Did you know that your health insurance has waived member cost-shares for COVID-19 screening, testing, and treatment just like it does for preventative care? Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the US, the insurance carriers have responded by making both testing and treatment of COVID-19 free of charge to members. This provides major relief to members as the national median medical expense for those hospitalized with COVID-19 ranges $35,000-$45,000 (likely higher in California). Some insurance carriers have also temporarily waived the telemedicine copays for primary care physicians and even teletherapists (please review your plan’s benefits). Even if you are not being treated for COVID-19, you should consider having a therapist review your mental health as we are seeing increased fatigue, depression, and other mental health issues due to the global pandemic.
Due to the influx of providers who offer COVID-19 tests, please make sure to find a provider who is covered by your insurance. We are finding certain providers are not covered due to a variety of reasons. You can find free COVID-19 testing centers at https://covid19.ca.gov/get-tested/. It is best to first contact your primary care doctor to ask them if they recommend you get tested and most places require an appointment.
Waived COVID-19 member cost share end dates:
- Blue Shield of CA – waived through December 31st
- Anthem Blue Cross – waived through December 31st
- Health Net – waived period termination date undefined
- Kaiser – waived through December 31st
- MolinaCare – waived through December 31st
- Oscar- waived through November 30th
- UnitedHealthcare – waived through October 22nd
Free Preventative Care
- Annual wellness exam
- Child screenings – Diabetes, Weight, Height & BMI, Vision and hearing tests, Pelvic exam, Pap and HPV tests, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for adolescents
- Child immunizations – Hepatitis A & B, Tetanus, Influenza, Haemophilus Influenza Type B (HiB), Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV), Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMP), Pneumonia, Varicella (chickenpox), Rotavirus, Meningococcal & Human Pappilomavirus (HPV)
- Adult screenings – blood pressure, diabetes, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, osteoporosis
- Adult immunizations- Hepatitis A & B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMP), Pneumonia, Tetanus, Varicella (chicken pox), Influenza (flu) and Zoster (shingles).
- Adult counseling – Domestic Violence, Family Planning & Breast-feeding Support
If you have any questions about your health insurance benefits such as free preventative care and coronavirus treatment, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@solidhealthinsurance.com or at 310-909-6135. At Solid Health Insurance Services, we strive to keep our clients informed about their benefits so that they may get the most benefit out of their plans.