Health Insurance Blog

As the economy struggles and health care costs rise, more and more employers are limiting or eliminating benefits through work according to the article “How Limited Benefit Plans Can Save You Money” by Chelan David found on sbonline.com.  Because of this the practice of offering small medical health plans is growing in popularity.

Limited benefit plans charge individuals as little as $50 per month for routine medical care.  They are designed to replace major medical coverage for those who cannot afford regular insurance.  Many companies offer such options such as Go Blue Florida.  Limited benefit plans have their pros and cons.  They are very inexpensive month to month but typically major medical costs are not covered.  Another con is that mental health care is not usually covered.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of going with the smaller plan like Go Blue Health Insurance, or the major plans through Blue Cross Blue Shield.  It depends on your health, lifestyle, dependents, age, and financial situation which plan will work best for you.

The five largest New Jersey health insurance companies and five physician groups have launched a pilot program to reduce administrative costs by allowing hospitals and physicians to communicate directly with health plans and address administrative tasks through a web portal.

The pilot is sponsored by AHIP and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.  If the pilot proves successful and can be rolled out nationally, representatives from AHIP believe hundreds of billions of dollars can be saved annually.

The participating health plans include:Aetna, Amerihealth, Horizon BCBS, CIGNA, and United Healthcare.
AHIP undertook a similar pilot with Ohio health plans in October.  That pilot program is still underway.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida has an outstanding health program with many different facets.  Their research shows that health outcomes drastically improve when people take an active part in their health.  This is especially important when it comes to major illnesses.  BCBSFL offers a series of programs designed to help members handle their health in the long run.

Some of these valuable programs cover topics such as care coordination, voluntary pre-service coverage review, prenatal education, and chronic disease management for diabetes, asthma and congestive heart failure.  These programs are incredibly beneficial for those experiencing serious illness and need additional support to manage their condition effectively.

BCBSFL offers affordable options for members through programs such as Go Blue Florida and Blue Cross medicare supplements.  Their first priority is looking out for their members and ensuring positive experiences through their company.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama now offers health and dental coverage for children and young adults from birth to age 24.  According to their website, your child may be eligible if he or she is a resident of Alabama, is not eligible for Medicare, and they meet certain health underwriting guidelines.

This is a fantastic program offered through BCBSAL.  The plan covers doctor’s visits, emergency room visits, prescription drugs, lab tests, outpatient surgery, hospital costs, ambulance services, physical therapy, allergy testing, mental health treatment and many more.

Ages 0-14 can get health insurance quotes as low as $76/mos and ages 15-24 can pay as little as $80/mos.  You can easily add dental coverage as well for as low as $17/mos.  During a time where individual health insurance and family plans can be challenging to find at an affordable price, this is a program that will benefit many.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida offers many seminars throughout the state to the public as well as members to get out valuable information on their Medicare and Medigap programs.  Through these often times free seminars and senior expos Medicare beneficiaries can ask any questions and get clarification on the often times complicated Medicare plan.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare supplemental insurance is also discussed in these seminars and interested consumers can obtain pamphlets of information in addition to asking questions to a live representative.  One of the most recent events was held at The Courtyard Fort Lauderdale to educate those interested specifically in Medicare Advantage (HMO, PPO, PFFS), medicare supplements, and Medicare Part D plans for 2010.  This event was open to the public free of charge.  Understanding your Medicare health insurance quotes can prove very beneficial as you shop around in the very competitive market.

A complete calendar of events is available on BCBSFL’s website which includes dates, times, locations and what will be covered at the seminar.  If you are a medicare beneficiary or will be soon, it’s worth your time to see if there are any available events in your area.

Nine out of ten seniors are satisfied with their medicare supplement insurance according to Blue Cross Blue Shield’s (BCBS) website.  Most Medigap policyholders feel they are getting good value for their money based upon a survey recently released by BCBS and America’s Health Insurance Plans.

The survey, which was conducted by American ViewPoint, INC, shows that approximately 88% of seniors carrying medicare supplement insurance were satisfied and 62% consider themselves very satisfied.  Even more impressive is that 87% said they would recommend their Medigap coverage to friends and family.  According to the survey, the main thing they liked about their coverage was the flexibility choosing any physician they wish and the peace of mind they find with their protection.  Medical bills and processing paperwork is simple as well for these consumers.

