CareFirst Administrators

877.889.2478 | cfablue.com

Helpful Flyers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Telehealth, Urgent Care, and the Hospital?

When you or a loved one falls ill or has an accident, it can be difficult to choose the best course of action, especially when time is of the essence and your primary care physician is not available. What other options are there, and how do you know where to go when a health issue arises? This video walks through the differences and common use cases for three types of care: telehealth, urgent care and hospital/emergency room.

There are only certain times when you can enroll in benefits or make changes – when you’re first hired, during open enrollment, or after a qualifying life event. So what exactly is a qualifying life event? Certain changes in your personal life qualify as an official change in status according to the IRS, which means that you can modify your benefit selections between open enrollment periods. Examples include changes in family status such as getting married, having a baby, or a change in child custody. In addition, a common qualifying life event is a change in employment status, such as a termination of employment or a change in employment status. Typically, you have 30 days from the date of the event to make changes to your benefits.
If you are enrolled in the Trust medical plan, you are Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) member. As a BCBS member, this gives you exclusive access to healthy deals and discounts through Blue365. With Blue365, great deals are yours for every aspect of your life – like discounts on brand name sneakers, heart rate monitors, and gym memberships! Register now at www.blue365deals.com to take advantage of Blue365. Just have your Blue Cross and Blue Shield member ID card handy. In a couple of minutes, you will be registered and ready to shop.
Health Advocate’s experts will take on virtually any healthcare or administrative issue so you get to the right care at the right time at no cost to you. If you’ve received a bill or have a claim that you need help with, call Health Advocate at 866.799.2728 or email answers@healthadvocate.com to have your own personal health advocate tackle the issue for you! If authorizations are required to resolve your inquiry, the Advocate assigned to your case will send you any required authorizations forms electronically.

Since an EOB isn’t a bill, what you pay is for your information only. If you owe the doctor, or hospital, they’ll send you an invoice. Comparing the EOB and the invoice is a good way to make sure you’re getting billed correctly by the doctor or hospital.

Not all claims generate an EOB. For example, you won’t get an EOB for a prescription. EOBs show you the costs associated with the services you received, including:

  1. Claim Details, each service or procedure from each provider is explained
  2. What the provider charged
  3. What the allowed charges are (this is the contracted amount in which an in-network PPO provider agrees to accept as payment)
  4. Any non-allowed charges (discount or amount billed over the contracted amount for this service)
  5. What the Plan pays
  6. Total covered
  7. What you pay (summary of Deductibles, copays, and coinsurance)

It’s easy to find the doctors you need at www.cfablue.com.

Select the Members tab on the top right-hand side of the screen.

Select Search Providers under Find a Doctor on the left-hand side of the screen.

Select Find a Doctor under Medical.

Enter your Location then enter ECT as the plan prefix.

Click on the Continue button.

Select one of the search options: Doctors by name, Doctors by specialty, Places by name, or Places by Type.

Populate the search field(s) with your search criteria. Click the magnifying glass icon, or hit the enter key to review a directory based on your search criteria.

Log in to the CFA member portal at www.cfablue.com. Click the Request ID Cards tile. Follow the instructions and click Submit my Request. You’ll receive a replacement member ID card in 7-10 business days. Need one sooner? On the CFABlue home page, click on the Digital ID Card tile. Follow the instructions to view and print your ID card. If you are unable to log into the CFA member portal, please contact CFA member services at 877.889.2478. Once your identity is verified, a member services representative will be able to order a new card for you.

Videos:

Access plan details, benefit levels, and key resources for your organization’s CEHA health plan — all in one place.
Manage All Benefits