University of Southern California

Employee cost for medical plans (salary reduction—pretax dollars)	Monthly	Biweekly
USC Network Medical Plan PPO
Employee	$121	$60.50
Employee + adult	$339	$169.50
Employee + child(ren)	$211	$105.50
Employee + adult + child(ren)	$339	$169.50
Kaiser Permanente HMO
Employee	$88	$44
Employee + adult	$265	$132.50
Employee + child(ren)	$176	$88
Employee + adult + child(ren)	$265	$132.50
Anthem Blue Cross HMO
Employee	$89	$44.50
Employee + adult	$252	$126
Employee + child(ren)	$162	$81
Employee + adult + child(ren)	$252	$126
These medical plan rates are effective January 1, 2013. We pay for our health insurance one month in advance, so employees may potentially need to pay for a prior month, a current month and the following month, depending on the date of their eTrac transaction and the effective date of their benefits.

Health care coverage that meets your needs is one of the most important benefits offered to you by the university, as it pays for many of the costs of medical care for you and your family. You can choose from two types of medical plans: a preferred provider organization (PPO), the USC Network Medical Plan; or a health maintenance organization (HMO).

The Medical plan options offers the most flexibility in your choice of health care providers. Information on finding providers is available on the USC Network website. The HMOs (Anthem Blue Cross HMO and Kaiser Permanente) place limits on your choice of health care providers.

For a detailed comparison of the benefit schedules of the three medical plans, see Comparison of medical coverage. For additional help in choosing your medical coverage, visit the websites of the individual health plans or see Forms/information on this page.

You may wish to use those resources to compare the availability of physicians or physician groups in your area before choosing a health plan. Once you have chosen your health plan, customer service representatives from your health plan are available by telephone to answer your questions—see our vendor directory.

Prescription drug coverage is included in all plans. Vision care is provided as part of the USC Network Medical Plan at no additional cost, and as an option to the HMO plans for an additional charge.

In the USC Network Medical Plan, USC has arranged for charges to be discounted with hospitals, physician groups, and pharmacies throughout the U.S. To select a provider: For a USC Keck School of Medicine/USC Care Medical Group physician (Tier 1), go to the Keck Medical Center of USC website. For other in-network physicians (Tier 2) in California, go to the Anthem Blue Cross website and search for a provider within the Prudent Buyer network. For all other in-network providers across the nation (Tier 2 outside of California), access the Anthem BlueCard PPO network of providers. If you still need assistance finding a physician, contact the USC Health Plans office at (213) 740-0035.

To make a doctor's appointment, call the provider's office directly. If you are seeing a USC Keck School of Medicine/USC Care Medical Group physician, tell the office you are covered by the USC Network Medical Plan. If you are seeing an Anthem Blue Cross Prudent Buyer physician, tell the doctor's office that you are covered by the USC Network Medical Plan and the plan uses the Anthem Blue Cross Prudent Buyer network. If you need to access a provider outside of California but within the U.S., identify yourself as having the Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO plan.

The USC Network Medical Plan does not require a referral or authorization for visits to specialists. It is important, however, that you tell any doctor you see about any other doctor visits you may have had recently and about all medications you are taking.

If you receive a billing statement from a health provider, be aware that HealthComp processes claims for the USC Network Medical Plan. Contact HealthComp for the payment status of your claim. At their website you can view your claims history and determine if your claim has been received or processed. If processed, you can also view your patient responsibility amount. If you are unsuccessful in resolving a claim issue with HealthComp, contact the USC Health Plans office for assistance at (213) 740-0035.

Under the USC Network Medical Plan, you also have coverage while traveling internationally. See the BlueCard Worldwide brochure under Forms/information on this page, or visit the BlueCard Worldwide site—use the code TRJ to learn more about your benefits.

You will receive your USC Network Medical Plan ID card approximately 7 to 10 working days after your eTrac transaction approval date. Your card will be mailed to your home address by HealthComp, the Third Party Administrator (TPA) for the plan. It will arrive in an envelope with the words "Member Card Enclosed" across the front of the envelope. All ID cards carry only the name of the enrolled employee (not dependents). Present the card whenever you seek care from a physician, hospital, pharmacy or any other medical provider. If you don't receive your card within 30 days of the eTrac transaction approval date, contact the USC Health Plans office for assistance at (213) 740-0035.

The HMOs generally require you to designate a primary care provider from their network who is available to accept you or your family members. You may designate a pediatrician as the primary care physician for a child. For information on how to select a primary care provider, and for a list of participating primary care providers, contact your HMO plan.

None of the plans require prior authorization to access obstetrical or gynecological care from a participating health care professional who specializes in obstetrics or gynecology. The health care professional may, however, be required to comply with certain procedures, including obtaining prior authorization for certain services, following a pre-approved treatment plan, or procedures for making referrals. For a list of participating health care professionals who specialize in obstetrics or gynecology, contact your medical plan.