BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois is the largest health insurance company in the state with over 6.5 million members. They offer health plans that can be customized for individuals, children, and families that include consumer-directed plans, Health Savings Accounts, short-term plans, Medicare Supplements, and prescription drug coverage. The different plans are described below:

SelectBlue PPO Plan

Our Rating:

SelectBlue provides the most extensive benefits of any individual health insurance plan offered by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois. It features a high level of benefits usually found only in employer-sponsored group health plans. SelectBlue plan highlights include: 

• Illinois's largest PPO network
• $20 office visit copayment
• Preventive care benefits for adults and children
• Choice of either 100% or 80% coinsurance
• Prescription drug co-payment card for plans with a $500, $250, or $0 deductible
• Optional maternity coverage

Select Blue is the only individual plan with a $0 deductible option offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.

SelectBlue Advantage

Our Rating: 

SelectBlue Advantage is a slightly watered-down verstion of SelectBlue. It provides identical benefits to SelectBlue with 3 DIFFERENCES:

• $30 office visit copayment (SelectBlue is $20)
• Only 80% coinsurance is available
• The individual maximum out-of-pocket expense is $3000 (in-network)

Members still have access to Illinois's largest physician and hospital network and drug card benefits with $500 or $250 deductibles. Select Blue Advantage costs about 15% - 20% less than Select Blue and considered a better overall value. View this chart to compare Select Blue and Select Blue Advantage benefits side-by-side.

BlueValue

Our Rating:

BlueValue provides the same kind of comprehensive coverage provided by the SelectBlue with 3 DIFFERENCES:  

• Does not include the $20 office visit co-payment benefit. Office visits are subject to the annual deductible and coinsurance. 
• Does not include a prescription drug co-payment for any plan. Prescriptions are covered, but are subject to the deductible and coinsurance.
• Does not include an adult wellness benefit. (Any wellness claims are the members responsibility and do count towards the deductible)

BlueValue Advantage

Our Rating:

BlueValue Advantage has all the benefits of the BlueValue plan with additional cost-sharing features that bring the costs down about 10% more than BlueValue. There are only 2 major differences than the BlueValue plan:

• Only 80% coinsurance is available (BlueValue offers a choice of 100% or 80%)
• The annual individual Out-of-Pocket Maximum is $3000 (BlueValue has $1000 OOP Maximum) 

BlueChoice Select

Our Rating:

BlueChoice Select offer benefits similar to SelectBlue Advantage, but is coupled with the BlueChoice network, a smaller version of the "standard" Blue Cross Blue Sheild of Illinois PPO network. If you can accept some reduced hospital and physician choice, BlueChoice Select may be a great option for you. It offers

$30 office visit copayment
Provides child and adult preventive and well-care
Prescription drug co-payment card for plans with a $500 or $250

Use the Provider Finder to search for physicians and hospitals in the BlueChoice network.

 

BlueChoice Value

Our Rating:

BlueChoice Value is a smart choice for reliable health insurance coverage at rates to fit your budget. BlueChoice Value is a great combination of benefits and price. BlueChoice Value  gives you major medical coverage at a reduced premium cost by utilizing the money-saving BlueChoice network and eliminating office visit and prescription co-payments. With the exception of well-child care, all claims are subject to the deductible and coinsurance.

 

BlueEdge HSA

Our Rating:

Health Savings Account (HSA)-qualified plans are a smart way for you to better manage your health care dollars. With a high deductible plan, you save on the cost of insurance by sharing more of the smaller expenses such as physician office visits. BlueEdge HSA offers substantially lower premiums, along with the opportunity to put tax-deductible money in a special account which can be used to pay your deductible and other medical expenses. For 2008, the maximum HSA contribution amount is $2900 for individuals and $5800 for families.

