Erie Times-News, Pa., David Bruce column
It's a way you can save money on your insurance premiums, but I learned this week you need to pay strict attention to ensure you aren't paying higher fees than you should.
We are now covered by Highmark's Community Blue Flex PPO plan, which offers three tiers of coverage: an enhanced tier that includes most hospitals and physicians in western
The enhanced tier offers the highest level of coverage, with the lowest co-payments and deductibles.
When my wife visited a specialty physician last week, I checked Highmark's website to make sure he was on Community Blue Flex's enhanced tier. He was, so I told my wife she should expect to pay a
But when she arrived for her appointment, the office staff insisted that the practice, which is not owned by UPMC or Highmark's
I checked Highmark's website after her appointment and called the insurer's member service hotline. The Highmark representative agreed with my assessment and called the doctor's office to inform the staff that the practice was, in fact, on the enhanced tier and they owed my wife
What happened to my wife is a unique occurrence, said
"This is the first Highmark has heard of something like this happening (with Community Blue Flex)," Clark said. "We have a team that works with our providers on a regular basis. They communicate with these offices both in writing and in person."
Clark advised patients with a narrow-network plan like Community Blue Flex to know their provider's coverage tier before walking into the office. They can do that by one of three ways:
- Visit the insurer's website. For Highmark, it's www.highmarkbcbs.com.
- Call the insurer's member service hotline. Highmark's number is (800) 241-5704.
- Call the physician's office or hospital. But I would also call the insurer, as well, just in case the staff is confused.
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