Official Government Website
Category: Get Healthy
New Healthy Living Resources
The State’s health plan has not included a true lifestyle and weight management program in several years. So we are thrilled to roll out Wondr Health (formerly Naturally Slim) to all of our adult members. What we like about Wondr Health is that it isn’t a diet. It is a long-term investment in your nutrition and lifestyle education that results in weight loss and better overall health. Who can’t use that skill?
The program includes online courses, physical activity tracker, tailored content on behavioral eating, a team of counselors and a community of other Wondr Health participants. Best of all, the cost of the program is covered 100% regardless of which plan you have selected.
How do you get signed up? Check out the Wondr Health FAQ
For more about health promoting programs available to you, visit the Be Healthy page of the OGI website or visit the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal, https://members.bcidaho.com.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Preparing your health & wallet for the new plan year
The new plan year starts July 1! You can expect to start receiving frequent communications from Blue Cross of Idaho, Navia (if you signed up for Flexible Spending), Office of Group Insurance and your HR office highlighting new and continuing programs and benefits. All communications are intended to promote your “Benefits IQ” and show you how to put your premium dollars to good use.
Check out the FY22 New Plan Year Highlights that includes information about:
- New weight management program
- New diabetes management program
- Enhanced dental coverage
- New ER copay
- Continuing benefits you already have access to
- And more…
Keep in mind that if your insurance needs or personal situations change throughout the year, there are mid-year actions you can take to adjust your benefit elections. See the chart below for a very high level overview of acceptable changes. More detailed information can be found throughout the Office of Group Insurance website: https://ogi.idaho.gov
| When can I make changes? | Is this change limited to Open Enrollment? | |
| Medical | You can add/drop coverage for yourself and your dependents at any time during year. | No (exceptions for dependent dental) |
| Dental | You can drop dependent coverage at any time. | Adding previously declined dependent dental is limited to Open Enrollment EXCEPT when you are adding a newly eligible dependent to coverage; in this case previously declined dependents may enroll under a “tag along” provision. |
| Health Care FSA | You can increase/reduce your contributions after a qualifying life event. | Yes, unless you have a qualifying life event. To continue FSA, you must re-enroll every year during open enrollment. |
| Day Care FSA | You can enroll/increase/reduce your contributions after a qualifying life event. | Yes, unless you have a qualifying life event. To continue FSA, you must re-enroll every year during open enrollment. |
| Basic Life | You can change your beneficiaries at any time. | No |
| Voluntary Term Life (VTL) | You can enroll/increase/decrease your coverage any time. However, outside a life event you will be required to submit proof of insurability to be approved for coverage. | No |
Don’t have a Primary Care Physician (PCP) or Dentist? You can find a searchable list of in-network providers on the Blue Cross of Idaho Member Portal, members.bcidaho.com. Keep in mind the provider you select will determine your out of pocket costs. For instance, ChoiceDocs PPO medical providers and PPO dental providers have lower copays and/or co-insurance than other contracting providers.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Keep an eye on the Office of Group Insurance website, https://ogi.idaho.gov, for information in the Stay Informed blog, well-being resources in the Get Healthy page, information to navigate Life Events, and more…
You can always ask your agency’s HR office for information about enrolling in the medical and dental benefits if you are not currently enrolled or if you would like to add/delete dependents.
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
Virtual Care 24/7 with Nurse Advice Line & MDLive
With an increased awareness of your own health during the past year, it can seem overwhelming to triage your own symptoms, determine if they need medical attention, and select the appropriate site of care. That’s why we added the 24/7 Nurse Advice Line. The Nurse Advice Line lets you talk with a registered nurse, at no cost to you, to help you make informed choices about your health or the health of any member of your household even if they are not covered under the plan.
Program the Nurse Advice Line into your phone, then you’ll always have it handy: 888-993-7120.
The Nurse Advice Line can also transfer you over to an MDLive provider if your issue is beyond their scope of service.
MDLive is ready to listen and support you and your family with medical and behavioral health providers ready to video chat with you 24/7. Now, more than ever, is a great time to focus on what you can control and your overall well-being.
Their board-certified psychiatrists and licensed therapists can help you process the information as it develops, create strategies to manage your concerns, identify healthy activities, and put together a plan tailored to your unique situation and needs.Schedule a private, confidential visit and keep both mentally and physically healthy with MDLive.
If you are enrolled in the State’s medical plan all MDLive copays and coinsurance have been waived through the end of the plan year.
MDLIVE Welcome [PDF]
Start 2021 with a smile!
Do you know how often you should visit the dentist or how long you should brush your teeth? It’s easy to remember with the 2-2-2 rule! Brush and floss 2 times a day for 2 minutes and visit the dentist 2 times a year. This rule applies to kids and adults alike.
Most people know that good oral and dental hygiene can help prevent bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease – and can help you keep your teeth as you get older. But, a healthy mouth can also ward off medical disorders. An unhealthy mouth, especially if you have gum disease, may increase your risk of serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, poorly controlled diabetes and preterm labor.
Plan history has shown that at least 40% of members enrolled in the dental plan aren’t visiting a provider even once a year. Imagine the time and pain of costly dental and/or medical issues that could have been caught early on or prevented altogether.
Don’t have a regular dentist to get your cleanings every six months? You can find dentists in the searchable provider feature on the Blue Cross of Idaho Member Portal.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Have questions about other covered services? You can review the dental contract on the OGI website: https://ogi.idaho.gov/dental/ or call the customer service number on the back of your Blue Cross of Idaho member ID card.
Cavities are preventable. Model good oral healthcare habits for your whole family.
The First Wealth is Health
Ralph Waldo Emerson is attributed with saying “The First Wealth is Health.”
While no one would choose to have a chronic health condition, they do happen for a number of reasons. The State’s health plan has programs in place to help employees and their families manage and even improve their chronic conditions which also helps them manage their costs for healthcare related expenses.
Take advantage of the Living well with high blood pressure [PDF] self-guided workshop.
Members also have access to the Blue Cross Disease Management Program whose goal is to empower members and/or caregivers, in concert with their physicians and other care providers, to effectively manage disease and prevent complications through adherence to medication regimens, regular monitoring of applicable labs/vital signs, a healthy diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. The program offers support to members and dependents who are managing an acute or complex illness or are at risk for or have a chronic condition such as:
- diabetes,
- asthma,
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
- coronary artery disease, or
- heart failure.
Type 2 diabetes makes up the majority of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The good news is that you can take simple steps to lower your risks with a healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking and keeping your blood pressure in check.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Now is the time to understand your benefits
The best time to understand your benefits is right now when you have the time to set up 
appropriate logins, find a provider, and know where you have filed vital information. The wrong time to try and understand your benefits is in the midst of a healthcare crisis when you don’t know where to go, who to call, or what your out-of-pocket cost will be.
Here are a few things to consider and get you started to better understand how to access the benefits that your monthly premiums provide. Your wallet and your health will thank you!!
New Member ID Cards – All members will be receiving another set of member ID cards that will now include the 24/7 NurseLine phone number and information about the ChoiceDocs program for the PPO participants. If you haven’t set up your account on the Blue Cross member portal, have your ID card handy and visit: www.members.bcidaho.com.
ChoiceDocs – ChoiceDocs is a new program within the PPO network that allows you to access providers and specialists at a lower cost; $0 copay for a primary care visit and $20 for a specialist visit. If your current provider or specialist isn’t in the ChoiceDocs network, you will continue to pay a $20 copay for a primary care visit and now pay $40 for a specialist visit. Not all providers or hospital systems are in the ChoiceDocs network. This program does not apply to the Traditional or High Deductible plans.
Provider Search – Use the provider search tool on the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal to find a new provider in your area or to see if your current provider is part of the new PPO ChoiceDocs program. Search by PPO in-network and sort by Tier.
BCI Mobile App – Download the NEW BCI mobile app on your Android or Apple device for access to resources and information about your medical and dental benefits, member ID cards, programs and more.
