HealthSelectShoppERS

 

HealthSelectShoppERSSM is an incentive program that allows you to save money and earn rewards in a TexFlexSM health care flexible spending account (FSA) when shopping for certain medical services and procedures. HealthSelectShoppERS can help you:

  • Compare costs for many health care procedures
  • Estimate your out-of-pocket costs
  • Earn incentives for shopping for certain medical services and procedures.

With HealthSelectShoppERS, when you and your eligible dependents choose lower-cost options for medical services, you could earn up to $500 in a TexFlex FSA, per family, plan year.

How does it work?

After your primary care provider (PCP) or specialist recommends a HealthSelectShoppERS-eligible medical procedure or service, you can:

  • Log in to Blue Access for MembersSM , click on the 'Doctors and Hospitals' tab, and then the 'Find a Doctor or Hospital' link.
  • In Provider Finder® , type in the name of your procedure to search; or select 'Cost Estimates' and then 'All Rewarded Procedures.'
  • If your procedure is rewards-eligible, compare the health care providers (facilities) that perform the procedure. Select a lower-cost, quality provider that qualifies to earn a HealthSelectShoppERS reward. You can also call a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX)Personal Health Assistant to help you compare costs.

Have your service or procedure at the HealthSelectShoppERS rewards-eligible location you chose. You can earn incentives on services like ultrasounds and mammograms, CT scans and MRIs, and procedures like knee, shoulder and hip surgery.

Note: a referral or prior authorization may be required for your procedure. To confirm if a referral or prior authorization is required, contact a BCBSTX Personal Health Assistant.

When your medical service or procedure is complete, the provider will submit the claim to BCBSTX. Once BCBSTX processes the claim (usually within 30-45 days), and as long as you are still eligible, ERS will deposit your reward into your TexFlex health care FSA. If you are enrolled in Consumer Directed HealthSelectSM, your incentive will be deposited into a limited purpose FSA. If you do not have a TexFlex FSA or limited-purpose FSA, ERS will open one for you and you will get a debit card in the mail from PayFlex.

Who can participate?

In general, HealthSelectShoppERS is available to all benefits-eligible active employees enrolled in HealthSelect of Texas®, HealthSelectSM Out-of-State or Consumer Directed HealthSelect. Medicare primary participants, COBRA members, HealthSelectSM Secondary participants and retirees are not eligible for the HealthSelectShoppERS program.

To be eligible to earn an incentive, you have to be actively employed (not retired) at a state agency or higher education institution, or the enrolled dependent of an active employee:

  • when you shop for the service or procedure,
  • when you get the service or procedure and
  • when BCBSTX processes the claim and
  • when ERS processes your reward.

If you aren’t eligible at any point in the process, you will not earn an incentive. Depending on the time between shopping and getting care, the entire process could take months.

Additional resources

To learn more about this program, check out the resources below:

BCBSTX Personal Health Assistants are available
by phone

Call a BCBSTX Personal Health
Assistant toll-free

(800) 252-8039 (TTY:711)

Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and
Saturday 7 a.m.-3 p.m. CT.

 

TexFlex Spending Account (FSA), administered by PayFlex, is an independent company that has contracted with ERS. 

PayFlex does not offer Blue Products or Services. BCBSTX makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding third-party vendors and the products and services offered by them.