RECOM Blog

At their November meeting, RECOM’s representatives on the Employee Benefits Task Force asked how COM’s Cigna plans would respond to denials of service under the WISeR program, which goes into effect in January.  That plan involves new pre-certification requirements for Medicare patients in Arizona.  The December issue of RECOM REPORTER listed many of the services involved and the review process.  You may read that article on this website under News/Newsletters/December 2025 Newsletter.

Stephanie Drake, Assistant Employee Benefits Administrator, responded to RECOM’s questions.  Here is her response:

We have confirmed with Cigna that most of the codes/services included in the WISeR program already require prior authorization through Cigna, but currently when Medicare is primary for these services, providers do not need to get pre-cert with Cigna to pay as secondary for those services.  In 2026, if a service needs to be approved by Medicare under WISeR and the service is also a Cigna/City of Mesa covered service, then the provider and/or member must complete the WISeR pre-certification process for Medicare to approve and pay primary and Cigna will automatically coordinate benefits in secondary position (just like current).  However, if WISeR denies Medicare coverage for otherwise potentially covered services under the City/Cigna retiree medical plans, then the provider would need to submit for pre-certification/authorization with Cigna and if Cigna approves, then they will adjudicate the claim in primary position (i.e., no Medicare involvement).  If neither approves, then (there will be) no coverage for that set of codes and clinical requests under either Medicare or Cigna/City.

Watch out for this clever phishing scam that hooks you: Hackers are slipping the Japanese character “ん” (pronounced like a soft “n” and called a hiragana) into legitimate website URLs, replacing a normal slash “/.” To the naked eye, it looks normal, but click, and you’re headed straight to a malware buffet. This works because “ん” is part of Unicode, so browsers treat it as a valid web address character. Even pros can miss it at first glance. Bonus scam: fake “Intuit” emails where the “i” is swapped for a lowercase “L.” Your eyesight is the target, so always hover over links and check the real domain before you click.

Your Annual Account Checkup

Hello! This is your reminder to check that information within your secure myASRS account is up-to-date. We suggest logging into your account at least once a year to make sure that:

• All primary contact information is correct, including your mailing address, email address, and phone number.
• Any beneficiary(s) on your account are still correct.

Some additional important notes:

• If you’ve changed ASRS employers within the last year, ensure your current employer is listed in your account. If it is incorrect, ask your employer for their ASRS enrollment code, and go through the "first time registration steps" again with your ASRS account.
• We suggest making sure your login ID is sufficiently unique that other members may not accidentally try to log into your account due to members with same or similar names having similar login IDs. You can change your login ID within your secure myASRS account using the “Edit Profile” menu option. 
• Remember to always update your contact information with the ASRS and your employer separately. Changing it with one does not update the other!

Be sure to check your RECOM, City of Mesa health insurance, ASRS, PSPRs, Social Security, etc., at least once a year to ensure that all your information on file is still correct. Check your mailing address, email address, phone number, or beneficiary information.  It's important to keep it current to be sure you get important communications that can be sent from providers.

Remember to register your Deferred Compensation account online with your email address and phone number. Keep that information up-to-date. When activity occurs on a participant account, Empower proactively sends that participant security alerts via all points of contact they have for them. Participants are encouraged to contact Empower directly if they don’t recognize any such activity or have questions about alerts.  Empower Client Services  800-701-8255.

Follow these 3 tips to protect yourself from Medicare fraud and scams:

1. If you get a call, text or email asking for your Medicare Number, don't respond. Don't give your Medicare card or Medicare Number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it.

2. Check your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) or claims statements carefully. If you see a charge for a service you didn't get or a product you didn't order, it may be fraud. If you suspect fraud, report it at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse | Medicare. 

3. Guard your Medicare card like it's a credit card.

• Surepay deductions occur on the 10^th of the month unless it is a non-business day or holiday.
• This will occur 3 more times in 2025
• Loof for and review Annual Open Enrollment newsletter each September
• Take note of changes, including cost
• Contact Employee Benefits Office 480-644-2299 or benefits.info@mesaaz.ogv to update contact information – address, email, phone number.

Take advantage of your free dental visits – prioritize your oral health and schedule your appointments today! 

Our Delta Dental Plans now include three free cleanings per year!