Shopping around for a Medigap policy can be overwhelming since there are so many companies offering these types of policies, including BCBS medicare supplements.  To ensure you are part of the majority who have positive experiences with their Medicare, it’s important to shop around to get the best rates as well as the most comprehensive benefits that suit your needs.

According to the BCBSA website, BCBSA has started a new Pediatric Obesity and Diabetes Prevention Pilot Program in Texas, New Mexico, Mississippi, North Carolina and Kansas.  Through this program Blue Cross Blue Shield plans on reducing the epidemic of childhood obesity and stop further cases of young people getting Type 2 Diabetes.

The plan consists informational toolkits for doctors to use as reference guides when addressing obesity.  The kit was designed with the American Diabetes Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics to encourage healthy choices and was passed out in mid-November.  BCBS collectively protects over 100 million Americans through individual health insurance and other health insurance policies, so this large effort by them should have a great impact.

The toolkit offers healthy lifestyle suggestions such as eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, limiting TV time to 2 hours a day, getting an hour of physical activity every day, and stop drinking sweetened drinks.  According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an overweight teen has a 70% chance of becoming an obese adult which is one of the leading causes of health issues in our country.  This type of action is proving very necessary.

According to a recent research report written by Debra A. Donahue of Mark Farrah and Associates, the individual health insurance marketplace is growing.  As of the end of Q2 2009, national individual health insurance enrollment totaled about 9.7 Million, up from about 9.6 Million from the previous year.  This enrollment does not include those individuals enrolled in Medicare Health Plans, or other state sponsored Programs.  Part of this growth is being fueled by high unemployment rates and less people having access to group sponsored plans.

The report makes it crystal clear that Wellpoint is the largest and most dominant player in the individual health insurance marketplace, albeit partly due to their large geographic footprint, covering 15 states.

The top 5 health plans ranked by enrollment in individual health plans include:

1. Wellpoint - with enrollment of over 2.25 Million (23% market share)
2. HCSC (Health Care Services Corporation) - 670,000 (7%)
3. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida - 370,000 (4%)
4. Kaiser Foundation Health Plans - 344,000 (4%), down 12% from previous year
5. Humana - 336,000 (4%), up 28% from previous year

Humana increased the number of states it offered it HumanaOne individual health insurance plan from 15 states to 24 states in March 2008, which accounted for their large increase in enrollment.

Wellpoint and HCSC are both health insurance companies that offer Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Plans in multiple states.  Wellpoint includes 15 BCBS licensees, and HCSC 4.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Supplemental Insurance is a very valuable type of coverage for those on Medicare.  According to their website, medicare does not cover all health care costs so having additional coverage can save you a lot of money.

Medicare coverage generally consists of Part A, which takes care of hospital and nursing facility care coverage, and Part B, which covers physician costs and other health care expenses.  Even with both of these coverages senior have to pay for other costs out of their own pocket.  Some of these include deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.  If someone doesn’t have Medicare supplement insurance, costs can be as high as $53,000 according to BCBS.  That is often beyond affordable for many seniors living off of social security.

Private insurance companies, such as BCBS medicare supplements, offer extra protection to fill in the gaps for medical expenses.  With health care reform still up for debate it’s hard to tell what will happen to seniors who are currently covered by Medicare and supplemental insurance.  It’s extra important that seniors have affordable health care, because not only do they need it more, but many are on fixed incomes, so a large increase in costs could be devastating.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) doesn’t advertise their Medicare Supplement plans because they are such money losers for the company.  BCBSM has a dominant market position with nearly 60% market share, and the second largest Medicare Supplement membership rests with United Healthcare who maintains just under 20% of the market.

Several other health insurance carriers in Michigan are trying to take advantage of the fact that BCBSM’s is not marketing their plans aggressively by launching products of their own in Michigan in 2010.  Priority Health, Aetna, and Blue Care Network (a subsidiary of BCBSM), will all launch Medicare Supplement offerings to Michigan residents in 2010.  In addition, Health Alliance Plan began selling Medicare Supplements in 2008.

More information about Michigan health insurance.