Our Support

The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we have faced in recent memory. As part of our mission of peace of mind through better health, we want to make sure our members get the care they need – and that our neighbors and communities get additional support.

Member support

Covering COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for members who are eligible, at no cost share.

Waiving member costs for any appropriate FDA-aligned test

Allowing early prescription refills and 90-day prescriptions to avoid increased risk of exposure

Sharing key public health information, such as promoting social distancing and warning of potential scam activity

Expanded telehealth care options, meaning our members can have a video or phone visit with their in-network providers who offer it, keeping them safer at home

BlueCross Foundation support

The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation has committed nearly $9 million to our communities throughout the pandemic:

$5 million to food banks statewide, helping our neighbors worried about where their next meal will come from

$1.7 million in grants for efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations in Tennessee, including in communities of color. Learn more in our RFP.

$850,000 for a statewide flu vaccine education campaign

$400,000 to cultural organizations in Chattanooga facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic

$325,000 to Meharry Medical College to examine social determinants of health, improve understanding of COVID-19 disparities and find ways to address their influence on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

$160,000 for free flu shot clinics around the state

$125,000 for COVID testing in Hamilton County and Memphis

$50,000 to the Pay It Forward Mid-South campaign to assist Memphis-area restaurant and hospitality workers impacted by the pandemic

Here are a few ways we’re enhancing our member support during this time:

Waiving all member cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments, including hospitalizations, from in-network providers until the end of the COVID-19 national emergency

Waiving member costs for any appropriate FDA-aligned test

Allowing early prescription refills and 90-day prescriptions to avoid increased risk of exposure

Sharing key public health information, such as promoting social distancing and warning of potential scam activity

Expanded telehealth care options, meaning our members can have a video or phone visit with their in-network providers who offer it, keeping them safer at home

We’re also helping provide meals to Tennesseans

Many in our state sadly are worried where their next meal will be coming from. Our BlueCross Foundation donated $3.25 million to food banks across our state to help all our neighbors.
Read more

Provider Support

In addition to providing thousands of meals, we’ve streamlined prior authorizations and other processes to help ease the burden on frontline health care professionals during surges in the pandemic.

Provider Support

In addition to providing thousands of meals, we’ve streamlined prior authorizations and other processes to help ease the burden on frontline health care professionals during surges in the pandemic.

How BlueCross is helping with mental health during COVID-19

The coronavirus – and the necessary quarantining and social distancing that result from it – can leave many of us feeling anxious, concerned for our well-being (or that of our loved ones) and unsure where to turn.

BlueCross is here to listen and connect you to the people who can help. We have telehealth resources available that allow you to talk to a doctor from your home 24/7. Whether you want to check on telehealth options with your provider or are looking for a provider, you can visit our behavioral health resources page to find the ongoing, one-on-one support you need during this time.
Visit the BCBST Behavioral Health Resources Page

Additional mental health resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Stress and coping guidelines

National Institute of Mental Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

You can also call the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year. According to SAMHSA, this hotline is “dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. This toll-free, multilingual and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories.”