Chamber Blue

Blue Cross of Idaho, in conjunction with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, developed Chamber Blue, a low-cost Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) health plan for businesses that do not offer health insurance to their employees.

Community Partners
With over 250,000 uninsured Idahoans and health care costs that continue to rise, there is no time like the present for the community to come together and find creative solutions. Chamber Blue is just that - a joint effort where each party is taking a step toward reducing the number of citizens who go without health insurance each day.

Currently Chamber Blue is available to most Treasure Valley chambers of commerce and is also being developed in other areas throughout the state of Idaho.

Blue Cross of Idaho has worked closely with area providers to create the Chamber Blue PPO Network. Several hospitals have contracted to be part of the network including St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, West Valley Medical Center, Weiser Memorial Hospital and Walter Knox Memorial Hospital. We have also contracted with Primary Health Medical Group, Saltzer Medical Group, the Family Practice Residency and St. Al's Medical Group along with more than 380 physicians. More physicians are signing up each day. These providers have agreed to a discounted fee schedule in order to keep costs down for Chamber Blue members.

We have also been working with insurance agents in the community who have joined in this community effort to help cover the uninsured in Idaho by agreeing to discounted commissions.

All of the partners involved in bringing this product to life, including Blue Cross of Idaho, area providers, and brokers who sell the new low-cost plan, have agreed to discounts amounting to savings for members of around 20% off comparable products currently being offered in the marketplace.

Eligibility
To enroll in Chamber Blue a business must be a member of its local area chamber of commerce.  Because the intent of Chamber Blue is to reach the uninsured, groups must also have been without employer-sponsored coverage for the past 24 months.

Plan Benefits
Chamber Blue was designed to provide financial protection and meet basic health care needs. There are benefits for preventive care and wellness services as well as major medical services.

Preventive care is important for many reasons. Above all, with early prevention it is possible to reduce the chance of a disease becoming life threatening. It has also been shown that healthy workers are likely to make more money, and healthy children do better in school. Chamber Blue includes a $25 office visit copayment to most contracting providers. This makes it easy to see a doctor before minor problems become serious. Preventive screening mammograms from contracting providers are also covered after a separate $25 copayment.

Other services received in a doctor’s office, such as lab, x-ray, or other diagnostic services, are subject to the deductible and coinsurance. Major medical services such as maternity care or surgery are also subject to deductible and coinsurance.

Summary of Benefits  (438KB)

Access to Health Insurance