Serving all of California
Jeff Robertson
An authorized Anthem Blue Cross of California health insurance agent.
Posts by Jeff Robertson
Buyers Guide for Health Insurance
Aug 14th
Buyers Guide For Health Insurance
Introduction Making Sense of Health Insurance Managed Care Self-Insured Plans Appropriate Care How Do I Get Health Coverage? Pre-existing Conditions What Is Not Covered? What Happens to My Insurance if I Lose My Job? Frequently Asked Questions Comparing Plans Other Forms of Health Insurance A Final Word
If you have ever been sick or injured, you know how important it is to have health coverage. But if you’re confused about what kind is best for you, you’re not alone.
What types of health coverage are available? If your employer offers you a choice of health plans, what should you know before making a decision? In addition to coverage for medical expenses, do you need some other kind of insurance? What if you are too ill to work? Or, if you are over 65,will Medicare pay for all your medical expenses?
These are questions that today’s consumers are asking; and these questions aren’t necessarily easy to answer.
This booklet should help. It discusses the basic forms of health coverage and includes a checklist to help you compare plans. It answers some commonly asked questions and also includes thumbnail descriptions of other forms of health insurance, including hospital-surgical policies, specified disease policies, More >
Become a Healthier You – Stop Smoking Today
Aug 4th
The Last Cigarette (TLC)
Stopping smoking can add an additional 13 to 14 years to your life. But quitting can be hard. That’s why Anthem Blue Cross is offering TLC: The Last Cigarette; a free quit kit designed to help California residents stop smoking. The TLC quit kit includes a variety of smoking cessation tools for people who are contemplating quitting or are ready to quit.
Visit the TLC website to access the following resources:
- Quit Wizard (tool to help formulate a quit plan)
- Type Quiz (What kind of smoker are you?)
- Smoking cost calculator
- Supportive e-cards
- An interactive quitting calendar
- Stress management information and information on fighting cravings
- Resources
- An opportunity to order free Quit Kits
Just go to http://www.tlc4ya.com/ to order your free quit kit and take your first step to becoming a healthier you today!
Workers In Small Companies Less Likely To Contribute to Group Health
Sep 4th
Among workers at small, private sector-companies, only about half – 48 percent – who had single-person health insurance in 2005 were required to contribute to monthly premiums, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. By comparison, 86 percent of workers at large companies (with 50 or more on the payroll) with health insurance were required to pay for individual coverage.
The contrast was also seen among workers with family coverage. At small firms, 64 percent of them contributed to premiums. At larger firms, 91 percent contributed.
AHRQ’s new analysis also showed the portion of workers who contributed to premiums varied by geography in the 10 most populous states:
For small companies:
- California had one of the highest portions of workers who didn’t contribute to premiums for single-person coverage: 63 percent. Ohio had one of the lowest at 37 percent. - New York had one of the highest portions of workers who had family coverage but didn’t contribute to premiums: 55 percent. Texas had one of the lowest at 29 percent.
For large companies:
- California had the highest portion of workers who had individual coverage but didn’t contribute to premiums at 27 percent. At More >
California Legislature Passes Historic Health Insurance Cancellation Bill
Sep 2nd
From the California Progress Report – By Jerry Flanagan of The Consumer Watchdog(FTCR)
The California State Legislature today approved a historic measure to protect innocent patients from retroactive cancellations of their health coverage after they become ill and file an insurance claim. The bill now goes to Governor Schwarzenegger’s for a signature.
AB 1945 by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) comes in response to widespread news coverage of insurers violating state law by using innocent omissions on an insurance application to cancel coverage after a patient falls ill. Existing statutes state that patients may not be canceled except for lying about their medical history on an enrollment application, and AB 1945 reinforces the law.
Canceled patients are left uninsured, uninsurable and often hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt while facing ongoing medical treatment. This bill sends a clear message that canceling innocent patients is not acceptable.
The key element of AB 1945 is a provision that states that a patient’s health coverage cannot be rescinded unless the patient intentionally misrepresented or intentionally omitted health information on his or her application for coverage. The bill also establishes a process for patients to appeal rescissions to an independent review panel and requires insurers to More >
What is Lumenos From Anthem Blue Cross
Apr 30th
Lumenos is a new health insurance plan offered by BC Life and Health, an affiliate of Anthem Blue Cross of California.
Another new health insurance plan? This one is different.
Lumenos is a consumer-directed health plan, or CDHP. Consumer-directed health plans put you in charge of making many healthcare decisions. More of the money that pays for healthcare is put in your hands — so you can decide what to spend it on.
With the Lumenos plans, you can choose how you want to manage your healthcare dollars. Choose a Health Savings Account plan to save money tax-free. Or choose a Health Incentive Account to have Blue Cross help fund your healthcare expenses. With the Lumenos HIA plans, you’ll be rewarded with healthcare dollars when you participate in selected wellness programs.
When you enroll in the HIA Plus plan, Anthem Blue Cross will automatically contribute $500 a year to your account — or $1,000, if it’s a family plan.
In a nutshell, having a consumer-directed health plan means you’re in control of your healthcare. It means you don’t have to turn to your insurance company for approval every time you need to see a doctor or get a prescription filled. And it means that you get rewarded for making More >