Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan urges uninsured people not to wait until March 31 to get covered

DETROIT, March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan doesn't want people to go without health insurance, and the best way for uninsured people to ensure they are covered is to start an enrollment application before March 31.

"We are here to help people with their questions, and have provided extensive online resources and expanded our call center hours through March 31 to give people advice as they explore their options and apply for coverage," said Terry Burke, vice president for individual business at BCBSM. "We encourage people not to wait any longer. We encourage people to enroll as soon as possible before March 31, despite recent news about possible extensions beyond that date."

Blue Cross has tools available uninsured people can use to research plan options and subsidy eligibility before picking calling to enroll. Uninsured people can also enroll directly by visiting bcbsm.com/myblue through March 31.

• Subsidy Eligibility: People looking to buy insurance who may be subsidy eligible can text "4Subsidy" to 222-752 to determine the amount of financial assistance they may receive before calling a Blue Cross health plan advisor or visiting bcbsm.com/myblue to enroll. Having an estimated subsidy can help people choose the right health plan premium and discuss options with a health plan advisor. It's important for uninsured people to know if they do not qualify for a subsidy, they do not need to call us or visit Healthcare.gov. They can go to bcbsm.com/MyBlue and enroll directly in a plan right now and avoid the long wait times on the phone.
• Increased hours for Health Plan Advisors: To accommodate high call volumes and consumer demand during the 2014 open enrollment period, Blue Cross has increased staff to over 400 licensed health plan advisors. HPAs are available Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with extended hours on March 31 from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight, and can be reached by calling 855-237-3501.
• Blue Cross Agents are available to enroll uninsured people:Blue Cross has more than 2,000 agents certified with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid statewide to advise, assist and get people enrolled. The Blues have a longstanding history and strong partnership with these experts and they can guide a person to the right coverage before the deadline. Understanding subsidy eligibility and being able to ask the right questions are vital for people to make the right choices.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.4 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies who reside outside the state. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com and MiBluesPerspectives.com.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan