Is Blue Cross Blue Shield intentionally designed to be as dense and confusing as possible?

I'm filling out my coverage for my employer, and it seems as though I have to stop, email our benefits rep, and arrange a call to walk through something every few steps.

The actual specific plans exist within about 17 different categories and subcategories, each with their own unique collection of plans, some of which have similar names. There are two actual plans available to me at this employer; there's no reason I should need to be presented with all of these options when filling out my enrollment form.

Beyond that, each plan has about 2 or 3 different aliases, some including a code number, some including a "gold" or "silver" designation, and sometimes both are used.

Terms like "choice" and "select" are thrown around in plan names in ways that are also dumbfounding. Do these mean "you get to choose and/or select," implying it's a broader network? Or is it "these are the select and chosen providers that BCBS likes, so it's cheaper".

And that's not even beginning to touch on the fact that there's "Blue Cross Blue Shield of…" for every fucking state in the country, making trying to find information about your plan online impossible.

Really, Googling information about your health insurance plan shouldn't ever be necessary, but it often is, because the mf site is down every other day. I know this from experience, from my last BCBS plan at my last job.

I have no other conclusion other than it's intentionally confusing so that coverees have a harder time making informed decisions to achieve the cheapest care.

submitted by /u/Status_Afternoon1521
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