Florida health insurance can be a challenging area to navigate, and the pressure to get the perfect plan for your needs can feel immense. The inability to re-enroll for long periods of time, sometimes many months until the next open enrollment. While Florida Blue offers fantastic healthcare options, making your way through the different insurance networks with many plans often can feel overwhelming.

What Does Blue Options, Blue Care, and Blue Select Mean in Florida Health Insurance Terms?

These three health insurance networks are the main networks of Florida Blue, which used to be called Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, they include all of the participating providers and facilities. In effect, they simply represent the insurance network you’ll be joining with your affordable healthcare insurance, nothing more or less than that. All the plans that are offered are qualified health plans, which means they comply with the ACA laws and you will not receive a tax penalty.

Blue Options PPO Network

Of all the Florida Blue networks, Blue Options is the largest PPO network, and good out-of-network coverage outside the state of Florida and a ton of affiliated pharmacies. This network is in all 67 counties of Florida and has over 34,000 physicians participating. Also, about 200 hospitals are inside this network, so you have lots of choices to be admitted where you want. Also, should you be referred to a specialist or special facility you have a much better chance that they would be inside this larger PPO network. There are over 60,000 pharmacies nationwide, with Walgreens as the preferred pharmacy. There is even worldwide coverage using the participating Blue Cross Blue Shield online provider directory.

Blue Care HMO Network

Blue Care is an HMO network so referrals are always needed from your primary care provider. There is no out of state coverage, except in the case of an emergency. This network is only available in the state of Florida in 34 of 67 counties, so make sure you live in one of those 34 counties so you can use the insurance plan.

The HMO network has about 29,000 participating physicians and over 200 hospitals in the state of FL. Out of network coverage for other parts of Florida are for Emergency Room services only. And there are no worldwide participating providers, just Emergency Room or Urgent Care Services are covered outside the state of Florida.

One of the benefits of an HMO network is that you have one doctor that has all your records and has an overview of your total care. Every time you get referred to a specialist, that specialist will share information with your primary care doctor. So when you have an office visit with your primary care physician you can ask all sort of questions and he/she should have a better overall picture of your health.

Blue Select EPO Network

Lastly, Blue Select is the smallest network and is offered in 31 of the 67 counties in Florida. This exclusive provider network is by no means too small to use, there are about 17,000 participating providers that accept plans in this network. Over 100 hospitals in the state accept this network. Also, members of this network have the same access to the 60,000 pharmacies nationwide. As with the other networks, Walgreens is the preferred pharmacy to use. Blue Select does offer out of state coverage, but go online and check the provider list before walking in just anywhere. The prices of the plans inside this smaller network are lower than the larger networks. You have less choice so you receive a price break.

What Are Insurance Networks?

Insurance networks are nothing more than the groups of physicians, hospitals and service providers who offer lower rates through the plan and thus are covered by the plan. You’ll pay less by sticking to your network for doctors and hospitals.

Of course, this means it’s vital to check that your preferred doctor is covered by the network you choose, or you will be facing a lot of out of pocket medical bills. Fortunately, Florida Blue has a pretty comprehensive network directory online for you to check and see if your practitioner of choice is covered.

Always search online for doctors, hospitals, and specialists you are going to use both for a minor issue and in an emergency. Also, check pharmacies you prefer to use. This can seem time-consuming to do, but in reality, a little legwork now will ultimately make your experience with FloridaBlue a much more affordable one.

You will also be able to find health insurance agents to help you through the sorting process if you really cannot face handling it yourself. Find out more tips here.

Many people forget their prescription coverage when choosing a Florida Blue plan. Remember that, while it is important to work with doctors and hospitals you can easily access, it is equally important to make sure you can access medication you need at a pharmacy conveniently located near you.

Therefore spend a little extra time to be sure that your prescription coverage is appropriate for your needs as well. Remember that not all chain pharmacies carry the same drug range, and you may prefer to stick with the brands you use already, so call around. Once, you are a member of Florida Blue you can comparison shop when you log in to your own account.

Finding affordable health care insurance can seem an overwhelming task, but it is not as bad as it appears, try using a licensed health insurance agent which will not cost you anything! They will help you in ensuring you find the right plan for your needs and service area.