Yes, if your provider offers this service. We’ll support telehealth visits with providers in our networks who offer this service for members who get their coverage through their employers or get it on their own for themselves and family. This includes visits with your primary care physician, specialists, behavioral health providers, ABA providers, and physical, speech and occupational therapists. This visit will cost you the same as a face-to-face visit with your provider, so any copay or cost-share you would normally have will still apply. If you have this kind of visit with a provider out of your network, they may bill you for the difference between their visit charge and our payment to them.

No. These are important health appointments that you should still schedule. Your provider’s office may have different safety steps for you to take.

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 still cover the COVID-19 testing and services if you see a provider out of your network, but that provider may bill you for the difference in their visit charge and our payment to them. Please note that, if you receive additional services or testing in addition to just COVID-19 related testing or treatment, your normal copayment for that setting will apply.

We’ll cover FDA-approved or emergency-authorized COVID-19 antibody tests that a network provider orders during an appointment, including during a telehealth appointment. If a network provider doesn’t order this test, you may have out-of-pocket costs.

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 still cover the COVID-19 testing and services if you see a provider out of your network, but they may bill you for the difference in their visit charge and our payment to them. Please note that, if you receive additional services or testing in addition to just COVID-19-related testing, your normal costs for that setting will apply.

Please call us at the Member Service number on the back of your Member ID card if you get a bill for COVID-19 testing that you weren’t expecting.

Through new federal government rules, we’ll reimburse you for up to eight rapid over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests per month that you pay for out of pocket. These tests must be for personal use, and they can’t be used for any return-to-work testing or work-related testing required by your employer. The eight-test limit is per person on your plan. A package of two tests counts as two toward the limit of eight, and taxes and shipping costs are ineligible for reimbursement.

Any test you take at home that must be sent to a lab for results isn’t currently eligible for reimbursement. However, this type of test when ordered by a provider is covered under your BlueCross medical benefits.

Here’s a list of FDA-approved, -authorized or -cleared tests eligible for reimbursement if purchased on or after Jan. 15, 2022.

Please follow these steps for your reimbursement.

• Download and fill out the COVID-19 OTC At-Home Testing Reimbursement Form here
• Cut out the UPC label (the bar code) from your test box
• Mail the completed form, UPC label and original receipt from the test kit purchase to us at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Claims Service Center, 1 Cameron Hill Circle, Suite 0002, Chattanooga, TN 37402-0002.

Each item above must be the original. Reimbursement requests without all items or with copies or photos of the items won’t be accepted.

Reimbursement for eligible tests will continue throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency.

If you’re submitting your over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for reimbursement, you can’t use your HSA to pay for them up front or submit a reimbursement request to your FSA or HRA.

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 authorized for emergency use and vaccines approved by the U.S. FDA to prevent COVID-19. Currently our members have no costs for the vaccine. Members in our Medicare Advantage plans also have coverage for additional doses if they are immunocompromised or an additional vaccine booster, and any fees to administer it. If you’re charged for this visit, please call the Member Service number on the back of your Member ID card.

Yes. If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19, we’ll cover any relevant provider treatment. Your normal member cost-shares will apply for treatment of COVID-19-related symptoms.

Yes. If your provider gives you treatments in the hospital or while at their office to help with the symptoms of COVID-19, we’ll cover those and your normal cost-share will apply. Any prescriptions your doctor recommends for at-home symptom treatment will have your normal copay or cost-share. Over-the-counter medication isn’t covered by most plans.

COVID-19 tests don’t require prior authorization, but some treatments and hospital stays do. If you’re seeing an in-network provider, they usually ask for prior authorization on your behalf. But if you get care from an out-of-network provider, please contact us to see if prior authorization will be required, or to let us help you find care from an in-network provider.

Yes. We encourage you to use your PhysicianNow Powered by MDLive^® telehealth benefit to stay home as much as possible. Your normal costs for a PhysicianNow appointment will apply.

Throughout much of the pandemic, we’ve allowed early refills on many prescriptions. On Sept. 1, 2021, we reverted to our standard refill timeline if your pharmacy benefits are covered through BlueCross. However, you can get 90-day fills for many medications to treat chronic conditions. Your plan may also have mail-order benefits if you don’t want to go out to a pharmacy to get your medications.

Yes, this is likely a scam. Right now, the COVID-19 vaccine supply is being distributed by the government to health departments, hospitals and certain pharmacies. Appointments must be made directly with approved vaccination sites.

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 ways to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 are by getting vaccinated and social distancing when necessary.

Yes. This is a scammer trying to take advantage of people. Testing is done at approved testing sites, and reputable at-home tests can be purchased at local pharmacies. Vaccines, which are the best way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, are administered at authorized locations. To find a vaccine near you, visit www.vaccines.gov.

COVID-19 testing is done only at approved testing sites. There is currently no cure for COVID-19, but getting vaccinated is the best way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you get a suspicious link, don’t click on it. These emails could have links that download malware to infect your computer when clicked on. Please do not click on any links or respond to or forward these emails.

Please consult the CDC’s list of FDA-authorized treatments for those who test positive for COVID-19 and are more likely to get very sick. These treatments include certain antiviral medications and monoclonal antibodies, to help reduce the chances of hospitalization or death for those at risk. A health care provider will help decide which treatment, if any, is right for you. 

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.

Because vaccinated people have had breakthrough COVID-19 cases, it’s best to be tested for COVID-19 if you’re experiencing symptoms. Your local health department can help you find testing locations.

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, check with your county health department to schedule at a free testing site or call your primary care provider. If your doctor thinks you need to be tested, they can give you instructions for where to go for testing if their office doesn’t offer it. Many pharmacies and urgent care centers offer testing.

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 where to go and what to do. The CDC has updated the recommended quarantine period for anyone in the general public who is exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than two months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, the CDC now recommends quarantine for five days followed by strict mask use for an additional five days. If you were exposed and cannot quarantine, it is imperative that you wear a well-fitting mask when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practices would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at Day Five after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

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, check with your county health department to schedule at a free testing site or call your primary care provider. If your doctor thinks you need to be tested, they can give you instructions on where to go for testing if their office doesn’t offer it. Many pharmacies and urgent care centers offer testing.

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

Testing varies in every community. You can check with your local health department for free testing sites, and many pharmacies, urgent care centers and primary care providers offer it. Certain types of testing require a physician referral. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has compiled a list of some community testing sites, which you can find here.

The CDC recommends testing for people who’ve had close contact with someone who has COVID-19. The CDC says you should stay away from others pending your test results.

The CDC recently updated its isolation guidelines. If you test positive, stay home for five days, and wear a mask if you have to be around others in your home. Day 1 of five is the first full day after you got symptoms or when you tested. Wear a mask around others until Day 10.

If you have symptoms:

• You can end isolation after Day 5 if you haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours – without using a fever-reducing medicine – and your symptoms are improving.

If you didn’t have symptoms:

• You may end your isolation after Day 5 of a positive test.

If you had severe symptoms:

• Isolate for 10 days. Talk to your doctor before ending isolation.

Yes. Providers are 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 mask if you’re not fully vaccinated and making sure you don’t have a fever or any signs of COVID-19 before going in person. If you are vaccinated and do not have any symptoms, be sure to consult the level of risk in your area to see the CDC’s guidelines for mask-wearing. 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.

Getting a vaccine is your best protection against COVID-19. Until you’re fully vaccinated, social distancing and wearing a mask are the best ways to protect yourself. Even if you’re vaccinated, the CDC recommends wearing a mask in many situations, depending on the level of risk in your area. Stay up to date on the latest mask guidelines 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.

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.