Blue Cross Blue Shield is making some big changes that could affect half a million Texans.
If you have an HMO plan with the insurance company, you should be aware that Blue Cross Blue Shield will no longer pay for an out-of-network ER visit if it is not serious or life-threatening.
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Claims will be evaluated by a medical director to determine the reason a patient chose to go to the ER, and whether treatment could have been handled by a clinic or family physician.
Critics claim the program forces patients to make untrained diagnoses and potentially skip treatment if they fear medical bills will not be paid.