Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions

What Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions is

Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions is a plan brand and plan administrator, not the insurer that carries the risk. Its homepage banner states "New name. Same mission. GeoBlue is now Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions!" so this is the earlier GeoBlue product line under a new name. The site footer states that "Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions is the trade name of Worldwide Insurance Services, LLC," an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and the about page says the company is "owned by two of the strongest names in U.S. and global healthcare: Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® and Bupa Global."

The Third Party Disclosures page names the carriers. For "Individual Travel plans" and most student plans, it says the brand "is the administrator of coverage provided under insurance policies issued by 4 Ever Life International Limited, Bermuda," and that this coverage "is offered to the members of the Global Citizens Association, Washington, D.C." For certain corporate and scholastic plans in New York and California it names 4 Ever Life Insurance Company, Oakbrook Terrace, IL, NAIC #80985 as the underwriter. The site sells several product lines rather than one policy: single-trip plans, an annual Multi-Trip plan, long-term Worldwide and Outside U.S. plans for people living abroad, student plans, and a Worldwide Non-Profit plan for missionaries and NGO workers. Sales run through an authorized-agent line, 610-263-0308, and sales@bcbsglobalsolutions.com.

The Multi-Trip plan

The Multi-Trip page calls the product "Annual health insurance that covers the first 70 days of each trip," with an "Unlimited number of trips in a 364-day period." It comes in two tiers, and the page says to "Upgrade from Gold to Platinum to raise your coverage and lower your deductible." The plan table gives Platinum a maximum benefit of $1,000,000 per insured person per policy period with a $100 deductible, and Gold a maximum of $500,000 with a $200 deductible. In both tiers the maximum drops to $200,000 "For individuals aged 70-95."

Other lines in the table: professional and hospital services at 100% after the deductible, ambulance (non-evacuation) at "100% up to $1,000," outpatient prescription drugs outside the U.S. at "100% of reasonable charges up to $5,000," physical and occupational therapy limited to "6 visits per Period of Insurance, $100 Maximum payment per visit," and dental care after an injury or for pain relief capped at "$300 per Trip Period." Emergency medical transportation, which the page says includes evacuation, repatriation and repatriation of mortal remains, carries a maximum "up to $500,000" per trip period. AD&D pays a principal sum "up to $25,000." A hazardous-activities benefit pays "up to $25,000" for claims from downhill skiing and from scuba diving "at a depth of 20 meters or less," with certification or a certified instructor required for diving. Lost baggage is capped at "$500 per trip period and limited to $100 maximum benefit per bag." The benefit list also states the plan "Covers your pre-existing conditions."

This is not standalone cover. The table marks "Primary health plan required" as "Yes," and the eligibility section says plans are available to "United States residents, age 95 and younger and enrolled in a Primary Plan." The page defines a primary plan as one with "coverage limits in excess of $50,000 per incident or per year" and says Medicaid and VA health plans do not count. The initial purchase "must be made in your home country prior to departing on your trip." A canceled trip qualifies for "a full refund of your premium."

Long-term and missionary plans

The long-term Worldwide and Outside U.S. page lists an "Unlimited annual and lifetime medical maximum" and "No deductible for office visits, preventive care and more." The Missionaries page, for what it calls "global service workers," states the same "Unlimited annual lifetime medical maximum," coverage for "illnesses and injuries related to terrorism," and continued cover for a spouse and dependents if the subscriber dies. Its table caps primary care at "as many as 8 visits per Calendar Year," travel vaccinations at a "Calendar Year Maximum of $500," prescription drugs at "$5,000 Maximum per Insured Person per Calendar Year," and emergency medical transportation at "up to $250,000" per trip period, with AD&D of $10,000. The deductible table runs from plan option 0, with $0 deductibles and a $1,000 coinsurance maximum, to plan option 5,000, with deductibles of $2,500 outside the U.S., $5,000 in network and $10,000 out of network. Deductibles are "Per Person per Calendar Year," and emergency room visits without admission carry "a $100 penalty."

Pre-existing conditions are covered on the living-abroad plans, with a waiting period that depends on prior insurance. The page says immediate cover needs "a letter from your previous health insurer that shows you were covered for at least 6 months." Without prior cover, the wait is up to 6 months on Worldwide Premier and Outside U.S., and "The waiting period for Worldwide Crew, Worldwide Education and Worldwide Non-Profit plans is 12 months." These plans are medically underwritten: the FAQ says an application "may be accepted, accepted with a higher rate or denied." Most carry "a 6-month enrollment minimum," and cancellation takes effect at the end of the monthly billing cycle, with no refund for partial months.

Who can buy and how it works

Buyers must be "age 18 or older," may buy for a minor, and "No one under the age of 6 can be enrolled by themselves." The Missionaries plan is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents "who are 74 or younger at the time of application," who live outside their country "for at least 3 months per year" and are "involved in Missionary or NGO activity." The Worldwide Education plan is "made for students studying outside their home country for 3 months or more," and the Vacation Abroad page describes a single-trip plan "for journeys up to 182 days" plus a group version for "Groups of 5 or more travelers." Group expat plans are "built for organizations with two or more expats outside their home country for six months or longer."

Prices come only from the quote form, which says "Premium rates are based on age at time of purchase." Support runs through a Global Service Center offering "24/7/365 multilingual support via toll-free or collect calls," and the site says it includes "global telemedicine in every health plan we offer." Its network reaches providers "in more than 190 countries," and the Why Us page cites "more than 2.5 million healthcare providers around the world." The mobile app handles digital ID cards, provider search, claim tracking and a medication equivalents finder. Missionary plan members also get "on-the-ground clinical support from over 165 Regional Physician Advisors in more than 100 countries."

Who it suits

The range fits Americans whose plans go beyond a short vacation: frequent travelers who already hold U.S. primary cover and want an annual supplement, people moving abroad for years, students on semesters overseas, and missionaries or NGO staff. The published benefit tables are unusually detailed, so a buyer can see limits, copays and deductible options before quoting. It fits less well for anyone without a U.S. primary plan wanting the Multi-Trip product, for anyone over 74 seeking the missionary plan, or for someone with a condition who cannot show six months of prior cover and would face the waiting period. The Study Abroad page adds that the company has "over 25 years in the student health insurance market" and serves "over 340 schools."