Is Blue Cross Blue Shield Really the Best Plan for You as a Federal Employee?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
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I am here to tell you. THIS is for Retired Federal Employees who are 65+. We switched to GEHA (from BCBS) a couple of years before we reached 65. Great service. Now things have changed with Medicare Part B...I have learned:
1. Medicare part B is now primary. Any FEHB Plan will pay the rest.
2. We no longer have to pay attention to the FEHB's plan "preferred providers". As long as we go to a Doctor/Facility that bills Medicare - Medicare Part B pays 80% and the FEHB plan will pay the rest (make sure your FEHB plan works with Medicare Part B). There are zero co-pays. ZERO.
3. The FEHB plans that work with Medicare Part B also include Medicare Part D (Prescription) Benefits at no additional cost.
4. Medicare Part C plans (Advantage Plans) are probably NOT the right choice for a Federal Retiree. We like to travel when we can and Advantage Plans include co-pays and deductibles and are regional and won't travel with you.
5. I choose GEHA High Option last open Season. It pays me $1000.00 a year since I am in Medicare Part B. Actually, they have already started paying me $164.00 a month and will continue monthly until it gets to $1000.00. That means I am (annually) paying less than BCBS Standard.
6. Also, GEHA gives me a VISA Card that I can earn over $200.00 a year for various wellness things.
7. GEHA stands for Government Employees Health Administration and is non-profit. It is designed for Federal Employees. Period.
@@DesignBuildFixReview That depends on your individual FEHB plan. They will pay less if that Doctor is not in their "network". Perhaps you can find a Plan that does include your Doctor.
I meant to say - Good topic Mr. Haws!!
I have their dental plan and they have been great! I went into adult Invisalign and they paid a lot of that bill. I’m pretty happy with them. Did you ever have bcbs basic and if so you like this plan as you have pointed out all of the benefits you are getting . I may consider this one. I thought when you retire you will need that plan for 5 years and then we can take the insurance with us or is it any federal insurance?
I try GEHA before but my problem is not many ppl accept or know about GEHA. When i go to a doctor or specialist, they be like GEHA whats that? I got so fed up after awhile that i just get back to blue cross not because blue cross better or cheaper but it is so well known and accepted.
@@HcCh-sm8kk For some reason, many Doctors don't call it "GEHA" they call it "UNITED HEALTHCARE". They all know about it with that name.
BC/BS federal is amazing. I have the the basic plan. I had a total hip replacement in Jan 2022 and I paid about $500 out of pocket. Surgery cost was about $75k. Mind blown and blessed
Yes they are amazing policy! I’m very happy
Didn't you have a deductible?
@@pd1824 there’s a minimal deductible with the basic plan. I had EDG procedure with 200 out of pocket including anesthesia. I was at an in network provider. I never pay a thing for my blood work either. But I make sure I’m always using in network. Like the above said bcbs is a major insurance carrier so majority are accepting it. We travel in rv a lot for vacations I have not used the plan out side of my home state and I am not sure how the coverage is? Would like to know before I decide this is the plan to retire with
On BBB there were reports of BCBS not paying bills.
If you had that hip replacement now you would probably think differently. The plan changed drastically in 2023, and not for the best either.
If you plan to travel overseas a lot in retirement, you might consider what will occur if you are ill or injured overseas. My brother had a very bare bones plan before he retired, but at my encouragement, decided to switch to BCBS since he wanted to sail his boat extensively in the remote islands of the Caribbean. About one year into his sailing adventure, he was very seriously injured while on a smaller island of the Bahamas. Medical attention was minimal at a clinic and the injuries were potentially life threatening. BCBS has an emergency overseas contact number that I called and by the morning they had arranged for a private jet and medical team to fly in and boat to the island and return my brother for medical treatment in the US. The doctors in the US said he probably would have only lasted a couple of hours if they hadn’t gotten him back. IMHO, BCBS is known all over the world and if you travel, this could not only save you some hassles overseas, but could literally safe your life.
I’m going to say it again on how much I love this channel and this guy who gives us a federal employees so much information ❤ absolutely top notch
I've been with GEHA standard(which is actually United Healthcare in my area) for 11 years and I LOVE them. Not only is the premium much cheaper than BCBS, copays are also cheaper.
HOWEVER, BCBS appears to pay more for hospitalization. I may consider them when I retire in 8 years.
