There’s a new health care policy that could make health care more accessible for those who can’t afford high premiums.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, along with health-care professionals and hospitals throughout the state are cooperating on a program that offers a solution to the growing problem of the uninsured in Kansas.
The policy is called Value Blue and is a community-oriented health plan that is available to Kansans who have not had health insurance for the past 12 months and who have an annual gross household income at or below 200 percent of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty level (about $40,000 for a family of four). Value Blue premiums are about 50 percent less than products with comparable coverage through cooperation of Blue Cross and health-care providers who are part of the Value Blue network.
Lougene Marsh, executive director of the Flint Hills Community Health Center, said the health center is a part of the Value Blue network.
“We have a flyer on it,” Marsh said. “We’ve put them in our office. We are enrolled as a provider.”
Marsh said the program looks appealing.
“We are always interested in any strategies that help people have more access to care,” she said. “This plan, as I understand it, is affordable, but affordable is subjective based on whether you have enough money to pay the premium.”
Marsh said she’d like to see people enroll in the program.
“I’d like to see more people give it a try and see if it works for them and see if it gives them better access to the health-care system,” she said. “We would encourage people to try this out and if they want to come here and use our services we would certainly welcome that.”
For more information call: (800) 874-1823 or visit www.bcbsks.com.