Yes, if your provider offers this service. We’ll cover telehealth visits with providers in our networks who offer this service until further notice. This includes visits with your primary care provider, specialists, behavioral health providers and ABA providers, and physical, speech and occupational therapists. This visit will cost the same as a face-to-face visit with your provider, so any copay or cost-share you would normally have will still apply.

We recommend calling your regular provider to see if they offer this service. Many are offering telehealth to help keep their patients at home as much as possible.

Yes. We’ll cover and waive member costs for any US FDA-approved tests, as well as those currently pending FDA approval, if your doctor recommends it. We’re also waiving member copays and deductibles for the visit to your provider, urgent care center or emergency room related to a COVID-19 test, as long as the provider is in your network.

We’ll cover FDA-approved COVID-19 antibody tests that a network provider orders during an appointment, including during a telehealth appointment. Many of the antibody tests marketed have proved ineffective at this point, so we’ll cover just those the FDA has approved or given emergency use authorization for. If a network provider doesn’t order this test, you may have out-of-pocket costs.

We’ll cover at-home tests that diagnose a current infection if authorized by a network provider. Many at-home tests marketed have proved ineffective, so we’ll cover just those the FDA has approved or given emergency use authorization for. If you pay for a test up front without having approval from a network provider, you may have out-of-pocket costs.

Yes. We’ll cover testing for flu and strep under your usual benefit and cost-share. Many providers are performing these tests prior to COVID-19 testing.

Yes. We’ll cover vaccines developed and approved by the US FDA to treat COVID-19, when they’re available. The cost for our members will be based on their plan.

Yes. If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19, we’ll cover any relevant treatment your provider recommends. We’ll also waive member costs for COVID-19 treatment at in-network facilities and with in-network providers until further notice during the COVID-19 national emergency. That means you won’t pay anything for recommended treatment with providers in our network, if you would normally have any cost-share. If you use a provider who’s not in our network, we’ll cover treatment under your usual benefits. That means those providers may bill you for the balance owed.

No. Providers have certain claims codes for testing and treatment related to COVID-19.

No. We understand that as businesses reopen and adapt their health and safety practices, many require routine COVID-19 testing as part of their return-to-work or ongoing safety procedures. Employment-based COVID testing is not part of our health plan benefits, similar to pre-employment and periodic drug testing, and coverage for it isn’t included under the CARES Act. We’ll continue to cover the full cost of COVID-19 testing that’s recommended by your provider based on your symptoms, risk or exposure.

No. We don’t cover these supplies under your health plan.

Yes. The Division of TennCare covers your pharmacy benefits instead of BlueCare Tennessee. They’re allowing early refills on most medications, and encourage 90-day fills for medications for chronic conditions. This doesn’t apply for controlled substances or certain specialty drugs.

For the time being, they’re also allowing you to use mail order pharmacies and delivery options from your local pharmacies.

They’ve also added some over-the-counter drugs to your benefits. Right now, you can get acetaminophen, cough expectorants, cough suppressants and antihistamines for a $0 copay.

If you have any questions about your pharmacy benefits, please call your pharmacy benefits manager at 1-888-816-1680.

Yes. We will never call you to ask for your subscriber ID. Additionally, most financial companies will not ask you for your account numbers. The only way to potentially prevent coronavirus and COVID-19 is social distancing. There’s no medicine to prevent or cure it.

Yes. This is a scammer trying to take advantage of people. Testing is done at approved sites with doctor’s orders, and there’s no medicine to prevent or cure the virus and illness currently.

Yes. This is a scam where someone is trying to take advantage of people. These emails could have links that download malware to infect your computer when clicked on. Please do not click on any links, respond to or forward these emails.

Yes. There are currently no treatments to prevent or cure coronavirus or COVID-19. Any wellness products you see advertised for these purposes are fraudulent.

Yes. The FDA has not approved any COVID-19 test that’s available for purchase for testing yourself at home. Only tests available at designated testing sites are approved for COVID-19 testing.

