BCBS Individual Plans in Florida

[MelissaKay]

I heard BCBS is dropping all their individual health insurance plans in Florida the end of this year. Did anyone else hear this?

 

[aja8888]

Where did you hear this? Facebook?

 

[45th Birthday]

Wow, what a first post! Not only is your rumor not sourced, it isn't even remotely true. A simple Google search or call to FloridaBlue would have told you that. You are going to needlessly panic a lot of people.

 

[MelissaKay]

Wow, what a first post! Not only is your rumor not sourced, it isn't even remotely true. A simple Google search or call to FloridaBlue would have told you that. You are going to needlessly panic a lot of people.

Rumor?? My father is in the middle of a major insurance claim from an accident that happened 6 months ago. He has to have a second surgery soon since the first one didn't work. He's scared because he's insured with Florida BCBS and the letter he has says their not renewing his plan and it's no longer available in Florida. He's afraid he won't find coverage since he now has a pre existing condition.

I did Google it... I found this to be true for some states but I couldn't find anything on Florida.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield to drop individual ACA healthcare plans | 98.1 KMBZ FM

 

[Mulligan]

Melissa is he under an old grandfathered individual plan that is being dropped? Its possible they are just dropping those and staying with ACA. Of course it will be a new BCBS plan but they have to take preexisting conditions.They may also not be in exchange but still have off ACA plans....The scenerios could be more than them being in FLA or not. My old Coventry plan did this to me 2 years ago.. They dropped underwritten plans and ACA, but stayed in off exchange plans.

 

[ivinsfan]

Well this exact thing happened in MN last year..they sold no individual plans period...

 

[Bamaman]

I have an Alabama Individual Blue healthcare policy on my 29 uearr-old daughter with dental coverage--$300 mo. It is not ACAmeither. Deductibles are more normal on it.

 

[littleb]

Blue Cross in Tennessee stopped offering individual plans a few years ago. They made it available to certain cities under the ACA plan.

MelissaKay

Your father might be able to sign up for BCBS of Florida under the ACA for 2018 if it is still available. Preexisting conditions should be waived.

 

[teejayevans]

They often terminate plans and force you to change, this happen to me in 2015.

 

[Sunset]

They often terminate plans and force you to change, this happen to me in 2015.

Usually only AFTER you get sick or have expensive treatment in the future

 

[FlaGator]

Florida Blue/BCBS made a number of changes to their plans for 2018, but they still offer many choices.

My specific 2017 plan will not be available in 2018, but I have at least 3 alternatives that are similar (setting aside the price increase).

Go to the source - contact them directly to get your questions answered and ease the anxiety.

 

[MichaelB]

Rumor?? My father is in the middle of a major insurance claim from an accident that happened 6 months ago. He has to have a second surgery soon since the first one didn't work. He's scared because he's insured with Florida BCBS and the letter he has says their not renewing his plan and it's no longer available in Florida. He's afraid he won't find coverage since he now has a pre existing condition.

I did Google it... I found this to be true for some states but I couldn't find anything on Florida.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield to drop individual ACA healthcare plans | 98.1 KMBZ FM

Please tell your father that BCBS Florida has announced their plans for 2018 and people can enroll now.

 

[audreyh1]

Rumor?? My father is in the middle of a major insurance claim from an accident that happened 6 months ago. He has to have a second surgery soon since the first one didn't work. He's scared because he's insured with Florida BCBS and the letter he has says their not renewing his plan and it's no longer available in Florida. He's afraid he won't find coverage since he now has a pre existing condition.

I did Google it... I found this to be true for some states but I couldn't find anything on Florida.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield to drop individual ACA healthcare plans | 98.1 KMBZ FM

Notice that article was for Missouri and Kansas, not Florida.

 

[Senator]

When a company, such as BCBS drops ACA plans in a particular state, don't they still offer non-ACA/individual plans? Or isn't there a way to go to an insurance broker and buy an individual or family plan?

And aren't ACA plans and non-ACA plans medically the same, other than the subsidies?

Or am I missing something?

 

[MelissaKay]

Thank you everyone for your responses! Glad to hear others have been in a similar situation. I didn't realize he could find another plan under the ACA where pre existing conditions should be waived! Both my father and mother have been stressing out over this for the past month, afraid he won't have coverage when he gets the next surgery. I appreciate all the information and will be passing it along!

