Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Michigan Battles Sluggish Economy With Diverse Prod...( Medicare Advantage Fee-For-Service Pl...),Health

Medicare Advantage Fee-For-Service Plan Positions Blue Cross Blue Shield of

Michigan to Win New Business, According to a New Report from

HealthLeaders-InterStudy

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthLeaders-InterStudy, the leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that as the economy continues to stagnate in Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan remains the best equipped of all of its competitors to weather the economic storm because of its diverse product lineup. According to the new report entitled Blue Profiler: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the insurer is focusing heavily on its line of products for individuals, retirees and Medicaid recipients.

"With the erosion of employer-based coverage and the auto companies and suppliers seeking to eliminate paid retiree health benefits, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been proactive in retooling its individual products and targeting certain buyer groups," said Rick Byrne, analyst at HealthLeaders-InterStudy. "For example, its Young Adult Blue product for buyers between ages 18 and 30 offers premiums as low as $47 a month."

The report also finds that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan positioned itself to win new business from the auto makers with the launch of its Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service plan (PFFS) that has more than 240,000 members across the country, making it the second-largest PFFS carrier in the country. The Blue plan has also been successful at transitioning Medicare prescription drug plan members into more lucrative Medicare Advantage products.

"As long as the federal government's reimbursement for the PFFS product continues to make it attractive for insurers, the Michigan Blue plan will be one of the leading carriers of it," said Byrne.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan also entered the Medicaid market with its acquisition of M-CARE's M-CAID. "As the rest of the country
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