Your Community Health Options plan offers access to the benefits that help you reduce out-of-pocket costs while ensuring you and your family can meet your health needs. Learn how you can save here.
Some people become so overwhelmed with their health insurance that they often don’t take advantage of the benefits they pay for. Of course, insurance is there for emergencies, but did you know you can use it to lower your out-of-pocket healthcare costs, often for everyday services?
You’d be surprised at how many benefits go unused. And if you’re in an employer-sponsored plan, you’re leaving money on the table. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health benefits can amount to up to 10% of your total compensation.
Don’t let your plan go to waste: Be sure to know your benefits by reading through your Member guide and Summary of Benefits found within your Member portal at healthoptions.org. Even if you checked at the beginning of the year, it’s never a bad idea to look again so you don’t miss out on health and wellness benefits.
Importantly, Community Health Options plans offer access to benefits that help you reduce out-of-pocket costs while helping you meet your health needs. Here are some ways you can save:
Need an office visit? Find a local in-network urgent care here. If you don’t have an urgent care near you, a primary care walk-in clinic is usually less expensive than an ER visit.
Read your Schedule of Benefits and Summary of Benefits and Coverage in your Member Portal for more information. Still have questions? Call our Maine-based Member Services team at (855) 624-6463 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.
*Not available on catastrophic plans
Many of us are waiting weeks or months to book medical appointments. Or taking a long drive to get to the only provider taking new patients—often more than an hour away. And once in the office, chances are we’re spending more time in waiting rooms just for a routine appointment.
The national shortage of healthcare workers has been well-documented, and Maine is feeling it, too, with access to providers emerging as one of the greatest barriers to treatment. By the end of 2022, Maine had just 580 doctors practicing family medicine, an 18% decline from 2019, according to The Portland Press Herald, leaving fewer doctors for a growing population.
During the pandemic, patients discovered the convenience of telehealth and began meeting with their providers through a phone call or video chat from the comfort of their own homes. The concept certainly wasn’t new—Community Health Options Members had access to Amwell® behavioral telehealth well before Covid-19 struck.
That concept has expanded to virtual primary care, giving people the option through an online care team, expanding access to care. Alongside its traditional provider network, Community Health Options now offers Members 18 and older the option to choose a virtual-first primary care team through Firefly Health.
When it comes to health outcomes, many studies have shown patients miss fewer virtual appointments, helping them to stay on track with their health needs. And in a recent pilot program, Walmart employees with diabetes who used virtual care saw a 24% average reduction in glucose levels and patients with hypertension had a 14% reduction in blood pressure, the company said in 2023 when it expanded its program to Maine, among other states.
