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Our take
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida rated well for having low deductibles and a good provider network from policyholders surveyed by Insure.com. The company also received 3.5 out of 5 stars from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. NCQA evaluates healthcare plans on, among other things, member satisfaction.
Overall, Florida Blue is No. 8 on Insure.com’s list of the Best Health Insurance Companies for 2023 with a star rating of 3 (or, more precisely, 2.98) out of 5 stars.
When compared to the other top health insurance providers in our survey, it had lower marks compared to other top insurers in our survey for renewals, although 87% of its customers who responded said they would sign up again with the insurer.
Pros and Cons
- Scored well for low deductibles
- Extensive provider network throughout Florida
- Nationwide access to healthcare through the Blue Cross Blue Shield umbrella
- Other insurers ranked higher for affordability
- Plans mostly limited to Sunshine State residents
Below is Insure.com’s review of the company. It’s based on third-party metrics and our in-depth survey of insurance customers. Find the full methodology here, including an explanation of our survey scores.
How much does Florida Blue health insurance cost?
Florida Blue ranked tenth for affordability among the companies we looked at. However, customers give it high marks for having low deductibles. And we found that the company has rates that are comparable to other insurers.
| Insurance company | Rank for price/affordability among Insure.com’s top 10 |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 10 |
| Aetna | 1 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 2 (tie) |
| Cigna | 2 (tie) |
Below is a look at how Florida Blue rates in Florida compare with those of Aetna for a similar plan. These are 2023 healthcare exchange rates for a single, 40-year-old male in excellent health with an annual income of $70,000.
| Insurance company | Rate/Month | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Blue | $358 | myBlue Bronze 2311S – HMO |
| Aetna | $359 | Bronze S – HMO |
How Florida Blue scores for customer satisfaction
Almost 75% of Florida Blue customers say they are satisfied with the insurer. A few other insurers ranked higher in this category, which Kaiser led. However, the company did better when looking at average J.D. Power’s health plan scores, which measure health plans for overall customer satisfaction. It had the fourth highest score among the companies we ranked.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers who are satisfied with the company overall | J.D. Power overall satisfaction score (out of 1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 74% | 746 |
| Kaiser Permanente | 93% | 766 |
| California Blue | 91% | 738 |
How Florida Blue scores for complaints filed against the company
BCBS of Florida has a strong track record of handling complaints before they escalate. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) compares major providers on how many complaints are filed with state regulators. If a provider has a rate equal to its customer base, it receives a 1.0 score. If it has twice as many complaints as its share of business, it gets a 2.0. Florida Blue had a score of 0.78, meaning it had a small number of complaints filed compared to its market share.
| Insurance company | NAIC Complaint Index |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 0.78 |
How Florida Blue scores for policy offerings
Florida Blue offers a range of individual and family plans, Medicare and plans through employers. Roughly 78% of customers surveyed by Insure.com said they were happy with the offerings. Kaiser came out on top in this category. Most of the big health insurers had scores that ranged from 70% to 85%.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers who score their insurance company highly for policy offerings |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 78% |
| Kaiser Permanente | 91% |
| UnitedHealthcare | 84% |
Would customers recommend Florida Blue to others?
More than 80% of customers said they would recommend Florida Blue, but that was one of the lower scores among the top insurers in our survey. Kaiser led this category, with 96% of its customers saying they would recommend it.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers who would recommend their health insurance company to others |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 83% |
| Kaiser Permanente | 96% |
| Humana | 91% |
How trustworthy is Florida Blue?
Florida Blue finished in the lower half in this category, with 65% of its customers giving it high marks here. But this was a tough category. Eight of the 10 companies we ranked saw between 70-80% of their customers give them high marks for trust. Kaiser was the top rated insurer in this category and the only one to score above 80%.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers who say they trust their health insurance company |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 65% |
| Kaiser Permanente | 87% |
| Aetna | 75% |
Do current Florida Blue customers plan to renew?
Most do, but not all. About 87% of customers said they planned to renew their plans with Florida Blue. Anthem came out on top in this category followed by Kaiser.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers who plan to renew with their health insurance company |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 87% |
| Anthem | 95% |
| Kaiser Permanente | 93% |
How Florida Blue scores for low deductibles
While it didn’t rank among the top companies for affordability, Florida Blue scored well with customers for having low deductibles. It placed second among the companies we ranked, behind Blue Shield of California.
| Insurance company | Survey score for low deductibles |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 83% |
| Blue California | 100% |
| Humana | 77% |
How Florida Blue scores for its provider network
Florida Blue has a big provider network in the Sunshine State and customers think it’s generally good, ranking it in the top half in Insure.com’s survey.
| Insurance company | Survey score for provider network |
|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 61% |
| Anthem | 72% |
| UnitedHealthcare | 54% |
Florida Blue health insurance coverage options
- Plans for individuals and families
- Medicare plans
- Health insurance via employers
- Prescription drug plans
Other services offered
- Dental
- Vision
- Supplemental insurance
States where BCBS of Florida offers coverage
Company background
Florida Blue’s beginnings date back to 1945, when the Florida Hospital Service began operations in Jacksonville, Florida. The following year, the Florida Medical Services Corp. was also formed, which would later become Blue Shield of Florida.
In 1980, the two companies came together under the Blue Cross and Blue Shield organization to create what is now known as Florida Blue.
Today, it has a customer base of about 6 million members and a provider network that spans the Sunshine State. And through its philanthropic arm, Florida Blue Foundation, the company invests in a wide range of programs and organizations that tackle health inequities among at-risk communities.
It has been on the forefront of incorporating virtual healthcare into its offerings and in 2022 launched a service with Sanitas Medical Centers, a key provider in its network, to offer around-the-clock access to care via video, through an app or by text or email.
Earlier in 2022, Hurricane Ian presented a hectic challenge and Florida Blue responded on a number of fronts. With many urgent care clinics and doctors’ offices shut in the wake of the hurricane, Florida Blue began offering free virtual doctor visits.
Through the service, clinicians were able to help with a wide range of non-emergency conditions and could also prescribe some medications. Florida Blue also partnered with New Directions Behavioral Health to offer a toll-free emotional support helpline during the crisis.
