Ever dropped a call driving through a “dead zone”?
It’s frustrating to lose service, especially while on an important call. That’s why cell phone companies compete to have a national network available.
Having access to a national network that provides services when needed is surprisingly similar to the importance of networks when it comes to health insurance. Just as a phone isn’t any good without service, health insurance is useless without access to a doctor. It’s important to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) to provide quality and affordable care, not only where members live and work, but outside of those areas as well.
While most people have a primary care physician close to home for health care needs, what happens if an injury occurs while skiing in Colorado? Or a child gets sick while away at college in Indiana? Injuries and sickness know no boundaries, so it’s important to have health insurance that travels as well.
That’s why Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) companies work together across the country and around the world to make sure people can get access to doctors everywhere.
How? Each BCBS health plan is like a cell tower. Some states, such as Michigan, have one. Other states, like New York, have four. Just like cell phone towers, these companies work together to provide national coverage. This keeps BCBSM members covered wherever they go.
Conversely, Michigan residents employed by companies headquartered in other states with BCBS plans are covered by BCBSM while they’re here.
More than 106 million members – one in three Americans – rely on BCBS companies for access to safe, quality and affordable healthcare in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Nationwide, more than 96 percent of hospitals and 93 percent of professional providers contract with BCBS companies – more than any other insurer.
To find an in-network doctor near you, visit bcbsm.com/find-a-doctor.
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