I had a BCBS plan its good, but why is it so expensive!!! I don't feel BCBS is the best value for money, and on top of that their coverage is too low
Please do a video on the difference between Blue Cross standard and basic. Because in my opinion the basic is just fine and relatively affordable, it’s what I kept in retirement, I’m 55 retired in 2022 and had two major orthopedic surgeries in my last two years prior to retiring. Both were nearly $40K BC Basic covered every thing, my out of pocket was $150 each. Pretty good plan. I’m married with 23 year old daughter who remains on the plan until she turns 26.
I switched to basic after being on standard for years and years, over 2 years ago. I find that it covers generally overall much better. The big difference I could see in the 2 of them - is that the standard allows you to go to out of network docs - but it costs more overall. If you travel a lot the standard could be beneficial. If you stay home in your area network and only vacation or travel now and then, the basic works fine. Just my opinion of the 2. I THINK but not sure - that the standard also allows you more flexibility in not needing referrals to go to specialists also.
@@UnkleAL1962 very true and Blue Cross is accepted almost everywhere. I’ve lived in Illinois and Florida, never had a problem. Basic is the best option for me. Thanks for your input ! ⭐️🌴
I have basic and I rarely pay much out of pocket
@@gregthomas2448 They upsell the standard but in reality the standard is just basic with many salesmen involved. I personally left BCBS and got aetna and it is much more value for moeny
You guys are lucky then..I just signed up with BC basic 2 years ago..and I got stuck with a $5,000 bill fir a hernia surgery. The basic plan has a 30% co insurance..meaning you get stuck with 30% of the bill if it goes past their allowable coverage.
Blue cross Basic makes the best sense.
Unless it doesn't.
@@szargos ok you pay for the other option and let us all know how that works out in the end. I do mean end, like how much more money you spent over the years needlessly.
The younger and healthier you are (This would include if you have a spouse that is the same) The more options you should explore, but you should always look how the plan you choose will cover the unexpected, especially if you travel.
I finally re-evaluated my coverage last year after being in BCBS for 24 years and realized that GEHA was a much better choice for both coverage and price. Like so many others, I never even questioned what I had. I should have done that sooner.
I’ve been happy with GEHA for 21 years.
I had GEHA before but having so much trouble finding doctor around me accepting it.
@@HcCh-sm8kk Ask the same Doctors if they accept UNITED HEALTH CARE. For some reason, Doctors know that name but not GEHA. Government Employees Health Administration is great for Federal Employees. GEHA is United Health Care. I would bet most of those same Doctors take that.
I heard they don't pay claims on Yelp.
@@BitterPeachh I have never had that problem, at all.
BCBS may be the best plan for retirement but it’s not the best for federal employees…it depends on where you live. I have Kaiser GA and my coverage is better than that of BCBS.
This is why I like you Dallen. You always kick it straight.
Certain employees under DOD, DOS, DHS, etc may be eligible for AFSPA which will cover them overseas. The catch is, you have to have it for one year while working in order to select it in retirement. It’s Aetna stateside and mostly reimbursement overseas, with some Hospitals taking direct payment from the plan. That will vary by country and Hospital.
@Frank Pratt I did see that BCBS covers overseas, with some compelling Hospital agreements. However, I think I’m going to stick with AFSPA, as the online app is very easy for receipt submission without a need for translation. I have t run into any issues with the stateside Aetna coverage. Anecdotally, I favor it over BCBS. However, we all know these companies change over time, and I’m always open to swapping out my plans.
I have really enjoyed Foreign Service Benefit Plan. They pay 90% of everything w a max out of pocket of $5k. No hassle, no fighting - they are great.
Am still skeptical about the BCBS , PPO For one You get a special card that gets loaded with funds, to buy with, and Now they want to do In home visits, and it's ( FREE ) They have to be benefiting from this, it's just to secretive.
GEHA HSA plan is great for young employees who don’t go to the doctor much… I didn’t care for the regular GEHA plan… their customer service sucked. FSBP is pretty good
I have Blue cross basic PPO . I was trying to compare it to the Mail handler high deductible with a HSA, but I have to spend like $4k to get reimbursed plus the copayments too! Not sure if I can swing that since Blue Cross has zero deductibles, I understand the plus of the HSA and tax advantage, but yeah.
