Question:
Can anyone tell me the difference between BLUECROSS AND BLUESHIELD?

Hi everyone! I live in northern Ca(bay area) and I have been off work for a little while due to injury on job. I recieved papers today about cobra because my job dropped my benifits. Im looking to buy insurance because I would like to have the surgery. My job has Kaiser, and if I have to pay for cobra I'd rather get better insurance. Can anyone tell be the diffence between bluecross and blueshield and which one is a better choice. I have started the process with kaiser but I know this route will go on forever. I also would like to know if there is a six month period when switching from one insurance to another. Can anyone help? I would hate this to be a year or two process.    — [Anonymous] (posted on April 15, 2001)

April 15, 2001
Blue Cross and Blue Shield usually function together. Blue Cross in most cases pays for inpatient hospital stays... lab work... etc. The Blue Shield portion is considered the "professional component", which means it pays for the physicians services and some other services as determined by the plan individually. The best bet is to have both, and quite frankly I dont know that you can purchase one without the other, but I am not in CA. My advice.. if Kaiser pays for the surgery... pay the cobra and get the surgery paid for. If not, shop around and see who covers the surgery and from there make the best financial decision for your family! Good Luck!!!!
   — Terri B.

April 15, 2001
bc bs requires 18 months of weight loss on a program by a doctor, i am having problems getting approved because of this, my doctor did not keep good enough records
   — laura B.