Help employees understand health networks

Keeping your employees’ medical costs down while ensuring they get the care they need is vital to their health and wallet. That’s why it’s important they understand how their health plan works with their provider network. Here are answers to common questions that you can share with your work family.

Image multiple icons in circle

What is a network?

A network is a group of doctors, dentists, hospitals, pharmacies and other credentialed medical professionals that are part of an employee’s health insurance plan. We have contracted with these provider networks to ensure your employees receive quality, safe care—at lower prices that we’ve negotiated for them. When a health care provider is in your network, it's called "in network."

Image of network and outside network

What happens if an employee goes outside their network?

If an employee sees a provider outside their network, their health plan may not cover their care. They will be responsible for paying most, if not all, of the bill. The same is true for services their doctor recommends. For example, their doctor might refer them to a medical imaging facility that's not in their network, which could cost them more money.

Image of Member ID

How do employees know what their network is?

Their network is listed on the front of their member ID card and in their health plan benefit information. They can also sign in to their account on regence.com to view their member ID card. This designation determines which providers are in their network, which saves them money.

How do employees use their network?

To save money, employees will want to stay in their network when seeing a doctor or specialist, as well as when visiting a facility or pharmacy. If they have vision and dental care, they’ll find eye doctors and dentists in their network too. Here’s how they can get started:

Circle icon of magnifying glass with plus symbol in it

Finding network doctors

Once employees sign in to their account on regence.com or their Regence app, the Find a Doctor and Find a Dentist tools will show them who’s in their network. They can also call Customer Service at the number on the back of their member ID card. The front of their card shows the name of their particular network.

Find a doctor

Find a dentist

Circle icon of medication bottle

Searching pharmacies

Employees can save money on medications by getting their prescriptions from a network pharmacy. They can find out if their drug is covered and how much it will cost ahead of time—and even get medications delivered right to their door.

Go now

Circle icon with dollar bill in it

Understanding costs

If they’re planning a procedure, such as a surgery or MRI, your employees can learn more about their expected costs and in-network savings by using our Cost Estimator. They’ll get estimates based on their deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.

Learn more

What’s an employee’s network when they travel?

Regence health plans include BlueCard®, which means employees have access to the largest network of doctors and hospitals throughout the country (95% of all physicians and 96% of all hospitals nationwide). All Regence plans also come with urgent and emergency BlueCard coverage. If employees are traveling or living outside the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, they can use Blue Cross Blue Shield Global® Core to connect with health care professionals, hospitals and medical assistance.

Read about travel coverage
Image of smiling man with headset on

We’re here for you

From our Small Group Business Service Center to an award-winning Customer Service team, we’re ready to help you. We can explain the difference between in-network and out-of-network benefits and more.

Contact us

How do employees use their network?

To save money, employees will want to stay in their network when seeing a doctor or specialist, as well as when visiting a facility or pharmacy. If they have vision and dental care, they’ll find eye doctors and dentists in their network too. Here’s how they can get started:

Circle icon of magnifying glass with plus symbol in it

Finding network doctors

Once employees sign in to their account on regence.com or their Regence app, the Find a Doctor and Find a Dentist tools will show them who’s in their network. They can also call Customer Service at the number on the back of their member ID card. The front of their card shows the name of their particular network.

Find a doctor

Find a dentist

Circle icon of medication bottle

Searching pharmacies

Employees can save money on medications by getting their prescriptions from a network pharmacy. They can find out if their drug is covered and how much it will cost ahead of time—and even get medications delivered right to their door.

Go now

Circle icon with dollar bill in it

Understanding costs

If they’re planning a procedure, such as a surgery or MRI, your employees can learn more about their expected costs and in-network savings by using our Cost Estimator. They’ll get estimates based on their deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.

Learn more