New health plan: MESSA Balance+
Plan features a health savings account and bundle of supplemental plans that pay cash benefits
MESSA Balance+ gives members more options than ever when it comes to choosing the right plan to fit every need and every budget.
MESSA Balance+ includes a health savings account, as well as MESSA’s bundle of supplemental plans that pay cash for covered incidents. It also features a robust prescription plan that includes an extensive list of free preventive medications.
We’ve put together FAQ and Quick Tips documents to help you learn more. You can also read the plan overview and coverage booklet for more details.
MESSA Balance+ FAQ | MESSA Balance+ Quick Tips | MESSA Balance+ plan overview | MESSA Balance+ Medical Coverage Booklet
MESSA Balance+ features
Health savings account
MESSA Balance+ comes with a health savings account (HSA) — a tax-free account that you can use to pay for qualifying medical, vision and dental expenses, including deductible expenses, copays and coinsurance.
An HSA provides triple tax savings — there are no taxes on contributions, earnings or withdrawals. Any unspent money carries over from year-to-year. You own the account forever, allowing you to build a nest egg to cover health expenses in retirement.
MESSA partners with HealthEquity for HSA administration, which offers an easy-to-use app and website to help you easily pay claims and maximize the benefits of having an HSA.
Supplemental plans
MESSA Balance+ includes the bundle of MESSA’s supplemental plans that provide financial security by paying cash benefits if you or a covered loved one is injured, receives a serious diagnosis or ends up in the hospital.
Accident plan
Accident plan
Pays cash benefits if you or a covered dependent experience an accidental injury. It even covers injuries from kids’ organized sports with a 25% increase in your cash benefit payout.
Critical Illness plan
Critical Illness plan
Pays cash if you or a covered dependent are diagnosed with a covered illness or condition. Pays $50 per covered individual for certain preventive screenings and care that you already receive every year.
Hospital Indemnity plan
Hospital Indemnity plan
Pays a lump sum for admission and a daily benefit for a covered hospital stay due to childbirth, illness, injury or surgery.
Learn more: The Supplemental Plans Bundle booklet provides detailed information on all three plans.
“A major godsend”
MESSA Balance+ Rx
MESSA Balance+ features a robust prescription plan with an extensive list of free preventive prescriptions. It’s the same list that’s available with our popular MESSA ABC plans; you can view it at messa.org/FreeRx.
MESSA Balance+ Rx breaks down prescription costs into flat-dollar copays for certain generic drugs and brand-name drugs, and coinsurance for specialty medications. You’ll pay the full cost of prescriptions until your deductible is fully paid. After your deductible is met, you are responsible for copayments or coinsurance until you reach your out-of-pocket maximum.
| Types of medications | Up to 34-day supply after deductible is met | 90-day supply after deductible is met |
|---|---|---|
| Generic drugs Members pay the lowest copay for generics, making them the most cost-effective option for treatment. |
$10 copayment | $30 copayment |
| Preferred brand-name drugs Includes preferred brand-name drugs. These drugs are more expensive than generics. |
$40 copayment | $120 copayment |
| Nonpreferred brand-name drugs Includes brand-name drugs for which there’s either a generic alternative or a more cost-effective, preferred brand-name drug available. |
$80 copayment | $240 copayment |
| Preferred specialty drugs Includes generic and brand-name specialty drugs that are used to treat difficult health conditions. |
20% coinsurance with a maximum of $150 (up to a 30-day supply) |
Not available |
| Nonpreferred specialty drugs Includes nonpreferred brand-name specialty drugs that are used to treat difficult health conditions. Members pay more for nonpreferred specialty drugs because there are more cost-effective generic or preferred drugs available. |
20% coinsurance with a maximum of $300 (up to a 30-day supply) |
Not available |