Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Responds to Tornado Disaster

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Apr 10, 2015, 04:15 ET

CHICAGO, April 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) announced today that it is working with its community partners at the American Red Cross and Salvation Army and providing an initial investment of $10,000 to support the immediate needs of tornado-stricken north central Illinois communities. The insurer added that it remains focused on its customers and the affected communities in the days and weeks ahead to provide additional support if necessary.

A severe and deadly spring storm spawned two massive tornadoes on April 9^th that churned through six Illinois counties — Boone, DeKalb, Lee, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago – destroying dozens of homes and properties, and killing at least two people so far confirmed. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois extends its heartfelt thoughts and prayers to its neighbors and communities impacted by this natural disaster.

BCBSIL is also working to expedite member services, including early prescription refills and other time-sensitive needs, such as replacing lost member cards. Jill Wolowitz, Vice President of Government Relations and Community Affairs for the insurer explained, "We at Blue Cross understand that our members living, working or traveling in Illinois communities impacted by yesterday's severe weather may require expedited services and support, and we're here to serve them."

BCBSIL is prepared to help these members by:

Explaining the options for accessing care
Helping to locate a network provider, hospital or dialysis center
Assisting with early refills of prescription medications
Working to ensure transition of care or continuity of care needs are met
Accessing your member identification information

Please call our customer services at 800-541-2768 for support, or log into Blue Access for Members, at http://BCBSIL.com/login.html or access our mobile site, at: http://m.bcbsil.com/. You can also call 800-810-BLUE (-2583) 24/7 if you need to quickly locate a care provider.

BCBSIL Customer Service for all group plan members: 800-541-2768
BCBSIL Customer Service for individual/family policyholders: 800-538-8833
BCBSIL Customer Service for Medicare Supplement policyholders: 877-213-1821
National BlueCard access: 800-810-BLUE (2583)

BCBSIL is standing by to help members and those affected.
Watch for ongoing updates on our website, www.bcbsil.com, and our Facebook page, at: https://www.facebook.com/bluecrossblueshieldofillinois

About Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)
With 8 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 care quality and patient outcomes.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois