Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Offers New, Coordinated Health Care Plan for Children with Special Healthcare Needs and Families

RICHARDSON, Texas, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Starting November 1, 2016, Texas families that have children with special healthcare needs will have access to tailored, coordinated healthcare for the first time.

Texas children and young adults who either receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Medicaid or are enrolled in the Medically Dependent Children Program (MDCP) will be able to receive services through a STAR Kids health plan offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) in the Metropolitan (MRSA) - Central Texas and Travis service areas.

The new STAR Kids program will offer streamlined access to the medical, behavioral, social and developmental services and supports needed by children with special healthcare needs and young adults and their families to help sustain the child in their home and community. Through its team of trained service coordinators, BCBSTX will deliver individualized service plans that provide the right care, in the right place and at the right time for the qualified enrollee population residing in the 39 counties contained in the two above mentioned service areas.

BCBSTX has also implemented a Medicare Advantage - Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) to serve STAR Kids members who are dually eligible under Medicare and Medicaid programs in select counties.

"We truly believe STAR Kids deserve star treatment," said Dr. Esteban López, chief medical officer and market president for BCBSTX. "Therefore, BCBSTX will coordinate care for them and be their advocate, as we assist their families with doctor and nurse visits, medicines, therapies and daily tasks, giving them extra time to focus on what's really important, enjoying time with their children."

A targeted, multimedia promotional campaign has been hitting the local airwaves and billboards, inviting qualified families to enroll. "We have been training the teams dedicated to serving STAR Kids and attending many informational community meetings. BCBSTX is ready to help STAR Kids and their families," said Sara Daugherty-Pineda, Executive Director, STAR Kids.

Additional information on STAR Kids and BCBSTX may be obtained by calling 1-877-688-1811, or visiting BCBSTX's specifically created website, http://www.bcbstx.com/starkids/.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas 
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and healthcare practitioners, and 500 hospitals to serve more than 5 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  

BCBSTX.com | Twitter.com/BCBSTX | Facebook.com/BlueCrossBlueShieldOfTexas | YouTube.com/BCBSTX

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SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

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