Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Statement on COVID-19

BATON ROUGE – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is closely monitoring the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it could impact our members, employees and the communities that we serve. Just as we prepare for weather situations such as hurricanes and floods, we have contingency plans in place to ensure our members have access to the care and medications they need. We will follow CDC, federal and state recommendations regarding the coronavirus, and will:

• Waive Prior Authorizations for Diagnostic Tests and for Covered Services that are Medically Necessary and Consistent with CDC Guidance if diagnosed with COVID-19. Blue Cross will make members of our in-house clinical team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others available to address providers’ or members’ inquiries related to medical services. This will ensure we provide timely responses related to COVID-19.

• Cover the Full Cost of Medically Necessary Diagnostic Tests that are Consistent with CDC Guidance Related to the COVID-19. Blue Cross will cover, with no cost share to the member, the appropriate medically necessary diagnostic testing for COVID-19, where it is not covered as part of the Public Health Service response, and ensure patient testing and any subsequent needed care are done in close coordination with federal, state and public health authorities.

• Increase Access to Prescription Medications by waiving early medication refill limits on 30-day prescription maintenance medications through May 31, 2020 (consistent with member’s benefit plan) and/or encouraging members to use 90-day mail order benefit. Blue Cross will also ensure formulary flexibility if there are shortages or access issues.

• Encourage Telehealth Use for Remote Care. Blue Cross customers and dependents covered on their plans can use BlueCare, our service for 24/7 online visits with U.S. trained, board-certified doctors. BlueCare works on any device that has internet and a camera, like a smartphone, laptop, tablet or computer. BlueCare is available in all 50 states. This is a good option for people who feel too ill to leave the house or want to consult with a healthcare provider before coming into a clinic for treatment.
  
  To create an account, members can go to www.BlueCareLA.com or get the “BlueCare” (one word) app for Android and Apple devices. Once members have created an account, they can simply log in when they need to have a telehealth visit. 

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We encourage our members to seek information about COVID-19 from trusted health sources. For more information, members can visit the CDC’s website, or the Louisiana Department of Health website.