BCBSM vs. HAP vs. Priority Health: how Michigan employers should compare them.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Health Alliance Plan and Priority Health all sell employer health plans in Michigan, and they differ most in network design, geography and how they steer care. This page sets out what each carrier says about itself and the questions we ask before recommending one for a renewal.
What each carrier says about its employer plans
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
BCBSM lists Simply Blue PPO, Blue Elect Plus POS and the Blue Care Network HMO as featured plans for groups of 2 to 50 employees. It states that its PPO members have access to 95 percent of doctors and 100 percent of hospitals in Michigan. That is the carrier’s claim; test it against your own employees’ providers. See also our Blue Care Network guide.
Health Alliance Plan (HAP)
HAP announced Henry Ford Health Select as an HMO and Exclusive Provider Arrangement built on Henry Ford Health’s High-Performing Network, with PCP assignment and specialist referrals. HAP says it is available to employer groups in seven Michigan counties and states up to 15 percent premium savings, which is a claim to test against your current plan.
Priority Health
Priority Health describes itself as a nonprofit health benefits company serving Michigan. Its employer offering includes network solutions, including regional partner networks and a Corewell Health integrated option, that steer members to certain providers. That can lower cost and also change who sees which doctor.
Questions we ask when comparing these three
Where do your employees live?
Network design and county availability differ by carrier. A plan that fits one county mix can leave another group’s employees out of network.
Which doctors and hospitals matter?
Run your employees’ actual providers against each network. A broad-network claim and a narrow-network savings claim answer different questions.
How much restriction will the group accept?
PPO, POS, HMO and exclusive-provider designs trade choice for cost differently. See network type and your renewal.
What is each savings claim measured against?
Carrier savings figures depend on a baseline. Ask what it is before it drives a renewal decision.
What is the renewal built from?
Your group’s own experience may matter as much as the carrier. See loss ratio and your renewal.
Who would be disrupted by a move?
Switching carriers can change which providers employees can see. See provider disruption analysis.
Carrier comparison questions from Michigan employers
Which is better for a Michigan employer, BCBSM, HAP or Priority Health?
There is no single answer. The right carrier depends on where your employees live, which doctors and hospitals they use, how much network restriction the group will accept, and what each carrier will charge your group. We compare all three against your own data before recommending one.
Are HAP and Priority Health narrow-network carriers?
Both carriers describe network solutions that steer members toward certain providers. HAP describes Henry Ford Health Select as an HMO and Exclusive Provider Arrangement, and Priority Health describes network solutions with regional partner networks. Check the current details with each carrier and against your employees’ providers.
Can I trust the savings and network claims carriers publish?
Treat them as the carrier’s claims. Each is measured against something, such as a prior plan or a different market, and that baseline decides whether the number applies to you. Ask what the claim is measured against before relying on it in a renewal decision.
What should I send to get a real comparison?
Your renewal, your current plan summaries, and a census with employee ZIP codes. With those we can test provider access by county and compare the structure of each option.
Are these carriers’ details current?
Carrier plan offerings and networks change, so we attribute each detail to the carrier’s own page and recommend confirming it before a decision. The sources are listed on this page.
Where these details come from.
The details above are the carriers’ own statements, taken from their public pages. Confirm current plans, networks and counties with the carrier before deciding.
- BCBSM: Plans for small groups
- BCBSM: PPO networks
- BCBSM: What size is my business
- HAP: Henry Ford Health Select launch announcement
- HAP: Employer resources
- HAP: Small group plans and networks
- Priority Health: Large group network solutions
- Priority Health: Integrated narrow network announcement
- Priority Health: About us
Send us your renewal.
We’ll tell you whether it looks competitive, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier. No cost, and no obligation to move anything.
The renewal letter
Your current plan summary
Contribution split by tier
Enrolled counts by tier
Four documents — two more if your group is 50 or more. Nothing else; every extra one is a reason to postpone.