It’s easy to skimp on doctor’s appointments and check-ups when our health seems to be fine. But preventive care is key to helping us stay healthy for the long run.
Preventive check-ups and screenings can help find illnesses and medical problems early and improve their health. Even if you don’t have any specific health concerns, it is important to get routine preventive screenings, to rule out any potential health problems. Take Morgan for example.

Morgan’s journey

Morgan has always felt pretty good and didn’t go to the doctor unless she was sick. Since starting her new job and enrolling in HealthSelect of Texas^®, she decides it’s time to take advantage of her preventive health care benefits.

She starts by selecting a primary care provider (PCP), which is required by her plan to get in-network benefits. Having one dedicated provider who knows her health history will also result in more personalized care for her.

Morgan logs in to Provider Finder® to search for nearby in-network providers who accepts new patients. She finds a provider with great reviews with an office close to her home and chooses him as her PCP. (If she needs to change her PCP selection in the future, she can use Provider Finder to do that at any time.) Morgan’s PCP will be there when she’s sick and when she needs preventive care, referrals to specialists or help with prior authorizations.

Morgan schedules an annual check-up for the following week. Because annual check-ups are considered preventive care, they are covered at 100%.
During her check-up, her new PCP assesses her health risks by asking about her current health, family history and her past illnesses, surgeries and chronic conditions. He also performs a physical exam and checks her vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. He suggests a couple of lab tests, including a complete blood count and a cholesterol screening since Morgan hasn’t seen a doctor in a few years. Morgan visits an in-network lab to get her tests completed.

Morgan gets her lab results a couple of days later. Her cholesterol is a little high, but everything else looks good. Morgan’s PCP gives her some tips on maintaining a healthy cholesterol level and tells her that it will be checked again during next year’s annual check-up.

The next step

Using the health information from her annual wellness exam and lab work, she decides to complete her Well onTarget® Health Assessment by logging in to her Blue Access for Members account. The Health Assessment asks a series of questions about her lifestyle and health habits and takes about 15 minutes to complete. When Morgan finished, she gets an evaluation of her current health, including how her health compares to others in her age group.

Morgan learns what she is doing well and what she can improve, and she also earns 2,500 Blue Points, just completing the assessment. With the Blue Points program, Morgan can earn points for participating in healthy activities and can spend up to 17, 325 points each year on various items in the online shopping mall.

Through Well on Target, Morgan enrolls in a self-management program for improving her cholesterol, which will earn her even more Blue Points.

Morgan’s experience motivates her to make her daughter’s and husband’s preventive health check-ups a priority, too. As enrolled dependents under her HealthSelect of Texas plan, they can get their annual physicals with an in-network provider, with a $0 copay.

Remember: HealthSelect participants can get preventive care, including annual wellness check-ups with an in-network provider, at no out-of-pocket cost. HealthSelect of Texas^® participants should always choose an in-network PCP if they want the highest level of benefits and to save the most money. HealthSelect^SM Out-of-State, Consumer Directed HealthSelect^SM and HealthSelect^SM Secondary participants may also benefit from having an in-network PCP, even though it is not required.

Use these materials to help educate your employees about the PCP selection process and help them with any questions. If you have any questions, please contact your BCBSTX Agency Relations Representative.

If you are uncertain about visiting your PCP’s office at this time, check with your provider to understand what COVID-19 precautions they are taking to keep their patients safe.

Source: ERS Update Express (January 2021)