Aetna Will Waive Copays and Deductibles for Covid-19 Hospitalizations. Aetna, the insurance company owned by CVS Health, said Wednesday morning that patients covered by its commercial insurance. For Commercial plans, the cost share waiver for any in-network covered telemedicine visit – regardless of diagnosis – began on the day of the CVS Health press release, March 6, 2020, and ended on June 4, 2020. 1 All member cost-sharing waivers for covered in-network telemedicine visits for outpatient behavioral and mental health counseling services are active until January 31, 2021. Commercial Plans o Cost share waiver for any in-network covered telemedicine visit – regardless of diagnosis – began on the day of the CVS Health press release, March 6, 2020, and ended on June 4, 2020. O Aetna self-insured plan sponsors offer this waiver at their discretion. O Aetna will continue to cover limited minor acute care evaluation and care management services, as well as some. AETNA Expands Telehealth Coverage - kyma.org. Health Details: telemedicine policy, will now extend through August 4, 2020. For commercial plans, the cost share waiver for any in-network covered telemedicine visit – regardless of diagnosis – ended on June 4, 2020.
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In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many commercial health insurers waived cost-sharing for medical and behavioral telehealth services.
Becker's asked five of the largest for-profit insurers — Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare — when those waivers are set to end.
Here's the projected expiration date of their telehealth cost waivers, as of Sept. 17. For reference, the current national public emergency health period — which was extended effective July 25 — is slated to end in late October, around the 23rd. If the PHE is extended again, some of the dates may be pushed backed.
Aetna
- Cost-share waivers for commercial telemedicine behavioral health services: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for all Medicare telemedicine services: Dec. 31
Anthem
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 testing and related telehealth visits and telephonic-only visits: When PHE ends (around Oct. 23)
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 treatment from in-network providers accessed via telehealth: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits across fully-insured employer and individual plans: Sept. 30
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits across Medicare and Medicaid plans: Dec. 31 (where not covered under a state program)
Cigna
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 telehealth visits across Medicare Advantage plans: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for telehealth screenings for COVID-19 across commercial and individual/family plans: Oct. 31
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 in-network medical or behavioral telehealth visits across Medicare Advantage plans: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for in-network virtual primary care and specialist office exams or consultations for non-COVID-19 care across individual/family plans: Oct. 31
- Expanded virtual medical care access for non-COVID-19 services from physicians and certain providers for commercial members: Dec. 31
Humana
- Cost-share waivers for all telehealth visits (primary, speciality and behavioral services) with in-network providers, regardless of COVID-19 diagnosis: Dec. 31
UnitedHealthcare
- Cost-share waivers and expanded access for COVID-19-related telehealth visits: Oct. 22
- Cost-share waivers and expanded access for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits with in-network providers: Sept. 30
More article on payers:
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CMS proposes payment changes to Medicare Advantage, Part D: 5 things to know
MedStar, CareFirst: New partnership to curb costs by $400M
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One of the nation's biggest health insurers is waiving patient payments for hospital stays tied to the coronavirus.
Is Bcbs Waiving Telehealth Copays
CVS Health's insurer Aetna said Wednesday that many of its customers will not have to make co-payments or other forms of cost sharing if they wind up admitted to a hospital in the insurer's provider network.
The move could save those patients thousands of dollars, depending on their coverage and how much health care they've used so far this year.
The waiver lasts through June 1. It applies to the insurer's 3.6 million customers who have fully-insured coverage, which is usually offered through a small business. Big employers that offer Aetna coverage also can chose to waive those payments, a spokesman for the insurer said.
The new coronavirus has caused a global pandemic that has infected more than 428,000 people and killed over 19,000 worldwide, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people in an effort to stop the virus from spreading further and overwhelming health care systems.
CVS Health Executive Vice President Karen Lynch said in a statement the company is trying to ensure that its customers have 'simple and affordable access' to treatment during the pandemic.
Many insurers have waived patient costs for testing or doctor visits and telemedicine to encourage people to get help with coronavirus symptoms.
But Aetna, which covers nearly 23 million people, is the first major insurer to extend a payment waiver to the bills many patients will fear most if they become sick.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
A recent study put together by researchers with the Covered California health insurance exchange found that a lengthy hospital stay of 12 days could cost a total of $72,000 on average nationally, depending on factors like how long a patient stays in an intensive care unit.