 

[Senator]

Thank you everyone for your responses! Glad to hear others have been in a similar situation. I didn't realize he could find another plan under the ACA where pre existing conditions should be waived! Both my father and mother have been stressing out over this for the past month, afraid he won't have coverage when he gets the next surgery. I appreciate all the information and will be passing it along!

I think all plans, whether ACA or not, waive pre-existing conditions. That is the law.

 

[GTFan]

*shakes head*

Wow, so much misinformation out there.

 

[audreyh1]

When a company, such as BCBS drops ACA plans in a particular state, don't they still offer non-ACA/individual plans? Or isn't there a way to go to an insurance broker and buy an individual or family plan?

And aren't ACA plans and non-ACA plans medically the same, other than the subsidies?

Or am I missing something?

No. Some pull out of the individual market entirely like Humana did in TX last year. Some drop whole classes of plans entire like BCBS did for the PPO individual plans in TX two years ago - exception grandfathered plans. No difference if it's through healthcare.gov versus directly.

There is no ACA and non-ACA plans. The non-subsidized plans are still ACA plans. You can buy them directly from the insurer if you don't qualify for a subsidy. The insurer might offer additional plans outside of healthcare.gov but they are still ACA.

 

[45th Birthday]

When a company, such as BCBS drops ACA plans in a particular state, don't they still offer non-ACA/individual plans? Or isn't there a way to go to an insurance broker and buy an individual or family plan?

And aren't ACA plans and non-ACA plans medically the same, other than the subsidies?

Or am I missing something?

No, when companies drop individual plans, they do so because the various requirements of ACA make it impossible to make money. They cannot offer lower cost/lower coverage, non-ACA plans. So, people in the individual market are SOL when this happens. The subsidies are a separate matter. The plans are the same whether you get a subsidy or not.

ACA is a combination of several things: specific requirements for coverage (including pre-existing conditions, 100% preventative, etc.), subsidies based on income and not means, and various taxes.

 

[audreyh1]

I think all plans, whether ACA or not, waive pre-existing conditions. That is the law.

Just fix your terminology - bought through healthcare.gov or directly from the insurers. They are ACA plans.

ACA plan means ACA compliant which includes things like covering pre-existing conditions.

Non-ACA implies it is not ACA compliant, and there are narrow conditions under which those are available.

 

[Senator]

Just fix your terminology - bought through healthcare.gov or directly from the insurers. They are ACA plans.

ACA plan means ACA compliant which includes things like covering pre-existing conditions.

Non-ACA implies it is not ACA compliant, and there are narrow conditions under which those are available.

Good point, ACA is the law so all plans (mostly) would be ACA. I associated Exchange (healthcare.gov) with ACA.

I looked at non-compliant plans for a while too, they are hard to qualify for, and certainly a high risk to buy them.

 

[Blueskies123]

Rumor?? My father is in the middle of a major insurance claim from an accident that happened 6 months ago. He has to have a second surgery soon since the first one didn't work. He's scared because he's insured with Florida BCBS and the letter he has says their not renewing his plan and it's no longer available in Florida. He's afraid he won't find coverage since he now has a pre existing condition.

I did Google it... I found this to be true for some states but I couldn't find anything on Florida.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield to drop individual ACA healthcare plans | 98.1 KMBZ FM

Huge difference between dropping "his" plan and dropping all plans. I called BCBS a month ago and they told me they are keeping my plan. Do as much homework as possible before posting.

 

[audreyh1]

Good point, ACA is the law so all plans (mostly) would be ACA. I associated Exchange (healthcare.gov) with ACA.

I looked at non-compliant plans for a while too, they are hard to qualify for, and certainly a high risk to buy them.

Normally the plans are described as on-exchange, off-exchange.

 

[HGTVfan]

Melissa, I guess I understand that many people who do not buy individual insurance have not paid attention to the ACA (Obamacare).

But covering people with pre-existing conditions is one of the most important reasons that many people (including myself) have benefited.

We are lucky here in Florida that BlueCross (Florida Blue) is healthy and actually making money on its ACA plans. So tell your dad not to worry. I have a BlueOptions plan and it is excellent.

 

[Aerides]

OP the link you provided was from May, from a radio station in a different state. A little more diligence could have saved you and your father (and many reading the headline of this post) undue stress.

There's a lot of crap content out there, you owe it to yourself to do more research in the future. On most ANY topic.

That said, BCBS is actually profitable in florida, and 2018 plans are coming out shortly. And there are bunches of articles at health and national news sites on that topic on page 1 of google.