Life Events

Relationship Submenu

Useful Links
& Forms

Health & Welfare SPD

Life Event - Major Surgery

If you are facing major surgery, you should become fully informed of the Health Plan benefits covering hospitals and surgery. Also, if you have not already done so, you should make sure that you have made arrangements for financial matters such as power of attorney for health care, general power of attorney, will, and designations of beneficiaries.

Plan Checklist

  • The Plan uses a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO Network) of physicians and hospitals. There are different networks and reimbursement levels available based on the location you receive medical services and the type of service you receive.

    Using a provider from the PPO network saves both you and the Plan money. To find a PPO provider, access www.blueshieldca.com. In general, it will be preferable for you to use a PPO provider whenever possible, because you receive a higher level of reimbursement when you use a PPO provider.

  • Before any non-emergency hospitalization, you should call 800-572-5508 to use the prenotification program and determine if the case management service would be beneficial for you.

Also Consider...

There is risk involved any time you perform an action. There is a certain risk involved in going out your front door and driving to work. There is undeniably a greater level of risk involved in having a major surgery than in normal day-to-day activities. While it is not beneficial to exaggerate the risks involved, financial planners do recommend that people preparing to undergo scheduled major surgery should at least review several documents which would come into play in the event of death. If you have a family and/or you have assets, you should already have considered these. But if you have sufficient time before surgery, this is an appropriate point to begin working on these. Here are the items which you may wish to update, revise, or consider prior to surgery: