FAQ With Kelly-COVID-19 Insurance Updates
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What you NEED to know about your Insurance and COVID 19
There have been many questions that have come up concerning the effects of your insurance during this COVID-19 crisis. I understand these are stressful and unsettling times for everyone and I am here to help and answer the questions you have about the changes and updates for health and auto insurance.
Health, Medicare, Short-Term Medical, including Marketplace plans
- Ambetter: Ambetter will cover COVID-19-related testing and treatments at no cost to you. You do not need prior authorization.
- BCBS: (Includes Individual health plans, Group/Employer health plans, and Medicare)
Testing: You won’t pay copays, deductibles or coinsurance for medically necessary lab tests to diagnose COVID-19. You do not need prior authorization to test for COVID-19.
Testing-Related Visits: You won’t pay copays, deductibles or coinsurance with in-network providers for visits related to COVID-19, whether at a provider’s office, urgent care clinic, emergency room or by telehealth. (Testing must be medically necessary, consistent with CDC guidance and at the direction of a doctor.)
Treatment: You will not pay copays, deductibles or coinsurance related to treatment for COVID-19. This applies to costs associated with COVID-19 treatment at in-network facilities and treatment for out-of-network emergencies.
Currently, this covers treatment from April 1 to May 31, 2020.
Virtual Visits
You may also access your Virtual Visits benefit2 provided by BCBSIL and powered by MDLIVE3. You can consult a board-certified doctor for non-emergency situations by phone, mobile app or online video 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Virtual Visits doctors can even send e-prescriptions to your local pharmacy. (MDLIVE is not available for Medicare.)
- Cigna: Cigna is waiving out of pocket costs for COVID-19 testing-related visits with in-network providers, whether at a provider’s office, urgent care center, emergency room or via virtual care, through May 31, 2020.
- National General: National General will waive 100% of customers’ out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 diagnostic tests and will ease access for customers seeking diagnostic testing. This waiver will extend to all National General Short-Term Medical customers.
- United Healthcare: (Includes Medicare Advantage, Individual and Group health plans) United Healthcare is also waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and the testing-related visits. Cost-sharing is also waived for COVID-19 treatment until May 31, 2020.
* Starting March 31, 2020 until June 18, 2020, UnitedHealthcare will also waive cost-sharing for in-network, non-COVID-19 telehealth visits for its Medicare Advantage, Individual and Group/Employer plans. - Marketplace: As a reminder, if you’ve had a loss of income, you may qualify for the additional annual premium tax credit.
Auto Insurance Updates
Because COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, there have been fewer drivers on the road, which means few accidents. Auto Insurance companies are recognizing this and rewarding customers with discounts and refunds.Here is a full list of the discounts by provider.
- Travelers: Launched the Stay-at-Home Auto Premium Credit Program, which will automatically give U.S. personal auto insurance customers a 15% credit on their April and May premiums
- Kemper: Providing a 15% deduction for April and May as long as the policy was in effect April 30.
- Hartford: Giving 15% for April and May
- Mercury: Giving up to 15% discount by May
- Safeco: Providing a 15% refund on two months of auto premium, based on your premium amount as of April 7.
- They are planning to issue the refund in the manner you made your most recent payment or by check.
- They will begin issuing refunds in the coming weeks after they have approval from state insurance regulators.
- Your refund will happen automatically, and you do not need to call to get your refund.
- AAA – The Auto Club Group: Providing $60 million in premium refunds to its auto insurance customers. Every policyholder with auto insurance in effect as of April 30 will receive a 20% policy refund applied to two months of premium, for April and May.
We all have been affected by this COVID-19 crisis and I want you to know that I am here to assist you in any way I can. You can contact me at 708-444-0050 or kelly@kellyburkeinsurance.com if you have questions. I am also offering remote meetings by Phone, ZOOM or GoTo Meeting to help answer any concerns you may have.