How does the BCBSIL BlueCare Direct plan work?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has teamed up with Advocate Health Care* to offer Chicago-area residents a new, more affordable health plan — BlueCare Direct.

BlueCare Direct. Great Access. More Affordable Coverage.

BlueCare Direct combines the strength, expertise and reputation of two of the state’s most respected leaders in the health industry. Advocate is the largest health system in Illinois, and BCBSIL is the largest health insurer in the state. Advocate is uniquely positioned to deliver quality patient outcomes, while working to manage overall health care costs, with the goal of delivering value to members without sacrificing access to quality doctors and hospitals.

BlueCare Direct provides access to Advocate Health Care’s vast network of doctors and hospitals in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties and available to individual, family and small groups. Along with all the features of an HMO, BlueCare Direct offers:

• Lower monthly premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs than most other HMO plans available to individual plan members
• Same-day appointments for primary care**
• Same day mammograms, and get the results on the same day**
• See a cardiologist within 24 hours
• Access to Advocate’s network of over 250 sites of care, including:
  • 4,000+ Advocate doctors
  • 13 Advocate community hospitals
  • The state’s largest integrated children’s network
  • The state’s largest home health and hospice companies
  • One of the region’s largest medical groups

The size of this network helps BlueCare Direct offer:

• Same-day primary care physician visits (next day if you call Advocate Health Care after 2 p.m.)
• Same-day mammograms and results (next day if you call Advocate Health Care after 2 p.m.)
• A visit with a heart doctor within 24 hours after you call Advocate Health Care

BlueCare Direct is an innovative new plan designed to offer individuals a new choice in your path to becoming a healthier you with lower costs. It is an HMO plan that does not require a referral if you visit a doctor within the Advocate BlueCare Direct Network.