BCBS of Okla., State Chamber Launch New Health Plan for Small Businesses

The Oklahoma State Chamber and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma reported they are making available Oklahoma Chamber Blue, a health insurance plan designed to make health coverage more affordable and accessible for Oklahoma small businesses.

The groups say the new product will be competitively priced and available to businesses in 62 counties.

Wyndham Kidd, president, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma said, “Oklahoma Chamber Blue works by combining employees of small businesses who are members of either The State Chamber or their local chamber of commerce into one larger insured group. This allows small employers to take advantage of health plan options formerly available only to larger companies.”

Plan benefits include:
–No medical underwriting is required for Oklahoma Chamber Blue — coverage is guaranteed for eligible businesses (see requirements below).
–Choice of four separate health plan options to employers, including both PPO and HMO coverage.
–Features prescription drug benefits, nationwide coverage and optional dental coverage.

Plan requirements:
–To be eligible for Oklahoma Chamber Blue, business must have fewer than 100 employees and be located in one of 62 counties outside the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas.
–Businesses also must be a member of either The State Chamber or one of more than 200 local chambers of commerce across the state.

Businesses in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas already have access to Chamber Choice — a similar affordable health plan offered through partnerships of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

The new Oklahoma Chamber Blue expands affordable coverage for chamber members statewide.

“Through the partnership of Oklahoma’s Chamber Federation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield, chamber-sponsored health plans now will be available in all 77 Oklahoma counties,” said Mike Seney, senior vice president, operations, The State Chamber.

Oklahoma Chamber Blue is available to eligible businesses in all Oklahoma counties except those Tulsa- and Oklahoma City-area counties listed below. Businesses located in these metro-area counties can visit www.bcbsok.com/ or call (888)250-9020 to learn more about similar chamber-sponsored coverage available in their area:

–Oklahoma City Chamber Choice is available in Oklahoma, Pottawatomie,Logan, Cleveland, Canadian and McClain counties.
–Tulsa Chamber Choice is available in Tulsa, Creek, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Rogers, Wagoner and Washington counties.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance New Markets Oklahoma