When you visit the doctor & pharmacy there are a few important things you need to know.
At the Doctor: In general, using your insurance at the doctor will work much in the same way as it did when you had the HCA. You will present your BCBS ID card and will be told you do not owe anything at the point of service. You will receive a bill from your doctor’s office and, separately, an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from Blue Cross. Do NOT pay the bill until you have seen your EOB – the EOB tells you what you owe with insurance and your doctor’s bill may not reflect the Blue Cross discounted rate. Once you know what you owe with insurance, you can pay your bill. Depending on how your doctor does billing, you can write in your HSA debit card info on the bill and send it back to your doctor or call your doctor’s office to pay over the phone. If you have run out of HSA funds or just wish to pay out of pocket, you will pay the bill out of pocket with your personal checking account or credit card information.
At the Pharmacy: At the pharmacy you will pay at the point of service. Be sure to show your Blue Cross ID card to ensure that your prescription cost is the Blue Cross discounted rate and to ensure that it tracks towards your deductible. You can swipe your HSA debit card to pay (be sure to run it as credit to avoid paying a transaction fee), or you will pay out of pocket if you have either run out of HSA funds or if you wish to pay out of pocket.
If you further questions about what to do at the doctor or pharmacy, please contact Elsa Dunson, Benefits Coordinator with Holmes Murphy, at x3359 or edunson@holmesmurphy.com.