Health Insurance

SEA_tide
Fri, 17 Jan 2014 05:51:12 +0000

It’s worth noting that BCBS is by far the most popular insurance company in Alabama and most doctors in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham will accept it. A quirk of the BCBS system is that while you may be insured by a certain BCBS licensee, your claim is processed by the BCBS licensee nearest the doctor or other provider. Thus, if a provider says they accept BCBS of Alabama, they likely accept other BCBS plans as well.

While I did not see a medical provider in Alabama, I had a BCBS PPO that the BCBS representatives at Get on Board Day referred to as “excellent insurance,” which gave me wonderful piece of mind and allowed me to choose my own doctor with no referrals. In addition, the ACA allows people to be covered on their parents’ plan until they turn 26. If your student plans on working somewhere other than your home area after graduation and may want to take a job which doesn’t offer health insurance, a PPO may be a great idea for your family.

Since many employers have separate providers for prescription and mental health services, check to see if they have a provider in the local area. For example, there was a time when the UA SHC pharmacy didn’t accept Medco prescription insurance even though Medco was the prescription insurance company for UA’s student health insurance. As mental health issues tend to appear around college age, it’s a good idea to have insurance which covers providers in the local area. If needed, students are allowed to see medical professionals at the University Medical Center next to the SHC which is commonly used by UA faculty and staff.