Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Announces Updated Benefits, Lower Premium for HMO Plan

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) today introduced a revised version of one of its health maintenance organization (HMO) plans with a lower premium for employers.

Premiums for the revised plan are as much as 17 percent lower than the premiums of the current plan. The BlueSelect Plan 20 HMO plan includes more member cost-share for covered services and other benefit changes designed to make the plan more affordable.

HMO customers have the freedom to choose from more than 10,000 physicians within the HMO provider network. Members are not required to have a primary care physician (PCP) direct their care, and can choose to see a specialist or other ancillary provider within the HMO network without a referral. However, except for emergencies, all covered services must be rendered by an HMO network provider.

“BlueSelect Plan 20 offers more affordable rates, combined with the excellent customer service and stability of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona,” said Richard L. Boals, president and CEO, BCBSAZ. “We are always looking for ways to fine tune our offerings to match our customers’ needs, and BlueSelect 20 is our latest effort to respond to demand.”

The revised BlueSelect Plan 20 is part of BCBSAZ's continuing effort to bring health insurance options to Arizonans that meet their needs and budgets. Within the past year, BCBSAZ has launched nine new plan options designed for Arizona businesses, including options that can be paired with a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), high-deductible PPO options at affordable rates, and -- with the groundbreaking BlueSolutions^® -- a plan designed specifically for uninsured groups who meet certain criteria.

For more information about BlueSelect Plan 20, including a summary of benefits, visit azblue.com/HMO.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest Arizona-based health insurance company. The not-for-profit company was founded in 1939 and provides health insurance products, services or networks to more than 1.1 million individuals. With offices in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tempe and Tucson, the company employs more than 1,500 Arizonans. For information about Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and its community programs such as WalkingWorks, please visit www.azblue.com.