May 8, 2020 - BCBS of Illinois Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Ancillary Coverages and COVID-19.
April 29, 2020 - COVID-19 Coverage and Eligibility Dates Extended. BCBS of IL announced they are extending some of their coverage and eligibility dates. This includes an extension on telehealth expansion. View this chart to see the details on benefit changes, effective dates, projected end dates and links to detailed information along with extended eligibility dates.
April 8, 2020 - BCBS of Illinois Waives Member Cost-Sharing for COVID-19 Treatment.
Official Letter From BCBS of IL regarding COVID-19 testing and telemedicine and prescription refills during the pandemic.
BCBS of Illinois is expanding telehealth services and waiving member cost-share through April 30, 2020.
BlueCross' Illinois Coronavirus Resources Page can be Found Here.
April 7, 2020 - A Very Thorough FAQ Guide from UnitedHealthcare on the Coronavirus.
April 3, 2020 - UHC Waives Member Cost Share for Treatment of COVID-19 through May 31, 2020. View this page to learn more about this and cost share updates for telehealth and virtual visits.
UHC's New Guidelines Regarding Eligibility
Clients that have their health insurance with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) should read this important update we received from UHC.
Here is UnitedHealthcare's Coronavirus webpage.
May 11, 2020 - Sun Life Dental Clients with a fully insured indemnity or PPO dental plan will receive a premium credit of 50% off the July 2020 premium for that plan(s).
Sun Life Short Term Disability COVID-19 Benefits Clarification
Read this flier from Sun Life for full details. Here's a summary - if an Employee files a claim for Disability Benefits due to a positive test for COVID-19 and is quarantined and unable to work – YES begin the claim process as the Employee is considered Totally or Partially during the period of Medically required confinement.
If an Employee tests positive for COVID-19 and is quarantined but they are allowed to perform their work duties from home – NO this would generally not be considered for STD claim and will be considered Actively at Work.
May 19, 2020 - Guardian pandemic support program - financial support and benefit enhancements for dental and vision customers.
FAQ About Guardian's Coverage and Eligibility as it Relates to COVID-19
Here's a link to answers to some frequently asked questions you and your employees might have about the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Guardian's COVID-19 Resources and Updates Page can be Viewed Here.
Humana to Waive Medical Costs Related to Coronavirus Treatment
May 14, 2020 - Humana to Extend the Flexibility of Their "Actively at Work" Provision Through July 31, 2020.
March 30, 2020 - Humana has announced it is waiving consumer costs for treatment related to COVID-19-covered services. The company previously announced that it would cover out-of-pocket costs related to coronavirus testing. Now, costs related to subsequent treatment for COVID-19—including inpatient hospital admissions— will be waived for enrollees of Medicare Advantage plans, fully insured commercial members, Medicare Supplement and Medicaid. More info here.
Humana Expands Telehealth Access
In an effort to help reduce Coronavirus risk, member cost sharing is being waived for telehealth visits to participating providers. Audio-only telephone as well as video visits are covered. Participating providers reimbursed at full office-visit rates. More info here.
COVID-19 Employer FAQ's
Issued March 23, 2020 - This Employer FAQ web page provides general guidance regarding actions taken by Humana in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Please refer to applicable Humana policy (or policies) for additional information. All other coverage rules will continue to apply. Humana reserves the right to make changes to its policy in order to comply with applicable law and to further respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The policy described herein will remain in place until May 31st or for the duration of the effective public health emergency period, whichever is sooner.
Humana Letter to Employers [PDF].
Humana's Official Coronavirus Page with Resources and FAQ's can be Viewed Here.
Humana Expands Access to Telehealth Services to Help Reduce Coronavirus Risk [PDF].
Cigna Relaxing Eligibility Guidelines
If an active, enrolled employee working 30 hours or more per week as of March 1 is furloughed or has hours reduced below normal full-time eligibility, Cigna will agree, at the request of the employer, to allow the employee to remain on the plan for the duration of the extended relief period as long as fee and premium payments are made.
- These changes to eligibility would be available for all funding types.
- Clients must confirm that the employees who remain on the plan through the extended relief period were active and covered by the plan as of March 1, 2020.
Read the full announcement from Cigna here.
Visit Cigna's COVID-19 Resource Center Here.
Cigna Waiving Customer Cost-Sharing and Co-Payments for COVID-19 Treatment.
Aetna Employer Resource Page and FAQs
Here is Aetna's employer Coronavirus resource page and Coronavirus FAQs page.
For 100+ Employee Groups Insured and Self-Funded FAQ
Here is a FAQ from Aetna on health plan options for business owners during COVID-19 pandemic.
For Employee Groups With Less Than 100 Employees
Here is Aetna's FAQ on health plan options for small business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 5, 2020 - Renewal program extension for dental and vision. We’re extending the “no increase” renewal program for dental and vision policies with 500 or fewer lives through April 2021 renewals. Over the next 12 months, the program will provide dental and vision renewal relief for all policy anniversary dates (in addition to the 10% premium credit for May through September - applied to bills June through October). Renewal actions for life and disability policies will revert back to our standard formula beginning with the November 2020 policy anniversaries, as those coverage's aren’t expected to have pandemic-related claim savings next year.
May 8, 2020 - Principal Dental is giving premium credits on fully-insured dental plans. 10% for June through October bills and this is in addition to the no-increase renewals through October for organizations with 500 or less employees.
Important Principal Update
April 26, 2020 - Rate Stability for Select Renewals
In March Principal announced there wouldn't be rate increases for employers with less than 500 employees and policy anniversary dates of May 1, 2020 - Aug 15, 2020. Principal is now announcing that they are extending this to include renewals through Oct. 15, 2020.
Group Benefits Q&A
Get answers to common questions regarding how COVID-19 applies to your coverage.
Dealing with the effects of COVID-19 on you, your investments, your retirement account, and your business.
Grace Period Updates In response to current events, we are extending our premium grace periods to groups. Through May 31st, Avēsis clients will be granted an additional 30 days of grace period beyond current policy limits. For example, if your grace period for payment has been 30 days, it will now be extended to 60 days.
ACH Payments In addition, we'd like to remind you that ACH (automated clearinghouse) payments are available to our producers who are currently receiving paper checks. ACH allows you to get funds faster. To enroll, download our ACH form. Once completed, the form should be sent with a voided check to finance@avesis.com. Please allow two to four check cycles before automated payments begin.
Extended Benefits Finally, we have updated accommodations for groups whose employees are experiencing reduced hours, layoffs, and furloughs to allow for extended benefits.