Insured patients would only pay a slice of that bill, but that slice could amount to as much as $6,000 depending on their coverage. Many plans have deductibles that patients must pay before most of their coverage starts.
They also have out-of-pocket maximums, or limits for how much each patient has to spend on care each year. Experts say one hospital stay could easily push a patient up to the plan's limits.
'If you end up in a hospital you are going to blow through your deductible,' said Peter Lee, the California exchange's executive director.
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Becker's asked five of the largest for-profit insurers — Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare — when those waivers are set to end.
Here's the projected expiration date of their telehealth cost waivers, as of Sept. 17. For reference, the current national public emergency health period — which was extended effective July 25 — is slated to end in late October, around the 23rd. If the PHE is extended again, some of the dates may be pushed backed.
Aetna
- Cost-share waivers for commercial telemedicine behavioral health services: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for all Medicare telemedicine services: Dec. 31
Anthem
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 testing and related telehealth visits and telephonic-only visits: When PHE ends (around Oct. 23)
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 treatment from in-network providers accessed via telehealth: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits across fully-insured employer and individual plans: Sept. 30
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits across Medicare and Medicaid plans: Dec. 31 (where not covered under a state program)
Cigna
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 telehealth visits across Medicare Advantage plans: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for telehealth screenings for COVID-19 across commercial and individual/family plans: Oct. 31
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 in-network medical or behavioral telehealth visits across Medicare Advantage plans: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for in-network virtual primary care and specialist office exams or consultations for non-COVID-19 care across individual/family plans: Oct. 31
- Expanded virtual medical care access for non-COVID-19 services from physicians and certain providers for commercial members: Dec. 31
Humana
- Cost-share waivers for all telehealth visits (primary, speciality and behavioral services) with in-network providers, regardless of COVID-19 diagnosis: Dec. 31
UnitedHealthcare
- Cost-share waivers and expanded access for COVID-19-related telehealth visits: Oct. 22
- Cost-share waivers and expanded access for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits with in-network providers: Sept. 30
More article on payers:
Hackensack Meridian, RWJBarnabas, Horizon launch insurance company
CMS proposes payment changes to Medicare Advantage, Part D: 5 things to know
MedStar, CareFirst: New partnership to curb costs by $400M
© Copyright ASC COMMUNICATIONS 2021. Interested in LINKING to or REPRINTING this content? View our policies by clicking here.
One of the nation's biggest health insurers is waiving patient payments for hospital stays tied to the coronavirus.
Is Bcbs Waiving Telehealth Copays
CVS Health's insurer Aetna said Wednesday that many of its customers will not have to make co-payments or other forms of cost sharing if they wind up admitted to a hospital in the insurer's provider network.
The move could save those patients thousands of dollars, depending on their coverage and how much health care they've used so far this year.
The waiver lasts through June 1. It applies to the insurer's 3.6 million customers who have fully-insured coverage, which is usually offered through a small business. Big employers that offer Aetna coverage also can chose to waive those payments, a spokesman for the insurer said.
The new coronavirus has caused a global pandemic that has infected more than 428,000 people and killed over 19,000 worldwide, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people in an effort to stop the virus from spreading further and overwhelming health care systems.
CVS Health Executive Vice President Karen Lynch said in a statement the company is trying to ensure that its customers have 'simple and affordable access' to treatment during the pandemic.
Many insurers have waived patient costs for testing or doctor visits and telemedicine to encourage people to get help with coronavirus symptoms.
But Aetna, which covers nearly 23 million people, is the first major insurer to extend a payment waiver to the bills many patients will fear most if they become sick.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
A recent study put together by researchers with the Covered California health insurance exchange found that a lengthy hospital stay of 12 days could cost a total of $72,000 on average nationally, depending on factors like how long a patient stays in an intensive care unit.
Insured patients would only pay a slice of that bill, but that slice could amount to as much as $6,000 depending on their coverage. Many plans have deductibles that patients must pay before most of their coverage starts.
They also have out-of-pocket maximums, or limits for how much each patient has to spend on care each year. Experts say one hospital stay could easily push a patient up to the plan's limits.
'If you end up in a hospital you are going to blow through your deductible,' said Peter Lee, the California exchange's executive director.
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