Highmark Health Health Insurance Review

By Policy Scout
Updated Jul 11, 2022
Content
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AM Best Rating
A
Customer Service Rating
4
Excluded States
Exceptions in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Highmark Health Insurance Review

Overview

Founded in 1996, Highmark BlueCross BlueShield was originally called Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania. The company’s original name reflects its limited service area. Today, Highmark BlueCross BlueShield serves nearly 5 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia.

Though its service areas are limited, Highmark offers many plans, so no matter what type of health insurance you’re looking for, chances are Highmark will offer something that works for you. Highmark focuses on providing excellent customer service and works to ensure you receive high-quality, safe outcomes at a better value for you.

PolicyScout Review

Highmark’s health insurance plans have high deductibles and high copays in comparison to competitors. In most cases, Highmark’s monthly premiums are a bit lower than other providers.

Members of Highmark have online access 24/7 to their accounts, which allows the opportunity to track claims and find a provider (i.e., physician, pharmacy, dentist, or vision care provider). This online tool also provides information about prescription medications and allows you to see how much of the prescription price your plan will cover. Highmark’s WebMC wellness tools let members check symptoms they’re experiencing to see what they may be sick with. It also offers a digital health assistant, and education about health and healthy living. If you need medical alert responses, Highmark offers a tool called Lively that provides 24/7 alert responses.

Some potential cons to consider:

  • Limited service area: open to Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Delaware residents online.

  • No 24/7 customer service: though the online information is available around the clock, customer service and live chat are only available during certain business hours, which leaves members to rely on their accounts outside these hours.

  • New company: compared to competitors, Highmark is a relatively new company, as it was established in 1996. Fortunately, this is less of an issue due to Highmark’s association with BCBS.

If you are looking for low monthly premiums, Highmark may be worth considering as a health insurance plan. The company offers a wide selection of plans, a considerable number of member resources, and excellent customer service during business hours. As long as you live within the service area, Highmark is a reputable and trustworthy option for health insurance.