Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida

With its history dating as far back as 1944 and current enrollment exceeding 3.8 million members, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida is recognized as the state's oldest and largest provider of health insurance products. Current subsidiary companies of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida include Health Options, Inc., Florida Combined Life Insurance Company, Inc., Florida Combined Insurance Agency, Comp Options Insurance Company, Inc., First Coast Service Options, Inc., Incepture, Inc., Navigy, Inc., TriCenturion, Inc., and Availity, LLC.

An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida offers a broad choice of affordable medical insurance products and services, with a vast provider network which encompasses all of the state's 67 counties. Health plan products offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida include small and large group health plans, individual and family health plans, Medicare plans, dental health care coverage, and a host of ancillary products.

Available to both large and small employer-sponsored groups are the BlueOptions design of plans, BlueChoice PPO health plans and BlueCare HMO plan designs. The BlueOptions suite of plans offers members a variety of coverage options which include conventional health plans, high deductible plans, and low-cost health plan options. All of the BlueOption plan designs offer employees affordable comprehensive health care coverage. The BlueChoice PPO plan offers employees flexibility with their health care choices. Employees may receive optimum benefits under the plan design by choosing a doctor from within the vast PPO network of providers or may choose to seek treatment from a physician outside of the network. The BlueChoice PPO health plan provides it members with the largest network of providers throughout Florida. The BlueCare HMO health plan is available to both large and small employer-sponsored groups and is made available through Health Options, Inc., Florida's largest HMO and a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. Employer-sponsored group health plans offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida also provide their members with BlueCareRx pharmacy coverage, worldwide access to health care treatment through the BlueCard Program and a host of online tools to manage their health care benefits through MyBlueService.

For individuals under the age of 65 and families in need of medical insurance coverage, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida offers a range of products to suit a variety of needs. Included in their individual and family portfolio of health plans are the BlueOptions for Individuals and Families, Blue Choice PPO health plan and BlueCare HMO. The individual and family line of product offered through the BlueOptions design of health plans include a limited benefit health plan, a hospital and surgical health plan, a HSA qualified high deductible health plan and short term health insurance options. The BlueOption plan design also offers a child only policy which is made available to children between the ages of 1 to 17.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida also provide a variety of health care coverage options for Medicare eligible recipients. All of the Medicare plan designs offer different coverage options to best meet the needs of individual plan members. Medicare plans offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida include the BlueMedicare PPO, BlueMedicare HMO, BlueMedicare Rx Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan, Advantage65 Select B & D, Advantage65 Select E and the Advantage65 Premier Select B & D. Medicare Supplement - CompCoverage is also available through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida with Plans A, B, C, D, and F available to eligible Medicare recipients. Not all Medicare plans are available in all parts of Florida, with the BlueMedicare PPO plan design availability limited to residents of Broward, Palm Beach and Pinellas counties and coverage under the BlueMedicare HMO limited to residents of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Other products available through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida include individual and group dental insurance coverage, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment coverage, disability insurance coverage and long term care coverage.

In addition to offering Florida residents a line of quality health care products, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is committed to giving back to their community. In 2001, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida created The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida. Since that time, The Blue Foundation has focused on promoting the health and well-being of Florida residents, with a particular emphasis on the underserved and uninsured populations. Each year, The Blue Foundation awards grants to deserving Florida non-profit organizations who provide Florida's communities with philanthropic solutions to specific health care needs with a primary focus on achieving better health care for those in need. To date, The Blue Foundation has awarded more than $5.5 million in grants to worthy organizations statewide.

Recent Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida News

• February 2007 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida announces the grand opening of their new insurance retail store, Florida Blue.
• January 2007 - To accommodate its Spanish speaking members, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida will now offer online health care tools in Spanish.
• January 2007 - The Blue Foundation awards recognizes nine local organizations and awards $651,890 in grant money.