Blue Care Network’s Primary Care Physician Focus Network Expands Into 11 New Counties for the 2026 Plan Year
Blue Daily
| 4 min read
Key Takeaways
- BCN's PCP Focus network could be a good fit for those who need assistance in managing their general health, getting timely preventive care and receiving annual physicals.
- It is a plan worth exploring if you expect to be on a tight budget in the coming year.
- Individuals can choose from a list of primary care physicians that provide quality care and a high level of efficiency, both of which help lowers costs and keep health care affordable for everyone.
- We have expanded our list of eligible counties for 2026, and in doing so, have expanded our service area footprint by 55% for 2026.
Health insurance is expensive, and we know people want options. For those aiming to pay less for their monthly premium, Blue Care Network is innovating solutions that allow you to do that without sacrificing access to providers or the quality of care those providers deliver.
BCN’s Primary Care Physician (PCP) Focus network is a custom PCP Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) network that helps employees receive high-quality care. After a recent expansion, there are now 31 PCP Focus counties in Michigan.
This plan is suitable for a wide range of individuals, but since it is an HMO plan, it could be a good fit for those needing assistance in managing general health, get timely preventive care, annual physicals and coordinate specialist referrals when needed. Additionally, the PCP Focus Network is also worth exploring if you expect to be on a tight budget in the coming year.
How does Blue Care Network’s PCP Focus work?
With the PCP Focus Network, individuals can choose from a list of PCPs that provide quality care and a high level of efficiency, both of which help lowers costs and keep health care affordable for everyone. And we pass those savings on to you, with lower premiums.
The PCP Focus network includes a subset of PCPs from BCN’s HMO commercial provider network, plus all BCN HMO contracted specialists, hospitals and facilities. It provides flexibility for members who are free to visit any of BCN’s specialists within the BCN HMO commercial network as long as they have a referral from their PCP.
“Our focus is simple, give members easier access to high-quality primary care and keep their premiums affordable,” said Marisa Carandino, Director of Commercial Markets Medical Product Management. “With the PCP Focus Network, we’ve expanded the service area and partnered across Michigan so members can get high quality care, close to home, at a lower cost. It’s a smart, accessible option for anyone looking to get more value from their health coverage.”
Employees whose employers offer the PCP Focus network have more than 3,500 PCPs to choose from. Their selected PCP can then refer them to more than 25,000 specialists around the state. Individuals can also visit more than 130 Michigan hospitals.
Which Michigan counties qualify for the PCP Focus network?
Not all Michigan counties qualify to offer the PCP Focus network. However, we have expanded our list of eligible counties for 2026, and in doing so, have expanded our service area footprint by 55% for 2026.
When BCN reviews the PCPs within a county, there needs to be enough providers in that area who meet the overall regional and performance criteria to participate for BCN to meet adequacy Qualified Health Plan (QHP) requirements for that county. This is important because it means that just because your network of providers may be narrow relative to a PPO or HMO network, access is affordable and the network that is available to you contains only high-quality providers.
To be eligible to select the PCP Focus network in 2026, an employer group must have a location within one of these 31 PCP Focus counties:
- *Allegan
- Bay
- *Benzie
- *Berrien
- Calhoun
- *Cass
- Clinton
- Eaton
- Genesee
- *Grand Traverse
- Ingham
- *Jackson
- Kalamazoo
- Kent
- *Lapeer
- *Leelanau
- *Lenawee
- Livingston
- Macomb
- *Manistee
- Monroe
- Muskegon
- Oakland
- Ottawa
- Saginaw
- Shiawassee
- St. Clair
- Van Buren
- Washtenaw
- Wayne
- *Wexford
*New counties BCN has expanded into for the 2026 plan year.
How can employees find a PCP Focus PCP once they are enrolled?
All employees and dependents must select their PCP from the PCP Focus network. Finding a PCP Focus PCP is easy. Here's how:
- Find a doctor at bcbsm.com.
- Select BCN PCP Focus Network (HMO) as your health plan.
- Search for a PCP in the PCP Focus network.
Employees can call the number on the back of their BCN ID card if they need help finding a PCP Focus network doctor.
Having the optionality to select from a list of high-quality physicians that offer efficient care based on your location and personal needs is one way we can keep health care accessible and affordable in Michigan. Learn more about Blue Cross’ commitment to affordability by clicking here.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Keep reading:
