Martha, I posted this last year, apparently before you were on the forum.
Since I read somewhere that you have a legal background, and you know relatively much about health insurance, i thought I"d ask you your opinion of this. For example, how legally binding do you think BCBS's contract "statement" is (below), and how comfortable would you be if you moved out of their service area given all of the info. below. I"m also wondering...if their "contract statement" is legally valid now, they can change it at each annual renewal, right?
(Last year's responses to my post weren't too informative...and "Kramer" has always insisted (in posts I've read by him, in the past year, after i posted this one) that none of the BCBS plans allow portability, despite what I wrote below last year.
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I just discovered this forum, read most of the recent threads related to portability of individual hlth. insur....I found it very interesting because I just spent the past few weeks researching this issue (prior to reading this forum). The main point I want make, first, is: there is at least one (and I believe there's a few) BCBS individual PPO plans that will allow you to move anywhere in the US (permanently) without having to cancel the original policy (and get a "conversion"). But I would like to get your comments on this, and whether you actually believe what the plan is saying. (I'm still slightly skeptical, because it seems too good to be true). I don't remember the names of the expert posters off hand, but the agent/broker on the board says, I think, the none of the BCBS plans will let you do this...A woman (name) on the board said this also (but used the word "typically will not let you....". But one person on the board talked about moving from a particular state (i don't remember which) to Texas and not having to cancel over a very long period of time. Here's what I learned from my own BCBS plan on the east coast of USA, and i did ALOT of research on this (and I will tell you which plan it is, later on).. Here is a list of points of evidence, some of which I consider strong, and some weak....but they all point to the "good news".
(1) strong evidence: The contract states, in an amendment dated 10/02:
"Contract is amended to add the following: A members coverage will not be terminated based solely on the fact that the member no longer meets any residence requirements stated in the evidence of coverage. This amendment is issued to be attached to the evidence of coverage". (signed by the president of the bcbs plan/co.). (My comments: the earlier EOC says you must maintain a legal residence for at least 6 months in the service area".
(2) The website (available to the public), in the FAQ section of the plan says: "What to do if you move away from the service area: You can continue to use the blue card program anywhere.......".
(3) When you call customer service (after being a member): they say you can move anywhere and keep the plan.
(4) when you call "sales", about 70% say you can move anywhere, and about 30% says you have to cancel. (But the people who sound the "most on the ball" at the sales number are the ones who say you don't have to cancel".
(5) I called the BCBS national association, who typically will NEVER answer questions from the public. It was hard to reach anyone there who would talk, but I did reach someone in an adequately high-level position who said she talked the "legal dept." and was told there are "a few" bcbs plans that will let you move anywhere. Apparently the national association tells the plans they have to cancel you if you move, but it's superceded by fed/state laws.
(6) And now for the AMBIGUITY: Is this "contract" (in #1) valid? I called the STATE (health ins. examiners). They really were not totally sure, but said they did NOT think you could move out of the service area and keep the plan (but to tell you the truth, i didn't tell them exactly which BCBS plan/co. i was referring to, because at that time, i didn't want to "get the plan in trouble" or have them investigated (or make them change the rules, which may be silly on my part). The mentioned a state law (number) which i looked up, and it basically just said plans CAN cancel you if you move, but not that they HAVE TO. Anyway, the 2 people at the state where very sceptical about whether the contract is valid and one said "maybe it's unapproved". (??).
Comments welcome, and also on whether you would feel comfortable moving away, knowing that if they cancel you YOU ARE SCREWED (i would be).[/quote]
Since I read somewhere that you have a legal background, and you know relatively much about health insurance, i thought I"d ask you your opinion of this. For example, how legally binding do you think BCBS's contract "statement" is (below), and how comfortable would you be if you moved out of their service area given all of the info. below. I"m also wondering...if their "contract statement" is legally valid now, they can change it at each annual renewal, right?
(Last year's responses to my post weren't too informative...and "Kramer" has always insisted (in posts I've read by him, in the past year, after i posted this one) that none of the BCBS plans allow portability, despite what I wrote below last year.
**********************************************
I just discovered this forum, read most of the recent threads related to portability of individual hlth. insur....I found it very interesting because I just spent the past few weeks researching this issue (prior to reading this forum). The main point I want make, first, is: there is at least one (and I believe there's a few) BCBS individual PPO plans that will allow you to move anywhere in the US (permanently) without having to cancel the original policy (and get a "conversion"). But I would like to get your comments on this, and whether you actually believe what the plan is saying. (I'm still slightly skeptical, because it seems too good to be true). I don't remember the names of the expert posters off hand, but the agent/broker on the board says, I think, the none of the BCBS plans will let you do this...A woman (name) on the board said this also (but used the word "typically will not let you....". But one person on the board talked about moving from a particular state (i don't remember which) to Texas and not having to cancel over a very long period of time. Here's what I learned from my own BCBS plan on the east coast of USA, and i did ALOT of research on this (and I will tell you which plan it is, later on).. Here is a list of points of evidence, some of which I consider strong, and some weak....but they all point to the "good news".
(1) strong evidence: The contract states, in an amendment dated 10/02:
"Contract is amended to add the following: A members coverage will not be terminated based solely on the fact that the member no longer meets any residence requirements stated in the evidence of coverage. This amendment is issued to be attached to the evidence of coverage". (signed by the president of the bcbs plan/co.). (My comments: the earlier EOC says you must maintain a legal residence for at least 6 months in the service area".
(2) The website (available to the public), in the FAQ section of the plan says: "What to do if you move away from the service area: You can continue to use the blue card program anywhere.......".
(3) When you call customer service (after being a member): they say you can move anywhere and keep the plan.
(4) when you call "sales", about 70% say you can move anywhere, and about 30% says you have to cancel. (But the people who sound the "most on the ball" at the sales number are the ones who say you don't have to cancel".
(5) I called the BCBS national association, who typically will NEVER answer questions from the public. It was hard to reach anyone there who would talk, but I did reach someone in an adequately high-level position who said she talked the "legal dept." and was told there are "a few" bcbs plans that will let you move anywhere. Apparently the national association tells the plans they have to cancel you if you move, but it's superceded by fed/state laws.
(6) And now for the AMBIGUITY: Is this "contract" (in #1) valid? I called the STATE (health ins. examiners). They really were not totally sure, but said they did NOT think you could move out of the service area and keep the plan (but to tell you the truth, i didn't tell them exactly which BCBS plan/co. i was referring to, because at that time, i didn't want to "get the plan in trouble" or have them investigated (or make them change the rules, which may be silly on my part). The mentioned a state law (number) which i looked up, and it basically just said plans CAN cancel you if you move, but not that they HAVE TO. Anyway, the 2 people at the state where very sceptical about whether the contract is valid and one said "maybe it's unapproved". (??).
Comments welcome, and also on whether you would feel comfortable moving away, knowing that if they cancel you YOU ARE SCREWED (i would be).[/quote]
