Manage and Maintain Your Health Insurance Policy

If you are a new Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina member , there are some basic ways you can begin managing your health insurance policy to maximize benefits and minimize out-of-pocket expenses.  Below are some helpful tips that will help you make your new NC health insurance plan work for you.

1. Pay Your Premium! – Keep in mind that having health insurance is a way to protect yourself against unforeseen accidents and illnesses.  You could pay your monthly premium for months and never really use your plan;  however, it only takes one incident or illness to remind you how important it is to remain insured.  Setting up automatic bank draft is a great way to make sure you never miss a payment and this gives you the peace of mind of knowing you are covered when it counts.
2. Carry your ID Card – By now, you should have received your new BCBSNC ID card.  This card references your policy numbers and also provides you with important phone numbers you can call when you need help with your policy.  You can also register with Blue Connect and print additional copies of your ID card should you need them.  Storing a photo of the front and back of your ID card in your cell phone is another great way to make sure you always have a copy when you need it.
3. Use the Services Provided – Blue Cross Blue Shield NC offers a number of member services that can make managing your health policy easier and more efficient.  Blue Connect allows you to see exactly how much you are using your policy and how much you are spending on certain health care services.  BCBSNC also provides Health Line Blue, a 24 hour phone line where you can speak with a nurse about where to go for health care, what to do while you wait to see your doctor and how to manage your medications.  The phone number is provided on the back of your BCBSNC ID card.  These are just a few of the benefits of being a BCBSNC member.
4. Take Advantage of Preventive Care – Every Blue Cross Blue Shield NC health plan has preventive care services covered at 100% and the list of preventive services is more extensive than you might think.  Mammograms, Colonoscopy screenings, certain vaccinations and your annual check-up are all services for which you will likely pay nothing out-of-pocket.  Familiarize yourself with the list of services covered and take advantage of them!  These are the very services that can help prevent more serious and more costly conditions down the road.
5. Understand your Health Plan – Every BCBSNC health plan pays for services differently.  It is important that you understand how your plan works and what you will pay for copayments, deductibles, and out-of-pocket limits.  It’s also important for you to know your network of providers and plan in advance so that you can try to stay in-network when it comes time for health care.  Although BCBSNC offers out-of-network coverage, you will pay more for out-of-network providers.  A little bit of advanced planning can ultimately save you a lot of money.  To discuss how plans and benefits work, contact one of our licensed agents today!

For more information, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our experienced and professional agents.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2016 at 4:52 pm and is filed under BCBSNC Insurance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.