Baptist Now in BCBS Network BlueOptions Policyholders Will Have Lower Co-Pays at Health System's 5 Area Hospitals.
Posted on: Wednesday, 2 November 2005, 18:01 CST
By URVAKSH KARKARIA
Baptist Health's five area hospitals are now "in-network" for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida's 20,000 BlueOptions members on the First Coast.
Under a three-year contract signed this week, Baptist's hospitals and its primary care physician group have become NetworkBlue providers.
Baptist is a major health care provider with hospitals in Duval and Nassau counties. Its primary care physicians group includes 78 doctors.
BlueOptions members have access to NetworkBlue providers, which also include Shands Jacksonville, Orange Park Medical Center and St. Vincent's Medical Center.
Being part of NetworkBlue lowers the co-pays BlueOptions policyholders shell out at Baptist facilities, said Lisa Acheson Luther, spokeswoman with the Jacksonville-based health insurer.
A typical BlueOptions member, enrolled in a small group plan, pays a $15 co-pay to visit an in-network family physician. That same visit to an out-of-network doctor would cost the policyholder 30 percent of the total bill in out-of-pocket expenses, Luther said.
"By having Baptist in NetworkBlue, we are able to provide our BlueOptions customers more choices throughout Northeast Florida," she said.
BlueOptions, growing at a rate of 20,000 members statewide per month, is the fastest growing segment of Blue Cross's business. Nearly 80 percent of all of Blue Cross's new sales are in BlueOptions plans.
BlueOptions is "a fast selling product and has gained a lot of momentum lately," said Philip Boyce, senior vice president of managed care at Baptist Health. urvaksh.karkaria@jacksonville.com,(904) 359-4367BLUEOPTIONSWHAT IS IT?BlueOptions is a family of health insurance products that offer individuals and businesses flexibility in choosing health insurance coverage. It allows consumers to schedule doctor's appointments and get lab results, among other things, via the Internet.
Source: Florida Times Union
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