April 2, 2020

Columbia, S.C. — BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and its subsidiary BlueChoice HealthPlan announced today that effective immediately, the insurers will waive all out-of-pocket costs related to in-network COVID-19 medical treatment for members, through June 1.

Members benefiting from this expansion of coverage are individual policy holders, Medicare Advantage plan members and Medicaid members, as well as fully insured employer group customers. In addition, the companies are working closely with their self-funded ERISA customers to ensure that those customers’ needs are also being met.

This action is the latest in a series of coverage expansion efforts taken by the insurers in the midst of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, the companies announced that they would cover the provider visit and testing to diagnose COVID-19 at no cost to the member, waiving members’ copays, co-insurance and deductibles. In addition, the organizations waived prior authorizations for COVID-19 related conditions and treatment. And, most recently, to support access to providers while encouraging social distancing recommendations, BlueCross and BlueChoice^® members received free access to telehealth services, including behavioral health consultations.

According to David Pankau, president and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the pandemic is requiring all of us to help each other. He said, “Because we are in the middle of an unprecedented health crisis, we wanted to further support our members during this challenging and stressful time. Removing some of the worry associated with costs was one way we could do that. ”

Members who have questions about their coverage should call the customer service number on their ID cards.

Additional reliable information about COVID-19 is available through the SCDHEC Care Line at 855-472-3432 , the SCDHEC website at scdhec.gov/COVID19, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html.

About BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., and operating in South Carolina for more than 70 years, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The only South Carolina-owned and operated health insurance carrier, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina comprises more than 20 companies involved in health insurance services, U.S. DoD health programs and Medicare contracts, other insurance and employee benefits services, and a philanthropic foundation that funds programs to improve health care and access to health care for South Carolinians.

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