Health Savings Account Contributions amounts are updated each year by the federal government to account for inflation. For 2014, the maximum annual contribution is $3,300 for an individual (up $50 from 2013), and $6,550 for a family (up $100 from 2013).    In 2014, those age 55 or older can contribute an additional $1,000 above the maximum to their HSA.

Blue Options HSA is a new way to pay for health care. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has taken their most popular plan design’s PPO network and paired it with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and a health savings account (HSA), which has similar characteristics to a 401(k) or an IRA but for qualified medical expenses. Blue Options HSA offers many advantages.  Get your Free Rate Quote for this plan today and call our office so we can go over the benefits and process to apply and enroll.

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). It would be our pleasure to help you navigate through the Health Care Reform changes in accordance with the new regulations of Obama care. Call us for details.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) offers three primary health care plans for individuals and families. All of our plans offer unique benefits and multiple deductible options. And, they all cover preventive services received within our extensive network at 100%. With options like these, you’re sure to find a plan that works for you.

You can generate a quote today and compare your plans with numerous plans offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.   You can select from our Blue Options HSA, Blue Advantage and Blue Saver plans.  You do not pay any premium when you apply, once your application has gone through underwriting for a final decision, you can change to any plan you want prior to making payment.  You are not under any obligation to enroll once your application has been approved.  Apply today

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.

You can purchase a Blue Advantage, Blue Advantage Saver or Blue Options HSA policy to cover your child or adopted/foster child without being covered by the policy yourself. Your child will receive full plan benefits, including immunization, well-child and well-baby care coverage. When you apply, be sure to enter your child’s information (name, gender and birth date) as the primary applicant. If you plan to cover multiple children, each child must have his or her own policy, so you’ll need to apply for each policy separately. Multiple children may be covered on the same policy, as long as the parent is also covered by that same policy. You can cover children up to age 26 on your policy, as long as they are your legal dependents. However, children under age 18 are not eligible to have their own health savings account. Children under age 18 are subject to certain tax guidelines. Consult a tax professional for more information.

The information above is provided by BCBSNC, 2011 Plan Information Guide.

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.

BCBSNC offers an optional maternity rider to females (policy holder or spouse) ages 18 and over who are NOT pregnant when they apply for coverage unless their most recent creditable coverage was underwritten by BCBSNC and included maternity coverage. If you elect not to purchase the maternity rider when you first apply, you can add at the following times so long as you are not pregnant at the time:

1. During the annual renewal period (November for a January 1 effective date) as long as the policy has been in effect for at least 6 months

2. Within 30 days following marriage (requires copy of marriage certificate)

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In a press release today issued by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina,  a rate request was filed with the North Carolina Department of Insurance (DOI) for a rate increase of ZERO PERCENT for Blue Options HSA and Blue Saver. The requested rate increase for Blue Advantage is 6.35 percent.  According to the press release  Blue Advantage and Blue Options HSA currently serve more than 347,000 customers under the age of 65. 

The ZERO PERCENT base rate increase for the Blue Options HSA and Blue Saver products underscores that when customers have a greater financial stake in the decisions they make, they become more savvy health care consumers. The growth they are seeing in these products shows that consumers are comfortable taking a more active role in managing their health care expenses. (more…)

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.

 

The annual contribution limit for health savings accounts (HSAs) will increase for high deductible health plans with effective dates of January 1, 2012 or later.

For individuals with self-only coverage enrolled in a high deductible health plan, the maximum HSA contribution amount will increase from $3,050 to $3,100. For individuals with family coverage enrolled in a high deductible health plan, the maximum HSA contribution amount will increase from $6,150 to $6,250.In 2012, a high deductible health plan will continue to be defined as a health plan with an annual deductible that is at least $1,200 for self-only coverage or $2,400 for family coverage, and an annual out-of-pocket maximum amount that does not exceed $6,050 for self-only coverage or $12,100 for family coverage. Out-of-pocket expenses include deductibles, co-payments and other amounts, but do not include premiums.

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Applicants applying for Blue Advantage, Blue Advantage Saver and Blue Options HSA coverage will be considered using any or all of the following:

• Review of the application

• Telephone interview with applicant, parent if child under 18 years of age and/or legal guardian

• Medical history obtained from attending physician

• BCBSNC Medical Underwriting Guidelines

• BCBSNC claims history, if available

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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…)

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) always promotes a healthy lifestyle.  You could reduce your monthly rate as much as 15%  if you qualify for this discount.  This rating tier is referred to as “Preferred Plus” – if you do not smoke, you do not have any pre-existing health conditions, lead a healthy lifestyle, if you are not taking any medications and if your height and weight ratio is within Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina’s preferred guidelines, you may qualify for this discount. 

