General News
Published March 18, 2019
One of the common complaints about healthcare is surprise costs. It's the reason Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska makes the Find a Doctor tool available to help prevent unexpected bills.
With Find a Doctor, Premera members can estimate their medical treatment costs with in-network providers.
Why employees should estimate their treatment costs
The cost for the same healthcare service can vary greatly between providers. That's the reason your employees should use Find a Doctor to compare prices of medical services in their plan's provider network. With this tool, Premera members can quickly research their healthcare costs in advance and take action to lower their out-of-pocket expenses.
How it works
To start estimating treatment costs, members should follow these steps:
- Sign in to their member account at premera.com. Once signed in, members get tailor-made cost estimates based on their plan's current bills and deductibles.
- Select Compare treatment costs under the Estimate Treatment Costs section, or choose Find a Doctor in the top navigation bar. They can search for nearby doctors and hospitals that provide the services and procedures they need.
- Click Explore and select Medical procedure costs. Then choose from a wide variety of procedures such as tests and screenings, physical rehabilitation, CT scans, or surgical procedures to compare costs.
Tell your employees
You’ll find ready-to-share communications about Find a Doctor and how to estimate treatment costs on the Employee Communications Center. The Employee Communications Center is an online library of materials that you can share with your employees with just a few clicks.
- Sign in to the secure employer website and follow the link to Employee Communication Resources.
- Look for Understand your benefits and costs in the left-hand column and select Understanding costs.
- Download customizable flyers, messages, and emails for your employees.