RichDayHealthPlans Blog

Have you been declined for health insurance? You may think that you are uninsurable. In the state of NC, (North Carolina), you have the option of getting Inclusive Health. Inclusive Health is a high risk pool that will take you even if you have prior heart conditions, cancer, diabetes, and the list goes on.

Federal Option

Here is how you can determine if you are eligible for the Federal Option:

You are eligible of Inclusive Health - Federal Option Coverage if you have been without creditable coverage for at least six months and…

You can answer YES to AT LEAST ONE of the following questions:

Your medical condition makes you “uninsurable.”
You have been refused or denied coverage for health reasons.
You have been offered coverage by an insurer with a conditional rider limiting coverage.
You have one of the Inclusive Health - Federal Option presumptive conditions which allows automatic enrollment.

You are eligible if you can answer YES to ALL of the following questions:

You are a legal U.S. resident.
You are a North Carolina resident.
You are not covered as a dependent.

Presumptive Conditions:

There are certain “Presumptive Conditions that will make you “automatically” eligible.

State Option

If you have had health insurance coverage in the last six months, you are eligible for the State Option:
You are eligible of Inclusive Health Coverage if you have a pre-existing condition and…

You can answer YES to AT LEAST ONE of the following questions:

1. You were rejected or refused coverage for health reasons by an insurance company.
2. You have been offered coverage by an insurer with a conditional rider limiting coverage.
3. Your current individual health insurance coverage is at a premium rate exceeding the Inclusive Health premium.
4. You were refused individual coverage by an insurance company except at a premium rate that is higher than the Inclusive Health rate.
5. You are eligible for or are enrolled in COBRA or state continuation and have an individual premium rate that is higher than Inclusive Health and answer “Yes” to at least one of numbers 1-3 or 6.
6. You have been diagnosed with a presumptive qualifying medical condition listed below.
7. You have had 18 months of continuous coverage and have exhausted COBRA coverage.
8. You are eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) for trade displaced workers under the TAA, ATAA or PBGC programs.

You are eligible if you can answer YES to ALL of the following questions:

• You are not Medicare eligible.
• You are not Medicaid eligible.
• You are a legal U.S. resident.
• You are a North Carolina resident.
• You or your spouse are not eligible for insurance at work.
• You are not covered as a dependent.

What to do if you need more information

As you can see, there is no need for despair.  Check with an authorized referring agent for Inclusive Health.  Inclusive Health has trained agents to help you with all the difficult to understand questions and procedures.  Using an agent doesn’t cost the applicant any extra money.  Inclusive Health pays the agent a small fee for helping you get insured.

Click on RichDayHealthPlans for assistance, or call: 1.888.759.1738

BCBSNC, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announced the new rates for their Blue Medicare Supplement plans. The good news is that the NCDOI has just approved their 2012 Medicare Supplement rates.  The new rates will be available on April 23, 2012 through authorized BCBSNC agents.

In most cases, the plan rates either decreased or remained the same.  The new rates along with the SilverSneakers partnership, competitively position BCBSNC in the Medicare supplement marketplace.

The new attained age rates, effective June 1, 2012, as well as the rates for the previous most popular “entry-age” plans are attached below. Most of the current customers enrolled on the “entry-age” plans will see a premium reduction.

Here is a PDF file that shows the new rates.

If you have pre-existing health conditions that preclude your obtaining a quality, affordable health plan, you might consider Inclusive Health.  Inclusive Health is an organization that is designed to help people who find themselves in that situation.

Inclusive Health was created for North Carolina residents looking for affordable coverage, but because of health issues, have not found it possible to get insured through traditional carriers.

There are two options available to you.  First, the Federal Option is for NC residents who have been without coverage for 6-months or more.  The Inclusive Health State option is for NC residents who have not gone 6-months without insurance coverage.  Each option has its own eligibility criteria.

Federal Option Eligibility Criteria:
You are eligible of Inclusive Health - Federal Option Coverage if you have been without creditable coverage for at least six months and…

You can answer YES to AT LEAST ONE of the following questions:

• Your medical condition makes you “uninsurable.”
• You have been refused or denied coverage for health reasons.
• You have been offered coverage by an insurer with a conditional rider limiting coverage.
• You have one of the Inclusive Health - Federal Option presumptive conditions which allows automatic enrollment.

You are eligible if you can answer YES to ALL of the following questions:

• You are a legal U.S. resident.
• You are a North Carolina resident.
• You are not covered as a dependent.

There is a list of conditions that automatically make you eligible for coverage.  These are generally more serious health conditions.  If you have one or more of those conditions, you are automatically eligible for coverage.

