If you live in Pennsylvania and are searching for health coverage for you and your family it’s vital that you choose the right carrier. With the recent rise of people losing their employer paid health coverage it’s becoming increasingly important to choose a medical insurance company that will cover your health related expenses with reliability and the least amount of aggravation.
With this in mind, Highmark Blue Shield was recently chosen as the 2009 award recipient for best health plans in Pennsylvania by JD Power (JD Power is a well regarded consumer rating service which provides non biased reviews and ratings of various products and services). As point of reference dental insurance was not considered in the evaluation.
The top ten insurance companies which were compared were: Aetna, Capital, CIGNA, Geisinger Health Plan, HealthAmerica/HealthAssurance (part of the Coventry family), Highmark Blue Shield, Highmark Blue Cross, Independence, United Healthcare and UPMC. Each carrier was rated on eight different factors with a corresponding score of 1 to 5 stars. The company with the highest combined score received the award.
Of the eight evaluated categories, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield rated best (five stars) in six of the eight areas including “Overall Experience”. The only other insurance company which was close was their “sister” carrier Highmark Blue Cross. Some of the other categories which they garnered top honors were: “Coverage and Benefits”, “Provider Choice” and “Claims Processing.”
It’s important to point out that most health insurance plans offered by Highmark will match up closely with many employer sponsored coverage which tend to be rich in benefits. There is also a level of comfort that is attached with the Blue Cross Blue Shield moniker.