The Juice - Dec. 23

Over the last two years, HealthPartners made temporary changes to remove cost barriers for insureds related to COVID-19. HP extended the time frame for waiving members’ cost-share for the treatment of COVID-19 through Dec. 31, 2021. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, coverage for treatment of COVID-19 will follow your benefit plan (charges will be subject to deductible).

• This cost-sharing waiver was for all treatments for acute COVID-19, both outpatient and inpatient. This policy will remain in effect through Dec. 31, 2021.
• If someone is hospitalized for treatment of active COVID-19 on or before Dec. 31, 2021, the member’s cost-sharing for that treatment will be waived. We will continue to waive members’ cost-share until they are discharged.
• Any incidentals, including pharmacy and testing, associated with an inpatient stay are covered under the hospitalization stay (noted above).

Testing continues to be covered during public health emergency.
Plans are required to cover medically necessary testing with no member cost-share while the public health emergency continues.

• Medically necessary diagnostic tests include tests for people experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 as well as tests for asymptomatic people who may have had close contact with COVID-19.
• Examples of diagnostic tests that may not be covered include at-home tests you order yourself, tests solely for travel or employment purposes, and other tests not considered medically necessary.
• HealthPartners covers the full cost of antibody (serology) testing that meets the below guidelines. These tests are used to determine if a person has previously had, and recovered, from COVID-19. Tests are done by testing a sample of a person’s blood.
• It’s important that antibody tests be ordered by a doctor or other appropriately licensed provider. If you order a test on your own, it may not be covered.
• All e-care, phone and video visits associated with COVID-19 testing are covered, including visits at Virtuwell, Doctor on Demand, Teladoc and other e-care providers. If COVID-19 testing is not performed, these visits are subject to your standard coverage.

For testing to be covered it must be:
1. Ordered or performed by a doctor or appropriately licensed provider, AND
2. For medically necessary purposes, AND
3. On the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) list or a state-approved test list.

The college will continue to monitor any additional Emergency Temporary Standards or regulations that come available and provide updates about any future changes.