No More One Size Fits All in Choosing Health Care Coverage

News provided by

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Mar 22, 2012, 09:40 ET

Blue Choice, by Blue Cross, helps employers control health care costs, while offering choice to employees

EAGAN, Minn., March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Blue Cross evolved their defined contribution solution, Blue Choice, by introducing an online selection and enrollment tool. This tool provides an easy comparison of employer's health care coverage options and helps employees choose the health plan best fit for them. Blue Choice gives employers a new way to control health care costs while continuing to offer health care benefits to their employees. With Blue Choice, small to large employers can now take advantage of guaranteed rates while ensuring their employees have the peace of mind of knowing not only will they have health care benefits, but also have a choice of the plan that's not a one size fits all.

Blue Cross research revealed employers wanted control over escalating health care premiums and a way to budget for their health care costs. As a result, Blue Cross designed Blue Choice to offer a three-year price guarantee and to increase affordability for employers. Blue Choice is a defined contribution plan, allowing employers to set aside a predetermined amount for their employees' health care coverage. In turn, employees are allowed to use this pre-tax amount to "shop" for the best match Blue Choice health plan for them. Additionally, Blue Cross findings showed employees wanted easy-to-understand health care coverage that offered more than one or two choices. "One size doesn't necessarily fit all. Employers are pleased with Blue Choice because they not only have guaranteed rates, but they have the ability to offer employees the choice from up to 18 different health plans," said Kathy Dunmire, vice president product management, Blue Cross.

Blue Cross is improving the experience with a simple new online tool that asks a short series of questions about employees' health status, financial situation and risk tolerance to help employees find the best fit health plan. "This helps take the guesswork out of the annual open enrollment benefits selection," said Dunmire. Blue Choice's online tool also allows employees to compare plans, tap into educational resources and enroll in a plan, choose dental coverage or open a health savings account.

The Blue Choice technology delivers a superior consumer enrollment experience, click here for Blue Choice demo. Blue Choice provides employees with the information and tools they need for selecting and purchasing health care plans in a simple, easy to use and even fun tool. Blue Choice also provides agents and employers with a set of online tools and reports to help them manage the plan and support employees as they make choices and enroll.

"Blue Choice is a great retention and recruitment tool which is critical in today's workforce," said Dunmire. "Minnesota employers want to be able to offer a value to their employees and Blue Choice allows them to provide a wide variety of health plans that best fit them."

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today as a health company: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, taxable organization. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota