ToThePoint 1_06
1/19/06
2:42 PM
Page 1
For clients with 51 or more employees
January 2006
Blue View Vision – A Clear Choice
B
C Life & Health Insurance Company understands the
challenge of balancing quality and affordability. That’s
why we’ve created Blue View VisionSM, a cost-effective vision
benefits option that allows you to offer a more comprehensive
health care package to your employees.
The Advantages of Offering Vision Benefits
• Peace of Mind: Attract and retain more employees with a
•
•
comprehensive benefits package that includes vision coverage
from a network you can trust.
Productivity: Even a minor vision problem can cause
irritability, headaches and body aches, which can result in
lost workdays.
Long-Term Savings: Having regular eye examinations and
wearing corrective eyewear can greatly decrease the risk of
more serious, long-term eye diseases (and can even detect
other health conditions).
Why Blue View Vision?
A Broad, Convenient Network: Give your employees
access to more than 35,000 participating providers, including
ophthalmologists and optometrists, as well as LensCraftersSM,
Target Optical, and most Sears Optical and Pearle Vision
locations.
Value-Added Savings: Provide your employees additional
savings of 15 to 40 percent on non-covered materials such as
extra pairs of eyewear and non-prescription sunglasses. They
can take advantage of these savings as often as they want.
Flexible, Easy-to-Use Benefits: Offer your employees a choice
of cost-effective, comprehensive plans that meet their vision
needs, including comprehensive eye examinations, fast
delivery of eyewear and an attractive allowance that allows
them to choose from a variety of popular frames.
•
•
•
The choice is clear. It’s time to give your employees one of
the strongest vision coverage choices in sight. For more
information about Blue View Vision, please contact your
account manager.
HealthyExtensions Vision Discount Program Update
EyeMed Vision Care®’s (EyeMed’s) parent company, the Luxottica Group, recently purchased Cole National (Cole).
What does this mean for your employees?
It means that EyeMed replaced Cole Vision One as the primary vision discount program in HealthyExtensionsSM
as of January 1, 2006.
Discounts on contact lenses and LASIK will still be offered by TruVisionTM.
New Discount Details
• 30 percent off retail prices for prescription eyeglasses, including standard plastic lenses
(single vision, bifocal and trifocal); choice of any available frame and lens options (such as tints,
UV coating, scratch coating, etc.); frequencies are unlimited
• 30 percent off retail prices for prescription sunglasses
• 30 percent off accessories
Your employees now have access to discounts at nearly 10,000 nationwide locations, including
independent optometrist, ophthalmologist and optician offices, as well as retailers such as LensCrafters®,
Target Optical, and most Sears Optical and Pearle Vision centers.
Blue Cross of California and BlueCard members can take advantage of the discount programs offered by these vendors just by
presenting their ID cards.
Limitations/Exclusions to the EyeMed program: Orthoptic or vision training, subnormal vision aids, and any associated supplemental testing; medical and/or surgical treatment of the eye, eyes, or supporting
structures; corrective eyewear required by an employer as a condition of employment, and safety eyewear, unless specifically covered under the plan; services provided as a result of any Worker’s Compensation law;
non-prescription lenses and non-prescription sunglasses.
Blue Cross does not necessarily endorse or recommend HealthyExtensions products and services and they are not covered benefits. There is no cost to the subscriber (except for the purchase price for eye care
products or exams). There is no affiliation between Blue Cross and EyeMed Vision Care or TruVision, Inc., or any other HealthyExtensions vendor. HealthyExtensions’ discount offers are subject to change or withdrawal
by the offerer without notice. EyeMed Vision Care®, EyeMed® and LensCrafters® are registered Service Marks of the Luxottica Group. TruVisionTM is a trademark of TruVision, Inc.