BlueEdge HSA plans utilize Blue Cross BlueShield of Illinois's large PPO network. After you have met your deductible, the plan pays either 80% or 100% of all covered expenses depending on which coinsurance you choose, up to $5 million per person.  With the 80% plans, coverage becomes 100% once you have reached an out of pocket limit of $5,000 for singles or $10,000 for families.

This plans qualifies as HSA-eligible.  Combining a Health Savings Account with any Blue Edge HSA plan allows you to make tax-deductible contributions, pay medical expenses with pre-tax dollars, and earn tax-deferred interest. This account works much like an IRA, except you may use your tax-free savings for qualified medical expenses your health plan does not cover, such as your deductible, contact lenses, dental costs, or most types of alternative medicine (see the qualified medical expenses).  If you do not use these funds, they simply accumulate with interest, for distribution upon your retirement. BCBS of IL has partnered with Mellon Bank and can initiate the process of opening an HSA with them, but they charge a start-up fee and monthly administration fees. We recommend asking your current bank if they offer health savings account without monthly administration fees. If your bank charges maintenance or administration charges, we can refer you to several bank with a large Illinois presence that offer no-fee health savings accounts.

 

BasicBlue

Our Rating:

BasicBlue provides basic coverage at the lowest price. It provides coverage for hospitalization, surgery, testing and emergency medical services, but does not cover outpatient doctor office visits and prescriptions. BasicBlue is a good choice for those seeking the lowest cost, but needing coverage for health services most likely to involve catastrophic expenses.

 

SelectTEMP PPO (short-term medical)

Our Rating:

SelectTEMP PPO is an affordable short-term individual health plan that provides basic protection against unexpected accident or illness. Individuals who are temporarily without health insurance because COBRA is too expensive, are in-between jobs, or waiting for employer coverage to begin find  SelectTEMP PPO to be an affordable alternative. SelectTEMP PPO offers various benefit periods and deductibles to allows you the control to tailor coverage, premium rates and out-of-pocket expenses according to your own needs. You are able to choose:

• The date you want coverage to begin
• The coverage period - 1 to 6 months
• The deductible - from $500 to $5000
• From over 200 Illinois hospitals

 

Because of network limitations, the BlueChoice plans are not appropriate for all Illinois residents.  These products are basically for residents of Illinois metropolitan areas, including Chicago, Rockford and Springfield. To find out if your physician or hospital is in the "BlueChoice" network, use the Provider Finder. Below is a list of Illinois hospitals participating in the "BlueChoice" PPO network.

BlueCross BlueShield Individual Plan Documents

SelectBlue	Traditional Blue
SelectBlue Outline of Coverage	Traditional Blue Outline of Coverage
SelectBlue Complete Brochure	Traditional Blue Complete Brochure
SelectBlue Advantage	BasicBlue
SelectBlue Advantage Outline of Coverage	BasicBlue Outline of Coverage
SelectBlue Advantage Complete Brochure	BasicBlue Complete Brochure
BlueValue	BlueEdge Individual HSA
BlueValue Outline of Coverage	BlueEdge Outline of Coverage
BlueValue Complete Brochure	BlueEdge Individual 5000 Outline of Coverage
	BlueEdge Brochure
	BlueEdge Complete Brochure
BlueValue Advantage
BlueValue Advantage Outline of Coverage
BlueValue Advantage Complete Brochure	Medicare Supplemental
	Medicare Supplement Outline of Coverage
	Medicare Supplement Complete Brochure
BlueChoice Select	Medicare Supplment Product Guide
BlueChoice Select Outline of Coverage	Medicare Supplment Rates (metro & state)
BlueChoice Select Complete Brochure	Medicare Select Hospital Listing
BlueChoice Value	Blue MedicareRx
BlueChoice Value Outline of Coverage	Blue Medicare Rx Benefit Summary
BlueChoice Value Complete Brochure	Plan Comparison Tool
	Comprehensive Formulary List
	Formulary Search
	Find a Pharmacy
SelectTemp
SelectTemp Outline of Coverage
SelectTemp Rate Card