The final week of Open Enrollment has begun and with it, your final chance to enroll in Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina health insurance without experiencing a Qualifying Life Event.  If you are still uninsured, here are some very important things to keep in mind:

1. Under the Affordable Care Act, you are required by law to have health insurance.  If you do not have obtain health insurance for 2016, you will receive a tax penalty when you file your 2016 taxes, unless you have an exemption.  Tax penalties for 2016 have increased substantially.
2. In addition to receiving a tax penalty, if you are uninsured in 2016, you will be responsible for all of your routine and unexpected health care needs, which can quickly amount to thousands upon thousands of out-of-pocket expenses.
3. Applying for health insurance doesn’t have to be difficult.  We can help you choose a plan, discuss benefits and walk you through the enrollment process.  You can apply easily and quickly online or over the phone with one of our experienced agents.  Visit our website or call 888-765-5400.
4. Any coverage is better than zero coverage.  Even the least expensive plan available to you will provide you with coverage, including preventive care covered at 100%, and set a limit on your out-of-pocket expenses should you experience and illness or accident.  The least expensive Qualified Health Plan will also keep you from being penalized come tax time.
5. Don’t wait until the last minute!  The closer we get to the application deadline of January 31st, the more time-consuming and frustrating this process will become.  Deadlines often create technical issues and long wait times and can even keep you from submitting your application on time.
6. If you miss the January 31st deadline, you may not be able to enroll in health insurance until the next Open Enrollment, which will likely begin in November 2016.

For more information on Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina insurance coverage, 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.

Open Enrollment officially ends January 31st, 2015 and after that date, you may not be able to enroll until the next AEP (Annual Enrollment Period), which will likely begin November, 2016.  If you have not yet enrolled in a health insurance policy for 2016, you still have time to do so, but don’t wait!  As the end of January approaches, it will become increasingly difficult to get through to the Federal Marketplace or submit applications online.  Due to high volume around effective date deadlines, very often these websites experience technical issues and you would be wise to complete your application a few days prior.

This is especially true if you are applying for a federal subsidy.  Due to the number of people trying to contact the Marketplace, you may have to wait on hold for hours at a time just to speak to a representative.  If you wait to submit your application, you could wind up in a situation where you miss your effective date altogether.

The good news for consumers is that the application for your federal subsidy can now be completed easily and efficiently!  It can be done online in less than ten minutes or you can call 888-765-5400 and one of our licensed and professional agents can assist you in submitting your application right over the phone.  Again, this process usually takes only a few minutes and the earlier you submit your application, the sooner you will have insurance cards in hand, giving you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you and your family are covered for 2016.

Keep in mind that although Open Enrollment does not officially end until January 31st, in order for your coverage to begin February 1st, you must submit your application by January 15th.  If you submit after that date, you will not have coverage until March 1st.

For more information on Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina insurance coverage, 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.

As one of the ten essential benefits included in every Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina health plan, mental health and substance abuse disorder services (including behavioral health treatment) is one of the most important.  Mental and emotional health is paramount to being a healthy human being and let’s face it, it’s harder to stay physically sound if you are not mentally and emotionally well.  Stress can take a big toll on our bodies and we all know it’s important for us to do whatever we can to alleviate stress, but it seems almost impossible at times.  With all the hustle and noise and pressure that surrounds us, how can we possibly find ways to eliminate stress and still keep up with all the demands of our daily lives?  Especially around the holidays, it seems we are caught up in a whirlwind of activity that simply will not let up.

But here is one thing you can easily do to help alleviate stress and according to a recent study, it can help save you from potential heart failure. (more…)

One of the benefits of being a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina member is preventive care!  BCBSNC is a big supporter of preventive care maintenance and every Blue Cross Blue Shield NC health plan offers preventive care, including an annual wellness check-up, absolutely free!  As we rapidly approach the end of 2015 and the start of a new year, if you have yet to make use of your 2015 wellness check-up covered at 100%, now is the time!  Contact your primary care doctor, schedule an appointment before year-end and BCBSNC will pick up the bill.

As Mark Twain once said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, which is why seeing your physician annually is extremely important, especially as you age.  Very often, more serious health problems can be avoided simply by making small adjustments to diet and exercise and your doctor can help you target specific areas that may need a little more attention.

Getting your wellness check-up can also help you be better prepared for the new year.  Knowing where you stand as far as your physical health can not only give you peace of mind, it can also help you focus as you make New Year’s resolutions and take steps to improve or maintain your health in 2016.

2016 is just around the corner and if you are still uninsured, take this opportunity to become a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina member and make an investment in your health.  Not only will you have preventive care benefits covered at 100%, as a member you also have access to a 24 hour nurse hotline and can manage your health care goals and accomplishments through an easy and interactive online service called Blue Connect.  Nothing is as important as your health!  Don’t let 2015 come to a close without visiting your health care provider for an annual wellness check-up.

For more information on Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina insurance coverage, 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.

