Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina recently announced a major change in how fast Blue Advantage policies can be issued. Now, thanks to a proprietary automated underwriting system, Blue Advantage policies can be issued in as little as seven days! Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s new guidelines state that if an application is submitted by the 8th of any month, coverage can begin the 15th of the same month. If an application is submitted by the 22nd of any month, coverage can begin the first day of the following month. Blue Advantage applications must still be reviewed for eligibility and processing may take longer but effective dates are guaranteed when an application is submitted. Contact IBD Insurance  at 800-615-5980 to start your application process today.

Tags: Announcements, BCBSNC, Health, Health Insurance // Add Comment »

YES!
We have had an rise in the number of clients recently that have been shopping for individual health insurance that have run into problems because they do not have a Social Security number. The knowledgeable staff at IBD Insurance Services understand this and have a solution to this problem.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) will offer health insurance to legal residents of North Carolina that medically qualify for coverage, even if they do not have a Social Security number. The individual must submit a paper application and complete a special residency verification form. Individuals without Social Security numbers cannot apply online. In addition to these forms, the individual must be able to provide one of the following documents to verify their legal residency:

1. North Carolina Driver License
2. North Carolina Tax Return
3. North Carolina Voter Registration Card

If someone is enrolling in an individual Blue Advantage policy, they must have one of these documents. If someone is enrolling in a family Blue Advantage plan with a spouse, one of the two adults on the policy must be able to provide one of these documents. 
BCBSNC does not publish the paper application for Blue Advantage on their website. Individuals without a social security number need to contact IBD Insurance Services to get this form. Our polite staff can assist you with the necessary documentation to ensure that your application is reviewed by BCBSNC. Call us today at 800-615-5980 to get the process started.

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A recent article in the Denver Business Journal titled “Cutting benefits beats cutting jobs,” seems to be the sign of the times.  The majority of the group renewals that I have been doing over the past few months have been asking to cut benefits to save jobs and I am trying to help them do just that. 

One recent home builder called requesting to cut benefits specifically to try to keep all of his staff and to be able to keep a health insurance policy at all.  It is a small group of 7 and we all sat down together, discussed plans, options, costs associated and what sacrifices they were willing to make.  At the end of the process, we had a much less expensive policy, with more limited benefits, but it was health insurance.  They could still go to the doctor for $25 and get their prescriptions covered with copays. 

A few days later I ran into one of the employees and he actually thanked me.  It turns out they were fearful that they would not be able to find a plan to meet the budget of the company and they thought they would either be left without health coverage or without jobs.   I told him I was learning to be creative with benefits.  These tough financial times are causing us all to think in ways that we hadn’t before.

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Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Medicare Part C, have specific guidelines regarding enrollment. Basically, there are four instances when someone can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. They are as follows:

1.      Annual Election Period – November 15 to December 31 each year.

Individuals may enroll, disenroll, or change plans during this time and their changes will take effect January 1.

2.      Open Enrollment Period – January 1 to March 31 each year.

Individuals can make one plan change during this time period. Any changes made will take effect the first of the month following the date of the request. Individuals that have original Medicare and a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan can enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan with Prescription Drug coverage during this time.

3.      Initial Coverage Election Period – This is for individuals that are new to Medicare. Individuals are eligible to sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan three months before Medicare begins, the month their Medicare takes effect, and up to three months after Medicare starts. Coverage cannot begin before Medicare takes effect.

4.      Special Enrollment Period – Individuals that have a life changing event (such as loss of coverage or a change of residence) may qualify to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan outside of the above referenced time periods. The life changing event could create a Special Enrollment Period. The duration of the Special Enrollment Period varies based upon the unique situation.

