Sometimes it feels like all we write about is how unaffordable health insurance has become, and how difficult it can be to obtain health insurance on your own, in the individual market. But Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is rolling out a new, lower-priced individual health insurance plan in Colorado tomorrow – called SmartSense – with a goal of reaching some of the nearly 744,000 Coloradans who are currently uninsured.
John Martie, the president of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Colorado says “SmartSense represents the best of Anthem’s plans. Most individual plans on the market today offer limited choices. SmartSense can be tailored to fit your needs – and is priced lower than any of our other products, with premiums ranging from as little as $33 to $178 per month for a healthy 25 year old male. It’s a no frills – but not a bare bones plan.”
I’m glad to see that SmartSense, while being a low-priced policy, has coverage of up to $7million in lifetime benefits. Just like other Anthem policies, SmartSense has a range of deductible options available, and also allows clients to choose between having comprehensive prescription benefits or coverage for only generic drugs (if you can afford the premiums, comprehensive prescription coverage is a good peace of mind choice on any policy, since you never know when a serious illness that requires expensive medications could occur). SmartSense provides coverage for the first three doctor visits with a $30 copayment before the deductible is met, and covers 70% of the cost of doctor visits after the deductible is met.
I’m a big fan of no-frills health insurance policies. I like high deductible policies with solid coverage after the deductible is met. We’re excited to see more details about SmartSense, but at first glance it’s looking like it will be a good option for clients in Colorado who are looking for a policy from a reputable insurer at an affordable price.