State Option Eligibility Criteria:
You are eligible of Inclusive Health Coverage if you have a pre-existing condition and…

You can answer YES to AT LEAST ONE of the following questions:

1. You were rejected or refused coverage for health reasons by an insurance company.
2. You have been offered coverage by an insurer with a conditional rider limiting coverage.
3. Your current individual health insurance coverage is at a premium rate exceeding the Inclusive Health premium.
4. You were refused individual coverage by an insurance company except at a premium rate that is higher than the Inclusive Health rate.
5. You are eligible for or are enrolled in COBRA or state continuation and have an individual premium rate that is higher than Inclusive Health and answer “Yes” to at least one of numbers 1-3 or 6.
6. You have been diagnosed with a presumptive qualifying medical condition listed below.
7. You have had 18 months of continuous coverage and have exhausted COBRA coverage.
8. You are eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) for trade displaced workers under the TAA, ATAA or PBGC programs.

You are eligible if you can answer YES to ALL of the following questions:

• You are not Medicare eligible.
• You are not Medicaid eligible.
• You are a legal U.S. resident.
• You are a North Carolina resident.
• You or your spouse are not eligible for insurance at work.
• You are not covered as a dependent.

As with the Federal Option, there is a list of conditions that automatically make you eligible for coverage.  These are generally more serious health conditions.

As an insurance agent, I am trained and authorized to help people obtain insurance coverage from Inclusive Health.  It won’t cost the applicant one cent extra to use a helpful agent who can make it much easier to get the insurance coverage you need at a price you can pay.  Give Rich Day at Rich Day Health Plans a call and ask him to help you with Inclusive Health.  Call Toll Free 1-888-759-1738

NEWS RELEASE

BCBSNC Online Newsroom: http://mediacenter.bcbsnc.com

For Immediate Release: March 16, 2012

BCBSNC Recognized as One of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Award – given to only 145 companies worldwide – honors exceptional corporate responsibility and a strong culture of ethics

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) was recognized on March 15 as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2012 by Ethisphere Institute, a leading international ethics think-tank. Other companies honored on this year’s list include Microsoft, eBay and General Electric Company. BCBSNC is the only Triangle-based company, and one of only two from North Carolina, to make this year’s list. They include: General Electric, Manpower, Starbucks,Target, Ten Thousand Villages, Cisco Systems and Whole Foods.

“Every day BCBSNC’s 4,000 employees are focused on how our collective efforts as a company help improve North Carolina’s health care system,” said Brad Wilson, CEO and president of BCBSNC. “Receiving this high honor from Ethisphere excites all of us to push even harder for excellence and continue our work of doing the right thing for our customers and community.”

Thousands of companies, in more than 100 countries and 36 industries were nominated for this recognition. BCBSNC was one of 145 companies worldwide that received the award this year. To be recognized, companies must implement business practices and initiatives that raise the bar for ethical standards within their industry.

Ethisphere selects its winners by:

Reviewing companies’ codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories.  Evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices.   Looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship Studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers

“As more and more organizations across the globe strive for this honor each year, BCBSNC’s inclusion as a World’s Most Ethical Company for 2012 demonstrates its industry-leading commitment to ethics and dedication to integrity,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute.

Read about the award’s methodology and view the complete list of the 2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/wme.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.6 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 78 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.

About Ethisphere Institute

The research-based Ethisphere® Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside® Certification, Compliance Leader Verification™ and Anti-Corruption Program Verification™. The Institute’s premier membership group, the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance™, is a business ethics forum that includes more than 100 leading corporations, universities and institutions that collectively leverage their experience, expertise and innovative ways to address emerging compliance challenges.

More information on
the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at
http://www.ethisphere.com.
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If you have just secured a job with an employer that offers health insurance to their employees, you may have a waiting period.  The waiting period is generally 60 to 90 days.  That means that you won’t be covered on their health plan until after the waiting period has elapsed.

What are your options?

You can purchase a short term medical plan that will cover you for the 60 to 90 days as you wait to be covered on the company’s plan.  You don’t want to be without health insurance.  As you know, if you have an incident, you could bankrupt yourself in an instant.

There is always the hope that you will be able to be employed by another company that provide health insurance to their employees.  However, short-term medical insurance is relatively inexpensive and may provide what you need during the time that you search for a job.  You can get a quote from Rich Day Health Plans.   You can purchase a plan that provides coverage for 30-days or longer - the minimum coverage is 30-days.  There are no physical exams, you can apply online, and you can get insured by the next day.  That is very fast and efficient.

Another use for short-term medical insurance is for people who have lost their job and cannot afford a permanent plan.   Permanent plans cost more each month and have more benefits such as copays for doctors and drugs, but if you have lost your job, you, perhaps, should be covered for that catastrophic event.  Short-term medical is an excellent choice for an affordable catastrophic health plan.  You can get plans that will protect you for up to 6-months.