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May – June 2020
A message from President and CEO Daniel J. Loepp
Blue Cross takes action to support members, health professionals and hospitals amid COVID‑19 pandemic
 As health professionals are working tirelessly on the front lines to save lives and slow the rate of the COVID‑19 pandemic, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are also working with our health care providers and customers to enable our members to get the care they need and support hospitals and the dedicated medical personnel working to keep us safe.
Protecting and helping members
To support our 5.4 million members during this pandemic, we’ve taken action to support prevention and treatment of COVID‑19. We’re waiving all member copays, deductibles and coinsurance for COVID‑19 testing and treatment through June 30.
We’re also increasing access to medications by waiving early refill limits for 30-day maintenance prescriptions and encouraging members to use 90-day mail order benefits. And we’re increasing formulary flexibility to address medication shortage and access concerns.
In addition, we recently announced that Blue Cross and 35 Michigan hospitals have teamed up to collect comprehensive clinical data on COVID‑19 patients. The information will be included in a registry that will provide insight into best practices in treating patients with the virus.
Encouraging telehealth services
Because our members are our mission, we’re continually enhancing access to quality care. That’s why we’ve expanded no-cost telehealth medical services to include common behavioral health therapy, because we know that more people are struggling from anxiety, isolation and other mental health conditions during this difficult time. For emotional support, we also have a free crisis hotline available for everyone.
Encouraging our members to use telehealth to connect with physicians for non-urgent issues during the pandemic — and expanding the availability of telehealth and online services — allows members to get questions answered from physicians in the safety of their homes. It also can alleviate the strain on hospitals and emergency departments as they work tirelessly to fight the pandemic.
Over a four-week period, the percentage of primary care physicians and behavioral health providers in our Physician Group Incentive Program who are providing telehealth services has grown from less than 10% to more than 80%.
Partnering with providers
We also understand the resource and financial strain our hospitals and doctors are facing — from local family physicians to large hospitals. With the largest network of providers in the state, we’re working diligently to provide financial support, reduce burdens and keep providers informed and connected.
To assist, Blue Cross has accelerated incentive payments to Michigan-based physician organizations and practices to provide immediate financial means to purchase equipment and treat patients with COVID‑19, and we’re adding flexibility where possible so providers can deal with the crisis on the front lines.
We’ve also encouraged Blue Cross medical professionals to heed the governor’s call for volunteers to help address capacity needs, and are paying full salary and benefits to those who choose to volunteer. Within the first 24 hours of this opportunity, I was overwhelmed that 29 extraordinary colleagues from our medical team volunteered to assist even more directly in the fight against COVID‑19.
Help for individuals losing coverage
Across our economy, in businesses large and small, workers have been displaced from their jobs and their health coverage due to the global pandemic. We’re aware of the tenuous financial positions businesses and individuals are facing and will continue working with them on ways they can maintain health care coverage throughout this crisis.
Blue Cross and BCN are helping people continue their individual health coverage or transition from group coverage to an individual plan, potentially qualifying for federal subsidies to lower their premiums. People seeking help from Blue Cross can find it by calling 1-877-610-2583 or online at bcbsm.com/myblue.
While we’re continuing our partnerships with large employers and their employees, we’ve also created a special support program for small businesses that may be forced by economic conditions to drop their health insurance coverage or lay off employees. The program is available to small employers and their insurance agents through a toll-free hotline at 1-866-582-5052 and by email at smallgroupCOVID19@bcbsm.com.
Protecting our employees
As Michigan’s largest insurer, we’re on the side of more than 5 million people who have health insurance with us, and we want them to get the care they need. It’s why we process more 47,000 claims per hour each business day and more than $75 million in benefit claims daily to pay doctors, nurses and supply our hospitals and clinics for the care our members receive. We’re committed to connecting people with the care they need to manage and survive this crisis.
We’ve taken sweeping measures to do all we can to protect our workforce while maintaining critical operations to keep Michigan’s health care system operating. That includes embracing and exceeding state and federal guidelines through daily deep cleanings of our buildings, in addition to closing our facilities for five days to sanitize areas where people work and providing face coverings for essential workers. We’ve made changes to keep employees distanced from each other, while providing additional flexibility, and partnered with the UAW to make pandemic benefit changes.
Community support
As part of our long-standing corporate social mission, we’re proud to financially support the efforts of community-based organizations across Michigan that are providing necessary meals to children and assisting seniors and other vulnerable populations. The bottom line is that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are here to help protect the health of people across the nation and our Michigan communities. We’re a trusted adviser and advocate for population health and are actively responding to support our members, our customers, our providers and our employees.
We will continue our work to increase access to quality care. We’re all in this together. |