ToThePoint 1_06
1/19/06
2:42 PM
Page 2
Blue Cross Receives High Marks From NCQA
Only health plan in the state to achieve “Full” accreditation status for its PPO product
B
lue Cross of California (Blue Cross) has again been awarded the highest accreditation status of Excellent from the
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its commercial health maintenance organization (HMO)/point of service
(POS) products and Full Accreditation for its preferred provider organization (PPO) product. NCQA is the nation’s most
respected independent managed care accrediting body. Each of these accreditations covers a three-year period.
Blue Cross continues to be the only PPO in the state to be fully accredited and only one of 24 PPOs nationwide to receive an
accreditation. Excellent and Full accreditations are the highest ratings possible for the HMO/POS and PPO products, and are solely
granted to plans with programs for service and clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQA’s rigorous standards for consumer
protection and quality improvement.
“We are very pleased with the Excellent and Full accreditations that we have received from NCQA because they reflect our continued
focus on customer service and our commitment to working with physicians to help them improve the clinical health care that our
members receive,” said Blue Cross President and Chief Executive Officer David Helwig. “These accreditations truly demonstrate our
commitment to providing our customers with health care plans that are among the best in the country.”
“At Blue Cross of California we recognize and value that quality is a critical factor in the delivery of health care services,” added
Blue Cross Vice President and Medical Director Dr. Jeff Kamil. “The results of NCQA’s assessment of Blue Cross reflect our ongoing
commitment to quality and excellence; it is this level of quality that helps differentiate us from the competition.”
Formulary
Update for
HMO and PPO
B
lue Cross of California’s
(Blue Cross’) Formulary program
provides benefits that promote
clinically sound and cost-effective
patient care. The table to the right
shows some of the most current and
important modifications to our
Formulary list.
Your employees should refer to their
Evidence of Coverage (EOC) to
understand how changes to their
medication’s status from Formulary to
non-Formulary may affect them. For
additional information regarding
benefits, your employees should
contact Customer Service at the phone
number listed on their ID card.
Current Blue Cross Formulary
information can be accessed quickly
and conveniently by visiting Blue Cross’
Web site, www.bluecrossca.com, and
clicking on “Pharmacy” under the
Learn More heading.
Drug Name
Aclovate cream
ActosPlus Met
Amaryl
Biaxin
Biaxin XL
Celontin
Diastat gel
Dostinex
Enbrel
Ery-Ped
Ery Tab
Esclim
Estrace cream
Estratest
Gynodiol
Hepsera
Humira
Intron A
Klonopin Wafer
Metaglip
Peganone
Prefest
Sinemet/CR
Syntest
Tasmar
Zithromax
Zmax
Active Ingredient
Alclometasone dipropionate cream
pioglitazone/metformin
glimepiride
clarithromycin
clarithromycin
methsuximide
diazepam rectal gel
cabergoline
etanercept
erthromycin ethylsuccinate
erythromycin base
estradiol transdermal patch
estradiol vaginal cream, 0.01%
estrogen/methytestosterone
estradiol
adefovir
adalimumab
interferon alpha-2b, recombinant
clonazepam
glipizide/metformin
ethotoin
estradiol/norgestimate
levodopa/carbidopa
estrogen/methytestosterone
tolcapone
azithromycin
azithromycin
Formulary Status
Delete – Brand only
Add
Delete – Brand only
Delete – Brand only
Delete
Delete
Add
Delete
SIB* – Preferred
Delete – Brand only
Delete – Brand only
Delete
Delete
Delete
Delete
Delete
SIB* – Nonpreferred
SIB*
Delete – Brand only
Delete – Brand only
Delete
Delete
Delete – Brand only
Delete
Delete
Delete – Brand only
Delete
Generic Available?
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Obsolete
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
* Self injectable benefits – Members should refer to their EOC for benefit details regarding applicable copayments
or coinsurance.
To The Point is brought to you compliments
of Blue Cross of California.
If you have any questions about this
information, please contact your broker or
local Sales representative.
Blue Cross of California and BC Life & Health Insurance Company are Independent
Licensees of the Blue Cross Association. The Blue Cross name and symbol are
registered service marks of the Blue Cross Association.
Blue Cross of California
Commercial HMO/POS
Combined.