United HealthCare -COVID-19 Updates/Resources
COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions -
LINKS:
Below
you will find the most recently released FAQ link.
Fully Insured Only – Special Enrollment Period: March 23-April 6:
To assist members in accessing care, a
Special Enrollment Period has been established for our fully insured small
and large employer customers. This will allow employees who previously did not
elect enrollment. This is applicable to those employees only. The
FAQ contained in the links above will go over the requirements. Included
below are some highlights.
- The enrollment opportunity will
extend from March 23, 2020, to April 6, 2020. Effective date is April 1.
- Customers are not required to
adopt the Special COVID-19 Enrollment Opportunity. Because of this,
no opt out action is required on their behalf. UnitedHealthcare realizes
each situation is unique, and each customer must make their own decisions
on the enrollment opportunity.
- Dependents, such as spouses and
children, can be added if they are enrolled in the same coverage or
benefit option as the employee.
- Standard waiting periods will
be waived; however, existing eligibility and state guidelines will apply.
- For small employers (2-50), a
wage and tax statement will be needed to validate the employee’s
eligibility.
Free Member Resources:
While
the CDC website is the best place to go to stay up to date on this still
developing situation, Optum is offering a free emotional support help
line for all people impacted. This help line will provide those affected access
to trained mental health specialists. The company’s public toll-free help line
number, 866-342-6892,
will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for as long as necessary.
This
service is free of charge and open to anyone. Specially trained Optum mental
health specialists help people manage their stress and anxiety so they can
continue to address their everyday needs. Callers may also receive referrals to
community resources to help them with specific concerns, including financial
and legal matters.
Virtual Visits:
UnitedHealthcare
will waive the upfront collection of cost-share (copayment, deductible,
coinsurance) for all Virtual Visits. This step is required to administer
the program consistent with federal requirements, which requires among other
things waiver of cost share for COVID-19 testing and test-related
services. Waiver of cost share for all Virtual Visits benefits will be in
place until June 18, 2020. This change will only apply to customers
who have Virtual Visits through UnitedHealthcare. For the limited number
of self-funded customers who want to opt out of providing their enrollees with
this benefit during the pendency of this emergency, we will still need to waive
the upfront collection of the virtual visit copay for all services but we will
communicate to such enrollees that their employer has opted out of this benefit
and we will bill them subsequently for services that do not require cost share
waiver under federal requirements.
It is also
important to note that our members still have access to Telemental Health
Providers and can access those providers through their member portals.
Please
note that information is changing often so we will continue to provide the most
current information available through the links provided above.