Higher or lower deductibles in NC Health Insurance?

Determining the better payment plans for NC health insurance depends on your financial needs. Which options are optimal for your economic situation can be answered with a little advice from your health insurance agent. There are payment options with a high deductible and lower monthly premiums, or lower deductibles and higher monthly premiums. What is better for your finances and health care needs?

To answer that question you need to figure out how much health care you or your family will need each month. For individuals and families that have a history of good health with few doctor visits then a lower monthly premium and higher deductible may be an economical option. On the other hand, if you are considering starting a family and planning for pregnancy, have children who are active in sports, or need monthly prescriptions for a family member, then a lower deductible with higher premiums may be the better option.

If your family will require frequent medical care and need prescription drugs for certain medical conditions then choosing the higher premium may help keep your monthly budget since your costs will be fixed. The difference in premium charges can also fluctuate according to how much coverage you choose in the beginning. Some pre-existing conditions cost more each month to cover. Also, check the policy carefully when choosing to get the best option available for regular prescription drug coverage.

If you visit the doctor frequently, you may find that the difference between the high deductible and low deductible comes out to be the same at the end of the year. With the lower premiums, you are paying the insurance company less per month with a higher “out of pocket” deductible to the health care provider. This option can mean savings if you rarely visit the doctor or seek medical care during the year.

Always check to see the emergency coverage limits to make sure you are covered if major medical care is needed. This is important with children who are in high injury sports or have a medical condition. Many insurance policies will cover certain medical conditions and sports injuries but require higher monthly premiums.

As stated before, the advantage of higher premiums is the ease of having a fixed monthly budget. Also with the higher premiums, many policies will cover additional services that may be available with the insurance carrier. Talk with a reputable insurance agent to guide you through this process of choosing premium payments that you can afford. With so many options, a trusted agent can save you money and help you budget for a health care plan that covers the necessary medical needs of you and your family.

Judi Goloff is an independent insurance agent with BCBSNC®. Call her for experienced advice about your health insurance options. Call 800-438-5834 or visit NC Health Plans Online, for Blue Cross NC rates and quotes.

Need Help with NC Health Insurance Options?

If you are shopping around for NC health insurance, you need to know the questions to ask when choosing the health care plan for yourself and your loved ones. There are so many options available that it is very important to know the ins and outs of each plan and consider the important points before choosing. Finding a reputable insurance agent to walk you through the process can save time and money in the long run. Here are some valuable tips to help with your insurance purchase.

Choosing your Doctors and Specialists for Medical Care

The first consideration in any health insurance plan is the doctors and specialists that are available with your coverage. If you have a regular doctor that you see, make sure they are in your network of coverage. Otherwise you may have to seek out other doctors that are part of the insurance network. Take the time to review their background and experience. For specialist treatment, check the policy to find out your options and coverage for certain treatments. Many policies will cover specialist medical treatment after a referral from a primary care physician. Check to see what treatments are covered and read the fine print on each policy.

Getting Coverage for Pre-existing Conditions and Emergency Care

For pre-existing medical conditions, check carefully to find out if it is covered in the insurance policy. There are many conditions that are covered or have limited coverage. Don’t get caught later without any coverage because you did not check the details prior to purchase. Ask your insurance agent who will be able to give you advice if you have a pre-existing condition. Check all details about emergency care and how much the health plan will cover if such a situation arises.
Other Health Insurance Tips to Consider

Here are some tips that many forget to consider. During this period of economic downturn, many are having a hard time just keeping up with regular monthly payments. For your piece of mind and continued health insurance coverage, check to see if there are grace periods for monthly premiums in case you fall behind on payments. Some policies give a certain grace period so the policy holder can continue coverage. Also check to see if your doctor has higher deductibles for certain treatments in order to keep your monthly premiums down.

Other considerations for those with limited budgets are the discounts offered in many health care plans. Ask an agent to check for the discounts that may apply to you and your family. There are many options that can help you save money in the long run so make sure to check them out. Choosing several different policies for coverage may not be a money saving option. It is better to get coverage with a reputable insurance company and use an experienced agent to help. They can help you get the discounts and policy options available to you.

Finally, always include any additional health care services that you need in your plan. Many forget to check on mental health care, hospice care, long term care and dental care. If these are services you need, then make sure to go over the options with an agent who can help you compare costs and discuss the best available health insurance for your individual needs.

Judi Goloff is an independent insurance agent with BCBSNC®. Call her for experienced advice about your health insurance options. Call 800-226-0092 or visit NC Health Plans Online, for Blue Cross NC rates and quotes.

