Coronavirus, Also Known as COVID-19: How Are Insurance Companies Handling It?

By Ulla-Undine Merritt (Dee) National Producer Number (NPN) 8853366

Most of the major insurance companies that sell a Major Medical Plan, Employers Group Plans, Medicare and Medicaid have your back. Most are waving all members cost sharing, including copays, coinsurance and deductibles for COVID-19 diagnostic testing provided at approved locations in accordance with CDC guidelines. You can login to your providers website to find information on how your plan will handle the virus. You can also call the customer service number on the back of your card, but we highly recommend going online and logging in so urgent needs can be handled faster. Our clients are always welcome to call us, and we will help with questions. That’s why having a local agent that is dedicated to their clients is important. CDC is the Center of Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/, this is the site that is most important. Many news media put a spin on things, the CDC is your best resource for up to date information.

If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, call your primary care provider right away. Your health care provider will determine if you should be tested, they will work with local and state health department to coordinate testing. The most common places are providers offices and clinics. The care or treatment for COVID-19 will be covered in accordance with your health benefits plan. The initial test is free but if you have the virus your deductibles, copays and coinsurance will apply. If drive-up testing options become available in your area you need to check if it is an FDA approved facility/location.

Thing have been changing daily, so check on the CDC website for updates also www.floridahealth.gov for state specific information. DO YOUR PART! Social Distancing, stay home as much as possible, enjoy our outdoor, bike, walk, boat etc.. Always wash your hands, do not touch your face unless you have carefully cleaned your hands first.

This was a internal message from Stanford Hospital, please share with family and friends.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – CORONAVIRUS
1. If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold
2. Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.
3. This new virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26/27 degrees. It hates the Sun.
4. If someone sneezes with it, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.
5. If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours – so if you come into contact with any metal surface – wash your hands as soon as you can with a bacterial soap.
6. On fabric it can survive for 6-12 hours. normal laundry detergent will kill it.
7. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice.
8. Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but – a lot can happen during that time – you can rub your eyes, pick your nose unwittingly and so on.
9. You should also gargle as a prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice.
10. Can’t emphasis enough – drink plenty of water!

THE SYMPTOMS
1. It will first infect the throat, so you’ll have a sore throat lasting 3/4 days
2. The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes about 5/6 days further.
3. With the pneumonia comes high fever and difficulty in breathing.
4. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You feel like you’re drowning. It’s imperative you then seek immediate attention

For many of us we have never had to choose our own insurance, our parents or our employers have done it for us most of our lives. It is important to understand how your plan works and the terminology associated with it.
• Contracted Price – This is the price the insurance company has contracted with the provider.
– Most deductibles and coinsurance are based on the contracted price which most of the time much less.
• Deductible – A specific amount of money that you must pay before an insurance company will pay a  claim.
• Copays – A fixed dollar amount for a covered service
• Coinsurance – Percentage of the cost you pay normally after the deductible
• Maximum out of Pocket – This is the maximum you can pay for your services in a policy or calendar year based on how your plan was set-up. Many of the newer plans include prescription drug costs in the out of pocket maximum. Medicare Advantage Plans do not include them in the health portions deductible or out of pocket maximum.

If you are considering retiring, or maybe choosing Medicare vs. Employer Group there is a lot to know and it could hurt you not understanding the facts. Work with a Local Insurance Agent that has an office that you can verify their location, you want to be able to the future and you should not have strangers in your home unless it is medically necessary. Our office specializes in Medicare, we offer free workshops that you can attend and virtual sessions.

Dee Merritt
We are happy to help, we have agents from Bradenton down to Marco Island, our headquarters are in Fort Myers and we also have an office we use part time in Naples.

To learn more about your options call to schedule an appointment contact:
Dee Merritt
Logical Insurance Solutions

www.Logicalinsurance.com
239-362-0855
Dee@Logicalinsurance.com

HDQ 2365 West First Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901

Local Agents – Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers

*We also do a complimentary homeowner, health insurance and employer group review’s