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Posted January 29, 2009
Florida
New Discount Plan to Include NPs
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida has introduced a new option for patients who cannot afford traditional health insurance. The FamilyBlue medical discount card costs $19.95 monthly for a household of six. This new plan does not offer insurance, but offers discounts of up to 60% to individuals and families for drugs and health care services, and it includes care by NPs.
The plan is separate from Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's "Cover Florida" plan, a discount insurance plan that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida will also sell for $150 a month. Cover Florida has raised eyebrows in the NP community. Nurse practitioners in Florida face some of the most restrictive practice regulations in the country, so further restrictions to access to care are especially painful to the NP community there.
Although NPs are included as providers in the Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, it seems that the provider list is already outdated, according to Florida Nurse Practitioner Network treasurer Jean Aertker.
"FamilyBlue should be ashamed! The names are mostly all outdated . some are no longer in the practices, and others are not even in practice in the area."
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