Beginning July 18, 2011, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is making changes to the way that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) members view and access information about their Health Savings Account (HSA) online.

If plan participants are enrolled in a Blue Options HSASM account and their fund administrator is ACS/BNY Mellon, subscribers in that plan will notice the following changes:

Beginning July 18th, subscribers who log into BCBSNC’s Member Services (www.mybcbsnc.com) will notice that the “My HSA Account” link is being replaced with a “Manage My HSA” link. This link will direct subscribers to www.hsamember.com, a site hosted by ACS/BNY Mellon, the HSA fund administrator.

Subscribers who are accessing www.hsamember.com for the first time will need to complete the e-registration process with ACS/BNY Mellon. Then, to access their HSA account information at any time, they simply log into their new hsamember.com account. (This account and log-in process is separate from their BCBSNC Member Services account.)

With www.hsamember.com, BCBSNC members will have more of their HSA information at their fingertips than ever before, and the site is easy and convenient to use.

“My HSA Account” pages will no longer be available on bcbsnc.com. Members will be able to access similar information, and more, from the www.hsamember.com website and from www.bcbsnc.com.

This information was published by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina on July 5, 2011.

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 favorite summer pastime for many of us is relaxing by a pool or swimming in the ocean while unwinding from the day or — better yet — even spending the whole day poolside blissfully relaxed. If your dog is included, here are some tips. 

Not all dogs enjoy swimming or can swim particularly well. If it seems like your dog does not want to swim, it is important not to force him/her.  A safety vest such the canine flotation device, is designed to keep your pet afloat in the water. These vests are adjustable and designed to fit around your pet’s chest. Having a ramp installed in the pool or around the dock may also help your pet exit the water without struggling. 

If your furry family member is an avid swimmer who enjoys a refreshing dip, it is important for you and your children to swim at a safe distance to avoid getting scratched or pulled under while swimming.  It is also helpful to teach your dog the “turn” command so he/she can swim around you to avoid those unwanted scratches.  When your kids are swimming beside or with your pet, make sure they have on their life vest. 

Watch for water-related problems such as ear infections, a dull, dry coat and signs of dehydration. Dehydration can occur quickly — an easy way to check that your dog is not dehydrated is to lift your dog’s lips and look for bright pink and moist gums. 

Outdoor exposure to water can change your dog’s vaccination needs. Know your dog’s travel history, disease exposure, age, breed and health status to tailor a vaccination protocol. Pets can contract several contagious water-borne illnesses and intestinal parasites such as Giardia from exposure to outdoor untreated water. 

Also, excessive ingestion of heavily chlorinated pool water, saltwater or stagnant lake water can result in vomiting and diarrhea. You might consider bringing plenty of fresh filtered or bottled water to the pool, ocean or lake to avoid intentional ingestion of these and other potentially harmful agents.

 Be sure always to have plenty of fresh water available at all times to all pets in the home, year-round. Provide plenty of shade and a cool, dry shelter from the heat and the elements. To avoid burned footpads and heat exhaustion, exercise your pets during the early morning and at dusk when the pavement is cooler and heatstroke is less likely.

GREAT COVERAGE STARTS HERE:  For most all non-grandfathered plans offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina now offer 100% coverage for all preventive services….no more co-payments or deductibles.  Some of these benefits include adult annual exams, urinalysis, blood test, screen test, immunizations, well-baby care, well- child care, mammograms, colonoscopies, polyp removal and obesity evaluation and management.

Also being offered are our new lower costs plans by BCBSNC ,  Saver 1, 2 & 3 plans offering high deductibles as well as limited office visit co-payments, limited prescription coverage and plans offering no co-payments with deductibles as high as $10,000.00 and $20,000.00.    Of course, Blue Options HSA and Blue Advantage plans are among the most popular plans being sold today.  Now you have the ability to select from a broad array of plans that will work best with your budget.

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.