IBD Insurance Services, Inc. will be hosting a free sales meeting to discuss one of North Carolina’s largest Medicare Advantage plans Tuesday, February 24, 2009. The meeting will commence at 10:00 and will be held at:

Lighthouse Convention Center
326 Tryon Road
Raleigh, NC  27603

Please attend to learn about Medicare Advantage plans from an experienced, licensed agent that will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Tags: Announcements, BCBSNC, Health Insurance // 1 Comment »

IBD would like to thank our visitors for visiting our Blog and for making their comments!  Recently, we have made some changes to our blog and are just now getting the hang of writing articles and moderating the comments from our visitors. 

We encourage our guests to comment on our articles!  However, we do ask that comments be positive, applicable to our posts, and not advertisements for your products or services.

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Lee Weisbecker wrote an interesting article on our company’s founder, Jim Price.  See the article published in the January 9th, 2009 paper.

Tags: Announcements // 1 Comment »

The new Inclusive Health plan (also known as the North Carolina Health Insurance Risk Pool, the high risk pool, or North Carolina guarantee issue plan) is an individual health insurance plan for North Carolinians who do not have access to an employer health plan and face higher premiums for individual insurance due to a pre-existing medical condition. Inclusive Health is available for participants beginning January 1, 2009. In order to be eligible for the plan, you must meet the following criteria:

1.       Be a resident of North Carolina

2.       Your current health insurance premiums, including COBRA premiums, are very high or you have been declined for individual health insurance – if you have not applied for individual health insurance first, you may start the process here – www.ibdinsurance.com

3.       You have been diagnosed with a presumptive qualifying medical condition

This is an overview of the requirements for Inclusive Health. Please call us at 800-615-5980 to discuss your specific situation. If you meet these criteria, and would like more information, please call us. Inclusive Health applications must be completed and returned to IBD Insurance Services, Inc. before the 15^thof each month in order to be effective the first of the following month.

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Over the past week, I have been asked by many clients and associates “what is the difference in the health-care plans for each candidate?”  Many people believed that Obama was proposing a Universal or Socialized Plan or that McCain wanted to do away with group based health coverage (neither of which are true by the way).

The News and Observer published a simple comparison last week.  So, I decided to share some of their points here.  It offers a quick look at the differences - and at the end of the day, both candidates offer us a chance for “change,” but also allow us the opportunity to keep what we have.

Highlights of Obama’s Plan:

• Require large and midsize companies to provide health-care coverage or pay a fee into a special fund that would help create a public health plan patterned after what federal employees enjoy. Workers could continue to get their coverage through their employers or choose the new federal plan. 
• Subsidize the purchase of health insurance by the uninsured, buying coverage through the new federal health plan or the private sector. 
• Require parents or caretakers to purchase health insurance for all children, stopping short of a mandate for universal coverage but seeking universal access to health care.

Tags: BCBSNC, Group Health, Health Insurance, Health News // 1 Comment »

A stand-alone drug plan that adds prescription drug coverage to the Original Medicare Plan, some Medicare Private-Fee-for_service plans and some Medicare Advantage plans. If you have a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy without prescription drug coverage, you can add a Medicare Prescription Drug plan during the open enrollment period. Medicare Advantage plans that offer precription drug coverage must follow the same rules as Medicare Prescription Drug plans.

For more information, please vist our website at www.ibdinsurance.com.

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Medicare Advantage Plans (known as MA or Medicare Part C plans)

A type of Medicare plan offered by a private company that has a contract with Medicare to provide you with all of your Medicare Part A (hospital) and Part B (health) benefits. Your services are covered through the plan and are not paid for under Original Medicare. Most plans offer extra benefits and lower co-payments than Original Medicare. Many plans include prescription drug coverage and are sometimes referred to as MA-PD plans. To join a plan, you must be entitled to Medicare Part A and Part B. You must also live in the service area serviced by the plan. Some plans also require a monthly premium. The most common types of MA and MA-PD plans are HMO (Medicare Health Maintenance Organization), PPO (Medicare Preferred Provider Network) and PFFS (Private Fee For Service).

For more information about Medicare Advantage plans, go to our website at IBD Insurance.

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