Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois continues sustained statewide education effort on the Affordable Care Act

CHICAGO, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) today announced that it is continuing its statewide education efforts it began over a year ago in advance of the inaugural enrollment period for Illinois' Health Insurance Marketplace.  While Year One's results of 217,000 enrollments far surpassed the state's own targets, there remains almost 1.8 million uninsured who are eligible to sign up for affordable health insurance options and access needed medical services.

"Knowledge is power, and it's our goal to equip Illinois residents with as much information about the Affordable Care Act and the benefits that it makes available to them," said Donna Gerber, vice president of public affairs and community investments for Blue Cross Illinois.  We continue to invest resources into consumer education because it's essential to helping reduce the number of uninsured in our state," she added.  

With open enrollment for the federal health insurance marketplace just a few weeks away beginning November 15th, BCBSIL is reaching out to communities in nearly every county to provide tools and resources to help uninsured residents understand their options.  Building upon last year's successful efforts, BCBSIL continues to work with more than community partners, social service agencies and faith congregations to continue its outreach efforts.

Its investments and efforts include: 

• Increased numbers of customer service representatives, as many as six times that of Year One;
• Expanded customer service center hours, effective Nov. 1^st, 7:00am -10:00pm 7 days a week, and as of Dec. 1^st, call centers will be available 24/7.  
• Courtesy call-backs to minimize hold times during heavy call volume periods;
• Alliances with enrollment partners such State Farm representatives across the state, as well as regional and national retailers, grocers and pharmacies;
• Mobile Assistance Centers On Wheels that will hit the roads, with a full list of dates and destinations that will be available online just prior to November 15^th.  Visit: www.HealthDestinationIL.com, or for Spanish speakers, www.DestinoSaludIL.com at that time.
• And, community education events and "care fairs" that proved to be so successful in 2013. 
  Visit Blue Cross's full calendar of education events for more information. 
• An uninsured hot line is also available to address questions, at: 877-908-5593, or they may
  visit: www.bcbsil.com

"We know that health insurance can be confusing.  Part of our responsibility is to help consumers navigate through the uncertainty, so they can feel confident and have the peace of mind that health insurance benefits have to offer," said Gerber.  For many, health insurance will now be more affordable than ever, especially with qualifying financial assistance.

More importantly, newly insured BCBSIL enrollees have accessed much-needed medical care, including:

• 141,000 Well visits
• 46,700 Biometric screenings
• 13,900 potentially life-saving Mammograms
• 900 Babies were delivered
  
  (January-July, 2014)

ABOUT BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS
With 7.9 million members, BCBSIL, a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, is the largest health insurance company in Illinois. Begun in 1936 in Chicago, BCBSIL remains member owned rather than publicly traded, and is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities, fostering greater access to care, and working to lower the overall cost of care while improving the health care quality and patient outcomes.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

Related Links

http://www.bcbsil.com