Health Insurance Company Comparison: Independence Blue Cross vs. Oscar, Cigna, and AmBetter
Open Enrollment is here! When it comes to 2022 health insurance plans, we know you have many choices. That’s why we work hard at Independence Blue Cross to provide you with a range of plans to meet your needs and budget.
Independence Blue Cross offers the most health plan options — including HMO, PPO, and EPO health plans — in the Philadelphia region!
We’ve served the Philadelphia region for more than 80 years, and we’re proud to be the only health insurance company that has been in the Health Insurance Marketplace in Pennsylvania since it opened.
What Are You Looking for In a Health Plan?
Are you looking for a health plan that offers full network access with ways to save money? We’ve got that.
Do you want high-quality, no-deductible health plans? We’ve got those!
How about a health plan that covers telemedicine at no cost to you, with 24/7 access to care from board-certified doctors? We’ve got you covered there, too. All our individual and family health plans cover virtual care visits from MDLIVE® at $0 cost-sharing (with the exception of catastrophic and HSA-qualified plans).
Choosing Health Insurance Is About More Than Your Premium
Health insurance is about your total cost of health care. That means figuring out how much it costs to buy the health insurance plan as well as how much it costs to use your coverage. As you shop for a health plan during Open Enrollment this year, consider what makes up your total cost of health care:
Monthly premium.Your premium is the amount you pay each month to keep your health care coverage active.
Out-of-pocket costs.These are what you pay when you use your health plan to get care, like going to the doctor or hospital. These costs may include cost-sharing (a flat fee you pay when you receive health care services), co-insurance (a percentage of the costs that you may pay for certain types of health care), or a deductible (the amount you pay each year for care before your health plan starts to share the costs).
Comparing Independence Blue Cross vs. Oscar, Cigna, and Ambetter
You may be trying to decide what health plan is right for you and your family. Here’s a look at how two of our Keystone HMO Silver Proactive health plans compare with Silver individual and family consumer health plans from Oscar, Cigna, and AmBetter. The cost information below comes from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and the rates in the table are based on a 45-year-old non-smoker.
Independence Blue Cross Oscar Health AmBetter Cigna Keystone
HMO Silver
Proactive Keystone HMO Silver Proactive Basic Silver Classic AmBetter Balanced
Care 12 Cigna Connect 3600 Information below is based on using a Tier 1 provider (Tier 1 includes more than half the network). Cost Expense estimate (what you may pay out-of-pocket for care) Medium ($$) Lower ($) Medium ($$) Medium ($$) Medium ($$) Monthly premium $545 $453 $530 $480 $518 Deductible $0 for
Tier 1 providers $2,500 $5,750 $6,500 $3,600 Out-of-pocket maximum $8,700 $8,700 $8,700 $8,400 $8,700 Primary Care Physician $40 $50 $35 $35 $25 Specialist $80 $100 $95 $70 $75 Mental health office visit $80 $100 $80 $35 40% coinsurance, after deductible Virtual care (e.g., telemedicine) Free Free Information unavailable Free Urgent care $80 $100 $50 $55 $35 Emergency room $600 $750 copay, after deductible 40% coinsurance, after deductible 40% coinsurance, after deductible Company Information Headquarters Philadelphia, PA New York, NY St. Louis, MO Bloomfield, CT Years in Philadelphia region 80+ 2 3 0
If you compare the total cost of care for these health plans, you can see it’s worth it to pay a slightly higher monthly premium to save thousands in deductible costs.
You May Qualify for Financial Assistance
Sometimes called a tax credit or subsidy, financial assistance is available for those who qualify to help pay for health insurance costs. You may qualify for:
Lower monthly premiums
Lower monthly premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs for health care
Your household income, household size, and where you live determine if you are eligible for a tax credit. You could pay as little as $0/month for a high-quality health plan!
Use our online calculator to see if you qualify. If you are eligible for a tax credit, you will need to enroll at pennie.com.
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Get Health Insurance for 2022
Open Enrollment for 2022 individual and family health insurance plans ends January 15, 2022. But, if you want your coverage to begin January 1, you must enroll by December 15.
Your health care coverage will start February 1, 2022 if you enroll between December 16 – January 15.
Shop for a plan that works for you.
MDLIVE is an independent company providing telemedicine, teledermatology, and telebehavioral health services for Independence Blue Cross members.
