BOSTON — December 4, 2015 — Many Massachusetts seniors will now pay less for their Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross) Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, plan in 2016.
We lowered the rates for our Medex Bronze product from $186.56 to $182.45 per month after a recent congressional budget agreement prevented a significant change to Medicare Part B premium and deductible rates in 2016. Medex Bronze members will receive a letter about the reduction in their rates.
“Seniors look to us to help them get the most coverage for their money. That’s why we are lowering the rates for one of our most popular plans this year,” said Ken Arruda, Executive Director of Medicare Markets for Blue Cross.
A Medicare Supplement plan can help seniors pay some of the health care costs that traditional Medicare doesn't cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. Some supplement plans also offer coverage for services that original Medicare doesn't cover, like medical care when you travel outside the U.S. Seniors can purchase our Medex products year round.
Blue Cross offers a range of Medicare plans to fit any budget. We are the highest-rated Medicare PPO plan in America1 and one of the nation’s top-rated Medicare HMO plans. We recently received a 4.5 Star overall plan rating for our HMO and PPO plans by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)2. We were also ranked as a Best Medicare plan by U.S. News & World Report for our Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D plans for 20163.
To learn more about our Medicare coverage options, view a list of covered medications, and find the plan that’s right for you, visit www.bluecrossma.com/medicare or call 1-800-678-2265 (TTY: 1-800-522-1254), from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
NCQA’s Medicare Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2015-2016. NCQA is not affiliated with CMS, nor is the award given by Medicare. Star Ratings can be found at www.medicare.gov.
Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next.
Methodology for the 2016 Best Medicare Advantage Plans: U.S. News used data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including its rating of each Medicare Advantage plan. For an insurer to make the U.S. News list, its Medicare Advantage plans available in a given state had to earn an average rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars, and all its plans in the state had to earn at least 3 stars.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are the trusted health plan for more than 30,000 Massachusetts employers and are committed to working with others in a spirit of shared responsibility to make quality health care affordable. Consistent with our corporate promise to always put our 2.8 million members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality.Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
1NCQA’s Medicare Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2015-2016. NCQA is not affiliated with CMS, nor is the award given by Medicare. Star Ratings can be found at www.medicare.gov.
2Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next.
3Methodology for the 2016 Best Medicare Advantage Plans: U.S. News used data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including its rating of each Medicare Advantage plan. For an insurer to make the U.S. News list, its Medicare Advantage plans available in a given state had to earn an average rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars, and all its plans in the state had to earn at least 3 stars.