RICHARDSON, Texas – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) will expand its Medicare Advantage (MA) network in 2020.
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) authorized BCBSTX’s expansion application, which will add five Texas counties to its Medicare Advantage HMO plan. In addition, the PPO plan expansion will add 15 counties, nearly doubling the size of that existing network to 35 counties.
The expansion provides more choices for consumers during this year’s Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP), which begins Oct. 15 and continues through Dec. 7.
The MA HMO and PPO expansions build on strong networks already in place in a number of Texas counties and is part of BCBSTX’s commitment to providing members with access to affordable health care.
The Texas MA PPO expansion will be in Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Cooke, Fannin, Guadalupe, Hill, Johnson, Kendall, Llano, Medina, Navarro, Rockwall, Wilson and Wise, Hill and Wilson counties. Plan highlights include:
- Cost-free SilverSneakers gym membership
- Some plans offer supplemental vision and dental included in the plan
- Dallas Choice Premier PPO plan offers a supplemental hearing aid allowance
The MA HMO expansion involves Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant and Travis. Plan highlights include:
- $0 premiums
- $0 PCP visits
- Over-the-counter quarterly mail order benefit
- Cost free SilverSneakers gym membership
- Cost free transportation for travel to/from doctors’ visits
- Some supplemental vision, dental and hearing benefits included in the plan
The counties currently served by the MA HMO are: Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Cameron, Chambers, Comal, El Paso, Fort Bend, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Jefferson, Kendall, Lee, Liberty, Medina, Montgomery, Orange, Webb, Willacy, Williamson and Wilson.
Current PPO counties served are Bastrop, Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Chambers, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Fayette, Fort Bend, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Jefferson, Lee, Liberty, Montgomery, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson.
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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and healthcare practitioners, and 500 hospitals to serve more than 5 million members in all 254 counties.
BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico), the country’s largest customer- owned health insurer, and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.