SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California and the California Correctional Peace Officers’ Association (CCPOA) Benefit Trust Fund today announced that Blue Shield is CCPOA’s new HMO carrier for the CCPOA Medical Plan, which will be offered to its union’s 34,000 members in covered service areas, effective January 1, 2006.
Blue Shield was recently awarded a contract to provide fully underwritten HMO coverage to CCPOA’s members, replacing Health Net as the exclusive CCPOA Medical Plan choice. Under the agreement, CCPOA members will now have access to coverage in the service areas of Glenn, Butte, Imperial, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Mariposa and San Luis Obispo counties, as well as all of Riverside County. The CCPOA Medical Plan is regionally rated for Northern and Southern California.
CCPOA member benefits include a $10 copay for self-referral to specialty care accessed through the Access+ Specialist option. Chiropractic care will remain a benefit with a lower copay of $10.
“Blue Shield is delighted to have the opportunity to serve the healthcare coverage needs of CCPOA members,” said Janet Widmann, vice president of Blue Shield’s Labor, Trust and Public Sector Unit. “Correctional peace officers work hard every day to keep us safe and deserve high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage.”
“We are here to help our members, all of our members. It is our constant desire to provide a better medical plan,” said Gale McKinney, CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund chair. “It is exciting to be able to provide our members with this new CCPOA Medical Plan, which expands our coverage areas, while enhancing the healthcare benefit package.”
CCPOA members will be able to select the CCPOA Medical Plan offered through Blue Shield during the regularly scheduled open enrollment period, which will be held September 15 through October 15, 2005. The CCPOA Medical Plan will be offered as a choice alongside other California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) plans and is separate and distinct from the Blue Shield plan offered through CalPERS.
Blue Shield’s CCPOA contract builds on the company’s recent business successes. Since March 2005, Blue Shield’s other successful bids include the Santa Barbara International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Union Local 33.
Blue Shield has successfully served such public sector accounts as CalPERS and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Since 2003, Blue Shield has been the only statewide network-model HMO for CalPERS. Blue Shield has worked for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program since 1960.
The Board of Directors of the California Correctional Peace Officers’ Association elected to institute an insurance program for its membership in 1963. In 1972, CCPOA established the Benefit Trust Fund, which serves 33,000 members. In 1986, CCPOA was the first in years to have a unique medical plan, approved by CalPERS, to be offered exclusively to CCPOA membership.
Founded in 1939, Blue Shield of California is one of the state’s leading healthcare companies. Headquartered in San Francisco, the not-for-profit corporation has more than 3.3 million members, 4,300 employees and more than 20 office locations throughout California. For more information on Blue Shield, visit the company’s website at www.mylifepath.com.
Contacts: Patrice Smith Director of Corporate Communications Blue Shield of California (415) 229-6366 patrice.smith@blueshieldca.com Michael E. Smalley Assistant Administrator CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund (916) 779-6349 mesmalley@ccpoabtlf.org
Blue Shield of California
CONTACT: Patrice Smith, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Shieldof California, +1-415-229-6366, patrice.smith@blueshieldca.com; or MichaelE. Smalley, Assistant Administrator, CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund,+1-916-779-6349, mesmalley@ccpoabtlf.org
Web site: http://www.mylifepath.com/
