Blue Cross NC Virtual Doctor Visit Incentive

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina  (Blue Cross NC) sent emails to members to address concerns about access and affordability due to COVID-19.  One of the highlights included earning a $25 gift card from Blue Rewards when you activate your MDLIVE^® account if you haven't already signed up.  

Excerpts from "Count on the Support of Blue" email.

• Virtual doctor visits are covered the same as face-to-face visits according to your health plan. (This applies to all members.) Virtual visits include appointments with primary care providers, specialists, behavioral health providers and any North Carolina-licensed providers who can deliver services via secure video or telephone.
• Call your doctor to ask about virtual options - or if an upcoming visit or procedure should wait.  It's not just for doctor visits when you're feeling sick.  Ask about virtual options for wellness visits, behavioral health visits and physical therapy, too!
• You also have additional telehealth benefits through MDLIVE^®. Blue Cross NC is waiving cost-sharing (such as deductibles, copays and coinsurance) for services provided through MDLIVE. This includes behavioral health consults.

Many doctors are already encouraging virtual visits due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  If you don’t have a doctor, or your doctor is not set up for virtual visits, take advantage of MDLIVE.  This is a new benefit for 2020 members.  

Visit mdlive.bcbsnc.com — or text “bcbsnc” to MDLIVE (635483) to set up your account with help from Sophie, MDLIVE’s personal health assistant chatbot.  You will earn a $25 gift card from Blue Rewards.

Here are additional resources:

Benefits of Telehealth

COVID-19 Resources for Members

Stay well,

❤

Tara

BCBSNC Extends Deadlines for Customers

BCBSNC is taking steps to ensure customers can maintain their coverage and access to care during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

BCBSNC will allow a 30-day extension to pay premiums.  Members are encouraged to notify customer service if they need assistance.  888-206-4697

In addition, 30-day extensions will be added in relation to:

• Claims submissions
• Appeals filing
• Authorization requests
• Additions of newborn and adopted children to a policy

Additional provisions apply.  For more details you can visit BlueCrossNC.com/Coronavirus.

These measures are in accordance with requirements from the North Carolina Department of Insurance following a State of Disaster declaration and are effective March 27th for 30 days.  BCBSNC will continue to monitor for extensions.

If you have a plan through Healthcare.gov and are experiencing an income change, please call me.  I can help you update your application to get a subsidy increase if available.  704-436-4136

Take care,

Tara

BCBSNC and COVID-19

Please take a moment to check out the special Coronavirus website BCBSNCⓇ created for its members and providers.

BCBSNC - What You Need to Know About Coronavirus

The website is updated regularly with resources and guidance from the CDC during this ever changing environment.

As an agent, I am pleased with the quick response and preparedness that BCBSNC has provided.  And I'm especially glad that Telehealth with MDLive was already incorporated as a new benefit for 2020.  See Blog Telehealth with MDLive

There is a lot of misinformation circulating the Internet and cable news.   Please continue to take care and follow any guidelines provided by Federal and State authorities to keep our families and communities healthy during this time.

Here are additional reputable resources.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

John Hopkins Center for Health Security

Stay well,

❤

Tara O'Neill 

Special Enrollment Period

Open Enrollment for 2020 ended December 17, 2019.

You can still enroll in an ACA plan as long as you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period due to a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).  Here are a few examples:

• Getting married
• Having a baby, adopting a child or placing a child for adoption or foster care
• Losing other health coverage
• Gaining citizenship or lawful presence in the US

If you’re not eligible for the special enrollment period, consider enrolling in a short term plan.  Short term plans do not provide minimum essential benefits required by the Affordable Care Act, but many of my clients use this option if they missed open enrollment or if they only need it as a stop gap before their employer coverage begins.  Coverage can begin within 48 hours and there are a number of plans to choose from including ones with copayments to see primary physicians.

BCBSNC adds Telehealth with MDLive

Telehealth with MDLive is being added as a covered benefit at the Primary Care Provider cost share.  MDLIVE connects Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® members to a national network of U.S. board-certified doctors who average 15 years' experience.  Their specialties include primary care, pediatrics, emergency medicine, family medicine and behavioral health.

Telehealth represents a convenient, cost-effective alternative to in-person doctor visits.  Virtual visits ease the burden by being available quickly and easily.  This is available for all plans except Blue Local Atrium Health because that network already offers their own telehealth benefit.

Treatment includes non-emergency conditions such as acne, allergies, cold and flu, constipation, cough, diarrhea, ear problems, fever, headache, insect bites, nausea/vomiting, pink eye, rash, urinary tract infection, respiratory problems, sinus problems, sore throat, depression, stress, grief and loss, anxiety and more.

If appropriate, a prescription can be sent to a pharmacy of your choice.

Members will have standard access to MDLive 24 hours a day, seven days a week (including holidays).

Members are required to setup an MDLive account before using their services.  MDLive Care Coordinators are available to walk them through the registration process.

Options to access MDLive:

• Download the MDLive app on a smartphone or tablet
• Go to MDLIVE.bcbsnc.com and click “Activate Now”
• Call 888-910-9722

Take advantage of this great added benefit for our members in 2020!

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Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® is changing Blue Value with UNC Health Alliance to Blue Home in 2020.  Why is this important?  Blue Home is not a statewide network.  It is now a LOCAL network.  Blue Home limits in-network to UNC Health providers and affiliates.  The rest of the state will now be out-of-network.

Current Blue Value with UNC Health Alliance members will be mapped to Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance.  Your subscriber ID and Blue Connect account will remain the same.  However the Alpha prefix will change for 2020.  Notices of the change were sent to members in October.

The counties impacted by this change are:

Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Person and Wake.

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New Network: Blue Local with Wake Forest Baptist Health

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® is offering a new low cost narrow network product for Wake Forest Baptist Health.  

Blue Local with Wake Forest Baptist Health is 40% less than Blue Advantage and 23% less than Blue Value.  However, members who choose this network will only be able to see Wake Forest Baptist Health providers and their affiliates.  Be sure you complete a doctor search before choosing this network.  I can help.

Here is a list of counties where this new product is available.

Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Stokes, Wilkes and Yadkin.

As subsidies decrease in 2020 due to lower premiums, having this new network option may keep your monthly costs down.

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