Medical Coverage

Plan Features

The Total Health PPO Plan shares many features with the Health Savings Plan, but there are some important differences as well.

What’s the Same
  • Covered services
  • Coinsurance rates for medical services and some prescription drugs
  • Same tiered provider network choices: Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico and UnitedHealthcare
  • In-network doctors and hospitals
  • Incentives for completing healthy activities
What’s Different
  • Paycheck deductions for premiums are higher.
  • The deductible is lower.
  • It’s paired with an HRA to help cover your healthcare expenses.
  • Your costs for medical and prescriptions accumulate separately toward meeting the annual out-of-pocket limit.
  • The care you receive through our onsite Employee Health & Wellbeing clinics are provided at no cost to you.
  • You can contribute to Sandia’s healthcare flexible spending account (HCFSA).
  • Kaiser Permanente is an option with the Total Health PPO Plan for employees residing in northern California.

How the Plan Works

When you enroll in the Total Health PPO Health Plan, you first choose a plan administrator. Medical coverage is the same, regardless of the plan administrator you choose; in-network preventive care and some preventive medications are covered at 100%. The only difference is the access to provider networks offered in your location:

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) — offered to employees in New Mexico, California, and all other locations
  • UnitedHealthcare (UHC) — offered to employees in New Mexico, California, and all other locations
  • Kaiser Permanente — offered to employees residing in northern California only

The plan administrators offer both in- and out-of-network provider coverage, with Tier 1 and Tier 2 (in-network) providers offering you access to high-quality, lower-cost care. You’ll always pay less when you get care from Tier 1 or Tier 2 providers; you’ll pay more for Tier 3 (out-of-network) care. Note: Tier 1 providers are not available in California for UnitedHealthcare and Tier 1 providers are not available outside New Mexico for Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico. For details, see the Network Tiers and Plan Providers page.

First, Meet Your Annual Deductible

For non-preventive medical services, you need to meet the annual deductible before the plan shares costs with you. (As a reminder, there is no annual deductible for prescription drugs).

Here’s what that looks like:

Family

PPO – 2025 (BCBSNM, UHC, Kaiser)
Medical Plan ProvisionsEmployeeTwo Party
Sandia ClinicNo Charge to Employees
Preventive Care Cost ShareFree (Clinic, Tiers 1 and 2) (Tier 3 subject to deductible and coinsurance)
Annual DeductibleTier 1 – $550Tier 1 – $1,100Tier 1 – $1,650
Tier 2 – $800Tier 2 – $1,600Tier 2 – $2,400
Out-of-Network (OON)- $2,250Out-of-Network (OON)- $4,500Out-of-Network (OON)- $6,750

Note: Your family members’ expenses accumulate together as you meet the

Then, Share Costs with the Plan

Once you meet your annual deductible, the plan will share the cost of your care. You’ll pay:

  • 0% coinsurance for Onsite Clinic
  • 10% coinsurance for Tier 1 providers
  • 20% coinsurance for Tier 2 providers
  • 40% coinsurance for Tier 3 (out-of-network) providers

You’ll pay coinsurance until you meet your annual out-of-pocket limit.

Note: If you receive out-of-network care (Tier 3 providers), the plan bases its 60% share of the cost on the allowed charge for a given service. At times, the cost billed by the provider is more than the allowed charge. If this happens, you’ll be responsible for your 40% share of the allowed charge plus any balance due, except for services covered by the No Surprises Act described in the medical plan benefits summary.

Once You Meet Your Annual Out-of-Pocket Limit

After you meet your annual out-of-pocket limit, the plan will pay 100% for eligible expenses for the rest of the calendar year. (The deductible and out-of-pocket limits reset at the start of each calendar year.)

Here’s what that looks like:

 PPO – 2025 (BCBSNM, UHC, Kaiser)
Medical Plan ProvisionsEmployeeTwo PartyFamily
Out-of-Pocket (OOP) MaximumTier 1 – $2,250Tier 1 – $4,500Tier 1 – $6,750
Tier 2 – $3,000Tier 2 – $6,000Tier 2 – $9,000
Out-of-Network (OON)- – $7,500Out-of-Network (OON)- – $15,000Out-of-Network (OON)- – $22,500
Separate RX OOP$1,500$3,000$5,950

Note: Your family members’ expenses accumulate together as you meet the out-of-pocket limits noted above. But, if one person in the family meets the individual out-of-pocket limit, the plan pays 100% of eligible expenses for that person for the rest of the year.

Using Sandia Employee Health & Wellbeing Clinics

Sandia’s Employee Health & Wellbeing (EH&W) clinics provide Sandians with quality care regardless of which medical plan you choose. The clinics in New Mexico and California provide a full range of services – preventive care, treating acute illnesses, emergency care, treating work-related injuries, supporting emotional health, and management of health conditions like diabetes and asthma.

Clinic services are provided at no cost to Sandians who choose the Total Health PPO Plan or to those who waive medical coverage.

Plan Premiums

Sandia sets employee premiums based on salary levels. Salaries are tiered to ensure employee premiums are competitive when compared to organizations similar to Sandia. Employees making less money pay a lower premium.

The premiums for the Total Health PPO Plan are higher than the Health Savings Plan’s premiums.

You’ll find the current medical/prescription drug, dental, and vision premiums in our 2025 premium chart (pdf).

Complete your health assessment

Completing an annual health assessment enables you to evaluate your current health status, track progress and identify any potential setbacks.

By pairing the health assessment with health coaching, you create a powerful strategy for heightened awareness and actionable steps that lead to improved well-being.

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