarking report per non-member client is $750 per program up to a $2,500 maximum. Recipients of the EMPAQ® Gold and Platinum Seals will receive a limited set of free non-member reports.
I want to log-in but need a Business Group username and password.
(show/hide answer)
If your company is a member of the National Business Group on Health and you would like access all online resources including EMPAQ ®, please click the link below to request a username and password.
Request a Business Group Username and Password
Once you all receive login information, you will be able to access the EMPAQ ® data submission tool.
Data Suppliers
How do I submit claims level data?
(show/hide answer)
Disability Claims level data (i.e., Workers' Compensation, Short-term Disability and Long-term Disability programs) can be submitted online from June 1 - July 1, 2010 through a secure FTP process. Click here to download the EMPAQ Claims Submission Guide, which contains instructions, file specifications, and the FTP request form. Claims level data submissions will continue to build-out to the full suite of programs, with Group Health claims data currently under development. Please continue to submit all other aggregate program data using the online Data Submission Tool through the EMPAQ ® website at www.empaq.org.
How do I download data submission spreadsheets if I'm a data supplier?
(show/hide answer)
Companies who submit on behalf of their clients may use EMPAQ® Data Submission Spreadsheets to easily and quickly submit a large amount of data. To access the spreadsheets, login to the online data submission tool, accept the EMPAQ® terms and conditions page, and then choose a program from the data submission drop-down menu. Spreadsheets are available for download at the bottom of each program page.
Metrics and Data Definitions
My company has several plans. Which plan should I use to report my data?
(show/hide answer)
Submit data for the most predominant plan. If there are two predominant plans, divide the populations and submit each population separately. Make sure to assign each population with a unique name in the "Employer or Business Unit" field in the data submission tool. Make sure to assign each population with a unique name in the "Employer or Business Unit" field in the data submission tool.
What covered populations are included in the Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC)?
(show/hide answer)
For the Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC) collected for STD, LTD and Group Health, include only active employees and employees on leave. For the Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC) collected for STD, LTD and Group Health, include only active employees and employees on leave.
What covered populations are included in the Demographic questions?
(show/hide answer)
For the Demographic section, include all U.S. employees, including those not covered by the employer's benefit programs and employees on leave. For the Demographic section, include all U.S. employees, including those not covered by the employer's benefit programs and employees on leave.
How are "group health" and "medical" program costs and headcounts defined for the EMPAQ® Group Health program? I want to be sure that I'm reading it appropriately regarding account-based health care plans vs. more traditional medical plans (e.g. PPOs).
(show/hide answer)
Benefit Professionals typically use the term — Group Health — to correspond to all of an employer’s health related plans (i.e., medical, prescription drug, behavioral health, dental and vision). Where as medical refers only to the medical plan options offered by the company.
For purposes of EMPAQ ®, here are some guidelines to consider as you gather your Group Health data:
For Program Cost Measures
- Group Health: Include medical program costs, behavioral health program costs (if separate from medical program costs), pharmacy program costs, and dental health program costs.
- Medical: Include medical program costs and behavioral health program costs (if separate from medical program costs). Pharmacy program costs for prescription drugs dispensed in an outpatient setting (i.e., not during an inpatient confinement) are submitted separately under:
- Pharmacy Program Costs Paid by Employer for Covered Employees; and
- Pharmacy Program Costs Paid by Employer for Covered Lives.
For Headcount Measures
- Use the above guidelines to determine your covered populations for each metric.
- The number for covered populations (such as Average Number of Medical Plan Covered Employees) should follow the costs you included for the Medical Plan.
- For example: If an employer is not submitting HMO data for a metric (such as Medical Program Costs for Covered Employees) — the employer should not submit the covered employees for this same plan.
Note: For EMPAQ purposes, vision coverage is not included in any metric due to low cost impact on employers.
My company does not track unpaid sick days. Should I enter “0” for the response?
(show/hide answer)
If you can track the number of leave days that are for unpaid sick days then you should enter the number. Otherwise, the field should be left blank. Do not enter zero for any numbers for which you don’t have an answer.
Part of my population uses a PTO bank for absences and there is no mechanism to differentiate between unplanned vs. planned days off. How do I provide data for this population?
(show/hide answer)
If you can't differentiate between planned vs. unplanned absences, then the data should not be provided. Only provide data for the population for which you track the information. Subsequently, you should only include those employees in the Average Number of Employees Covered for Incidental Absence data element. The employees that use a PTO bank should be excluded.
Should employees on COBRA be included in the definition of active employees?
(show/hide answer)
EMPAQ® does not collect costs on former employees and "others" that qualify for COBRA. However, EMPAQ® does collect costs for employees on leave (where health care is being continued while the employee is on leave).
|
|
|