Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s Plan To Cover Uninsured in Individual Health Insurance
There’s a common misunderstanding about Blue Cross Blue Shield. Every Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance company is an independent company. For example, BCBS of Texas and BCBS of Illinois are separate carriers.
But even though each of the Blues are independent, they are all members of one big family — the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
The BCBS Association recently announced their proposal to provide coverage for Americans without health insurance, reported Medical News Today and CQ HealthBeat. Their plan will try to cover more than 30 million people — around two-thirds of the total number of uninsured.
The proposal, like many of the 2008 presidential candidates, builds on our current health care system.
Here are some of the details of the plan:
* Reimburse health care providers based on quality
* Widespread use of electronic medical records
* National database of claims
* Government tax credits for health insurance
* An institute to measure cost and effectiveness of medical treatments
* Consumer health education programs
“We believe the best approach is to build upon the current employer-based system — a system which is working today,” said President and CEO of the BCBS Association, Scott Serota.
“As much as 30% of the care given today is ineffective, redundant or inappropriate,” he added.



