Milestones and Dates that you will want to keep in mind as Health Care Reform comes closer:

June 2013: Blue Map should help you find the right solution. Just answer a few simple questions, and get a personalized recommendation based on your member profile that will outline your options.

Summer 2013: BCBSNC events will be hosted throughout North Carolina. We will let you know when we are coming to a town near you.

September 2013: Enrollment begins in one month. You will receive your renewal/enrollment kit. Will you have changes or need new plan options?

October 2013: New health care reform plans are available for a 2014 effective date. Have you completed your Blue Map? You can review your options and get a quote.

December 2013: Deadline is approaching to make changes to your current plan or sign up for a new one.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

The information in this article was taken from “Health Care Reform is Coming” from BCBSNC on April 2013.

What is the penalty for noncompliance?

If you do not have health insurance, the penalty is the greater of:

For 2014, $95 per uninsured person or 1 percent of household income over the filing threshold;

For 2015, $325 per uninsured person or 2 percent of household income over the filing threshold, and

For 2016 and beyond, $695 per uninsured person or 2.5 percent of household income over the filing threshold.

There is a family cap on the flat dollar amount (but not the percentage of income test) of 300%, and the overall penalty is capped at the national average premium of a bronze level plan purchases through an exchange.

For individuals under 18 years old, the applicable per person penalty is one-half of the amounts listed above. Beginning in 2017, the penalties will be increased by the cost-of-living adjustment. Who will be exempt from the mandate?  Individuals who have a religious exemption, those not lawfully present in the United States, and incarcerated individuals are exempt from the minimum essential coverage requirement.

Are there other exceptions when the penalty may apply?

Yes. A penalty will not be assessed on individuals who cannot afford health coverage based on formulas contained in the law, anyone who has income below the federal income tax filing threshold, any members of Indian tribes, anyone who were uninsured for short coverage gaps of less than three months; or if they have received a hardship waiver from the Secretary, or are residing outside of the United States, or are bona fide residents of any possession of the United States.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act includes a mandate for most individuals to have health insurance or potentially pay a penalty for noncompliance. Individuals will be required to maintain minimum essential coverage for themselves and their dependents. Some individuals will be exempt from the mandate or the penalty, while others may be given financial assistance to help them pay for the cost of health insurance.

What type of coverage satisfies the individual mandate?

“Minimum essential coverage”

What is minimum essential coverage?

Minimum essential coverage is defined as:
•Coverage under certain government-sponsored plans
•Employer-sponsored plans, with respect to any employee
•Plans in the individual market,
•Grandfathered health plans; and
•Any other health benefits coverage, such as a state health benefits risk pool, as
recognized by the HHS Secretary.

Minimum essential coverage does not include health insurance coverage consisting of excepted
benefits, such as dental-only coverage.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

A basic tenet of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to expand coverage and accessibility of health insurance to most, if not all, Americans. Coverage is expected to increase by up to 32 million people through expanding Medicaid and offering premium and cost-sharing subsidies to make insurance more affordable for those who do not qualify for Medicaid. In addition to these programs, states will also have the option of implementing a Basic Health Plan (BHP). If states choose to operate a BHP, they will be given 95 percent of what the government would have spent on subsidies for the enrolled population between 133 and 200 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL).

What is a BHP?

Beginning on January 1, 2014, states have the option to offer a BHP to their residents in lieu of individuals receiving federal subsidies. The BHP will have to meet certain criteria:

• Essential health benefits must be covered;
• Premiums must not exceed those of silver-level plans (the second lowest) on the Exchange;
• Certain actuarial minimums must be met; and
• Medical loss ratios may not fall below 85 percent.

The requirements mentioned above are the minimum requirements; states are allowed to offer more generous coverage (examples include that of Medicaid or State Children’s Health Insurance Plans (CHIP)). The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a request for information (RFI) on September 1 in an attempt to gather information that may assist in the development of the BHP regulations. If states decide to offer a BHP, they may contract with one or more private insurers or build on existing state-run programs like Medicaid and CHIP. If North Carolina decided to implement a BHP, BCBSNC will need to evaluate how we can best serve that population and our current members.

The BHP in ACA was modeled after a similar program that began in Washington State. The Washington BHP (WBHP) began in 1987 and differs slightly from the federal program. In WBHP, subsidies are distributed to help low-income residents afford insurance premiums. Both residents and the state participate financially and the program is run more like an insurance program than an entitlement program. In November of 2011, Gov. Gregoire of Washington recommended eliminating the WBHP because of a state budget shortfall and the high cost of the program.

Eligibility

To determine eligibility for the ACA-prescribed BHP, an individual must:

1. Be younger than age 65 at the beginning of the plan year;
2. Have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of above 133 percent but below 200 percent of the federal poverty line (meaning, in 2011, an individual with an income from $14,484 to $21,780);
3. Be a legal resident immigrant who has lived in the United States for less than five years whose income falls below 133 percent, but whose immigration status prevents them from being eligible for Medicaid; or
4. Not have access to affordable, comprehensive employer-sponsored coverage.

If a state accepts the federal funds to operate a BHP, these individuals will no longer be eligible to shop on the Exchange and receive subsidies.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

The information in this article was taken from Nchealthreform.com on 1/13/2012.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In North Carolina, almost 30 percent of adults and more than 18 percent of children are obese.  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) launched Get Outside North Carolina (GO NC) to help reverse this trend. This four-year initiative will start by supporting biking and greenway projects to increase outdoor physical activity.  Future efforts will include support for other outdoor initiatives across the state that encourage people to get moving.

GO NC will provide new ways to help increase outdoor physical activity in North Carolina, according to Brad Wilson, BCBSNC president and CEO.  Every $1 spent building biking trails and walking paths can save about $3 in medical expenses. Through GO NC, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA hopes to improve health and reduce obesity-related medical costs in North Carolina.

GO NC will kick off with three flagship programs: B-cycle in Charlotte, the Blue LoopSM in Raleigh and completion of the Gary Shell Cross-City Trail in Wilmington:

Charlotte B-Cycle:

BCBSNC and Charlotte Center City Partners have teamed up to make 200 bikes available for rent at 20 stations in Uptown Charlotte and surrounding neighborhoods.

BCBSNC customers are eligible for a 20-percent discount on year-long bike share memberships.

The program will become the first bike share program in North Carolina and the largest urban system in the southeast.

North Carolina Museum of Art’s Blue Loop:

The Blue Loop will complete a network of recreational trails in the Museum Park and connect the Museum to the regional greenway system. It will provide additional options for commuters, bikers, runners, walkers and art-lovers in the Triangle.

Construction of the Blue Loop will start September 2012 with an estimated completion date of spring 2013.

Gary Shell Cross-City Trail:

BCBSNC funding through GO NC will complete the final phase of the 15-mile trail that crosses Wilmington from Wade Park to the drawbridge at Wrightsville Beach.

Other additions to the trail include:

Mile markers along the entire 15-mile trail

Five bicycle fix-it stations along the trail

Annual Run, Ride and Roll 5k event that takes place on the trail

The information in this article was taken from a Press Release from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina July 2012.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

Subscribers and dependents must satisfy a 12-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions under this health benefit plan. Any waiting period for pre-existing conditions begins on the effective date of this health benefit plan. During a waiting period for pre-existing conditions, neither you nor your dependents will receive benefits for conditions for which medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment was recommended or received within the 12 months immediately preceding the effective date of this health benefit plan. However, provided there was no significant break in coverage, a waiting period for pre-existing conditions will not apply to any condition first identified, treated and covered under prior creditable coverage. Medical records may be ordered to make this determination. Genetic information [variable] is never treated as a pre-existing condition.

(more…)

The Maternity endorsement for Blue Cross Blue Shield Individual Plans may be purchased at the original issuance of the policy at a policy renewal (if the policy has been in effect for at least six months), or within 30 days of marriage or when adding a spouse as a dependent. If the application to add the maternity endorsement is submitted and approved during the renewal open enrollment period (October through November 30), it will become effective on January 1st and premium adjustments for any changes in coverage will apply, effective January 1.The maternity endorsement is only available for adult females, either subscriber (more…)

To be eligible for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Health Insurance coverage, you must be a North Carolina resident under 65 years of age, not be covered by another health insurance policy, not be enrolled in Medicare, and qualify medically. Applicants must be able to provide one of the following as proof of residency: voter registration in NC, NC driver’s license, or current NC tax return. In addition, applicants are required to submit a Social Security Number.

