Alberta Blue Cross (Alberta BC) is one of the leading providers of employee benefits in Canada, offering a wide range of customizable group and individual plans. With decades of experience providing benefits locally in Alberta and across Canada, Alberta Blue Cross is an excellent choice for any company aiming to provide robust benefits to their workforce.

This detailed review will examine Alberta Blue Cross employee benefits offers for both group and individual benefits, analyzing the key features and advantages of their plans.

It will look at why Alberta Blue Cross stands out from competitors when it comes to service, cost management, and supporting overall wellness.

By the end, it will be clear why Alberta Blue Cross should be on any company’s shortlist when selecting an employee benefits provider in Canada.

Who is Alberta Blue Cross employee benefits?

Founded in 1948, Alberta Blue Cross is a province-wide, not-for-profit provider of health benefits based in Edmonton. With over 1.7 million plan members, Alberta Blue Cross provides coverage to individuals and organizations across Alberta. The company is part of a national association of independent Blue Cross organizations.

Alberta Blue Cross offers a full spectrum of health and dental insurance plans, including extensive options for group benefits. They also provide travel insurance, specialty insurance products like critical illness and long-term disability coverage, and specialty health services.

As a not-for-profit company, Alberta Blue Cross invests back into the community through donations, scholarships, and charity partnerships. Their focus is on providing quality insurance products while promoting health and wellness.

Source: https://www.ab.bluecross.ca/company/about/history.php

Key advantages of Alberta Blue Cross include:

• Extensive experience with group benefits: With decades of expertise, Alberta Blue Cross really understands the group benefits space. They have a long track record of success designing customized plans for organizations of all sizes.
• Local expertise: Operating solely within Alberta gives Alberta Blue Cross intimate knowledge of the local healthcare system, providers, and market conditions. This enables them to craft benefit plans tailored specifically for each community.
• Non-profit status: As a not-for-profit, Alberta Blue Cross can focus on giving members the best value rather than driving up profits. Any revenue beyond operating costs goes back into the community.
• Managed care strategies: Alberta Blue Cross uses effective cost management approaches like direct billing arrangements and auditing to keep benefit plans affordable long-term.
• Strong wellness focus: From on-site seminars to innovative wellness apps, Alberta Blue Cross looks to actively promote health and wellbeing within the organizations they partner with.

Alberta Blue Cross Employee Benefits

Within their group benefits division, Alberta BC offers extensive options spanning basic medical and dental to more comprehensive wellness packages. All group plans are customizable based on the company’s budget and needs.

Some of the notable group benefits offered by Alberta Blue Cross include:

Life and Disability Coverage

Protecting employees against loss of income due to injury, illness or death is the foundation of a solid benefits program. Alberta Blue Cross has flexible options for employers looking to provide life and disability insurance:

• Basic Term Life coverage with options for Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Dependent Life, and other supplementary policies.
• Short Term Disability, with options for different waiting periods and benefit levels
• Long Term Disability, with choices for coverage up to age 65
• Optional critical illness insurance providing a lump sum payment upon diagnosis of a covered critical disease

Policy options allow employers to share costs with employees or cover premiums entirely. Overall, Alberta Blue Cross makes it simple to put in place robust life and disability coverage fitting any budget.

Health and Dental Plans

The majority of group benefits spending goes towards health and dental coverage, which Alberta BC offers with varying levels of coverage.

Health benefits are designed to complement provincial healthcare by covering additional services like vision care, prescription drugs, ambulance transportation, medical equipment, and out-of-country emergency medical. Employers can choose reimbursement levels for different types of services and set limits as needed.

Dental plans cover basic, restorative, and orthodontic dental services. Employers can select reimbursement rates and frequency limits on services to match their budget. Most dental claims can be submitted electronically for fast processing.

Alberta BC health spending accounts, described in the next section, are a popular complement, providing employees funds to cover health expenses not included in their basic plans.

Health Spending Accounts

Health spending accounts (HSAs) have become a popular option among companies looking to give their employees more flexibility. Alberta Blue Cross HSAs function like an additional health benefit allowance employees can use to pay for medical or dental expenses not fully covered under their other benefits.

The accounts are funded through tax-free credits from the employer and unused credits can roll over year-to-year up to a point. HSAs benefit both employees, by letting them pay for the services they need most, and employers seeking to provide wider-ranging healthcare support on a defined budget.

Any medical expense eligible under the Canadian Income Tax Act can be covered through an HSA, including dental, prescriptions, vision care, and more. Many employers choose to pair HSAs with a standard health/dental plan to create a comprehensive benefits offering.

Wellness Programs

One area where Alberta BC truly shines is their suite of innovative wellness solutions designed to engage employees in improving and maintaining their health. These programs go beyond basic benefits to foster workplace wellbeing and contain healthcare costs through prevention.

Offerings include:

• Custom wellness education seminars on topics like nutrition, mental health, heart health, and fitness
• Wellness Spending Accounts, similar to HSAs, that employees can use to fund any activity or product promoting their health and wellbeing
• The Balance wellness app that rewards healthy behaviours like exercising and getting regular checkups. Employees earn points to win prizes and cash rewards.
• An Employee Family Assistance Program providing confidential counseling and services related to work-life balance, relationships, finances, addictions, and mental health.

