Blue Cross
Effective July 1, 2009, the Health Center at Auraria became an “in-network” medical provider for all Blue Cross-Blue Shield (BC/BS) health insurance plans. This means that all Auraria Campus constituents (Faculty, Staff and Students) who are insured with any BC/BS plan in the United States can access medical care at the Health Center at Auraria and all services provided will be paid at the plan’s “in-network” rates (which are the most economical for consumers.)
Auraria constituents simply need to submit their BC/BS insurance card at the Health Center’s front desk when seeking medical care. A copy of the card will be made and included in each patient’s medical chart. Any applicable in-network co-pays will be required, just as they are when seeking “in-network” care in the community. PPO Blue Cross/Blue Shield members on plans which require co-payments will pay their routine co-payment amount as indicated on their insurance ID card. For PPO members on plans without co-payments, no co-payment will be necessary. HMO Blue Cross/Blue Shield members will pay their specialist co-payment amount as indicated on their insurance ID card.
The Health Center will be responsible for billing BC/BS electronically for all services rendered. Patients will receive an explanation of benefits letter in the mail after their office visit from BC/BS which will outline how much the plan will pay for the services attained and how much remains for the patient to pay (i.e., co-insurance amounts, deductibles, non-covered services, etc.) Coverage at the Health Center at Auraria will be exactly as it would be for any in-network medical provider in the community, based on each insured’s plan design/benefits.
In making this announcement, Steve Monaco, Director of the Health Center at Auraria, expressed the following sentiment regarding this new milestone for the Health Center. “The timing of the Health Center at Auraria becoming a BC/BS in-network provider could not be better. Given the economic conditions our constituents find themselves in and the ever rising cost of health care, we are thrilled to be able to provide BC/BS members with their lowest cost option for medical care.” Monaco further elaborated that “the convenience of seeing a Health Center at Auraria medical provider will make accessing medical care much easier for Auraria constituents.
To celebrate the new BC/BS access to the Health Center at Auraria, the Health Center is offering all BC/BS members receiving medical care at the Health Center during the Fall semester of 2009 one free fitness analysis coupon, which includes cholesterol levels (a $48 value.)
The contract between the Health Center and BC/BS was negotiated during the past year. Monaco expressed his gratitude to Metro State’s Human Resources Director, Judy Zewe, for her initiation of the discussions between the two agencies.
The Health Center at Auraria is open to all Metro State, UCD, CCD and AHEC personnel and students. For students who participate in any of the college sponsored student health insurance plans and for any BC/BS member (students, faculty or staff) the Health Center will handle all claims submissions for services rendered at the Health Center. For all others with outside insurance (other than the aforementioned plans), they are welcome to be seen at the Health Center. However, payment is required at the time of service. In this case a universal receipt is provided which can later be submitted by the patient to their outside insurance carrier for reimbursement consideration.
Monaco expressed his vision of future plans by saying, “In order to best meet the health care needs of our Auraria constituents, our goal is to eventually become an ‘in-network’ medical provider for each of the major insurance carriers in Colorado.” He concluded by saying that “with the BC/BS contract now in place we have begun this process with one of the major insurance carriers in the State.”
