Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBS MA)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Landmark Center
401 Park Drive
Boston, MA 02215-3326
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an independent
licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield line of products.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts' stated goal is to make sure
every citizen of the state has health insurance. At
3 million members (2009 figures), BCBS MA is the largest provider in the state. They were
recently given a rating of "Excellent" by
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an
independent entity that reviews health insurance providers.
Health Insurance Options from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (MA)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts offers two basic
strategies for covering your family's health. You can
purchase plans which cover your entire family, or cover
your kids individually. Blue Direct Plans offer full
coverage for your whole family with a variety of benefit
and payment options. The Blue Health Plan for Kids allows
you to cover your kids individually at a lower cost
than covering an adult. Here are some details of some
of those plans:
* HMO Blue Direct - This
plan assigns you to a primary care physician to coordinate
your health care. Coverage for most benefits is full
after a predetermined copay, usually between $25 and
$50. Benefits include doctor visits, emergency, diagnostic
services and skilled nursing facility services. Copays
for prescription drugs are low and differ depending on the type of drug - generic or prescription.
* PPO Blue Direct - Benefits
on this plan are similar to HMO Blue Direct, but with
the freedom to choose any doctor within their provider
network. This plan relies on coinsurance payments, as
opposed to copays, in assessing fees to the customer.
These coinsurance costs are usually 10%, payable at
the time of the visit.
* Blue Health Plan for Kids
- This plan is similar to an HMO, assigning your child
to a primary care physician (PCP) to coordinate his
or her health. Regular visits to your PCP are covered,
along with emergency, diagnostic services and prescription
drugs.
Other Plan Details
With all of these plans, there are also
basic options, with reduced benefits for reduced premiums.
In many cases, deductibles can also be varied to lower
monthly payments, and some plans are even designed to
be used in conjunction with a health savings account (HSA).
|
