Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Offers Online Enrollment Process for Individuals Seeking Health Care Coverage

People can now go online on bcbsm.com for prices and enrollment to purchase their own coverage

October 31, 2006

Contact:

Helen Stojic 313-225-8113 Andrea Ward 313-225-5643

DETROIT, Oct. 31, 2006-Finding the right health plan just got easier. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan now offers online price quotes and enrollment for individuals and families who purchase their health care products directly from the Blues.

By going online, people can instantly receive quotes, easily make comparisons and quickly apply for enrollment. Three Blues individual plans are available through the online process: Individual Care Blue, Young Adult Blue and Value Blue. Users can pay their first bill by credit card and also can choose to have funds withdrawn from their bank account for future payments. The normal paper billing option is also available. Individuals and families covered through an employer or other group should continue using their employer's enrollment process.

"Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is dedicated to delivering the highest level of quality customer care. We are pleased to offer through the Web a simpler and faster way to get a quote and apply for an individual purchasing coverage for himself or his family," says Joan Budden, vice president of individual business for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan selected Connecture for the online technology and to support its overall e-business strategy. Through Connecture's software, workflow is electronically automated through a common platform, providing a faster and more efficient quoting and enrollment process to customers.

Visit www.bcbsm.com/home/coverage_options/index.shtml to access the online quoting and enrollment resource. Independent agents can also provide this service for those who prefer to work with an insurance professional. The Blues plan on adding more online products in the future.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit corporation, provides or administers health care benefits to just over 4.7 million members through a variety of plans: Traditional Blue Cross Blue Shield; Blue Preferred, Community Blue and Healthy Blue PPOs; Blue Choice Point of Service; Blue Care Network HMO, and Flexible Blue plans compatible with health savings accounts. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit www.bcbsm.com.