I was asked by Carusele to participate in the #BlueEssentials campaign, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.
Parenting can be scary and being a single parent can make things even scarier. Parenting without health insurance, a nightmare! What happens when your child has an accident or gets sick? Do you have enough to pay for an emergency room visit? I can’t imagine having to think about money if my child is hurt, but this is a reality for many. A lot of people think that health insurance isn’t affordable, however, that is not the case.
I’m a single mom with two active daughters who are seven and 10, so I know how hard it is to make ends meet. That visit to the doctor because of a sore throat that ends up being Strep Throat and will take you to the pharmacy after the doctor. It all adds up and sometimes there just isn’t enough room in the budget to handle anything extra. Let’s put all the sick visits aside and think about just annual wellness exams. It’s always best to have annual checkups at the doctor to make sure we’re staying as healthy as we can be.
I’m self-employed, so I don’t have health insurance coverage through my job, so this can make things even more confusing. Thankfully, we have health insurance, but every year I research other health insurance options before open enrollment to make sure I’m in the best plan.
There’s a common misconception that health insurance is out of reach for so many because of the cost. BlueCross is working to change this with BlueEssentials℠, an affordable low-cost/no-cost, easy to use health insurance plan.
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s BlueEssentials℠ plan offers:
- Up to $150 in easy to earn rewards for completing wellness activities through Blue Rewards℠. Reward dollars can be used towards copays, deductibles, and coinsurance based on covered medical services.
- 24/7 access to board-certified physicians through the convenience of video consults
- Free preventive screenings
- Prescription drug coverage
The BlueEssentials℠ plan from BlueCross has three tier options available: Gold, Silver and Bronze, making it easy to pick the plan that best fits your family. Here are some details about each tier:
- Gold: Highest premium with best coverage and lower out-of-pocket costs for care. Best for those who visit the doctor often or take multiple prescriptions.
- Silver: Balance monthly premiums with out-of-pocket costs for care.
- Bronze: Lowest monthly premiums, but higher out-of-pocket when you need care. Best for those who don’t go to the doctor often or take many prescriptions.
You may qualify for a premium as low as $0 per month. This is based on the amount of subsidy (i.e., financial assistance toward your monthly premium) you’re eligible for.
If your annual income is below the amounts shown here, you will likely qualify for a subsidy.
Source: http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines
If you are uninsured, I encourage you to start researching which BlueEssentials℠ plan best fits your budget now, because Open Enrollment starts November 1st and runs through December 15, 2018. Open Enrollment is when you can register for a health insurance plan and if you miss the deadline, you have to wait till the next year.
To learn more about which BlueEssentials℠ plan is best for your family, visit www.zerobronzeplans.com or call 833-255-7712 or you can visit a retail center in Columbia, Greenville and Mount Pleasant, SC. BlueCross even has mobile retail centers you can visit.
Do you have health insurance? Have you researched other options?
I was asked by Carusele to participate in the #BlueEssentials campaign, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.