Keeping kids’ teeth healthy requires more than just daily brushing. During a routine well-child exam, you may be surprised to find the doctor examining your child’s teeth and asking you about your water supply. That’s because fluoride, a substance that’s found naturally in water, plays an important role in healthy tooth development and cavity prevention. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina offers Dental Blue insurance coverage that pays 100% of preventive care , routine oral exams and cleanng.   Dental Blue also includes coverage for basic and major services as well.

Even tiny tots need regular checkups, just like mom and dad. The American Dental Association recommends kids start getting checkups at about age 1, or when their first tooth appears.

Yet even before then it’s important to care for your child’s teeth and gums. Though they’ll eventually lose them, baby teeth help a child speak and chew well, and also create a path for the permanent teeth that follow

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 qualified 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.

Chapel Hill, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) today announced the launch of HealthNAVSM1, a new mobile application designed to help on-the-go customers access information and manage their personal health care. The free app is now available for download by customers with an Apple® iPhone®, iPad™ and iPod touch®. 

The 1.0 version of the mobile app features four functions, including: 

• An urgent care finder that helps customers locate in-network urgent care centers, as a more efficient and affordable alternative to emergency rooms. 
• A prescription drug finder that allows customers to compare average drug costs, and find cheaper alternatives while they are discussing options with their doctor, or in preparation for a visit. 
• Customer service access that provides customers one-click access to call a customer service representative when they need answers quickly. 
• Health notes that let users store notes about personal and family health in one place, and includes suggested questions to ask your doctor during a visit. 

To download the app, simply visit the iTunes® store, search for BCBSNC and click download, or click on any of our mobile ads, which link directly to the description page in the iTunes store.

The above information is from a post by BCBSNC in 2010 and located at bcbsnc.com.

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 qualified 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.

School, homework, soccer practice, ballet, board meetings, meal planning, social events – the list goes on and on. The end of summer often means the beginning of a hectic fall, and now is the perfect time to ensure that healthy eating stays on top of your priority list.

A healthy lifestyle for the entire family can be easier than it seems – even for the busiest household. With a little planning, both parents and kids will find themselves prepared for those last-minute meals and snack attacks that may otherwise place them in front of the vending machine, or in the drive-thru line.  As parents are back to work, and kids are back to school, it is even more important than ever to be armed with functional foods that will keep you fueled and feeling satisfied.  Planning ahead for snacks and meals that are both nutritious and delicious is the key to success. Preparing nutritious snacks and meals on a tight schedule is all about being creative, so finding the right go-to foods the whole family will enjoy is important.   Here are a few tips that you may find useful during these hectic times, especially with the holidays just around the corner.

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Blue Options HSA links a high-deductible health plan to a health savings account (HSA), which can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses tax-free.  Monthly premiums are as much as 50% lower than traditional health plans. The HSA is portable and any unused balance rolls over at the end of the year.Lower premiums—save as much as 50% off Blue Advantage .  Choose your own doctor from the largest provider network in the state.  Preventive care services covered at 100%

(1) An HSA is automatically included with your health plan if you select Mellon as your fund administrator

(2)  Mellon HSA includes a convenient debit card at no charge

(3)  HSA contributions and withdrawals are tax-fre

(4)  Annual contribution limit for 2010 is $3,050 for individual plans and $6,150 for family plans

(5)  Out-of-pocket maximum protects you from high-dollar medical costs

(6)  Secure access to health plan information online

(7)  Optional maternity coverage available.

*The content of this post is provided by BCBSNC.

For more information about 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 qualified 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.

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What does the Surgeon General have to say about regular physical activity? A lot. The list of ways it improves health is too long to list here, but it’s hard to name a health risk that exercise doesn’t mitigate in some way.

According to the nation’s chief medical officer, men and women of all ages can derive great benefits from 30 minutes a day of “moderate activity.” Walking falls squarely in that category. Even people who have been completely sedentary can start with 10-minute walks and build up gradually to the recommended 30 minutes a day.

