Is Blue Cross Blue Shield the same as Blue Shield of California?
Asked by: Darien Wiegand | Last update: June 15, 2023Score: 4.5/5 (72 votes)
Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan with 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $17 billion in annual revenue.
What is the difference between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California?
Structure of two carriers
Anthem Blue Cross is a publicly-trade, for profit company. Blue Shield of California is a non-profit. The latter sounds all warm and fuzzy but you need to see to your interests first.
Is Blue Cross Blue Shield same as Blue Shield?
Blue Cross and Blue Shield developed separately, with Blue Cross providing coverage for hospital services and Blue Shield covering physicians' services. Blue Cross is a name used by an association of health insurance plans throughout the United States.
Is there another name for Blue Cross Blue Shield?
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA)
What is Blue Shield of California official name?
Corporate Name: California Physicians' Service. Blue Shield of California Foundation: Since 2005, Blue Shield has contributed more than $325 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation to fund nonprofit organizations that help strengthen the health safety net and address and prevent domestic violence.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield | Health care system | Heatlh & Medicine | Khan Academy
Who owns Blue Cross Blue Shield of California?
Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with over 4.5 million members, 7,500 employees, and more than $21 billion in annual revenue.
Who is eligible for Blue Shield of California?
You are eligible to apply for a Blue Shield individual and family health plan if you are a California resident, under the age of 65 and not eligible for Medicare. Your spouse, domestic partner, or dependent children under age 26 may also be able to apply for dependent coverage under some of the plans.
Is Blue Cross Blue Shield different in each state?
Most Blue Cross Blue Shield members can rest easy since Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage opens doors in all 50 states and is accepted by over 90 percent of doctors and specialists. And if your extended travel plans take you abroad, you can ensure you have access to quality care through GeoBlue.
Can I use Blue Shield of California out of state?
The BlueCard® Program gives your employees access to covered services–including emergency and urgent care–almost everywhere in the United States and in 170 countries.
Why did Blue Cross and Blue Shield merge?
California's northern and southern Blue Cross chapters, both founded in 1937, merged in June, 1982, after agreeing that they could operate more efficiently together.
What type of insurance is Blue Cross Blue Shield?
The 34 independent and locally operated Blue Cross Blue Shield companies deliver health insurance coverage to one in three Americans across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition, the BCBS Federal Employee Program® insures over five million federal employees, retirees and their families.
Is Anthem Blue Cross or Blue Shield?
In California Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association.
Is Blue Cross of California the same as Anthem Blue Cross?
Provider Networks Make the Difference
Depending on your region, the cheapest California health plan might be offered by Anthem Blue Cross or by Blue Shield of California. However, the rates tend to be about the same. The big difference is network.
Do doctors prefer HMO or PPO?
PPOs Usually Win on Choice and Flexibility
If flexibility and choice are important to you, a PPO plan could be the better choice. Unlike most HMO health plans, you won't likely need to select a primary care physician, and you won't usually need a referral from that physician to see a specialist.
Can you use covered California in other states?
If students are tax dependents, they can be covered under their parents' Covered California health plan, no matter where they live. However, Covered California does not offer any health plan products that have a network of doctors, hospitals or other health care providers outside of California at this time.
What is the prefix for BCBS of California?
Note: Alpha prefixes XEA through XEZ represent local Blue Shield of California accounts.
What is blue card out of state?
The BlueCard Program links participating health care providers and the independent BCBS Plans across the country and around the world through a single electronic network for claims processing and compensation. Over 65,000 out-of-state members living in Montana have claims processed through the BlueCard Program.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield cover in other countries?
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan has you covered worldwide. If you need medical care outside the U.S, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands you can rest assured that the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan offers worldwide coverage.
What age does Medicare start in California?
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You're first eligible to sign up for Medicare 3 months before you turn 65. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig's disease).
How do I contact Blue Shield of California?
Please call (855) 836-9705 if you signed up for your plan through Covered California. If you signed up directly through Blue Shield, please call (888) 256-3650. Our customer service team will obtain your information and will contact your physician to verify coverage.
Who is eligible for Medicare?
Generally, Medicare is available for people age 65 or older, younger people with disabilities and people with End Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant). Medicare has two parts, Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medicare Insurance).
Is Blue Cross leaving California?
In California, Dignity Health and Anthem Blue Cross have terminated their network agreement. This removes Dignity hospitals and medical clinics across California from Anthem's network. For the past six months, Dignity Health and Anthem Blue Cross have been in contract negotiations.
Is Blue Cross Medi-Cal?
Medi-Cal Managed Care (Medi-Cal)
Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. Blue Cross of California is contracted with L.A. Care Health Plan to provide Medi-Cal Managed Care services in Los Angeles County.
Is Anthem Blue Cross part of Covered California?
Anthem has been with Covered California since the beginning of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. Founded in 1936, Anthem has grown from a small company to one of the nation's largest carriers. Today, Anthem Blue Cross of California is a subsidiary of Anthem Inc.