Agenda - 10-21-2002 - 4 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment 1 Benefits Change Summary Option 1 — Renewal of Current Health Plans (Blue Care Plan 1 and Blue Options Plan 1) • Changes From Blue Cross Personal Care Plan to Blue Care Plan The NCACC Trust renewal provides for the County to change from the Blue Cross Personal Care Plan (PCP) to the new "Blue Care" Plan effective January 1, 2003. The Trust and Blue Cross advise that it is eliminating PCP and replacing it with the Blue Care Plan for any plan renewals July 1, 2002 and after, including Orange County's. The Trust and Blue Cross are no longer offering the PCP option. The major difference in the two plans is that the new Blue Care Plan is an "open access within network" model health maintenance organization. This means a plan participant may see any physician (primary care or specialist) within the Blue Care network without a - referral from his or her primary care physician. In comparison, the present PCP plan requires that the participant obtain a referral from his or her designated primary care physician or OB-GYN before accessing other physicians within the network. Blue Cross advises that the Blue Care network is the same as that for PCP. Along with the change to the Blue Care Plan there are several changes in benefits. These are highlighted on Attachment 2 under Blue Care Plan 1 and mainly involve an increase in the specialist and prescription drug co-pay amounts. • Changes from Blue Cross Preferred Provider Plan to Blue Options Plan Blue Cross will continue to offer the Preferred Provider Plan (PPO), a form of traditional insurance. The name is changing to the "Blue Options" Plan. There also are benefits changes that are highlighted on Attachment 3 under Blue Options Plan 1. These mainly involve an increase in the deductibles and co-insurance maximums and addition of a co- pay with 100 percent coverage after the co-pay rather than 90 percent coverage with no co-pay. • Changes to CIGNA health care plan The CIGNA renewal also provides for the County to change to an open access within network model to match that of the Blue Care plan. There also are several changes in benefits. These mainly involve an increase in the prescription drug co-pay from $5 (generic), $15 (preferred brand name) and $35 (non-preferred brand name) to $10, $20 and $40, the addition of$100 co-pay per hospital admission and the addition of a $50 outpatient facility co-pay.