These programs round out a comprehensive approach to employee health and welfare, distinguishing Alberta Blue Cross’s offerings from competitors.

Alberta Blue Cross Individual Health Plans

In addition to the extensive selection of group benefits, Alberta Blue Cross offers a variety of individual health insurance plans at reasonable rates. Individuals and families can purchase coverage tailored to their needs.

Plans are available providing insurance for:

• Prescription drugs
• Dental care
• Eye care and glasses/contacts
• Ambulance services
• Psychological services
• Medical equipment
• Out-of-country medical emergencies

Using their online quoting tools, customers can easily compare plans and pricing. For retirees who previously had Alberta Blue Cross group coverage, the transition to an individual plan is quick and simple.

Individual wellness insurance products like critical illness and long-term disability coverage can provide crucial financial protection. For individual travelers, Alberta Blue Cross has a range of Visitors to Canada and travel medical insurance plans covering any trip abroad.

Why Choose Alberta Blue Cross for Employee Benefits?

There are many factors that make Alberta BC stand out as an employee benefits provider for organizations across Alberta and Canada.

Trusted Reputation

As a local not-for-profit with 70+ years of experience serving Albertans, Alberta Blue Cross has earned an outstanding reputation for providing excellent benefits and service. They maintain strong relationships within the Alberta healthcare community as well.

Decades of Experience

With local operations dating back to 1941, few providers can match Alberta Blue Cross’s expertise crafting customized benefit solutions. They have worked with thousands of organizations to create plans fitting unique needs and budgets.

Local Expertise

While many benefits providers operate nationally, Alberta Blue Cross focuses specifically on the Alberta market. This gives them unparalleled insight into provincial health costs, providers, regulations, and local health challenges to inform benefit plan designs.

Not-for-Profit Status

Alberta Blue Cross’s not-for-profit status means they put customers first, not profits. Without obligations to maximize shareholder returns, they can focus on providing maximum value through affordable rates and strong service.

Customer Focus

In every interaction, Alberta BC aims to make things simple for customers. They offer helpful resources like policy manuals, cost calculators, and access to experienced benefits advisors. For employees, their mobile app makes submitting claims quick and easy.

Range of Services

From basic medical/dental coverage to cutting-edge wellness platforms, Alberta Blue Cross offers extensive group benefits options allowing organizations to mix and match plans to meet their needs and budget.

Wellness Focus

A passion for improving health outcomes sets Alberta Blue Cross apart. Through workplace wellness initiatives, apps like Balance, and advanced data analytics, they help employees understand health risks and actively improve wellbeing. This benefits both individuals and plan affordability long-term.

Provider Network

Through partnerships and negotiated agreements, Alberta Blue Cross offers direct-billing arrangements with the majority of health providers in the province. This saves time and hassle for employees.

Managed Care Strategies

Leveraging thorough claims auditing, utilization reviews, and provider partnerships, Alberta Blue Cross diligently manages benefit costs behind the scenes. This keeps premiums as low as possible without sacrificing coverage quality.

Member Support Services

Member care teams provide fast access to benefits experts who can answer any questions on coverage, claims, available providers, and more. Alberta Blue Cross aims to run every interaction as smoothly as possible.

Conclusion

As a leading home-grown provider in Alberta, Alberta Blue Cross should be at the top of any list thanks to their customizable group plans, effective wellness initiatives, and decades of experience in the local market.

With their not-for-profit status and stellar reputation, companies can trust Alberta Blue Cross to have their employees’ best interests in mind. A focus on high-tech services, convenient claims processing, and controlling costs adds even more value.

For any Alberta organization seeking a stable benefits provider that feels like family, Alberta Blue Cross deserves a close look. Their expertise and passion for improving health outcomes give companies peace of mind that their employees are covered.

Finding the right employee benefits provider is an important decision for any business in Canada. With a range of options to choose from, it’s helpful to understand the landscape of top providers across the country. Some of the leading employee benefits providers in Canada include:

• Assumption Life Employee Benefits in Canada
• Medavie Blue Cross Employee Benefits
• Pacific Blue Cross Employee Benefits
• Wawanesa Insurance Employee Benefits
• Equitable Life of Canada Employee Benefits
• RBC Insurance Employee Benefits
• Beneva Employee Benefits

Article Sources

At Ebsource, our mission is to equip Canadians with comprehensive and factual information to facilitate prudent choices regarding employee benefits and human resources guidance. We leverage the expertise of seasoned financial professionals to ensure our advice aligns with industry best practices. The statistics we reference derive from respected governmental and industry bodies like Statistics Canada and the CLHIA to verify accuracy.

Our recommendations result from meticulous, unbiased research of major employee benefits providers in Canada. This enables us to tailor suggestions to individuals’ unique budgets and needs. Ebsource upholds stringent standards of objectivity, transparency, and independence across all content. We pride ourselves on furnishing counsel readers can trust by citing reputable sources and adhering to editorial principles. As Canada’s most reliable outlet for employee benefits news and HR insights, we are dedicated to empowering Canadians to make informed benefits decisions.

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