Is it possible to listen to Proud Mary and not want to give up that “good job in the city” to “hitch a ride on a river boat queen”? Whether it’s by boat on the Mississippi, the Amazon, the Nile, the Ganges, or some smaller, quieter river, or by train, by plane, by foot, by car…the manner in which we travel plays a large role in the way in which we experience the world.

The manner in which we choose to be insured also makes a difference…and in some cases travel is necessary for the specialized care, known as Centers of Excellence, that we have been blessed enough to have access to. We may just take a vacation here in the states or abroad, we may choose to winter elsewhere, we may have children interested in studying abroad or on a spring break trip. You must not go anywhere without a thorough understanding of how your health insurance would work if you were to become ill or injured. Most illnesses and injuries are unscheduled as health care needs don’t surface only when you are near home. I always refresh my insured’s minds with some of the following information.

As a Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield member, you have coverage through the BlueCard program wherever you travel. More than 90 percent of all hospitals and physicians throughout the United States contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

Your level of coverage depends on your plan:

• Alliance SelectSM or Blue Select®: You pay the same cost share as you pay in-network when you use participating BlueCard providers.
• Blue Choice® plans: If you receive care from an out-of-area provider without a referral, you have Level 3 benefits (your highest cost share) for services at a participating BlueCard practitioner’s offices or urgent care center. You also have coverage for emergency medical services.
• Blue Access® and Blue Advantage® plans: You have coverage for emergency medical services only.

Read my next blog post as I discuss how to BlueCard and BlueCard Worldwide