BRIEF: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas to eliminate some health plans

July 24--Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas will offer fewer health insurance plans when open enrollment begins in the fall on the federally mandated insurance marketplace.

The insurer's chief medical officer, Dan McCoy, said Friday that preferred provider organization, or PPO, plans would not be affordable in 2016, and the company won't continue to make them available. The company, however, will continue to offer Health Maintenance Organization, or HMO, plans.

"We felt it was important to make sure that we offer a sustainable product," McCoy said. "Clearly, the individual marketplace is evolving."

While the change won't affect customers with employer group plans or the grandfathered PPO individual plans, customers who bought PPO plans in or outside of the marketplace will have to find new options.

The majority of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas members will be unaffected, but about 367,000 customers in Texas will have to make a change.

Cigna still has a PPO plan available on the marketplace in Central Texas counties.

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