As a parent or legal guardian trying to provide your children with an affordable health insurance option in 2012 is extremely difficult.

The reason is that since Pres. Obama initiated healthcare reform, one of the first things his administration did was to make children guaranteed issue for individual health insurance plans.

What guaranteed issue means is that if a North Carolina health insurance company were to issue a policy to your child, they could not exclude a conditions from being covered.

Since every health insurance carrier in North Carolina has to get approval from the state Department of Insurance on the Max premiums they can charge a client, they simply cannot offer a policy to children at a rate that would get approved by the state.

So what we have here is a situation where just about all of the most popular health plans in the state, dropped their child only health plan offerings.

The great news however is that Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has come to the rescue, and is offering child only health plans once again.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina child only health insurance plans

Blue Cross allows you to sign your child up for any of their health plans that they offer individuals and families.

If you have more than one child you need a standalone policy for, you simply would need to complete a separate application for each child since they cannot be placed on the same plan together.

Remember any conditions that your child has been treated for in the past will be covered from day one, so the most important thing to do right now is to consult a local North Carolina health insurance broker to review which Blue Cross policy would be best for your child!

BCBSNC offer 3 types of Medicare Insurance Products which are Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplemental Plans and Part D Prescription Drug Plans.

In order to for a Medicare health plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina you must be enrolled into Part’s A & B of Original Medicare.

Blue Cross offers two types of Medicare Advantage or Part C health plans, a PPO and HMO version.

Here is the rate breakdown for the Charlotte, NC area:

Plan Name	Premium	Prescription Drug Coverage	Out-of-Network	Provider Office Visit (Primary/Specialist)
Blue Medicare HMO
HMO Standard	$0	Standard	Not covered*	$10/$35
HMO Enhanced	$16.40	Enhanced	Not covered*	$5/$35
HMO Medical Only	$0	None	Not covered*	$5/$20
Blue Medicare PPO
PPO Enhanced	$47.20	Standard	Generally 20%	$15/$40 In-network
PPO Enhanced Freedom	$99.90	Enhanced	Generally same cost as In-network	$20/$40 In-network
Blue Medicare Rx Prescription Drug Plan
Enhanced	$92.50	Enhanced	N/A	N/A
Standard	$66.10	Standard	N/A	N/A
Blue Medicare Supplement
Learn more and apply online.

Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina Blue Medicare Plan Benefits:

For instant rates consult a local Blue Cross agent with questions and to enroll!

If you already know how a BCBSNC high deductible health plan or HSA plan works then you can skip this part of the article.

The the idea here is that you would self-insure or cash pay for routine services in exchange for low maximum out-of-pocket exposure.

One of the problems that the BlueOptionsHSA solves is that most North Carolina health insurance co-pay plans do not credit office copayments nor prescription drug deductibles which can be $250-$500 a year per person and do not include copayments or coinsurance for prescription drugs towards the plan deductible..

Let’s look at a real world example so that we can understand exactly how the BlueOptionsHSA help’s us

For our example, we’ll look at a family of two in Charlotte considering a $5450 deductible HSA plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Now with the HSA plan once the deductible is met, all covered services are paid for by Blue Cross Blue Shield for the rest of the year. and this is the family deductible not per person, that is an important feature to keep in mind when comparing individual health insurance plans in North Carolina.

So the monthly premium rate would be $306 for a married couple in Charlotte.

If you wanted a comparable out-of-pocket of around $5000 for a family or $2500 per person with co-pays for office visits and for medications you would be looking at a rate of about $631 a month for the Blue Advantage Plan A.

You would be paying an extra $3600 a year just so your office visits and medications are covered at a flat co-pay. Not to mention the fact that if you enroll in a high deductible health plan also referred to as a consumer driven health plan then you can open up a health savings account at your local bank.

The reason you may want to do this, is that you could write off your $5000 deductible on your taxes at the end of the year– this is only with an HSA eligible plans.

Now you may be asking yourself why should I pay $300 a month for an affordable health insurance plan that won’t pay anything until my deductibles is met?

Well the good news is that since this plan utilizes a PPO network, you are only going to be charged whatever Blue Cross’s contracted rate is for the medical service you are being provided.

And that is the amount you would pay out of your pocket and it’s credited towards your deductible for the year until you deductible is met.

As an example, if you want to the emergency room and needed to have an MRI and CAT scan done and your bill was $3000 without health insurance.

Let’s say Blue Cross’s negotiated or contracted rate for that service was $1200, you would only pay 1200-meaning you saved $1800, and that 1200 would be credited towards your deductible for the year. If you opened up the health savings account at your local bank to go along with your plan you could write off that $1200 on your taxes.

So as you can see in almost any situation regardless if you’re single, a couple or family with children the HSA plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will always make the most sense coming from a pure insurance perspective.

However we do recognize not many agents are recommending this kind of health insurance plan since many consumers are not aware that they are available or how they work.

We here at NorthCarolinahealthinsurancecompany.com believe it’s worth the extra time on our part to educate our clients, so that they get the best product that meets their needs and budget and we have a happy and informed client!

As a savvy consumer shopping for a affordable health insurance plan, a quality recommendation would be to consider the BlueAdvantage Saver plan from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

This policy combines Blue Cross’ stellar network providers, quality coverage at a rate that is affordable for most North Carolina residents.

When BCBSNC designed this health program they wanted something that would be light on coverage, but at the same time they wanted to be able to offer a middle-of-the-road individual health insurance plan at a rate that is fair.

There are three versions of the plan and they are as follows:

How much can I save with the BlueAdvantage Saver?

Although not a strict “Apples to Apples” comparison, if you compared a 2500 deductible 80/20 BCBSNC Blue Advantage plan vs the Same deductible to a Saver policy, you would save about $300 a month.

There are differences in the plan design so consult a local Blue Cross agent for assistance.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the only North Carolina Health Insurance company that offers individual health insurance maternity benefits for health plans sold on the private market.

A maternity rider is an add-on or additional plan benefit that you can purchase if you qualify for an individual policy from Blue Cross of North Carolina.

An applicant must be at least 18 years of age and not currently pregnant at the time of enrollment.

The following is taken from the Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina maternity brochure:

Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina Maternity Coverage Premium

The BlueAdvantage plans from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina are the most popular health plans in NC right now.

A truly classically comprehensive major medical policy that offers low copays for office visits and medications, reasonable deductible for medical and rx benefits.

We love this plan because it allows our clients more options, much easier to control out of pocket expenses!

If you are looking for the “cream of the crop” or a “Cadillac Plan” then the BlueAdvantage series from BCBSNC, certainly fits the bill!

Some time savings benefit highlights:

This is a very good fit for anyone, who is willing to spend a little more for a quality North Carolina Affordable Health Insurance plan.

Blue Cross Blue Shield NC Blue Advantage Plan Details

source: http://www.bcbsnc.com/content/plans/individuals/blueadvantage/index.htm

Blue Cross Blue Shield NC Blue Advantage Rates

Please click the blue button below for quotes from local insurance carriers such as Blue Cross of North Carolina:

It wasn’t easy to find a good dental plan that we can recommend to our clients and sleep at night. Dental insurance is something everybody will use, very rarely will somebody pay for dental benefits and not at the very least get their cleanings.

That makes it hard for the dental insurance providers decreeing a plan that makes sense for both the client and the bottom line.

I think we have found such a plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. It really should be no surprise that they are at the forefront of some of the most innovative and affordable health insurance products in the last 10 to 15 years.

What are the plan benefits for the Blue Cross Plan?

Protect your overall health

Medical  experts have linked periodontal (gum) disease to stroke, heart disease, diabetes, pre-term or low-birth weight babies and other health issues.  Nearly 75 percent of American adults have some form of periodontal disease, and the symptoms can be so mild that  some people don’t even  know they have them.1

But with proper daily dental care,  regular dental checkups can help  detect, prevent and  treat gum  disease and  related disorders.

Choose Dental  Blue for Individuals  and  you can take  a big step toward protecting your overall health.

Coverage you can smile about

With Dental Blue for Individuals, you’re covered for a broad range of dental services, including routine fillings and extractions, plus major services  like crowns,  bridges and  dentures.

Coverage includes preventive care twice per benefit period.

That means you can get  checkups and cleanings twice a year, and that  translates into good oral health.

And, there are no waiting periods for cleanings, routine oral exams  and other diagnostic and preventive services.

Dental Blue for Individuals Benefits

How much is the Blue Cross Dental Plan?

The rate for an individual is $39/month, Individual plus 1 dependent is $78/month and the Family plan is $125/month.

Is my dentist going to accept the BCBSNC dental plan?

You can use any dental provider you choose, though if you use an in-network doctor, you’re costs be the lowest.

North Carolina State health plan

If you live in North Carolina you should count yourself lucky that you live in a state that offers such a great government-sponsored health care program called Inclusive Health.

This a government subsidize quality health insurance plan administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina for folks that cannot qualify for an individual health insurance plan due to health history.

Trying to find a quality health plan with pre-existing conditions can be very difficult if you have never tried to shop for a private policy before on your own.

Every carrier in the state has different but similar underwriting guidelines, so before you try to apply for the inclusive health plan you should make sure no other plan will cover you.

This is a pretty good plan that covers basically the same services you would expect any major medical health insurance policy such as wellness visits, outpatient care, emergency room visits and your medications are covered as well of course.

What are the eligibility requirements for the NC state health plan?

Eligibility Requirements for State Option Coverage

You are eligible of Inclusive Health Coverage if you have a pre-existing condition and…

You can answer YES to AT LEAST ONE of the following questions:

You are eligible if you can answer YES to ALL of the following questions:

How much are the rates for the Inclusive Health state plan?

As an example the rate for a 30 year old male non smoker, who has had insurance in the last 63 days would be:

If you would like help with the Inclusive Health application please click here!

