Free CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield, District of Columbia Quotes!

The largest health care provider in the Mid-Atlantic region, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield is a not-for-profit organization serving over 3.3 members across the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia. With 165 hospitals in the CareFirst provider network, members will find it easy to access care that has built an outstanding reputation for quality and effectiveness. Members will also find a wide variety of health care plans to choose from, including:

Choosing the Right Health Insurance

• BlueChoice, a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan that allows members to choose a primary care physician who will refer patients to other medical specialists within the network, as necessary. Coverage is not available for the use of providers outside the BlueChoice network, except upon the necessity of emergency or urgent care.



• BlueChoice HMO Open Access, a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan that allows members to visit all care providers within the plan network, without a medical referral. Members are required to choose a primary care physician upon enrollment.



• BlueChoice Opt-Out Open Access, a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan that offers in-network care to members at a lower out-of-pocket cost than if they opted to visit a provider outside the network. Any provider may be visited without a referral from the member's primary care physician.



• BlueChoice Opt-Out Plus, a point-of-service (POS) plan similar to an HMO plan with the advantage of allowing members to visit providers outside of the plan network. Members who seek in-network service, however, will receive it at a lower out-of-pocket cost than otherwise.



• BluePreferred, a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan that allows members to choose any physician in any facility within the network. No preferred physician referral is necessary for members to seek providers within their network. While care from providers outside the network may also be sought, it assessed at a higher out-of-pocket cost.



• BluePreferred Limited Benefit Plan, a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan that is offered at a lower cost to employees of qualifying businesses within Maryland.



• BluePreferred Open Enrollment, a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan that is available without advanced health screening. Members may choose their preferred physicians and hospital facilities, and do not need physician referral before seeking the attention of other providers within the plan network. When care is sought from within the Preferred Provider network, it comes at a lower out-of-pocket cost than when care is sought from elsewhere.



• Blue Selections, a selection of health care plans that employers may offer to their employees. Employers belonging to smaller company groups may select from 3 regional plans, while employers of larger companies select from 4. These plans include options for medical, dental, vision, and drug coverage, in addition to options for Flexible Spending Accounts and Premium-Only Plans.



• BlueFund Consumer Directed Health Plans (CDH) gives members coverage under a CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield plan in conjunction with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Members are encouraged to take control of personal health and wellness via online self-service tools and informational resources.



• Maryland Point of Service, an indemnity health coverage plan that gives members coverage within as well as outside the plan network.



• Personal Comp, a cost-sharing plan that allocates a percentage of responsibility for health services costs to members. In Personal Comp, the amount a member pays is therefore contingent on their choice of provider and services. Deductibles and coinsurance amounts are also determined by the member.



• Preferred Provider Organization (PPO/PPN), a plan that allows members who receive the highest level of benefits when they seek services from providers and hospitals within the plan network. Seeking attention from providers outside the plan network is possible, but at a higher out-of-pocket cost.



• Select Preferred Provider Plan, a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan that allows members to choose any physician or hospital and self-refer to other providers, all within the same network. Non-network attention may be sought, but at a higher out-of-pocket cost.