Barrow County Schools participates in the State Health Benefit plan. Each year, the Board contributes $1,760 certified and $1,580 classified per month per participant - $18,960 to $21,120 annually to fund health care coverage for our employees. There are 7 plan choices and 3 providers. All plans cover 100% of the cost of preventive care. A quick overview is provided below, but click the "State Health Decision Guide" button for ALL the details!
Blue Cross HRA Plans: Choose from the Bronze, Silver, or Gold HRA plans. All medical expenses are covered after a deductible except for prescriptions and preventive care. All 3 plans have an HRA Account - dollars that help you pay your medical expenses and meet your deductible. Any unused HRA dollars roll over to the next year. Remember that there are no co-pays for doctor visits in these plans. You'll use your HRA money first, then pay out of pocket until you meet your deductible. HRA amounts and deductibles vary from plan to plan.
HMO Plans: There are 3 HMO plans to choose from. The Blue Cross and United plans are identical - with only minor network differences - so most folks will want to focus on the lower-cost Blue Cross HMO. In these plans, a deductible applies to some expenses like hospital stays, surgery and scans but co-pays apply to doctor visits, urgent care, emergency room visits, and prescriptions. The third HMO from Kaiser has co-pays with no deductible - but you can ONLY use their facilities, doctors, and pharmacies. There are NO out-of-network benefits in any of the HMO plans.
High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP): While this is the lowest cost plan, it also has the highest deductible and out-of-pocket limit of any plan. Since the Bronze HRA has a lower deductible and out-of-pocket limit, it may be the more economical choice.