With the cost of health insurance on the rise and everyone scrambling to try and find a plan they can afford, more and more people are asking:  Is health insurance even necessary?  It’s a fair question and one that demands an answer.

First of all, it’s important to keep in mind that under the Affordable Care Act, you are now required by law to be enrolled in a health insurance plan.  If you go three consecutive months uninsured, you will incur a tax penalty and the tax penalty for 2016 has increased substantially. In addition to the tax penalty, however, you will also be responsible for any and all health care expenses you and your family have in a given year, which is really the important consideration.  Recently, in fact, I had an experience that got me thinking long and hard about the importance of being insured. (more…)

Did you know that more women die from strokes every year than men?  It’s true and it’s just one of the reasons Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is a huge advocate of women’s preventive health care.  In fact, every BCBSNC health plan offers preventive care covered at 100%, including a variety of services especially aimed at keeping women healthy.

When it comes to the risk of stroke, although some factors such as smoking, diabetes or obesity do not discriminate against age or gender, others do and there are some risks that are unique to women.  The following is a list of some of those special risks: (more…)

Open Enrollment for 2016 is now in full swing and customers are asking a lot of hard questions, fair questions, questions that demand an answer.  Most of the questions and frustrations center around one thing:  rate increases.  On a near daily basis, insurance companies, agents and brokers are having to try to explain why the cost of insurance is soaring and how families and individuals are supposed to step up and meet the rising costs.  Prior to Open Enrollment, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina made a strenuous effort to try and answer some of these questions in advance, stating that the “goal, as always, is to offer health coverage that our customers can depend on at rates as affordable and sustainable as possible.”  Blue Cross went on to explain why a rate increase was imperative in order to maintain viability.  In fact, the company provided claims data for 2014 and the first half of 2015, reporting a $132 million dollar loss on ACA business alone.  At that time, BCBSNC explained two important trends:  First, there was no slowdown in any residual demand for medical services from new customers entering the health insurance marketplace after the induction of the ACA and second, there was a prevalence of more chronic health conditions needing medical treatment among ACA customers.

In more recent news, United Health Care has announced it may completely pull out of ACA Exchanges in 2017, citing significant losses on ACA business as the reason for this consideration.  The New York Times reported that United Health Group told investors “it was significantly lowering its profit estimates and blamed an expected loss of hundreds of millions of dollars selling individual policies under federal health care law” (11/20, B1, Abelson, Subscription Publication).   The article further stated “the company said it was estimating losses of more than $600 million from its exchange business, before taxes, in 2015 and 2016.”  With this announcement, customers are once again faced with hard questions about what is happening in the health insurance industry. (more…)

All of us at NCHealthPlans would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!  If you are like me, you’re already planning your menu, buying your groceries and preparing to spend all day cooking your family’s favorite holiday dishes.  And, if you are like me, you will likely have more Thanksgiving leftovers than you know what to do with.  Because my family gets bored with leftovers, I am always looking for new and creative ways to make sure I don’t waste what we didn’t eat.

This recipe from California Cookbook called Roast Turkey and Winter Vegetable Chowder is not only a great way to use up all that leftover turkey, it’s also a delicious way to incorporate those hearty winter vegetables into your diet.  In addition, the recipe calls for ingredients you will likely already have around your post-Thanksgiving house, such as celery, onions and potatoes. (more…)

With the cost of health insurance on the rise, you may find yourself looking for ways to help cut the cost.  One of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act is that the federal government now offers federal tax credits, or subsidies, to low-to middle-income individuals and families in order to help reduce the cost of health insurance. Your federal subsidy is an advance premium tax credit and is applied directly to your monthly insurance premium. Government subsidies can substantially reduce the amount you pay for your Blue Cross Blue Shield NC health plan. (more…)

If you did not get health coverage previously under the Affordable Care Act, you can enroll in a Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC health plan for next year starting November 1st.  In addition, if you are already enrolled, you can make a change to your existing coverage or renew your plan for 2016.  Open Enrollment will end January 31st, 2016 and if you do not enroll in a plan during this time, you will not be able to obtain health coverage until 2017 unless you have a Qualifying Life Event.

There are at least three key components to choosing an ACA plan that is right for you and your family: Benefits, premiums and the network of doctors and hospitals. (more…)

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has been providing quality, affordable health insurance to the residents of NC since 1933, but many members are concerned about recent or future rate increases.  In fact, it’s all over national news – the cost of health insurance is on the rise.  But do you know why?  Truthfully, it’s a complicated answer.  One of the reasons insurance premiums are going up, however, is because of the growing number of Emergency Room visits occurring on a regular basis.  Despite the fact that most people know the ER is rarely the most efficient place to get health care, many Americans still utilize the ER in non-emergency situations.  And the Emergency Room is expensive! (more…)

For most of us, if we are in the market to buy a new television one of the first things we do is research and compare costs.  After all, no one wants to pay more than they have to for a product when other similar products are available.  For health care procedures, however, comparing costs has never been simple.  Until now.  (more…)