Who should purchase an individual North Carolina health insurance policy?

How do I figure out who has the Best Individual Health Insurance in North Carolina?

This is going to be dependent largely on your own personal situation.

Are you healthy and don’t take many medications?

Then you might want to look at a higher deductible option like an HSA qualified health plan since you don’t use many services. This will give you the peace of mind and protection of having a major medical health plan without the high costs.

Do you take any medications on an ongoing basis?

If so you will want to contact a local independent North Carolina health agent who can tell you what each carrier will do based on your health history.

Are there any doctors or medical providers that are deal breakers for you?

If you have a favorite doctor that must accept your new NC health plan, then you want to make sure the provider is in the network before you even start comparing plans.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield Individual Health Insurance in North Carolina

The most popular provider of individual and family health insurance benefits in North Carolina without a doubt is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

BCBSNC offers 3 different types of health programs:

Cigna Individual Health Insurance in North Carolina

Cigna is an up-and-coming provider of affordable health insurance  in NC.

They offer two types of health plans, a co-pay plan that offers office visits and medications covered at a co-pay which is called the open access.

They also offer a high deductible health plan called the health savings plan. Dental benefits are also available as an add-on for an additional premium.

Aetna Health Insurance in North Carolina

You will find that Aetna is extremely similar to CIGNA in their plan design and underwriting guidelines. In fact the same people who used to run Aetna’s individual health insurance division, are the same folks who started Cigna’s individual health insurance departments in North Carolina.

Aetna called their health plans “Managed Care Open Access” followed by a number such as 3000, 2500, 5000..etc etc. The the number is the deductible on the medical plan.

Over the past 50 years, most North Carolina residents have had their medical insurance benefits provided by their employer. In 2012, many companies are shying away from providing employees with company-sponsored health insurance plans.

You may ask yourself, “if my company will not provide insurance, where can I find a plan on the private market?”.

If you follow our easy to understand consumer guide, we will make comparing North Carolina health plans extremely easy.

Determining who has affordable health insurance in North Carolina can be tricky

If you have never shopped for your own individual health insurance plan in North Carolina before, you may find all the different options a little confusing at first.

The good news, is once you understand the basic different types of plans that each carrier offers and what to look for in a plan you’ll find that things will go much more smoothly for you.

Now we will break down the basic differences between the two most popular plan designs in NC.

Health Maintenance Organization

Preferred Provider Organization

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What you should know about the best affordable health insurance plans in North Carolina

Ok we have the basics out of the way, now let’s get into the meat and potatoes of what you should really be looking at in a Affordable Health Insurance  plan in NC.

The most important thing in a plan is the network.

About 90% of all health insurance plans in North Carolina utilize PPO networks.

So you want to make sure

The second most important facet to consider is what your total out-of-pocket costs is to be if you have a bad year.

Don’t be too concerned with what you’re co-pays can be, consider yourself more with what’s the damage can be if you have a heart attack/stroke or need expensive medications that need to be filled every month.

Now we are going to do a breakdown of the differences in the three most popular plan designs in the Carolinas.

Co-pay plans.

These are very similar to health insurance plans that are offered as part of employment by small and big companies in North Carolina.

But one of the most startling differences is that co-pays for doctor visits on private health plans, just cover the exam basically talking to the doctor. The copay of 20 or $30 does not cover any lab testing with most companies, this does not include wellness or preventative visits.

Also co-pay plans, don’t include the co-pays for office visits nor the deductible and co-pays for prescription medications into your maximum out-of-pocket for the year. This is something you should really look at, because if you have a drug deductible of $500 on your plan, plus if you take let’s say 4 medications a month at a co-pay of $25 each. You have just totaled up $1750 in expenses for the year that will not count towards your annual out-of-pocket maximum.

Hospital Surgical Plans

Some consumers referred to these as catastrophic plans, plans that cover the big stuff. While this might sound good in theory, these plans have some of the biggest holes in the North Carolina private health insurance market. If you go with a hospital surgical plan, you’re going to have a cheap premium but most of these plans won’t provide coverage for Dr. visits, outpatient medications, wellness or preventive care services. Think about that for a moment, it’s actually pretty big deal. What would you do if you had a hospital surgical plan, had a heart attack and had to go to see to specialists at $350 a pop and it’s not covered by your plan? or God for bid you have cancer, and you need outpatient chemotherapy medications that run you about $3000 a month, and those are covered?

High Deductible Health Plans

Don’t let the name “high deductible” scare you off, this is the name of these plans. A high deductible health plan could have a deductible as low as $1200.

With this kind of plan design, it’s pure insurance-there are no co-pays for anything. You simply pay your contracted rate, for covered services which save you about 30 to 50% until your deductible is met then you are covered at hundred percent for the rest of the year.

Most savvy consumers once they understand the different plan options, a good amount of them choose the high deductible health plan, because they want to enjoy a low premiums, and a set out-of-pocket maximum if they have a bad year.