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Updates
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.
24/7 care from anywhere with MDLIVE
Visiting the doctor just got a lot easier.
MDLive is a time and money saving healthcare alternative for minor conditions like cold and flu, pink eye, or allergies when your doctor isn’t available right away. MDLive treats over 50 routine medical conditions by mobile 
app, video or phone. You’ll have 24/7/365 access to U.S. board certified doctors (including pediatricians) via phone or video chat.
Traveling? Take your doctor with you! Getting sick is never fun – and it’s even worse when you’re on the road. Besides missing the comforts of home, there’s also the hassle and anxiety of finding care in an unfamiliar city. But with your telehealth benefit, you can bring your doctor along with you. Get care whenever you need it, wherever you are, for non-emergency conditions.
And, if medically necessary, a prescription can even be called into a pharmacy near you.
Now visiting the doctor is easier than ever with a new lower PPO copay of $10 per visit. Traditional and HDHP plan telehealth visits are subject to coinsurance and deductible.
Get Started today – it’s quick and easy! Download the app, text ‘BCIDAHO’ to MDLIVE (635483), visit MDLIVE.com/bcidaho or call 888-920-2975.
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.
Keep an eye on the Office of Group Insurance website, https://ogi.idaho.gov, for information in the Stay Informed blog, well-being resources on the Get Healthy page, information to navigate Life Events, and more…
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
The New Plan Year Started July 1, 2019
New this plan year, all ACA listed preventive services will be covered at 100% regardless of the plan in which you are enrolled. If you haven’t scheduled your annual visit with your Primary Care Physician (PCP), now is a great time to get that done. If you don’t have a PCP, you can find a searchable list of providers on the Blue Cross of Idaho Member Portal, members.bcidaho.com.
The plan also increased the annual dental maximum to $1,500. Don’t have a regular dentist to get your cleanings every six months? You can also find dentists in the searchable provider feature on the Blue Cross of Idaho Member Portal.
Check out the whole list of New Plan Year Highlights [PDF] that include information about:
- Telehealth services with MDLive (now with a lower copay for the PPO plan)
- Diabetes No-Copay Program
- Identity Theft Protection with AllClear ID
- New pharmacy copay amounts
- And more…
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.
Protect Your Identity in 2019
In today’s high-tech world, it’s critical to keep a vigilant watch on your personal and financial data. Blue Cross of Idaho, through its BlueCross BlueShield Association, is helping to assist members with that effort.
Blue Cross of Idaho has partnered with AllClear ID to offer enrolled members and their families identity protection services at NO COST to the member or the plan.
Members can log into the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal and click on the AllClear ID logo.
It’s important to protect what’s most valuable to you, especially your health, family and home. This is an added layer of protection for your medical history, bank account and credit cards.
*Please carefully read all communications from AllClear ID.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com. In addition to finding the link to enroll in the AllClear ID protection services, the member portal also allows you to view plan information, explanation of benefits (EOB) documents, search for network providers and so much more.
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
Mail Order Rx is NOW Available
CVS Mail Order Pharmacy is NOW Available
Getting your ongoing prescription medication is even easier with the CVS Caremark(R) Mail Order Pharmacy. Have your maintenance medications (medications you take regularly for a long-term or chronic condition) delivered directly to you, with no additional cost- and you’ll even save money as well as time.
You can get a 90-day supply of your medication
Temperature-sensitve items are shipped wtih ice packs in coolers and/or express delivery
Get started by logging into your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal – select Prescription Drugs – Benefits and Coverage – Access Your Pharmacy Benefits Now. You will be redirected to the CVS Caremark site where you can select Prescriptions and Start Mail Service.
Know Before You Go – CostAdvisor Tool
When it comes to healthcare, it’s hard to know if you are paying a fair price.
That’s why Blue Cross of Idaho gives you access to CostAdvisor – a tool that lets you see and compare physician, hospital and other healthcare costs in your area and based on your specific plan and network before you make appointments.
CostAdvisor uses historic claims data to provide you an estimate of what your insurance covers and what you may pay out-of-pocket. The more specific you are in your search, the more helpful the results will be. If you search “laminectomy” instead of “back surgery,” you’ll see better search results.
If you find a facility that fits your budget but a doctor is not listed, your primary care physician can help you find a provider who performs the procedure at that facility.
Now you can know before you go!
ALREADY REGISTERED
Visit bcidaho.com/knowbeforeyougo and log into your member account.
Select Estimate Your Costs Now. A new tab will open in your web browser and you’ll see a snapshot of savings opportunities, or you can begin estimating costs for procedures and services that are important to you.
NEED TO REGISTER
Registering is easy if you don’t have an account. All you need is your Blue Cross of Idaho member ID card.
Visit members.bcidaho.com and select Register from the top navigation bar.
Once you complete the registration process, you will be redirected to the Blue Cross of Idaho members homepage. Simply choose CostAdvisor from the right hand menu to start estimating costs!
Start Saving Now!
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!
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.
Member Identity Protection Services
In today’s high-tech world, it’s critical to keep a vigilant watch on your personal and financial data. Blue Cross of Idaho, through its BlueCross BlueShield Association, is helping to assist members with that effort.
Blue Cross of Idaho has partnered with AllClear ID to offer enrolled members and their families identity protection services at NO COST to the member or the plan.
Members can log into the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal and click on the AllClear ID logo.
It’s important to protect what’s most valuable to you, especially your health, family and home. This is an added layer of protection for your medical history, bank account and credit cards.
*Please carefully read all communications from AllClear ID.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com. In addition to finding the link to enroll in the AllClear ID protection services, the member portal also allows you to view plan information, explanation of benefits (EOB) documents, search for network providers and so much more.
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
OGI has a new office!
To provide better service to state employees, retirees and agencies, the Office of Group Insurance (OGI) has moved its offices to the Len B. Jordan Building at 650 W. State Street, Suite 145 in downtown Boise, ID. The office is located one block north of the Capitol Building.
Visitor parking is available for up to three (3) hours at the University of Idaho Law Library building (Old Ada County Courthouse) at the corner of 5th Street and State Street. Please look for designated visitor parking areas.
Keep an eye on the OGI website, ogi.idaho.gov, for the latest information about benefits, plan details and available services.
For questions, you are welcome to contact the Office of Group Insurance by phone, email or in-person.
Do You Know Your EAP?
We all handle stress, anxiety, grief, surprises, home conflicts in different ways and an Employee Assistance Program or EAP can provide valuable tools to help any individual navigate those situations in a healthy and productive way.
An EAP benefit is included in each of the State’s medical plans and designed to nurture a culture that supports an individual’s ability to care of themselves while balancing work, kids, parents, finances, etc. Benefit eligible employees and their dependents may each receive 1 to 5 visits per person per plan year with no copayment required.
here is how you can get started:
Watch the brief video tutorial on the Counseling page of the OGI website to learn more about how an EAP works.
Bookmark ComPsych’s GuidanceResources® in your favorite browser and create a login that is unique to you.
Use the “Ask a Guidance Consultant” feature on the GuidanceResources® homepage to receive answers to non-emergency emotional health questions.
Call 877.427.2327 to speak with a counseling professional who can guide you to the appropriate services.
View Discounts and Offers including EstateGuidance® – a self-guided online will and testament creation tool.
Keep an eye out for the new posters in your office and pick up an informational wallet card from your human resource office or request a card from the Office of Group Insurance.
By caring for ourselves, we can be at our best while we are at work and in other areas of our lives.
Blue Cross of Idaho contracts with ComPysch’s GuidanceResources® Worldwide to provide the EAP benefit.