Does anyone remember if companies were required to waive copays and deductibles for Covid treatment in 2020, or if companies did this voluntarily?
I really thought most states required this fairly early on, but I’m having trouble finding anything that says this.
No mandate to cover tx, though there was a mandate to cover testing and vaccines at 100%. This article indicates that most payers did waive OOP costs for tx, and that ‘a handful’ of states did require this.
I found an article saying that 5 states required copays to be waived for treatment. Then carriers started waiving copays automatically.
I remember states saying they would require this, and for some reason I thought most states had jumped on board. I guess I was remembering that they required full payment for testing.
Anyway my boss what asking me what I remembered and I was determined to find an answer.
Most states jumped on board for Testing, not necessarily treatment. And not necessarily InPatient
I listed ones that went beyond Testing, Telehealth & Vaccination
AK Health insurers shall waive any cost-sharing for laboratory diagnostics, testing for respiratory virus, influenza, & COVID-19. In addition, health insurers are also asked to waive the cost-sharing for an office visit and urgent care center visit with the testing for the above.
CA Directs all health insurers to immediately reduce cost-sharing to zero for all medically-necessary treatment and screening for COVID and provides guidelines for communication of cost-sharing waiver to providers and the public.
CO testing, office & ER visits, OON visits that are necessary
DC waive cost sharing on testing, treatment, immunization
KY Insurers shall waive all cost sharing and prior auth on testing, visits, laws, telehealth and immunizations; ensure adequate networks; contact providers; educate enrollees; prescription refills.
NV Carriers must have no cost sharing for testing, ER and office visits; cover the costs of immunizations; educate on the benefits
NM Effective immediately, to declare presumptively unreasonable and prohibit any cost sharing requirement for the provision of health care services for COVID-19, pneumonia, influenza, or any disease or condition which is the cause of, or the subject of, a public health emergency.
Directs the OSI to promulgate emergency regulations maximizing the available insurance coverage for New Mexicans suffering from COVID-19, pneumonia, or influenza, while simultaneously ensuring that medical costs do not create barriers to testing and treatment.
NC Requests insurers to identify and remove barriers to testing and treatment for COVID-19. The Department requests to take the following immediate measures related to the potential impact of COVID-19: preparedness, information access, telehealth delivery of services, network adequacy and access to out-of-network services, prior authorization and cost-sharing requirements for COVID-19.
Recommends carriers waive cost sharing for medically necessary diagnostic testing for COVID (including flu testing or other respiratory testing done in conjunction with COVID testing); relax any prior authorization requirements associated with COVID testing or treatment; relax OON requirements and procedures when in-network providers are not available; and establish phone lines to respond to all COVID call. Expects carriers to cover polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests; antigen tests; and FDA authorized antibody tests, provided they are medically necessary and ordered by an appropriate treating medical professional.
SD Requires carriers to cover COVID-19 testing and associated costs for treatment at no cost sharing
Thanks.