COVID-19 Update: Treatment Cost-Share Waiver Extended

October 15, 2020

We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and are committed to helping our employer customers and members stay informed. We have an update to the treatment cost-share waiver end date for:

• Fully insured groups
• ASO groups that have opted into coverage decisions

As always, members should call the number on their ID card for answers to their specific benefit questions.

Initiative	Effective Date	Projected End Date
COVID-19 Testing	3/7/20	Cost-share waiver ends with the end of the Health and Human Services (HHS) public health emergency
COVID-19 Testing-related Visits	3/18/20	Cost-share waiver ends with the end of HHS public health emergency
Telehealth/Telemedicine	3/18/20	Cost-share waiver ends 12/31/20 For Medicare (not Part D) and Medicare Supplement plans: Cost-share waiver ends 12/31/20
COVID-19 Treatment	4/1/20	Cost-share waiver extended through 12/31/20*

*Date change/extension
Illinois Mandate: Effective March 10, 2020, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) began covering telehealth “virtual” visits with in-network Illinois providers for eligible BCBSIL PPO and Blue Choice members consistent with the terms of the member’s benefit plan. This telehealth benefit option is currently available through Dec. 31, 2020.

As we let you know in April, self-funded customers (ASO) who aligned with BCBSIL decisions for fully insured members would continue that alignment unless we were notified.

• BCBSIL will extend the cost-share waiver for treatment through Dec. 31, 2020. 

What this means for ASO groups

Your prior decision to waive cost-share for treatment will be extended through Dec. 31, 2020, unless you make a request to BCBSIL to end the cost-share waiver.

If you would like to make a change from your original decision, please contact your account executive no later than Friday, Oct. 16. If you don’t communicate that change by Oct. 16, your decision will continue as currently coded. Change decisions made after Oct. 16 cannot be accommodated for a Nov. 1, 2020, effective date.

COVID-19 Testing and the CARES Act

As a reminder, COVID-19 testing and testing-related visits are covered at no cost-share for fully insured and ASO members until the end of the federal public health emergency, as required by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.