Question for teachers

Hi, I have an insurance question for any teachers here in Maine. I just recently was hired to teach next year - this is my first teaching job. I'm going in to sign my contract and sign up for benefits next week (although they won't take effect until August.) Is there anything I should know about the insurance before signing up? I have been battling my insurance company (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois) for over a year for approval, so I want to be prepared. (I'm also assuming all teachers in Maine have the same insurance?) Thanks, Amy

Hi Amy, Congrats on your job! I taught for 11 years before deciding to stay home with my 2 yahoos. My hubby is still a teacher. We have Anthem HMO through his school district. It covered my surgery. The office submitted my claim on a Friday and I was called the following Tuesday to schedule my surgery. No hassle at all. Not all schools have the same insurance. The majority have the Anthem plan, but there are some districts that have several companies to choose from. I hope this helped. Congrats again on your job! Melissa

Thanks Melissa, I had read some posts saying that Anthem was putting an exclusion clause in their new policies unless the company purchased a rider. So I'm glad to hear it's still covered under this plan. I still haven't received my benefits information though. Now if only I could sleep nights and stop worrying about this fall... Amy