Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield

They do very well and I have been using them for over 15 years.

As said above, I have had no direct interaction with Empire, but my claims have been processed efficiently

Service seems adequate. More charges than I have been used to in the past, but most company plans seem to be cutting back on coverage. They have ben very good about answering questions related to charges from various medical practitioners, and the wait for a service rep usually isn't too long.

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield is our healthcare insurance per employer. The provider list is extensive and included all my providers when I transferred over from another insurance. The web site is easy to navigate. Once you get to a human voice to speak to, communication was good.

On the down side, I have had 2 episodes of shingles over the past 2 yrs. Since I am 58, they will not cover the shingles immunization since I am not in my 60's. Why should age be the criteria when I am obviously at risk?

Another incident was being denied MRI to investigate neck pain and arm numbness. I have a history of a broken neck and brain aneurysm which was documented by my PCP. I was denied MRI and spent months in pain before being able to find and obtain an appointment for a neurosurgeon. The overall treatment, discomfort and additional appointments would have been less expensive than getting an MRI. When I got in to see the neurosurgeon, he asked where my MRI was and was dumbfounded to see I was denied by EBCBS!

I have had no trouble with the PPO I have. I get all my questions answered when I call. I've had no trouble with billing.

Overall I am satisfied with my coverage. Since it is provided through my employer, the cost is very reasonable and co-pay is low. There seems to be an extensive list of health care professionals who accept this insurance. I've used a number of services (x-ray, MRI, orthopedic, physical therapy, urgent care) and never had a problem with coverage or billing.
One problem is with some of the things that are not covered that I consider to be basic care. For example, bone density tests are not covered unless you are older. So even if your Dr. is concerned that you have a bone density issue and writes a script, a test will not be covered until you are (60?) So you just have to make sure a procedure or test is covered before you get it. Don't assume just because your Dr. ordered it that it is covered.
I've also found communication to be a bit frustrating. It is hard to find a contact phone # on the website and once you call, the menu can be really frustrating. Also a couple of times, I've received different answers from different people and been told that something is not covered when it was.
I do not have the option of choosing another provider but am generally satisfied. I used to have CDPHP and preferred that.

They have excellent response. When you call you get an answer immediately. There is also 24/7 nurse coverage. You can call any time and have a question answered.
The con is that I'm in to nutritional counseling. They pay for this free for active employees, but not retirees.

The MediBlue PPO plan provided reasonable coverage, especially given that there was no extra cost beyond the Medicare Part B premium. My out of pocket drug costs were astronomical due to use of many medications and high co-pays. I did not seem to have an option on this. One procedure cost far more than I was originally quoted. For awhile the company was very mixed-up regarding Durable Medical Equipment providers for equipment I needed. That is, the provider given to me was out of business, and there were no local alternatives. Eventually this was rectified but I had many non-productive calls with the company's customer service.

They have reasonable services they cover. They provide a list of doctors that participate in a reduced fee. They usually try to respond to concerns in a reasonable fashion.

They are fine. They are well treated

I have never had a problem with my insurance company. This is the third insurance company that I have had and it is the easiest one to deal with, covers the widest range of services and doctors and is the cheapest. When I called their customer service line I spoke with a real person who was very helpful. They also have the lowest co-pays and prescriptions costs that I have heard of. I recommend Empire Blue Cross to everyone in all categories across the board!