Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan needed to launch a new Medicare Advantage fee for service product with in three months or face significant financial penalties from Medicare, unhappy BCBSM customers, plus the loss of revenue and market share.
Contractual agreements with BCBS and Medicare prohibited them from marketing directly to healthcare practitioners and out of state customers. The customers for this product are Michigan "snowbirds" who live outside of their trading area during winter in warmer climes like Florida, California, and Arizona.
There was a risk that doctors who practice outside of Michigan would not know BCBSM or understand this fee for service product and could refuse to see BCBSM customers. Complicating matters, the term "fee-for-service" had a bad reputation after Medicare abandoned it in the '90s and many practitioners recall not being paid.
To learn more, contact Fahrenheit or call 517-347-9733.
