Blue Shield of California – Shield Savings Plans for You and Your Family

Investing in your family’s health and well-being is one of the most important things to most people. Fortunately, Blue Shield of California is offering a range of affordable Shield Savings Plans for you and your family’s health care needs.

Shield Savings Plans are high deductible health plans. This means that you take on more expense on up front (if you in incur medical claims) in order to have a more affordable monthly premium.

Here are 5 important things you should know about the Blue Shield Savings Plans:

1. Preventive care offered for free – With the exception of the 1800 and 2400 deductible options, preventive care is covered at no charge!  Preventive care includes annual routine physical exam, gynecological exam, well-baby care office visits, and routine mammography. With the 1800 and 2400 Shield Savings Plans you will pay a $35 co-payment at the time of your preventive care checkup. If you require blood work from a Lab following your preventive exam, the cost for the Lab will come out of your deductible.

2. Comprehensive coverage –  Aside from preventive medical services, these plans cover outpatient services, hospitalization services, emergency room services, ambulance services, and mental health services. In addition to that, chemical dependency services, rehabilitation services, chiropractic services, home health services, and family planning services are also covered. There’s also partial coverage for durable medical equipment and  prescription drugs, whether its generic, formulary brand-name drugs, or non-formulary brand-name drugs. It is important to note, however, that not all plans cover pregnancy and maternal care services. This may be a drawback for families who are planning to expand their brood! Please check with J.C. Lewis Insurance Services for full details on maternity options.

3. A variety of deductible options – Individuals and Families have different deductible options to consider. The options include the 1800/3600, 2400/4800, 4000/8000, 3500/7000 and 5200/10,400 (individuals*/families*). These choices allow people the flexibility to decide which plan suits their needs and requirements. It is highly recommended that you compare all plans in order to get the most value for your health insurance dollar.

4. Get out-of-state coverage — If your family likes to travel, then this one is certainly something that you will like. All family plans have out-of-state coverage, which means that you can still get medical care even if your are not in California. Just make sure that you find a BlueCard provider so you don’t have to pay extra out-of-pocket expenses.

5. You have the option to set up a Health Savings Account (HSA) — Shield Saving Plans are HSA compatible. This means that you may set up a health savings account (HSA) and fund it with tax deferred money to use on qualified medical expenses! When funding an HSA you not only benefit from the tax free savings but you will also have the money on hand to pay your deductible and hospital claims in the case of a serious emergency. Now that is an investment in your future!