Guide To Health Insurance.org

About Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield

Founded in 1935 in New York City, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield is a publicly traded licensee of the world's most recognized health care association—Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield serves more than 5 million members throughout the state of New York and nationwide. With eight regional offices across New York State including Albany, Bohemia, Melville, Middletown, Poughkeepsie, Syracuse and Yorktown Heights, the local network of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield includes providers in 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State. Additionally, Empire includes providers in 10 neighboring counties in Connecticut and New Jersey -- that equals more than 82,000 provider locations and 147 hospitals throughout New York State and neighboring counties in Connecticut and New Jersey.

Based on total PPO and HMO membership, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield is the largest health insurance company in New York with a 91 percent customer satisfaction rating. Empire has a long history of providing a wide variety of plans for groups, individuals, and employers. It currently serves 38,000 employer accounts and consistently earns excellent accreditation status for quality assurance from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans

To get an idea of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield's offerings, listed below are several popular plans.

• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthy New York Program offers affordable coverage to individuals and sole proprietors residing within the 28-county service area who are not eligible for employer provided comprehensive health insurance. The program features a variety of benefits such as coverage for preventative and primary care, emergency services, maternity care and physician services. Members are also covered for inpatient and outpatient hospital services as well as laboratory services and pre-admission testing. It costs nothing to enroll and depending on the region, individuals opting for the New York Program without drug benefits can expect to pay as little as $138.79 per month.
  
  
• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Group Plan PPO is a flexible plan offering members the freedom to choose any provider (in- or out-of-network). For in-network care, there are no claim-forms to fill out and through the BlueCard Program, members are offered worldwide healthcare coverage when traveling throughout Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the South Pacific.
  
  
• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Senior Plan Direct offers unlimited inpatient hospital medical care as needed, emergency medical care anywhere in the world and free fitness plan enrollment for anyone with Medicare residing in the Bronx, Kings, NY, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland or West Chester counties. Members also enjoy the benefit of unlimited routine exams, annual vision, hearing and gynecological exams and immunizations.
  
  

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Headquarters

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield is located at 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036, (212) 476-1000.