BOSTON — May 1, 2013 — The Town of Douglas is making health insurance plan design changes and switching health plan providers to
"Switching to Blue Cross saves the Town of Douglas $575,000 in health care costs," said Michael J. Guzinski, Douglas Town Administrator. "This significant step will enable us to deliver high-value health care benefits to our employees at an affordable cost, while helping to achieve much needed budget savings for our town."
Debra Young, Vice President at USI New England and Insurance Consultant said, "Management and the town's employees worked collaboratively to reach a decision that best meets the needs of Douglas and its employees. This cooperation demonstrates the meaningful results we can accomplish by working together. Blue Cross offered Douglas the most value and flexibility and was the best choice for their employees and their families. The two health care plans have deductibles, copays, and other similar features, comparable to those offered through the state's Group Insurance Commission (GIC) and other insurers."
The Town of Douglas will offer employees a BCBSMA HMO and PPO plan to choose from. Blue Cross will be working closely with the town and their employees to create a healthy environment and provide employees with tools to make good health care decisions.
"Cities and towns continue to save with Blue Cross, while having the peace of mind of knowing that their employees are covered by an industry leader," said Larry Croes, Vice President of Commercial and Municipal Markets. "We continue to see great interest from towns like Douglas — in switching to BCBSMA because of the benefits we provide including: a holistic approach for getting claims/costs under control through a one-stop, customized approach; the ability to annually review options for controlling health care costs; tailored health and wellness and disease management programs; flexibility in plan/benefit modifications; and our dedicated account executives and service teams. More than 75% of municipal entities in the state are already managing their health care with Blue Cross."
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to working with others in a spirit of shared responsibility to make quality health care affordable. Consistent with our corporate promise to always put our 2.8 million members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. BCBSMA is proud to provide health coverage to more than 250,000 municipal employees, their families and to 120,000 federal employees. To learn more visit the Municipal Options website.