Merrilee Logue, Executive Director of the National Labor Office at Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Lynn Pina, Chief Marketing Officer at GeoBlue, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the benefits of GeoBlue, the necessity of additional coverage when traveling abroad and how GeoBlue can assist union members and their families during their international travel plans this summer.
GeoBlue offers international coverage that extends Blue Cross and Blue Shield benefits beyond U.S. borders. Pina highlighted that GeoBlue provides access to healthcare systems worldwide, ensuring travelers receive necessary care without upfront payments. Using relationships with global providers, GeoBlue facilitates direct billing, alleviating financial burdens for travelers. This coverage is crucial, as 40 percent of travelers encounter medical issues abroad, ranging from minor ailments to serious emergencies.
Logue emphasized the importance of securing additional health insurance when traveling internationally, even if one already has domestic coverage. Many foreign healthcare systems require upfront payments from non-residents, which can be financially daunting. GeoBlue addresses this by offering plans that cover medical expenses and potential evacuations, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This additional coverage ensures travelers are not left vulnerable in unfamiliar healthcare environments.
GeoBlue provides a comprehensive mobile app to support travelers, featuring tools like medication equivalence and translation services. The app also includes a provider finder and country-specific alerts, enhancing the travel experience by offering critical information at travelers’ fingertips. Pina noted that GeoBlue's 24/7 customer support ensures assistance is always available, whether for finding the right provider or understanding coverage details. As union members prepare to take their families on vacations this summer, Logue and Pina added, they should check with their healthcare plan for more information on GeoBlue.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about how GeoBlue can safeguard union members’ international travel experiences.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
