Answers to Blue Cross/Blue Shield Questions

My child is 18 and in college. What do I have to do to keep him/her on my insurance? How long is he/she eligible?

Answer:

• Children are covered under our policy until they reach the age of 19 – no exceptions.
• Once your child reaches 19, he/she will remain eligible as long as he/she is a full time student and is under the age of 23. However, it is the responsibility of the member to complete a “Member Change Form” changing the status of the dependent to full time student. You can get one of these change forms from a Local Officer or by calling the System Office at 724-483-3558. Forms should be sent directly to the System Office for processing. Forms received by BC, not processed through the System Office are not accepted.
• Once a student is added to a policy, no additional paperwork will be required. On the first day of the month after the student turns 23, Highmark will automatically drop the student from the policy.
• If a child graduates or leaves school for any reason, he/she is no longer eligible and once again it is the responsibility of the member to make the necessary change to the policy.
• A child may be re-added at a later date if he/she returns to school full time and is under 23 years of age.
• Once a dependent becomes ineligible for any of the above reasons, he/she is then eligible for the COBRA plan.

• For further information see Page 51 of the Member Medical Benefits Booklet.

How soon do I have to add a baby to my hospitalization?

Answer:

• If you already have Family or Parent/Child(ren) Coverage, you should get a Member Change Form and add the baby's name within the first two weeks or as soon as possible. Coverage will be retro-active to the date of birth.
• If you need to change your coverage from Individual or Husband/Wife to Coverage that will include the new baby (Family or Parent/child(ren), you will need two forms; a Payroll Deduction Form and a Member Change Form. Our recommendation is to change to the new type of coverage effective the month the baby is due. That paperwork should be completed two months in advance in order for your payroll deduction to be correct. Example: Baby due in March, turn forms in to System Office in January. The first pay in February is when your March premium is deducted.
• However, if you do not make a change in advance of the birth, the coverage can be retro-active to the first day of the month in which the baby was born, up to 60 days. Your payroll deductions will reflect the additional premiums owed.

How do I find out about my coverage?

Answer:

• You can call Member Service at 1-800-241-5704 (found on the back of your ID card).
• Go to www.highmarkbcbs.com for additional information.
• Refer to our Medical Benefits Booklet designed specifically for our plan.

How do I get a new BC/BS identification card?

Answer:

• Call 1-800-241-5704

How can I get a new medical benefits book?

Answer:

• Ask a Local Union Officer.
• Call the System Office at 724-483-3558.

Do I have the same medical insurance when I retire?

Answer:

• As a retiree you will have the exact coverage as you do now as an active employee.
• You will, however, be transferred into the Retiree Group. You will then pay your premiums on a quarterly basis to the System Office of the Union. You will also be issued new cards with a new Identification Number as well as the Group Number will have a different sub-group.