In most cases, you are required to complete a medical underwriting process that examines your medical history and health conditions before you can be approved for coverage. Sometimes a telephone interview with a medical underwriter is all that’s required to make a decision, however you may have to undergo a paramedical exam for further screening.
After you submit your application, we’ll let you know how to proceed. Whether it’s a telephone interview or an exam, it’s important to respond in a timely manner and make yourself and all applicants over 18 years available to participate. You can expedite the process by jotting down the names and addresses of your physicians and the dates first seen and last seen; dates of medical tests and test results; and the names and dosages of all the medications you take and why you take them.

If the information we need to make a decision can be collected during a telephone interview with an underwriter, you may know within 48 hours of the interview. If a paramedical exam is required and/or we need to review your medical records, you should be notified within three weeks after we receive the results.

Your unmarried children or stepchildren (by birth, legal adoption, or legal guardianship) may be covered until the end of the calendar year that they turn 30.
Your mentally or physically disabled child who depends mainly on you for support may be eligible to continue coverage as a dependent if he or she has a mental or physical handicap that existed before age 19, and this handicap makes it impossible to gain self-sustaining employment.

Generally, if you want to lower your monthly payments, choose a plan with a higher deductible and a higher coinsurance. The idea is that the more you share the cost of your health care, the less you will pay for the plan. BCBSF offers several plan options to fit your monthly budget.

An HSA is yours, which means you take it with you if you change jobs or switch health plans. The money you put into the account is pre-tax, which means you can reduce your taxable income.You can use the money tax-free to pay for qualifying medical expenses.The funds rollover year after year, so money you don’t use continues earning interest.You can use the money to save for retirement or spend it when you need it.Unlike an IRA, your employer can make contributions to your HSA account.It’s easy to open an HSA. When you enroll in an HSA-compatible plan, you’ll have the option to elect a financial institution and it’s automatically set up for you.

If you’re between jobs or waiting for health care insurance to kick in, you can get comprehensive health insurance in 30, 60, and 90-day limited-renewal terms. Called temporary insurance, you can enroll in a plan without providing a medical history or undergoing a medical exam, which means your acceptance is guaranteed for the specific timeframe.

Yes, you can purchase dental insurance in addition to your health plan, or choose an integrated health and dental plan with one premium. Currently BCBSF offers BlueDental Care insurance, a pre-paid dental plan that focuses on preventive care, and BlueDental Choice, a PPO plan that offers basic and major dental coverage as well. All dental plans provide discounts on specialty services and orthodontics.

BlueOptions is what we call a group of health plans that offer comprehensive medical coverage for preventive and routine care, prescription drugs, hospitalization, out-patient services, lab and imaging, and more. There are many plan options available in the BlueOptions portfolio:

• Predictable Cost plans with set copayments and coinsurance;
• Lower Premium plans with higher deductibles and out-of-pocket limits;
• Health Savings Account (HSA) Compatible plans; and
• Temporary Insurance plans offering up to six months of coverage.