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Blue Cross Of California’s HAS Compatible PPO 2400 Plan |
Blue Cross of California offers two Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) options that are compatible with Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs. Health savings accounts are actual savings accounts that are set up by the member to help offset some of the costs of their health care for tax purposes. Many times, Health savings accounts are set up or managed by the member’s employer and they can even be transferable from employer to employer in many cases, depending on the employer’s policy. When it comes to HSAs, the employer benefits from putting money into the employee’s account because they can be eligible for certain tax breaks and exemptions. The employee benefits because they have money in an account to help with their health care, but they can also be eligible for tax related advantages as well.
Blue Cross of California offers a PPO 2400, which is compatible with HSAs. If they do not currently have a health savings account set up already, the Blue Cross network has made arrangements with Chase bank to have one set up. The PPO 2400 is a high deductible health plan with a $2400 annual deductible for an individual member and a $4800 collective deductible for a family when using a participating health care provider. For non-covered out of network expenses, plan members are subject to a $3600 individual deductible or a $5500 deductible for a family.
Outside of this, doctor’s office visits under the PPO 2400 plan cost the member a $35 co pay for covered in-network providers. For visits to a non-participating physician, the plan will pay only half of the charges incurred and none of the excess costs that can be incurred from a visit to the doctor.
Many of the PPO plans that Blue Cross of California offers have a prescription deductible that must be satisfied, usually $150. The PPO 2400 is one of the exceptions; there is no annual deductible for prescription drugs; generic drugs require a $15 co pay and name brand drugs require a $25 co pay.
While many of the PPO plans that are offered do not cover annual physical exams, the PPO 2400 allows the member to choose between a physical and a HealthyCheck screening. The co pay for a physical exam is $35 dollars as with any other doctor’s office visit. The plan will also pay 80 percent of the covered “other” expenses related to the physical. The HealthyCheck screening co pays range from $25 to $75 dollars. The co pay for these screenings depends on the service level the plan member has designated.
With Blue Cross of California PPO plans it is always recommended that the member use participating or “in-network” health care providers. The network has already negotiated rates with participating providers so, in order to keep out of pocket costs down as low as possible it is important for members to use participating providers if non participating providers are at all avoidable.
Learn more at: www.baahealth.com
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