All I'm saying, is that Blue cross basic stuck me with a 30% co insurance bill..so a no deductible plan but now I owe the hospital $5,000. I would have been better off with a plan that has no co insurance or a low fee but a deductible plan.
I believe this video is intended to older age group . A younger family of 4 under BCBS basic is great considering its only $150 for ER visits. You can always opt for FSA. Plus it is also way cheaper for premiums, I THINK! lol can you disagree with me and provide facts if I should look into other options? *note both Adult have VA Healthcare as primary.
The other year I didn't do blue cross because I wanted to explore something else. I moved back to blue cross because my area code and the amount of coverage I get it's the best rate for health, vision and dental. It's not a reason to do it, but it's a lot easier to pay with it being under 1 ID
I found the VA covers me. It is nice to get a whole check no deductions. Good luck God Bless
@Preston Robert nice. I heard that you can apply to extra VA care. I'm not a vet so I'm not familiar enough to elaborate
They upsell the standard but in reality the standard is just basic with many salesmen involved. I personally left BCBS and got aetna and it is much more value for moeny
I retired a year ago and as I retired I switched from BC/BS standard to basic. I’m glad I made the switch and haven’t seen a substantial difference in coverage.
Agreed !
Yes I have the basic bcbs I love them it works for me. I pay very little out of pocket. I also love the free “fsa” money I earn with a few questions for improving my health I earn $170 every year I use for my copays prescription etc.
The last time I was in the emergency room Blue Cross Blue Shield told me they would pay $.00 for the emergency room. After many phone calls and many absolute lies from blue cross reps, and some research on my part and after many weeks I had to tell them they were in violation of the Affordable Care Act before they finally paid. They went from best to WORST in the last few years.
Doctors in my areas are not preferred providers in the other plans and almost every one is for blue cross.
Really depends on where you live. BCBS is trash overseas.
BCBS has been a pain for us this year, they've denied all our claims until we called to wait on hold between 30m-1hr to tell them we don't have other coverage.
Because BCBS Texas doesn’t support Doctor on Demand I’d rather goto the ER and pay the 250 Deductible and have them pay the other 2000. They should change their policy to save money. I don’t have a PCP so I need Refill on my Meds.
In Pennsylvania state employees actually have a better health plan than federal employees. If you don't have major health issues FEP Blue Focus is probably the best.
What do you recommend for a healthy single 60 year old male? No health issues, no dependants
Dallon, is there an online tool that allows us to compare costs and benefits?
OPM.gov/insurance
Have any retired military switched from BCBS to Tricare? Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Does the gov pay 70%+ from the premium listed? Or is the premium listed after government paid their share?
Blue Cross Blue Shield paid my ER bill and I am happy with them. But I wish they would drop the dental part and lower the costs.
Agreed. I picked up united Concordia for my dental and it's amazing!
Does bcbs basic cover dental or vision? I keep hearing bcbs not sure if thats a bcbs basic thing or standard
GEHA gotta get that free $$$ HSA
Great advice
Will there ever be a plan that is a true supplemental that is designed to work with original Medicare A&B? Not talking an Advantage, not interested in that. But a true supplemental that is designed for those with A&B. Yes, all will “work” with them but they include tons of fluff that are geared toward those under 65. Are they even allowed to offer this type of plan?
It doesn’t matter what the research says because plans fail at execution. Their brochure looks great, but I either don’t get the promised benefits or I only get them if I’m willing to waste an unacceptable amount of my time. I have BCBS because, based on my experience, they do what they say they will. The benefits I’ve received have matched the benefits from the brochure. I know that BCBS is not my best plan on paper, based on researched benefits, but it’s still my best plan.
I used the standard option for a few years but have changed to the basic option and save some money on premiums. Just make sure your healthcare care providers are on the Blue Cross Preferred network, which most are in my area, and it works well for us. More co pays and not deductibles.
Be careful..there is a 30% co insurance with the basic plan. How do I know? I just got stuck with a $5,000 bill that BC basic would not cover 100%
Ohh someone about to get in trouble
You used to have great general advice for Fed retirees, but lately, including this presentation, you’ve gone a bit off the rails. This doesn’t help 1 bit.
uhhhh, re-evaluate your own insurance coverage? Thats it? I could do that on my own. Wheres the recommendations? I've watched your videos, they tend to be worthwhile. This is....fluff!! ;)