Multiple Coverage

You may be covered under only one health program offered by BCBSNC, except with special permission. In that case, the total benefits paid will not be more than the allowed amount.

(more…)

Bullying is when one child picks on another child repeatedly. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. It can happen at school, on the playground, on the school bus, in the neighborhood, or over the Internet.

When Your Child Is Bullied

Help your child learn how to respond by teaching your child how to:
      1. Look the bully in the eye.
      2. Stand tall and stay calm in a difficult situation.
      3. Walk away.

(more…)

The colorful quarters of the plate – green for vegetables, red for fruits, orange for grains, and purple for protein – are aimed at nudging Americans away from meals dominated by meat and starch and towards meals made up mostly of plant-based foods. 

MyPlate promotes fruits and vegetables, which cover half the circle, with grains and proteins such as meet, fish and poultry a quarter each.  Dairy (e.g. a glass of milk or food, such as cheese or yogurt) rests to the side.  Desserts are – well – in the desert, nowhere to be found.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC offers discounts in premium to individuals in excellent health.   Practice fitness and good nutrition at an early age and reduce the risk of health problems, regardless of age.

(more…)

Many children are enamored with horses and long for riding lessons. Horseback riding can be a great pleasure providing terrific exercise for young riders (as well as the horses!). Often, children who learn to ride continue horseback riding into adulthood, helping to keep them fit and healthy.  Exposure to good fitness at an early age helps your children become fitness conscious through adulthood. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC offers discounts in premium to individuals in excellent health.   Practice fitness and good nutrition at an early age and reduce the risk of health problems, regardless of age.

Recommendations for Safe, Fun Riding

While experts will stress that a child’s size, strength, ability to focus and take direction, and desire to learn horseback riding are the best indicators that they are ready to begin formal lessons, the typical age range for beginners is between 5-7 years old. Parents should make sure that their child wears proper attire, including long pants, sturdy shoes or boots, and most importantly, a well fitted safety helmet.  Children must be advised as to the importance of following all of the rules and asking questions if they have concerns or do not understand what is expected of them. Horse riding instructors who work with children are typically very patient and understanding, hoping to give children positive experiences in hopes that they will develop a lifelong appreciation of the sport.

Competitive Horseback Riding

Many stables that offer lessons hold occasional competitions, open to all riders, even beginners. Riders are normally categorised by age and ability, with inexperienced riders participating in walks and trots. More advanced riders may be offered the opportunity to showcase their skills in jumping and putting their horse through specified paces. If children choose to compete, parents and instructors should be sure that the emphasis remains on fun and sportsmanship, rather than only winning. Everyone likes to win, but kids should understand that the benefits of horseback riding go far beyond accumulating an assortment of ribbons and trophies. Horseback riding is great exercise, offers opportunities for fresh air fun, teaches responsibility and caring toward animals, and is enjoyed by people of all ages, making it an ideal family activity. 

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

They say that good things come in small packages. That is especially true for the blueberry. This fruit has been touted as a superfood, an antioxidant powerhouse and a disease fighter, with good reason. In addition to being low-calorie and high in dietary fiber, blueberries are rich in vitamin C and phytonutrients beneficial for cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, as well as vision, brain and digestive health. Blueberries are shrub fruits and belong to the Ericaceae family (as do cranberries and bilberries)

Blueberries: A Whole Bunch of Antioxidants

In a Tufts University study, nearly 60 fruits and vegetables were analyzed to measure their antioxidant capability. Blueberries were rated among the highest. This means they are powerful free-radical destroyers, which are charged molecules (from many sources, such as pollution) that, when combined with oxygen, may attack the body’s cells and cause cellular damage. This free-radical damage can contribute to the development of heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration and cognitive decline.

Don’t forget, healthy lifestyle promotes good health which leads to reducing health insurance premiums.  Apply for BCBSNC today and see if you qualify for their healthy lifestyle discount.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.