Get A QuoteFAQ With Kelly-COVID-19 Insurance Updates
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.