Of course, anyone with a chronic health problem or an identified risk for one should talk with a doctor before starting any program of exercise. So should men over age 40 and women over age 50.

Walking might not seem like “real” exercise alongside intense activities like biking, running or swimming. But researchers have found that if people stick with it and make walking part of a regular routine, it leads to aerobic fitness and body fat reduction, whether it’s in long periods or multiple short ones. And reducing body fat means reducing your risk of heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and anxiety.

One study found that when given a choice, sedentary adults were comfortable walking about 11 miles a week. They were able to vary the intensity and length of their walking sessions to suit their daily schedules. So your workforce doesn’t have to be burdened by the “not enough time” excuse any longer. But be aware that in another study, walks of less than 10 continuous minutes didn’t provide the same health benefits. The necessary participation has a low minimum, but it does have one.

Even people who improve health for a living have something to learn. An eight-year study of thousands of female nurses found that brisk walking three or more hours per week lowered women’s risk for coronary heart disease.

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 to one of our qualified 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, businesses with 50 or more employees that do not offer coverage and have at least one full-time employee who receives a federal tax credit to purchase health insurance on his own through an Exchange, must pay the federal government a $2,000 per-employee penalty. The first 30 employees would be excluded from this assessment.

Employers with 50 or more employees that do provide coverage, but have at least one full-time employee who receives a federal tax credit to purchase health insurance on his own through an Exchange, will be assessed a penalty that will be the lesser of $3,000 per employee receiving a premium tax credit or $2,000 for each full-time employee, excluding the first 30 employees.

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Many small business owners have questions about how the Health Care Reform will effect them….

“I own a small business and want to provide health insurance for my employees and their families. Are there subsidies or other assistance to help me afford to coverage?”

Many small businesses will be eligible for tax credits of up to 35 percent. Businesses that employ fewer than 25 employees, pay average annual wages of $50,000 and pay at least half the cost of single coverage for their employees may be eligible to receive a tax credit.

Employers with 10 or fewer employees that pay annual average wages of $25,000 or less per year may be eligible for up to a 35 percent tax credit in 2010.

In 2014, the tax credit for eligible small businesses will increase to 50 percent of premiums paid.

Full eligibility details will be provided by the Internal Revenue Service. You should review and discuss the full criteria with a tax professional to determine whether your business will qualify.

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The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation on Wednesday announced a $1.18 million grant to the N.C. Academy of Family Physicians for a mentoring program to help address the shortage of family physicians in the state.

With the grant, the academy will increase medical students’ exposure to innovative practice in family medicine and encourage more of the state’s medical students to pursue a career in family medicine. 

Health officials have worried that the newly passed health care reform bill will increase the number of patients in the state who are insured and can seek regular primary care. (more…)

Our agency writes only for the best – Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, a name and company you can always count on and trust.  Whether you are looking for coverage for your newborn, teenager, spouse, parents or your company, you can find it all here.

You can select from Blue Advantage 100% plans with 0% co-insurance or Blue Options HSA high deductible plans coupled with a tax savings account.  Blue Advantage offers co-payments as low as $15.00 for your primary care physician and $30.00 for a specialist with 100%, 80/20 or 70/30 co-insurance.  If you are out of work or between jobs and need to lower your premiums, you can select from Plan B or Plan C, with higher office visit co-payments and co-insurance.   Want to reduce your premium more – look at our HSA Blue Options with deductibles as high as $10,000.00 for a family and $5,000.00 for an individual.

If you are looking for dental coverage, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina offers Dental Blue.   Select from any dentist, no waiting periods or deductible for preventive services. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has the largest network of doctors and hospitals in the State; they expand coverage to every State in the US and extend coverage to over 200 countries.  If you want to check and see if your doctor or hospital are in network, visit our site at www.nchealthplans.com and click on find doctor/hospital to begin your search. (more…)