BCBSNC Named to DiversityInc. 25 Noteworthy Companies

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was named to the DiversityInc 25 Noteworthy Companies. These are companies DiversityInc. believes are rising diversity-management leaders and are close to earning spots on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list.

"Competitive companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina have switched from trying to move the status quo to establishing a new one," said Luke Visconti, CEO of DiversityInc. "Smart companies see increasing diversity efforts in an economic downturn as a way of beating less-adept competition that will pull back."

Both the DiversityInc Top 50 list and the 25 Noteworthy Companies list were unveiled March 12 in New York City.

Methodology

The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list is a purely editorial process with no connection to business done with DiversityInc. It is determined entirely by a statistical analysis of responses to our 200-question survey. There is no fee to enter. DiversityInc Top 50 companies demonstrate consistent strength in four areas: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. The list itself covers 19 industries, from consumer-facing companies to B-to-B's to industrial businesses. They range from small regional companies to global giants.

For more detailed information on the methodology, please visit www.DiversityInc.com/top50.

About DiversityInc.

Launched in 1997, DiversityInc. is the leading business publication connecting diversity and the bottom line, with 1 million unique monthly visitors. DiversityInc.com includes the largest diversity job board in the nation. DiversityInc also produces events and conducts benchmarking, custom research and consulting.

Key findings from The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity:

In the United States, the DiversityInc Top 50 hire 41 percent Blacks, Latinos, Asians and American Indians, compared with the U.S. work force, which is 32 percent Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian (BLS)
25 percent of DiversityInc Top 50 companies' managers are Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian, compared with 17 percent nationwide (BLS)
DiversityInc Top 50 boards of directors are 23 percent Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian, compared with 13 percent nationally
DiversityInc Top 50 boards of directors are 24 percent female, compared with 15 percent nationally
One-third more DiversityInc Top 50 chief diversity officers now report to their CEOs than four years ago (28 percent vs. 18 percent)
88 percent of DiversityInc Top 50 CEOs personally sign off on executive compensation tied directly to diversity initiatives, compared with 72 percent in 2005
All of the DiversityInc Top 50 companies now have employee-resource groups for their LGBT employees, 70 percent have groups for employees with disabilities, and 40 percent have generational resource groups. DiversityInc benchmarking customers seek data on employee-resource groups more than any other subject
In 2005, less than 1 percent of DiversityInc Top 50 philanthropy went to multicultural groups; today, almost 25 percent does
There has been a 50 percent increase in companies including supplier diversity in their RFPs (requests for proposals) since 2004 (60 percent vs. 90 percent)

About BCBSNC

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 76 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at www.bcbsnc.com.

ePrescribe Bringing Increased Accuracy to North Carolina Physicians and Patients

BCBSNC doubles the number of providers using electronic prescribing
More than 87 percent of North Carolina pharmacies use ePrescribe

Chapel Hill, NC – More North Carolinians will benefit from increased prescription accuracy and safety because of the growing popularity of ePrescribe, a statewide electronic prescribing initiative of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

The latest ePrescribe results show the number of doctors using electronic prescriptions in the last quarter has now doubled to more than 2,000. In addition, more than 87 percent of North Carolina pharmacies now use electronic prescribing to meet customers’ prescriptions needs.

“Our results show steady growth and adoption of electronic prescribing for both North Carolina physicians and pharmacies,” said Dr. Ron Smith, BCBSNC vice president of Employer Health and Corporate Pharmacy. “This is good news for patients. ePrescribe puts patients’ medical and drug histories at physicians’ fingertips, so they can see at-a-glance any possible drug interactions. They also can see the patient’s health plan formulary and can discuss the cost implications of various drug choices while their patient is in the office.”

As patients take a more active role in managing their health care costs, understanding drug treatment options is becoming increasingly important. Electronic prescribing allows physicians and patients to explore and discuss medication choices and costs at the point of care, before the prescription is written. It also prompts consideration of generic drugs where appropriate, which can save consumers between $15 to $30 per prescription compared to the brand name equivalent.

BCBSNC is the first insurer in North Carolina to actively support the use of electronic prescribing. Since BCBSNC launched the pilot ePrescribe program in 2006, more than 7.8 million electronic prescriptions have been written.

BCBSNC began the ePrescribe program through a partnership with Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) and North Carolina Medicaid to improve prescription accuracy and increase patient safety. BCBSNC will continue to promote electronic prescribing for all North Carolina providers and will continue to work with CCNC to encourage electronic prescribing.

In addition, BCBSNC is making an electronic prescribing solution available on the BCBSNC web site to help every licensed provider in its network start electronic prescribing. The web site requires no downloading and no new hardware. The BCBSNC web portal is safe, secure and accessible from any web-enabled computer, handheld device or cell phone.