Who’s eligible?
According to the CMS announcement, the SEP is open to all individuals who meet these three prerequisites:
Reside, or resided at the start of the incident period, in an area for which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared an emergency or a major disaster and has designated affected counties, including all states and the District of Columbia, as eligible to apply for individual or public level assistance;
Had another valid election period at the time of the incident period [ Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) or other special opportunity]; and
Did not enroll or make a change during that other enrollment period.
Additionally, individuals who don’t live in the affected areas but rely on help making healthcare decisions from friends or family members who live in the affected areas may also benefit from this SEP. Further, an eligible beneficiary would be given one opportunity to make that missed election as a result of this SEP.
]]> This further expands Cigna’s numerous efforts to help our customers and communities shared with you last week.
What does this mean for you and your customers?
• Effective today, Cigna will waive Medicare Advantage customer cost share for both in-network and out-of-network treatment related to COVID-19 through May 31, 2020.
• All COVID-19 treatments and services will be considered in-network and benefits will be provided at the contracted rate for in-network providers or 100% of Medicare, as applicable.
Cigna is proud to lead the industry in its response to COVID-19. For additional information, visit our Medicare COVID-19 public resource site here or go to Cigna.com and click COVID-19 Resource Center.
Get more information: https://www.cigna.com/coronavirus/
In light of COVID-19, we’ve changed some of the guidelines for the 360 Exam.
We have extended the time frame for customers to complete the exam and send in the attestation form. Customers should complete their 360 Exam by July 31, 2020, and send their attestation form to Cigna on or before August 31, 2020.**
We’ve temporarily waived the in-person requirement, giving customers the opportunity to complete the exam via a telehealth visit. While this visit can be virtual, the customer must be visible to the provider via a screen; voice-only calls and e-visits do not fulfill the requirement. Cigna has provided two ways for customers to get a provider sign-off for a virtual visit:
Fill out the incentive form with the date of service and provider name and mail it back.
Sign up online at cignamedicare.com/incentives and attest the date of service and provider name.
Cigna encourages all customers to get their yearly 360 Exam and additional preventive screenings to stay on top of their health and spot any possible issues before they become bigger problems. Please make sure your clients understand they can call our customer service line at 800-668-3813 with questions about the 360 Exam.
]]>Buoy Health
Cigna has partnered with Buoy Health to provide a free, web-based triage tool to help Medicare supplement customers assess their COVID-19 symptoms and risk, furthering our mission of improving the health, well-being, and peace of mind of those we serve. You can find this tool and additional resources in the Cigna COVID-19 Resource Center.
Premium Grace Periods
Additionally, the Departments of Insurance in several states have issued guidance directing insurers to extend grace periods for customer premium payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will temporarily adjust our grace periods accordingly to ensure compliance with these recent directives.
We will continue our policy to pend customer claims until all premiums are paid current. We will notify affected customers directly and customers can also contact us at 866-459-4272.
Get More information here: https://www.cigna.com/newsroom/news-releases/2020/cigna-and-express-scripts-partner-with-buoy-health-to-offer-digital-covid-19-screening-tools
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