Mockup image of a man's hand holding white mobile phone with blank desktop screen while laying down on beach chair
I first became familiar with the IBX mobile app because of my job. As an Independence Blue Cross national sales consultant, I initially downloaded the app to familiarize myself with its features. That way, when I met with my external business partners to discuss our capabilities, I could speak about the app from experience.
Now I can’t imagine not having it. Speaking as an IBX member, I use it at least once a week, mostly to view my Health Spending Account (HSA) balance and pay doctors directly,1 which couldn’t be easier. After using the IBX mobile app for some time, I can now see why it’s a top-rated mobile app. It’s convenient and very easy to use.
An Indispensable Tool When I’m Away from Home
One of the things I find most useful about the IBX mobile app is that it’s indispensable when I’m traveling. In the summer, I spend a lot of my free time down the shore with family. If I need to fill a prescription, I can use the IBX mobile app to locate pharmacies that are nearby, determine which ones are open 24/7, and compare the cost of drugs at each of the locations. Once I find a pharmacy close to me that offers my prescription at the lowest cost, I can call the pharmacy directly from the app to request a refill.
A Little Peace of Mind
When my kids went off to college, I had them download the app to use when they’re away from home. With my daughter at St. Joseph’s University and my son at Penn State, it’s reassuring to know that they have access to our health plan coverage — especially their ID cards — in case they ever need to use our benefits when they’re at school. If they ever need to access coverage away from home, they can use their ID card right from the homepage of the app. As a parent, this peace of mind is invaluable.
Support for Healthier Habits
The IBX mobile app also helps me focus on my health goals with the Achieve Well-being personalized online tools. I completed the Achieve Well-being Profile and the program recommended I participate in the sleep challenge.
This challenge suggests activities to improve my sleep, like powering down electronic devices at least an hour before I go to bed. I decided to take the challenge and see if I could improve my sleep habits by completing the suggested activities. I also turned on the push notifications, which has helped keep me in check with my well-being journey.
As I complete challenges and activities, the IBX mobile app homepage keeps track of everything I’ve done and the badges I’ve earned. This motivates me to complete each suggested challenge in order to improve my sleep habits. And I’m seeing results — over the past several weeks, I’ve been sleeping longer through the night, and I’m not as tired the next morning.
New to the Mobile App: Our Care Cost Estimator
One new mobile app feature that I am excited about is our Care Cost Estimator. I am always looking for ways to keep care as affordable as possible. This tool gives me estimated out-of-pocket costs for common procedures and office visits based on my benefits plan, deductible, and out-of-pocket maximum. I can check the price before I go to the doctor so I’m not surprised when the bill arrives.
I can estimate my out-of-pocket costs for up to 1,600 procedures and compare providers by estimated price, based on my health plan. And now that the tool is available on the app, I can do this all from the convenience of my phone.
Managing My Health Care from the Palm of My Hand
For me, the IBX mobile app is an essential tool because it helps me manage my health 24/7 from anywhere. With the app at my fingertips I’m able to:
- View, send, or order a copy of my member ID card
- Find an in-network doctor or hospital close to me
- View recent claims or open referrals
- Access my HSA or track my deductible
The app also comes in handy when I’m looking for urgent care facilities or retail health clinics. Because I’m enrolled in an HSA, finding a low-cost alternative to an emergency room or doctor’s office is especially important to me.
Don’t have the IBX mobile app?
Visit ibx.com to complete your account registration and then download the app to your phone from the Apple app store or Google Play.
1The capability to pay doctors directly is only available for members with a spending account.
