Monday, November 02, 2020
Camp Hill, Pa. (November 1, 2020) — Highmark today announced its Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance products in Central Pennsylvania for the upcoming year, offering individuals and families a wide range of high-quality, affordable coverage options tailored to meet their individual needs.
The open enrollment period for selecting a 2021 ACA plan in Pennsylvania runs from Sunday, November 1, 2020 to Friday, January 15, 2021. Consumers are also eligible to shop for an ACA plan outside of the annual open enrollment period if they have experienced certain life-changing events, including losing health insurance, having a child or moving.
Highmark offers ACA plans in Central Pennsylvania with some of the lowest deductibles in the state, including options with $0 deductibles. Many consumers — including about 75 percent of Highmark’s current ACA members — are eligible to receive subsidies or tax credits to help make coverage even more affordable. Members who qualify receive an average of $800 per month.
To give consumers flexibility and convenient access to care, all of Highmark’s individual and family products provide video visits via Amwell for $0. In response to positive consumer feedback, Highmark has also expanded its number of ACA plans that offer integrated adult dental and vision coverage. In 20 of 21 Central Pennsylvania counties, Highmark is the only ACA insurer offering ACA plans that include adult dental and vision coverage.
“Many of our new ACA customers are encouraged by the number of high-quality options Highmark offers for individuals and families,” says Alexis Miller, president of federal markets for Highmark. “Many are used to employer coverage where they might only have one or two choices. We have an expert team available to help new shoppers sort through their options and pick the right plan for them.”
In Central Pennsylvania, consumers can choose between Highmark’s my Direct Blue and my Blue Access products. my Direct Blue offers a high-performance, lower-cost network that is built around Highmark’s strong healthcare provider partners in the region, including Penn State Health, Lehigh Valley Health Network and Lancaster General Health. my Blue Access provides in-network access to all healthcare facilities in Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. Highmark’s my Direct Blue and my Blue Access products both provide in-network access to more than 95% of doctors and hospitals nationwide through the BlueCard® program.
“To help consumers manage their conditions and have more certainty about their out-of-pocket expenses, Highmark offers some of the lowest-cost specialist visits in the region which are now the same cost as primary care visits,” Miller says. “We also give members the freedom to choose what doctor or specialist they want to see in-network, with no referrals needed to see a specialist. Our goal is to offer consumers convenience, access and choice.”
Through new plans, new networks, and lower prices, Highmark has increased its ACA membership in Central Pennsylvania to about 29,000, compared to about 9,100 in 2019.
Consumers must enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts on January 1. For more information on Highmark’s 2021 ACA health insurance products, visit www.discoverhighmark.com or call 877-959-2562.
About Highmark Blue Shield
Highmark Inc., doing business as Highmark Blue Shield, serves approximately 1.1 million members through the company’s health care benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional individuals through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Shield has significant commercial market share and strong Medicare Advantage membership [through certain of its affiliated Blue companies] as well. Through its affiliated Blue companies, all of Highmark's Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania received a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quality rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highmark Blue Shield employs approximately 3,500 people in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, serving as a key economic driver in the region. Highmark Blue Shield’s total economic impact throughout central Pennsylvania is more than $978 million. Highmark Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.
For more information, contact
Leilyn Perri
Highmark Health
717-302-4243
Leilyn.perri@highmarkhealth.org