MESSA Choices
Your MESSA Choices plan provides you and your covered dependents with exceptional coverage and MESSA’s unmatched personal service. Your MESSA card connects you with the largest provider network in Michigan, as well as some of the most prestigious hospitals in the world, including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and University of Michigan Health System.
If you’re new to your Choices plan, you’ll find some great information here that we hope will simplify your transition.
The basics
Your Choices plan has a deductible, which is a fixed amount you must pay for covered medical services before MESSA starts to pay claims.
After you meet your deductible, you may be responsible for copays or coinsurance, depending on your specific plan details. A copay is a fixed amount you pay for a covered service or prescription. Coinsurance is a percentage you pay for a covered service or prescription.
A unique feature of your Choices plan is that it has 4th-quarter carryover for your deductible. In-network services incurred in October, November and December carryover to help satisfy your deductible for the following year.
Here’s how it all works when you go to an in-network provider:
| BEFORE you meet your deductible | |
|---|---|
| Preventive care | No cost |
| Office visit | Copay and deductible |
| Urgent care/ER | Copay and deductible |
| Other medical services | Deductible |
| Prescriptions | Copay or coinsurance |
| AFTER you meet your deductible | |
|---|---|
| Preventive care | No cost |
| Office visit | Copay |
| Urgent care/ER | Copay |
| Other medical services | Applicable coinsurance |
| Prescriptions | Copay or coinsurance |
Preventive care
With your Choices plan, preventive care is free when you go to an in-network provider. This includes:
Free preventive drugs
Your Choices plan includes a list of preventive drugs that are covered at no charge — no deductible, no copayment and no coinsurance. This helps you stretch your health care dollars and limit your out-of-pocket costs.
Does staying in-network matter?
In a word, yes.
One of the big things to know is that preventive care is free when you go to an in-network provider — you pay no deductible, no copay and no coinsurance.
In-network providers accept a lower approved amount as payment in full, meaning you pay less in deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. Out-of-network services have higher deductibles and coinsurance, and you can be billed the difference between charges and approved amounts. On top of that, what you pay does not count toward your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
Save yourself some money, and stay in-network.
Resources for you
Medical Plan Coverage Booklet
What you should know about referrals
Medical care while traveling in the U.S.
Get the most out of your MESSA benefits
MESSA goes beyond the basics to provide exceptional benefits and unmatched personal service. We want to be sure that you know all that your MESSA health plan has to offer (and it’s a lot).