There’s not a lot of data on this just yet, but pregnant women are considered to have an increased risk for COVID-19 complications. Women with higher-risk pregnancies may be more at risk. Continue your prenatal appointments so your provider can manage any symptoms you may have.

However, looking at past viruses, like the flu and SARS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that pregnant women who contract COVID-19 could be more likely to have severe respiratory problems, like pneumonia. This is because pregnant women already have increased heart rates and diminished lung capacity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you may have a higher risk of miscarriage or premature delivery if you contract COVID-19.

It’s not clear yet whether cases of newborns with COVID-19 are born infected, or are becoming infected after birth. It’s likely that if you’re infected with COVID-19, your baby will be placed in isolation after birth to prevent the disease from passing from you to them.

There’s not enough data to confirm whether breast milk from an infected mother poses a direct threat. However, the CDC recommends caution when breastfeeding your newborn. Your delivery nurses will be the best resource for deciding how you’ll handle feeding and/or pumping breast milk.

Be prepared as the hospital may transfer your baby to another room and ask you to pump breast milk instead, if you have COVID-19. If you and your medical team decide breastfeeding directly is the best option for you, it’s extremely important that you wash your hands just before breastfeeding, and often throughout the day. You’ll need to wear a mask to protect your baby. Because we’re still learning about this situation, the recommendations of the CDC are subject to change.

Some BlueCross members may have benefits for a home birth with a certified nurse midwife. Home births are recommended only for low-risk pregnancies, and you must have a detailed birthing plan that includes a hospital and doctor, in case of complications. If you’re unsure if your plan covers home births, call us at the Member Services number on the back of your Member ID card.

It’s important to note that licensed and accredited hospitals and birth centers are still safe places to deliver your baby. If you’ve already chosen your delivery provider, talk with them about your concerns to ensure you’re making the right birth choice for you and your family.

No. Even under normal circumstances, babies born prematurely or sick are at higher risk of getting sick because of their compromised immune systems. The general recommendation for these babies is that you not take them in public for at least three months. This includes church and grocery stores. With the COVID-19 health risk, taking your baby out in public is even more risky. The best advice is to keep your baby at home and protect them from exposure to all possible viruses, including COVID-19.

Unfortunately, finding bottled water may be difficult in several areas, since shopping centers have been hit with high demand in the past few weeks. Luckily, the CDC has instructions for how to make regular tap water safer to drink. Check out their detailed instructions here: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/making-water-safe.html.

In a newborn, a fever of 100.4° F is considered high enough to seek medical treatment in the first two months of your child’s life. As always, double-check the environment to make sure your baby’s temperature is accurate. Wearing extra warm clothes or being bundled in blankets, as well as being in a very warm room or in a hot car, could make their temperature reading higher.

If you’re worried about your baby’s temperature, your safest bet is always to call your pediatrician for advice on next steps.

We understand the shortage of hand sanitizer is concerning many people, but try not to worry. Washing your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds is actually the best way to kill COVID-19 germs. Hand sanitizer should only be used when access to soap and water is limited, but it’s not a good replacement for handwashing.

The CDC has a coronavirus self-checker on its website that helps you quickly understand which symptoms to watch out for and how to get help. The virus has a wide range of symptoms that include fever, cough, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, diarrhea, congestion or runny nose, and new loss of taste or smell.

The first step is to stay home and separate yourself from other people or animals as much as possible. That’ll help keep germs from spreading until you can get tested and advice from a doctor.

Next, see if your city or county has a free testing site set up. If so, schedule with them to get a test. You can also call your provider’s office and tell them your symptoms. If they think you need to be tested, they can give you instructions on where to go and what to do if you’re unable to get tested through your health department.

Other than for testing, please stay at home, wear a mask and isolate yourself from others in your home, if possible.

Since you’re not having symptoms but you think you’ve been exposed, please isolate at home and call your doctor to see if they recommend testing. If they think you need to be tested, they can give you instructions on where to go and what to do. Because symptoms can take so long to appear, you’ll need to quarantine at home for two weeks starting the day you learned of your exposure.

The first step is to stay home and separate yourself from other people or animals as much as possible. That’ll help keep germs from spreading until you can get advice from a doctor.

Next, see if your city or county has a free testing site set up. If so, schedule with them to get a test. You can also call your provider’s office and tell them your symptoms. If they think you need to be tested, they can give you instructions on where to go and what to do if you’re unable to get tested through your health department.

Other than for testing, please stay at home, wear a mask and isolate yourself from others in your home, if possible.

Right now, testing varies in every community. Some testing requires a physician referral. And some walk-up and drive-through testing sites don’t need a referral. It’s best to call your local health department to find out how to best access testing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has compiled a list of some community testing sites, which you can find here.

Your provider is your best source for advice on whether you should be tested. The Tennessee Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization have recommendations on their websites; but they may change as more news becomes available.

The latest guidance from the CDC says that, if you’ve had a mild case, you may leave self-isolation if it’s been 10 days since your symptoms started, you’ve been without a fever for 24 hours and haven’t used a fever reducer, and your other symptoms are improving. If you’ve had a moderate or severe case of COVID-19 or are immune-compromised, you’ll need to isolate for 20 days. In these cases, you’ll need to talk with your doctor about when it’s OK for you to leave isolation.

The CDC has also released new guidance for household family members of someone who tests positive.

If you live with others, they’ll also need to quarantine during the time you’re in isolation. They’ll also need to quarantine for an additional 14 days starting the last day they had contact with you or the day you’re no longer in isolation. This could mean quarantine at home for anyone you share a home with of up to 24 days total if symptoms can be safely managed at home.

For example, if you began self-isolation at home on Sept. 2 with a mild case, the health department would likely clear you 10 days later on Sept. 12 if you meet the standards above. Your household members’ 14 days for home quarantine would begin on Sept. 12. If you were able to fully isolate from others in the house and not share any space, such as the bathroom or kitchen, and had no contact with them, their 14 days would begin the last day they had contact with you.

Yes. Many providers are slowly reopening their practices to see our members in person. They’ll be following some safety social distancing guidelines, so be sure to call their office before your appointment to know what extra safety steps they’ll want you to follow when you get there. You also should take some personal safety measures, including wearing a cloth mask while in public and making sure you don’t have a fever or any signs of COVID-19 before going in person. If you have any symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you’ll need to reschedule your appointment.

If you have health issues that put you at higher risk of COVID-19 complications or simply don’t feel comfortable going out in person, many providers are still offering telehealth appointments.

Social distancing is the best way to protect yourself. That means staying home other than for necessary groceries or medicine.

Wear a face covering when going out in public. The CDC recommends everyone, except children under age 2 or people who have trouble breathing or are incapacitated and unable to remove a mask, wear a cloth face covering to help slow the spread of the virus. Your mask should cover your nose and mouth, be secured under your chin, and rest snugly against the sides of your face. Make sure you can breathe easily through it, and always wash your hands before putting on or taking off your mask. You can find expert guidance about face coverings here.

Wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially if you’re out of your home. Hand sanitizer can help when soap and water are unavailable.

Clean all frequently touched surfaces in your home, car and workspace, if you’re still going in to work.

Cover your coughs and sneezes, and immediately throw away the used tissues.

If someone in your house is sick or has symptoms, have them self-isolate away from others in the house. Call their provider for instructions on what to do next.

No. We’re considered essential, so we’ll remain open. However, we have taken steps to help keep our employees well while ensuring our members see no lapse in service. In early 2020, we transitioned many of our customer service, care management, claims and billing employees to work from home. Since March 16, 2020, the majority of our workforce has been working full time from their homes to allow them to practice social distancing. We’ve not experienced any reduction in service to you, nor do we expect any.

Yes. Our Foundation donated $3.25 million to food banks throughout Tennessee to help local organizations fight hunger. As this pandemic continues, more people are facing uncertainty about providing food for their families. This donation is our way of helping local organizations meet this need. These organizations can provide up to four meals for every dollar received.