ACA Compatible Plans with Wide National Network?

[Frappa Chino]

Thanks Allen. I am aware of the change, I was looking at 2016 plans and the Blue Choice Preferred PPO network finder, see screenshots of plans below. I'm simply trying to determine the relevance of why one plan is named "a multi-state plan" when both use the same network and both claim to be a "national provider network".

I am aware the Blue Choice Preferred PPO is vastly inferior to the previous Blue PPO Gold, but if the network finder is to be believed Blue Choice Preferred PPO is at least a national plan. I emphasize "to be believed", because I've found these network finders sometimes lie.

I'm using the finder here, and selecting Blue Choice Preferred PPO [BCE] and then searching on states other than IL.
https://public.hcsc.net/providerfinder/search.do?corpEntCd=IL1

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[kgmom219]

I really hope you use AC when you buy a policy. He's given you a lot of great advice!

 

[AllenChicago]

Thanks Allen. I am aware of the change, I was looking at 2016 plans and the Blue Choice Preferred PPO network finder, see screenshots of plans below. I'm simply trying to determine the relevance of why one plan is named "a multi-state plan" when both use the same network and both claim to be a "national provider network".

I am aware the Blue Choice Preferred PPO is vastly inferior to the previous Blue PPO Gold, but if the network finder is to be believed Blue Choice Preferred PPO is at least a national plan. I emphasize "to be believed", because I've found these network finders sometimes lie.

I'm using the finder here, and selecting Blue Choice Preferred PPO [BCE] and then searching on states other than IL.
https://public.hcsc.net/providerfinder/search.do?corpEntCd=IL1

Multi-State plans were designed by the Federal Government, and administered by contracted health insurance companies in various states, as part of ObamaCare, to "Foster Competition".

My personal experience has been that Multi-state plans have superior benefits in the form of lower deductibles and co-pays, but only when an applicant's annual income is under 250% of the Federal Poverty Level... ($29,000 for a single person)

But they've always used the same PPO network as their non-Multistate counterparts at each health insurer. For your son's travelling needs, there's no benefit to having a Multi-state policy, Frappa Chino. The Blue Choice Preferred PPO network will be the same, regardless of which plan is chosen.

Of course, I could be wrong, because the Multi-State plan rules cover several hundred pages. There might be something buried in the rule that would be of benefit to someone who spends more time away from home than they spend at home. Frappa Chino, since you are obviously intelligent and ultra-determined, you mind find a reason to choose the Multi-state option for your son...

See the Rule Here: https://www.federalregister.gov/art...hment-of-the-multi-state-plan-program-for-the

Even the Government website that summarizes the Multi-State Plan program uses a lot of muddy talk to not say much, IMO. Maybe you will see something that I've overlooked in my multiple visits to it over the past 2 years...

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/multi-state-plan-program/

Here in Illinois, there were only 2 carriers in 2015 that had Multi-State plans. One was Blue Cross and the other was Land of Lincoln Health. Land of Lincoln Health cancelled them all at the end of 2015, and transferred every client over to its regular in-house PPO health plan. Blue Cross still has the Multi-State plans, but as you see, there's nothing unique about them. If BCBS-IL wasn't so cozy with the Federal Government, I suspect that it would remove Multi-state plans from its portfolio as well.