WELLMARK BLUE CROSS BLUE SHLD

I have health care insurance coverage from Blue Cross Blue Shield that is administered under the auspices of the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. I am a retired engineer, having worked as a Federal Civil Servant in the Department of the Navy for 37 years; I have been able to maintain my health care coverage for myself and my wife into retirement. In general, I consider myself fortunate to have health care insurance and have little to complain about with regard to my coverage. Dental and vision care is minimal to nonexistent, but the primary reason to have medical insurance, as I see it, is to cover major or catastrophic events. Nevertheless, Blue Cross Blue Shield has totally or (more often) partially paid for almost all of my true medical expenses for regular visits to my family doctor (whose specialty, as noted above, is Internal Medicine), my cardiologist (whose specialty is electrophysiology), my dentist, my optometrist, and, when necessary, my periodontist. When tests are prescribed, Blue Cross Blue Shield has generally been able to negotiate a reduced rate among its cadre of so-called "Preferred Providers" (whose services I use) with resultant cheaper out-of-pocket expenses on my part. I hope to be able to retain this coverage as long as possible, especially in light of recent national developments in health care that I see as wholly detrimental. (I would have preferred that the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program had been made available to all, rather than Congressional passage of the "Patient Protection and Care Act", which I see as a complete abomination.) The FEHB Program is a success story as far as I am concerned. Time will tell if the PPCA lives up to expectations. (I note that the address for Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield that is specified on my "Explanation of Benefits" paperwork is not the address shown above for Wellmark by Angie's List, but is rather 1601 West Madison Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57104; I have no doubt, however, that the "Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield" servicing my claims is the same.)

We've had Wellmark for about 3 years and have been basically satisfied except that we were convinced to drop our benefits to avoid higher premiums which was a mistake. You cannot go back 'up' in plans without starting from scratch. We probaby will not stay with Wellmark after this year because we recieved a letter saying our premiums are increasing from $450/mo to $600/mo. We've used the insurance alot in the past 2 years so I think they are trying to squeeze us out.