Telehealth – In a few short months both MDLive services and telehealth virtual visits administered by other providers have become a routine way for members to receive healthcare. Telehealth will continue the entire plan year as a covered service because so many providers have developed the capability of delivering care in this manner.
OGI Website – the OGI website, www.ogi.idaho.gov, is a great resource for information about all aspects of the health plan, premiums rates, plan contracts, Life & Disability, Flexible Spending, and so much more. We update and add to the content on the website frequently.
Taking Care of ‘You’
Life is busy. Work is busy. Kids are busy. But none of that seems to matter when you are sick.
Here are a couple of things you can do to take care of yourself, your family and your pocketbook.
Flu season is here and Flu Vaccines are covered at 100% on all plans. This is also a great time to check with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) about other immunizations that you or family members may be due to receive. A list of immunizations that are covered at no cost to you are included in each plan contract posted on the Medical page of the OGI website.
e High Deductible plan) when using an in-network provider? Check out the Vision page of the OGI website for information or the Pediatric Vision Care Benefits page included in each plan contract posted on the Medical page.
Breast Cancer Awareness Knowledge is Power
There are more than 3.3 million breast cancer survivors alive in the U.S. today. Let’s keep the numbers growing by arming ourselves with knowledge about breast cancer. Talk to your doctor to learn about risks and early detection. #BestInHealth #BreastCancerAwareness
Make sure you have your current email address attached to your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account to receive communications about your account, benefit highlights and wellness challenges. Login to members.bcidaho.com – Select “My Account” – select “Account Maintenance” – enter the new email address in the “Change Email Address” section – select “Change Email”
Need to establish a relationship with Primary Care Provider (PCP)? Check out the provider search feature on the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal for lists and locations of in-network providers.
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
People Take Their Teeth for Granted
Do you know how often you should visit the dentist or how long you should brush your teeth? It’s easy to remember with the 2-2-2 rule! Brush and floss 2 times a day for 2 minutes and visit the dentist 2 times a year. This rule applies to kids and adults alike.
Most people know that good oral and dental hygiene can help prevent bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease – and can help you keep your teeth as you get older. But, a healthy mouth can also ward off medical disorders. An unhealthy mouth, especially if you have gum disease, may increase your risk of serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, poorly controlled diabetes and preterm labor.
Plan history has shown that at least 40% of state employees enrolled in the dental plan aren’t visiting a provider even once a year. Imagine the time and pain of costly dental and/or medical issues that could have been averted if those issues had been caught early on or prevented altogether.
Don’t have a regular dentist to get your cleanings every six months? You can find dentists in the searchable provider feature on the Blue Cross of Idaho Member Portal.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Have questions about other covered services? You can review the dental contract on the OGI website: https://ogi.idaho.gov/dental/ or call the customer service number on the back of your Blue Cross of Idaho member ID card.
Cavities are preventable. Model good oral healthcare habits for your whole family.
An Ounce of Prevention this Year
Remember the old saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? This particularly rings true when it comes to preventive health care. Maintaining or improving your health is important – and a focus on regular preventive care, along with following the advice of your doctor, can help you stay healthy.
Did you know that there is no cost to enrolled members for listed preventive, screening and immunization services if you use an In-Network provider?
Annual adult preventive visits include physical exams and screenings such as blood glucose and cholesterol. Preventive services for children include routine and scheduled well-baby and well-child examinations.
Details about those preventive services that are covered by your medical plan at 100% and other services subject to co-pays and cost-sharing are available on the ‘Medical’ tab of the Office of Group Insurance website. Select and view the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) or plan contract for the plan type in which you are enrolled. You can also call customer service at the number on the back of your ID card for assistance.
Take advantage of this great benefit and schedule a preventive health care visit with your doctor today!
The greatest wealth is health. ~ Virgil
Do you need help finding a doctor? Log in to the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal to utilize the Find a Provider tool to locate an In-Network provider near you.
The Office of Group Insurance is committed to providing employees with details about the benefits available through the group insurance program. Visit the OGI website, https://ogi.idaho.gov, for resources and links to helpful benefit information.