If you’re a Physician Choice PPO member, you probably already know that it combines the variety of a PPO network with the cost-saving benefits of an OSC (Organized System of Care, which is a community of doctors who work together to keep you healthy). But to get the most of the plan, there are a few things you should also know. Consider this your new member checklist:
- Pick your primary care doctor. Keep costs low by choosing a primary care doctor who is in a Level 1 OSC. You can find a list of OSC doctors by visiting bcbsm.com and clicking Find a doctor. And there are a lot of options: Currently, more than 4,000 primary care doctors, 11,000 specialists and 100 hospitals within Michigan are in an OSC. Everyone in your family needs to pick a primary care doctor in a Level 1 OSC if you want to keep costs as low as possible.
- Understand how the cost levels work. With Physician Choice PPO, your cost varies depending on the level of OSC doctors and hospitals you choose. To get the lowest costs you need to use doctors and hospitals in a Level 1. If you use doctors and hospitals outside your primary care doctors OSC without a referral, select a primary care doctor, not in a Level 1 OSC or don’t select a primary doctor, you’ll pay higher costs.
- Create an account with bcbsm.com. If you haven’t created a user name and password at bcbsm.com , do that now. Among other things, having an account lets you find primary care doctors and hospitals, see a snapshot of your current plan (including where you stand with your deductible and claims) and pull up a virtual ID card.
- Find a hospital. A lot goes into choosing a hospital, so don’t wait until you’re in the middle of an emergency to know which one to go to. Talk to your primary care doctor about the hospitals that are in his or her OSC and decide ahead of time which one you’ll visit if something happens.
- Learn about member-only benefits. There are a lot of amazing resources available to you as a Blue Cross member. A few include the 24-Hour Nurse Line, where you can ask any health-related question at any time of the day or night, the Blue Cross Health & Wellness site powered by WebMD Health Services, and exclusive discounts only available to members.
For more about the Physician Choice PPO, head here. For more insight into what to do when you have a new plan, read these blogs:
