BlueCross Receives Federal Approval for 2008 Medi...( COLUMBIA S.C. Oct. 29 /- The fede...),Health

COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The federal government has approved all of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina's 2008 Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D product offerings. Enrollment applications can be accepted starting on Nov. 15.

BlueCross' products include two PPO plans, Medicare Blue(SM) and Medicare Blue(SM) Plus; a private fee-for-service plan, Medicare Blue(SM) Private; and two prescription drug plans, MedBlue(SM) Rx and MedBlue(SM) Rx Plus.

The plans include new offerings for 2008. Medicare Blue Private has expanded from being available in 22 counties in South Carolina to being sold statewide in 2008 and has lowered its copayments for primary care doctor's visits, specialist visits, urgent care and chiropractic and podiatry services. Both PPO plans have lowered copayments for primary care physicians and specialists. MedBlue Rx Plus has added coverage for generic drugs during the Medicare coverage gap called the "doughnut hole."

Information may be obtained by calling BlueCross at 1-800-760-1790 (TTY 1-888-899-4219), or by visiting the Medicare Advantage page of the company's Web site at http://www.SouthCarolinaBlues.com/ma08.

"We're pleased that we can offer our Medicare Blue Private Fee-for-Service plan to all residents of South Carolina with lower out-of-pocket costs for many of their health care services," said BlueCross Assistant Vice President Irving Albrecht.

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and its family of companies include more than 20 subsidiaries involved in health insurance services, U.S. DOD health plan and Medicare contracts, and other insurance and employee benefits services.

(SM) Service mark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association