MEDICARE AND BLUE CROSS BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY

When it comes to Medicare, it’s important that you know both sides of the story, and understand the advantages and disadvantages of relying solely on Medicare to provide for your health care needs.

Though Medicare covers many health care costs, there are many medical services that Medicare does not cover. This point is clearly made in the “Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare,” which is published yearly by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As the guidebook suggests, “There are health care costs that Medicare either does not pay in full or does not pay at all. If you need or want services not covered by Medicare, you must pay the bill.” To help fill the gaps in you Medicare coverage, you have the option of buying supplemental insurance policies known as “Medigap” plans. Our ClaimFree Standard Plan A Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap A Plan, Blue Cross Senior Classic F Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap F Plan; are supplement plans that help pay the bills Medicare does not, and provides you with protection from the ever-increasing gaps in Medicare.

Why Should I consider buying supplemental insurance?

Before Medicare will pay for any of the medical services you want or need, you must first pay Medicare’s deductibles. When combined with the coinsurance you are also required to pay, you may be out hundreds, even thousands of dollars before any benefits are paid by Medicare! These are bills you are expected to pay.

The Advantages Are Yours With:

Blue Cross Senior Classic F Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap F Plan, Medicare SELECT plans.

• Blue Cross Senior Classic F Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap F Plan
• Freedom to use the doctor of you choice, including nearly 50,000 Prudent Buyer Physicians and specialists.
• Freedom to use the hospital of you choice, including more than 300 Participating Hospitals.
• Pays all Medicare deductibles.*
• Coverage for Skilled Nursing Facility Coinsurance.
• Benefits for Medicare Part A and B Coinsurance.
• Benefits for Foreign Travel Emergency.
• Full conventional Medicare benefits at all providers, inside and outside California- anywhere in the U.S.
• You get to keep your Medicare card and your right to basic Medicare benefits too!

*Pays the Medicare Part A $1100 deductible. Pays the Medicare Part B $155 annual deductible only when you use a Participating Prudent Buyer Provider. Part B deductible is covered when using a non-participating provider in limited circumstances, including emergency care. Medicare Part B deductible not covered for Blue Cross Senior Classic I Medicare Supplement Plan.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

You’ve earned the right to have a choice of the doctor or hospital you want to use, and we respect that right. Our ClaimFree Standard Plan A Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap A Plan, Blue Cross Senior Classic C Medicare Supplement offer you access to the Prudent Buyer network, as well as any Medicare-participating physician and any Medicare-approved hospital in the state. You are covered whether or not you use a Prudent Buyer Physician.

PRUDENT BUYER NETWORK OF PARTICIPATING DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS

The Prudent Buyer network offers you the choice of a wide variety of physicians and hospitals conveniently located throughout the state to help you with all of your health care needs. This is the largest network in California, with over one half of all physicians and hospitals in the state being Participating Prudent Buyer Providers. Nearly 50,000 physicians and more than 300 hospitals are Participating Prudent Buyer Providers, so there’s a good chance that your current physician or hospital is already a member of our network.

PROTECTION AGAINST EXCESS CHARGES

Under Part B of Medicare, you could have out-of-pocket costs if your physician or medical supplier does not accept assignment of your Medicare claim and charges more than Medicare’s approved amount. The difference to be paid is called the ‘excess charge.’
Blue Cross Senior Classic F Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap F Plan, Blue Cross Senior Classic I Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap I Plan and Blue Cross Senior Classic J Medicare Supplement Plan/Medigap J Plan can save you the expense and worry about paying significant out-of-pocket costs because of gaps in Medicare. When you utilize Blue Cross of California’s Prudent Buyer network, your doctor’s charges for Medicare’s covered services are paid in full, and most plans also cover the Medicare Part B deductible.* Even if you receive medical services from a provider that is not a member of the Prudent Buyer network, your doctor’s charges for Medicare’s covered services are still paid in full, except in limited circumstances, including emergency care.

CLAIMFREE SERVICE

You may never have to fill out another claim form ever again. Blue Cross of California has created a way to put an end to the frustration caused by burdensome and tedious claim forms. It’s called ClaimFree service, and we are the only health carrier in the state that provides you with this worry-free automatic claims payment service for both Parts A and B of Medicare.

The way it works is simple. When providers bill Medicare, a computerized display of the information is automatically sent to Blue Cross of California for processing. We then pay your doctor or hospital directly. This results in your medical bills being processed faster and more accurately.