Navigating Medical Bills: Why Online Member Accounts are a Game Changer for Caregivers
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
Lindsay Knake is a brand journalist for Blue Cross B...
Paying bills online makes things a lot easier. With a few clicks, you can review and pay your bills, read explanations of benefits and look over coverage.
This especially can be helpful for caregivers who are managing the medical bills and finances of loved ones. There are more than 38 million Americans who are serving as caregivers, according to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). More than 75% of these caregivers work full or part time.
Preparing for caregiving
You may want to have conversations with your older relative about their finances before they become ill. While these conversations can be uncomfortable, you want to be able to have access to their account to know their coverage and bills in case of an emergency or serious health condition. With your loved one, create a plan to ensure everyone is informed and empowered about financial decisions.
When getting access to these accounts, you’ll want to take care to protect them and yourself. You need permission from your loved one to access their member accounts. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) ensures privacy of medical records and requires written permission for a family member or caregiver to have access to that information. Patients can authorize one or more people to have access to their medical records, and they can revoke that access at any time. Health insurance companies may have their own forms to grant caregivers access to insurance claims.
For those with Medicare, caregivers will need authorization from Medicare to discuss claims, premiums and payments.
In cases such as an adult with Alzheimer's, dementia or other serious condition that will worsen with time, a caregiver may want to consider power of attorney to be able to make decisions, sign financial forms and make payments. Once an adult becomes unable to make these decisions themselves and has not authorized anyone to have access to these accounts or as power of attorney, a loved one may have to seek guardianship through the court system.
Consider looking at a legal checklist for caregivers to help protect their loved ones.
How online member accounts help caregivers
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network can log into their secure, online member accounts. Accessing this information through online accounts allows you to review claims, explanation of benefits and pay bills in one location. You won’t need to sort through paper bills and write checks.
Having another set of eyes on this information can be helpful for older adults. As a caregiver with authorization, you can closely review the insurance coverage and benefits. You may find coverage includes more than you thought, such as physical therapy. If a loved one becomes forgetful, struggles to understand complex or changing information, a caregiver can provide the help they need.
Caregivers can also help protect their loved ones against financial scams that target the elderly or sick. By checking in on these accounts and finances, they can ensure bills are accurate and paid on time.
Talk to your loved ones’ physician and doctor’s office to discuss financial management and authorization.
To sign up for your member account, visit bcbsm.com/register. You can access your member account online or through the BCBSM App. With written permission, caregivers can log in to their loved one’s member account with their Subscriber ID on their insurance card, username and password.
Image: Getty Images
Related:
