24-hour Health Information Line

Your child has a fever. What are your options? Your doctor has recommended surgery. Do you know what to expect? With Health Line Blue, the answers are just a phone call or click away.

It’s like having your own personal nurse
BCBSNC’s specially trained Health Line Blue nurses can answer your medical questions, offer support and send you free educational videotapes and brochures on many health topics. They can also help you partner with your doctor to make informed decisions and assist you in navigating the health care system.

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You get out what you put in

For the sedentary people in your workforce, exercising a full hour each day might seem like too big a hill to climb. But new approaches show that people can adjust their exercise time, if they’re willing to adjust their expectations accordingly.

Thirty minutes a day? Much better than the “zero minutes” many people put in.

Sixty minutes? Now you’re managing your weight, probably losing some and reducing your risk of dying by another 10 to 15 percent.

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Blue Points

Earn prizes for taking an active role in your health.
Physical activity can help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions. That’s why we created Blue PointsSM, our physical activity and wellness incentive program available exclusively for BCBSNC members.

Just 30 minutes a day of physical activity or participation in wellness activities earns points toward prizes like electronics, sports equipment, clothing and more!* Collect points and select prizes from our four Blue Points prize levels (B, L, U, and E). Special prizes are available for children ages 6 – 12 through Blue Points for KidsSM.

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BlueCard®

Health care coverage around the world
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina members are covered outside of North Carolina and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide through BlueCard. And there’s nothing extra to sign up for — the BlueCard program is an automatic benefit of BCBSNC membership.

With BlueCard, members can easily find participating doctors and hospitals for care outside of North Carolina using these online provider search tools:

Inside United States (outside North Carolina): BlueCard Doctor and Hospital Finder Outside United States: BlueCard Worldwide®  Members can also obtain a list of participating providers by calling the BlueCard phone number on the back of their BCBSNC ID cards.

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Reduce Your Risk of Some Cancers

Being physically active lowers your risk for two types of cancer: colon and breast. Research shows that:

Physically active people have a lower risk of colon cancer than do people who are not active.

Physically active women have a lower risk of breast cancer than do people who are not active.

Reduce your risk of endometrial and lung cancer. Although the research is not yet final, some findings suggest that your risk of endometrial cancer and lung cancer may be lower if you get regular physical activity compared to people who are not active.

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Small Businesses are a Big Priority

Ninety percent of North Carolina businesses are small businesses, making them the engine of North Carolina’s economy and one of our fastest-growing market segments.* In 2007, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina provided group coverage to 28,095 small business owners in the state.** The number of small business customers insured with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has increased by 48.45 percent since 2002.*** We provide coverage where small businesses need it – in small towns and cities all across the state.

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Daily activity and exercise is essential for your pet, lack of exercise leads to poor muscle tone, obesity, heart ailments, bone disorders and often results in  dog behavior and emotional problems. Dogs with no exercise subjected to overcrowding and being confined in cages for prolonged periods of time,  can develop a great variety of physical and emotional disorders.

An exercised dog will rest better at home and be less nervous when left alone.  Exercise can improve dogs bone and joint health, heart, and lung function. Exercise can make show dogs look and feel better to a judge’s exploring hands.  A happy dog looks more gorgeous.  When its cold outside and you can’t get your dog out for their walks, teach them to walk on a treadmill, believe it or not, its really easy and they love it.

The best exercise channels the activity of both mind and body. Some people believe that dogs need a big yard so they can get plenty of exercise. The truth is that most dogs do not exercise when they are outdoors by themselves; they spend most of their time laying in the shadow and waiting for “their human family” to play with them.  You do not need to take up running to adequately exercise your dog.

Make your walks interesting and fun. Let your dog carry a favorite toy while walking, running, or hide his toys, play hide and seek with him, and most important – let him play with other dogs!  Socialization for dogs is very important, it teaches them good social manners as well as providing hours of fun, these social skills will help your dog interact with other animals for the rest of his life.  Teach your dog to retrieve, another great source of exercise.  But throw the toy far vs. high.  Jumping high in the air to chase it and landing awkwardly may lead to serious knee or hip injuries. 

 A generic drug is identical, or bioequivalent, to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Certain inactive ingredients that give the generic product its shape, color or flavor may be different than the brand product. Health professionals and consumers can be assured that FDA approved generic drugs have met the same rigid standards as the innovator drug. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price.

Depending upon your benefit design, you may substantially lower your out-of-pocket expense by using a generic drug instead of the branded drug. For example, if you have a $10 generic copay (tier 1) and $35 non-preferred brand copay (tier 3), you can save $25 on every prescription just by choosing generics. For drugs you take each month, that’s a savings of $300 over an entire year. If your prescription drug benefit is based on coinsurance, generic drugs will save you money because they cost less than their branded counterparts.(In some cases, employer groups carve out the prescription drug benefit and contract with a vendor separately, please refer to your Member Guide to confirm that your pharmacy benefits are offered through

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Cervical cancer

Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells don’t function right, divide very fast, and produce too much tissue that forms a tumor. Cervical cancer is cancer in the cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during a woman’s pregnancy. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the vagina (birth canal), which leads to the outside of the body.

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North Carolina business owners might be looking for ways to trim costs, but the state’s largest health insurer says wellness programs shouldn’t be on the chopping block.
A study to be released today by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina showed that companies willing to make small investments in wellness initiatives such as paid time off for doctor’s visits and health screenings in the workplace see long-term returns.

“The things that employees value the most aren’t always the things that cost a lot of money, and in fact, it can be just the opposite,” said Don Bradley, chief medical officer for Blue Cross. “You don’t have to build a gym, but just give the opportunity to get outside and do some exercise.” (more…)

Once you enroll in a BCBSNC policy, they will provide a comprehensive Member Guide, which will be mailed to your home. The Member Guide includes detailed information about your specific benefits and covered services.

Additionally, BCBSNC provides valuable information and services on this Web site. You can either surf the site for the information you need or log on to My Member Services to access and change your member information instantly.

With My Member Services, you can accomplish the following:

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No matter how careful you are, or how much you think ahead, life is often unpredictable. That is what life insurance is all about, planning for what you can’t predict especially if you have financial dependents and responsibilities. Your peace of mind can count on the performance and strength of your insurance company. Jerry Ballard and Associates provide easy and affordable life insurance solutions to prepare for the unexpected allowing you to get the most out of life.

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