Boston Moving To A New Non-Medicare Health Plan In FY2022

Press release from the City of Boston:

February 26, 2021

You should review your new Non-Medicare healthcare options before the Annual Enrollment period.

This year, Annual Enrollment will occur from Monday, April 26, 2021, through Friday, May 21, 2021. While you are not required to take any action during Annual Enrollment, you can choose to move plans and add or remove dependents for the upcoming plan year. It's essential that you understand your new Non-Medicare health plan options so you can make the best choice for yourself and your family.

Please refer to the questions and answers below about the Non-Medicare health plans that will be made available for eligible City workers and retirees effective July 1, 2021.

This year, the City of Boston will be introducing the new AllWays Value Network HMO with a provider network focused on high quality, high performance, lower-cost providers in Massachusetts.

Common questions section coming soon!

We will be updating this page shortly, please visit again for common questions and answers related to the new AllWays Value Network HMO.

HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION (HMO):

A plan that usually limits coverage to care from doctors who contract with the HMO. It generally will not cover out-of-network care except in an emergency. An HMO requires you to live in its service area to be eligible for coverage. HMO plans also require a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist.

VALUE NETWORK HMO:

A plan that excludes the highest cost providers, as determined by the health insurance provider. It includes only lower-cost providers that meet a certain quality threshold.

ID Cards

Providers

Referrals and authorizations

Prescriptions

Active City of Boston employees and non-Medicare eligible retired employees have access to the Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO health plan, Blue Care Elect Preferred.

This Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan offers access to the Blue Cross Blue Shield national network with no referrals for a flexible coverage solution. You can go almost anywhere for care without a referral, but your costs are lower when you use in-network, preferred providers.

For more information about the Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO health plan, please visit the BCBS microsite for eligible City of Boston employees and retirees.

PREFERRED PROVIDER ORGANIZATION (PPO):

A plan in which you pay less to use providers that belong to the plan’s network. You can use doctors, hospitals, and providers outside of the network for an additional cost. PPO plans do not require a PCP referral for a specialist visit.

This press release was produced by the City of Boston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.