 

It does not cost anything to apply for our Blue Advantage or Blue Options HSA plans to determine if you qualify for this discount.  After you apply, your application is submitted to underwriting for final approval.  Once approved, you view your final rates, you have the ability to change to any plan available and enroll in your policy.  If you determine you do not want to proceed with acquiring the coverage, you have the option of deleting your application.  You are not under any obligation to purchase the plan once you have received final rates and approval.  Also, compare our Blue Advantage plans to our Blue Options HSA for even more costs savings. (more…)

What rates are you currently quoting?

 

We are currently quoting rate increases for our HSA product averaging slightly over 3 percent and employer group rate increases that are averaging in the mid teens (effective for the first quarter of 2010). Our rates are approved by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. The rates of specific employer groups can vary because of a number of factors that affect the potential medical costs of those groups. The factors include the health circumstances of employees, age and gender of the workforce, benefit levels chosen and the medical costs of the counties in which the employees live.

 

What about individual rates?

 

We are currently quoting individual premium increases averaging 12.24 percent (for the first quarter of 2010). Our average rate increase for the HSA product is slightly over 3 percent. Our rates are approved by the N.C. Department of Insurance. Rates for individuals can vary because of a number of factors that affect the potential medical costs of those groups. The factors include the age and gender of the workforce, benefit levels chosen and the medical costs of the counties in which the employees live.

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Many people often ask us how the process for applying for health coverage begins and ends…

 

Requesting a Quote:

Applying for insurance with BCBSNC is a very simple process.  It does not cost anything to apply and you will have the opportunity to review your final rate before accepting a plan and making payment.  To apply for Blue Advantage, Blue Options HSA and Dental Blue, you must first request and receive a personalized quote.  Simply click here to request your personal quote and apply today.  Next, your request will be submitted and received by Jerry Ballard & Associates.  We will process your request and send your personalized quote to you via email. The quote will be emailed from ratequote@bcbsnc.com.  Once you receive the email, you will want to be sure and turn off pop-up blockers and make sure the email did not go to any spam files. 

 

Receiving Your Quote:

 

In the body of the email, you will see a link that says, View Your Rate Quote Here.  Simply click on the link and your personalized quote will populate with all the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina plans and premiums you requested.  A yellow apply button will appear to the right of each plan/premium.  Click the yellow apply button to begin your online application process.  Call our office (888-765-5400) so we can go over the plans with you and answer any questions about the benefits associated with these plans.

 

The Application:

 

The application itself takes 10-15 minutes to complete.  You will create a user id and password that you will need to write down for future access into the application.  You and other applicants will answer health questions pertaining to your health.  In addition, you will enter any prior insurance coverage.  Once submitted, the application will either be auto approved or submitted for further underwriting with BCBSNC.

 

Auto-Approved:

 

This simply means that your application received a final rate automatically.  You will see this final rate at the end of the application.  If you are in exceptionally good health and fall within the Preferred Plus guidelines set out by BCBSNC,  you may qualify for a 15% healthy discount in your monthly premium.  Many people will receive the preferred quoted rate.  Some based on their individual health, could receive a rate increase. 

 

Underwriting Review:

 

Blue Cross Blue Shield may require further information from you such as a telephone interview, a paramedical exam, or medical records.  Our customer service representative and BCBSNC will contact you if this is required.  All of these are processed with no cost to you.  A telephone interview involves a phone conversation between the underwriting interviewer and the applicant confirming information on the application.  The paramedical exam is a small physical exam that is performed by a nurse at your convenience at your home or work.  An analysis of height, weight, blood pressure, blood work and urinalysis could be a part of the paramedical exam.  Medical records may be requested from one of your health care providers.  We recommend that you call that provider and let them know to be expecting this request so that they can process it in a timely manner.

 

Final Approval after Underwriting:

 

Once your final rate is approved, BCBSNC and our office will contact you to resume your application (with the user id and password you created), view your quote, accept and make payment.  Once you open up the application, you will view the final rate for the plan that you applied for with BCBSNC.  Before accepting this plan, you have the options to change to any plan that BCBSNC offers to you.  For example, if you applied for Plan A 80% coinsurance with $2500 deductible, you can click on “Lower Cost Options” or “All Available Plans” and switch to any of those plans.  This allows for more decision making based on the final rate and gives the applicant more choices.

 

Making payment:

 

There are 2 payment options for Blue Advantage and Blue Options HSA.  Bank Draft or Direct Bill.  We encourage Bank Draft because it is convenient and you never have to worry about a lost bill in the mail.  On-going Bank Drafts occur on the 2nd of each month for 1st of the month effective dates and the 12th of the month of 15th of the month effective dates.  Initial Bank Draft payments for any effective date will occur on the 2nd of the month that the policy becomes effective.  Direct Bill, requires an initial payment to be made by credit card online.  The credit card will be processed for payment on the day it is entered.  You will receive subsequent bills by mail each month with a due date of the 1st (for effective dates on the 1st) or the 15th (for effective dates on the 15th).

 Benefits Booklets and ID Cards: 

These are mailed to the address you provided on your application within 10 business days.  On the 2nd page of the booklet, you will find your id cards. 

 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.