Jersey City Public Schools

Open Access Health Benefits Plan

Jersey City Public Schools Employees Receive:

Freedom from Network Restrictions
You will no longer be restricted to a network and pay high out-of-network penalties. With Homestead Smart Health Plans we help you receive care at the doctor and facility of your choice.
Better Benefits, Lower Costs
Our Open Access plans offer you better benefits at a lower price.
Protection From Balance Bills
If you ever receive a balance bill, contact us immediately. Homestead protects Jersey City Open Access plan members from balance bills, a service not offered by traditional insurance companies.

ACCESS BENEFITS

Benefits administered by INDECS Corp.

You may review Balance Bills, obtain Explanation of Benefits, Request Identification Cards (ID Cards), review full Plan Document and Benefit Summary Information. Please call INDECS for any questions, 855-466-3494!
Access INDECS

FIND A PROVIDER

Provider Concierge Service and Look Up Tool! - www.homesteadproviders.com

We offer concierge service to help you find quality providers! Please use our provider look up tool at www.homesteadproviders.com to search for providers by name, specialty and geographic location. The directory allows you to find preferred providers like Penn Medicine in the PA/NJ area as well as providers that participate in the PHCS - Practitioner Only program, a Multiplan program. (You can still access PHCS providers through www.multiplan.com – choose PHCS Practitioner Only network.)

The Homestead directory is provided as a convenience to you. It indicates the affiliation of the provider. When you call a new provider to make an appointment, be sure to mention the Claim Watcher or PHCS – Practitioner Only affiliation when asked about your benefits coverage.

Not able to find a specific provider? Concerned about an upcoming appointment? We are with you every step of the way – just call our provider concierge service at 855-466-3494. If you have an upcoming appointment with a new provider, please reach out to us to help facilitate your visit. You can also fill out a Provider Assistance Form here.

Find My Provider

HAVE A QUESTION?

We've Got Answers

Call INDECS Customer Service

855-466-3494

BALANCE BILLS

Don’t Forget to Check your Mail!

Open your mail and if you receive any bills from a doctor, facility, urgent care center or hospital, please send it to INDECS Corp. immediately!
BALANCE BILLS
Fax- 267-514-2242
Email- balancebills@claimwatcher.com
Or submit through your member portal

FAQs

Yes. With the Homestead Smart Health Plan, there are no facility networks which means you can go to any facility or hospital. No referrals required.
Yes. You have an open access health plan which allows you to go to any provider or facility. For your convenience, you can choose a doctor in the PHCS-Practitioner Only Network. However, you may go to any licensed provider and there is no negative effect on your benefits or coverage if you go to a non-PHCS provider. The PHCS Practitioners Only Network is a broad, national physician network. To check if your physician participates in the network, please visit the PHCS provider lookup page and select the PHCS Practitioner Only Network.
Yes, you will be able to have prescription drug coverage through this plan.
Yes, the Homestead Smart Health Plan requires preauthorization for certain services such as Inpatient Admissions, Outpatient Surgical Procedures and Complex Imaging Services (MRI, CT & PET scans). Your healthcare provider should call Healthcare Strategies at 1-800-764-3433 for pre-authorization.
No, you are only responsible for paying any copays, deductibles and co-insurance. You may pay copays that are required based on your schedule of benefits. Let them know that you do have insurance and they should call INDECS at 855-466-3494 to verify coverage and benefits. If you do not have the financial resources to pay for the copays or deductibles, you may apply for financial assistance through the hospital or facility.
No. A balance bill occurs when a provider bills you for the difference between the provider's charge and your health plan’s allowed amount. For example, if the provider's charge is $100 and the allowed amount is $70, the provider may bill you for the remaining $30 balance. Under the Homestead Smart Health Plan, we defend you against balance bills. You are only responsible for the amount shown as Patient Responsibility on the Explanation of Benefits form, which would include any copays, co-insurance, and/or deductibles.
If you receive a balance bill in the mail from a facility, please send this IMMEDIATELY to balancebills@claimwatcher.com via email or fax (267-514-2242). You will be sent an Attorney Client Representative Agreement and a HIPAA form. Return these forms and all correspondence from the doctor, facility or hospital to INDECS/Claim Watcher and they will work to resolve the bill.
INDECS is part of a suite of health benefits services offered by
Homestead Smart Health Plans