Choosing between Aetna PPO and BlueCrossBS(IL) PPO.Personal opinion counts, but any hard data on the best one? -

It' enrollment time for my wife, and these are the two group plans that are being offered through the United Parcel Service Health Care Plan. Each person has their complimentary/horror stories to tell, but does anyone have hard data such how they rate with things such as choice of doctors, claims paying, customer service? Both plans pay the same % of benefits, so looking for feedback on overall quality of the provider. Consumer reports 2005 magazine is the only source I've found, but that is nearly three years old. Thanks for help. Your answer may come from asking the doctors you see on a regular basis. They are the ones who deal with these companies in the trenches. They will not be able to tell you specifics about how much either pays, but they may be able to give you some insight as to how quickly each pays their claims, ease of submission of claims and the like. i used to work with at a doctors office so i worked with both insurances. i would say more often i would see people with aetna have better benifits than bcbs. now i sell insurance we sell both aetna and bcbs. almost every independant agent will tell u that aetna offers more coverage for less money. make sure that u know ur benifits well though and that the doctors that u see accept both plans. The Department of Insurance in Illinois will have plenty of information on these two companies such as number of complaints, financial stability, etc., http://www.idfpr.com/DOI/default2.asp. The Blue Cross in your state is a non-profit organization, Aetna is not. The main difference in coverage between plans will be in the pre-determined, negotiated rates between the provider and the insuror, also known as, "allowed amount." As an example, the amount the provider is allowed to charge you for an MRI will most likely be higher with Aetna than with Blue Cross, because Blue Cross will have negotiated a better rate as the largest insuror in Illinois. This is very important because services such as MRI's usually are not covered until the annual deductible is met. You will most likely meet your annual deductible and co-insurance more quickly with Aetna, (because you will be spending more for services where deductible/co-insurance apply.) Another difference will be coverage for preventive care. Blue Cross will not have a dollar limit on annual physicals/gynecological exams/immunizations, and Aetna most likely will cap this benefit at a few hundred dollars or less. There is a reason why the Blue Cross in your state is the largest carrier, and has been for many years. They offer a better product at a lower cost to it's members.