Group Market News
Published April 8, 2019
The Alaska Medical Transportation Benefits program is included in medical plans for fully insured and OptiFlex groups and is available as a buy-up option for self-funded groups.
When we introduced our improved Medical Transportation Benefits program earlier this year, one of our goals was to create a more coordinated medical travel experience for our Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska members. To achieve this, we assembled a team of medical travel experts dedicated to making the medical travel process as smooth as possible by guiding members every step of the way.
How our medical travel experts help
Our medical travel experts help members who either are facing a serious medical condition that can’t be treated locally, or are looking for non-emergency care at a lower price than they’ll find in Alaska. They provide members with the following:
- A comprehensive explanation of the program benefits
- Confirmation that the medical travel is pre-approved when pre-approval is necessary
- Travel assistance, including making travel arrangements and providing a personalized information guide, when using Elective Procedure Travel benefits
Customer story
When an Alaska member was preparing for hand surgery in Seattle, she called our Alaska travel team for help understanding her medical transportation benefits. A medical travel expert went over her benefits and contacted her provider for the appropriate procedure codes to review her case for Elective Procedure Travel approval. Within 24 hours, her travel approval process was complete.
After her procedure, she submitted her medical claim and the travel team helped ensure her claim was submitted and processed correctly and in a timely manner. With the helpful guidance of our medical travel experts, the member was happy with her medical travel experience.
“We put our member at the center of what we do,” says Amber, senior correspondence representative on the Alaska travel team. “Almost every single person on the Alaska travel team assisted this member and each time she was given excellent service. We made things easier for the member, we made things clear, and we made healthcare work better!”
Action you can take
- Tell the customer story to your group clients so they better understand the value of a Premera medical plan.
- Let your clients know about the ready-to-share employee communications that make it easy for employers to tell their employees about the Premera medical transportation benefits and how our medical travel experts can help.
- Download the Medical Transportation Benefits brochure and use it to talk to your new and renewing self-funded group clients.