America's Benefit Specialist March 2023

PRODUCT NEWS

BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES VIRTUAL BENEFIT PLAN

MUTUAL OF OMAHA OFFERS DENTAL INSURANCE CUSTOMERS EXPANDED RESOURCES THROUGH GO2DENTAL

Blue Shield of California recently unveiled its Virtual Blue health benefits plan offering members easy-to-access care through a team of “virtual-first” primary, behavioral and spe cialist healthcare professionals. In addition to virtual care, members can access Blue Shield of California’s statewide PPO network for in-person care, plus national BlueCard and global GeoBlue coverage when care is needed outside of California. The plan, effective April 1, 2023, is now available to be selected by Blue Shield’s employer customers as a benefits offering for employees. Key features of Virtual Blue include $0 out-of-pocket cost (no copay, nor deductible charges) for the following virtual care services: • primary care, including pediatrics, family medicine and internal medicine • specialty care that includes 20 specialties • integrated mental health care for members ages four and older, including access to psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), and marriage and family therapists (MFT) • 24/7 urgent care The benefit plan offers simple online booking for virtual appointments. Copays and deductibles will apply when using an in-person provider or a virtual provider outside of Virtual Blue’s platform. In Accolade’s Advanced Primary Care model, physicians work with a team of certified health coaches, care coordi nators, and nurses who help members pursue health and wellness goals, manage chronic conditions and coordinate specialty and in-person care. Virtual Blue members can choose an Accolade primary care physician based on criteria such as gender, race, years of experience and language. All virtual care, including mental health and specialty care, is available on a single platform. Accolade’s virtual primary care physicians have achieved a 90% patient satisfaction score. Virtual Blue also offers 20 types of virtual specialists through California-based TeleMed2U. Members preferring in-person provider visits can still access Blue Shield’s Tandem PPO Network of nearly 40,000 physicians across California. While virtual care accessed through the Virtual Blue platform comes at no out-of-pocket cost to the member, copay and deductible costs will apply for in-person care and virtual care outside of the platform. To learn more, go to www.blueshieldca.com/virtualblue.

Mutual of Omaha is now offering dental insurance custom ers an enhanced all-in-one online resource center through go2dental. Customers who have Mutual of Omaha dental coverage through their employer can now access the Dental Wellness Center through Mutualofomaha.com/dental. These tools will empower members to make more informed decisions related to their dental health care and before they receive treatment. Features include: Find a Dentist—Search the extensive directory to find a dentist in your dental plan network. Dental Insurance Basics—Learn more about dental insur ance and how it works. Risk Assessments—Take a quiz to see if you are at a higher risk for certain oral conditions. Ask a Dentist—Email a dentist your dental-related ques tions. It’s free and a dentist will respond within 48 hours. Dental Care Resources—Access a dental library with videos of procedures, a terms glossary and other information to help you prepare for your visit or consultation and better understand your dental health. Dental Health News—View the latest dental health related articles. “Dental insurance is an important part of the formula for employer-provided coverage, so we are extremely excited to expand our services for this product,” said Scott Ault, execu tive vice president, workplace solutions at Mutual of Omaha. For more information, visit www.mutualofomaha.com. HIGHMARK BLUE SHIELD TO OFFER SUITE OF HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA Highmark Blue Shield (Pittsburgh) plans to strengthen its statewide presence and community-focused service by offer ing a wide range of health insurance solutions in Southeast ern Pennsylvania starting in 2024. Highmark Blue Shield plans to offer customers located in Southeastern Pennsylvania a full suite of health insurance products and solutions including Medicare Advantage, Medicaid dual-eligible, Individual Affordable Care Act, small-

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