Advocacy News – February 16, 2021
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) announced last week that the state has secured agreements from nearly all of the state’s health insurers to extend their commitments to waive all out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and treatments. These agreements cover more than 92% of the commercial health insurance market in Michigan.
As an extension of previous agreements, consumers with individual and group health plans listed below will not be charged cost-sharing, including copays, deductibles, and coinsurance, for medically appropriate COVID-19-related medical treatment, such as primary care visits, diagnostic testing, emergency room visits, ambulance services and approved medications and vaccines.
The insurers who have agreed to waive cost-sharing are:
- Aetna (expires February 28, 2021)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network (expires March 31, 2021)
- HAP, Alliance Health (expires March 31, 2021)
- McLaren Health Plan (expires March 31, 2021)
- Meridian Health Plan (expires April 21)
- Molina Healthcare Michigan (expires March 31, 2021)
- Oscar (expires March 31, 2021)
- Physicians Health Plan (PHP) (expires June 30, 2021)
- Priority Health, Priority Health Insurance Co. (expires March 31, 2021)
Federal law requires health insurers to provide no-cost coverage for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, though not necessarily for COVID-19 treatment, during the federal public health emergency, which is currently set to expire on April 21, 2021. Consumers with Medicaid or Medicare may also receive a no-cost COVID-19 test, vaccination and related services provided by a health care provider.
Please contact Wendy Block with any questions at wblock@michamber.com.