Coronavirus questions?

Telehealth is the term Medicare uses for telemedicine. Telemedicine refers to real-time virtual care. This can include:

• Live-video conferencing with providers
• Telephone-only consultations with providers
• Services provided by vendors like Teladoc®

Medicare Advantage members should use telemedicine as their first line of defense to limit potential exposure to COVID-19 in physician offices.

For Individual Allina Health | Aetna Medicare Advantage members, copays are waived for in-network telehealth visits for primary care through the end of the Public Health Emergency. Cost share waivers for specialist telehealth visits expired on January 31, 2021 for all Medicare Advantage members. A telehealth visit with a specialist provider will now result in the same cost share as an in-person office visit.

Allina Health | Aetna is also waiving member out-of-pocket costs for all in-network primary care visits, whether done in-office and via telehealth, for any reason, and encourages members to continue seeking essential preventive and primary care during the crisis. This is effective through the end of the Public Health Emergency.

Medicare Advantage members should use telemedicine as their first line of defense to limit potential exposure to COVID-19 in physician offices.

Medicare Advantage members may use telemedicine for any reason, not just COVID-19 diagnosis. This means members can continue to receive clinical care from their providers, for example, discuss their diabetes care plan or schedule a sick visit, without having to leave their home and risk exposure to COVID-19.

Members should contact their doctor to see which telehealth services they may be able to offer their patients and how to schedule them.

Yes, we have made Teladoc available to all of our Medicare Advantage members for general medical care only, at no cost, until further notice. However, we encourage members to seek virtual care from their own doctors first when possible to maintain care continuity.

To access Teladoc, members can call 1-855-TELADOC (855-835-2362) or visit https://member.teladoc.com/aetna for help. It’s available 24/7.

No, Teladoc can be used by Medicare Advantage members for general medical care only. Members should seek other telehealth care, such as dermatology and behavioral health services, from their own doctors.

Yes. MinuteClinic Video Visits are now covered. Copays are waived for in-network telehealth visits for primary care through the end of the Public Health Emergency. To access MinuteClinic Video Visits, members can visit  https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/virtual-care/video-visit or download the CVS mobile application. It’s available 24/7. 

No. In addition, Allina Health | Aetna is waiving member cost-sharing for diagnostic testing related to COVID-19. The test can be done by any authorized testing facility. The policy aligns with the Families First and CARES legislation and regulations requiring all health plans to provide coverage of COVID-19 testing without cost share.  Per guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury, all Commercial, Medicaid and Medicare plans must cover COVID-19 serological (antibody) testing with no cost-sharing.

Allina Health | Aetna will cover treatment of COVID-19 for our Medicare Advantage members. Please note that copays, deductibles and coinsurance will apply according to the member’s benefit plan.

We recommend using mail-order –- it’s available for most maintenance medications (medication you take regularly for things like high blood pressure). There’s no delivery fee and you can have up to a 90-day supply delivered directly to your home.

To get started with mail-order you can either call the phone number on your ID card or visit AllinaHealthAetnaMedicare.com/rxdelivery.

Yes, you may request early refills on maintenance medications. 

• If the drug is on a non-specialty tier, we’re waiving early refill limits up to a 90-day supply.
• If the drug is on a specialty tier, we’re waiving early refill limits for a 30-day supply.

All prescriptions must comply with state dispensing requirements and have enough refills to be filled. To get an early refill, the pharmacy will need to do an override (they should follow standard message codes to complete this action). They can always call the pharmacy help desk for assistance.

At this time there is no limit to the volume of early refill requests that can be made.

No, please contact your pharmacy directly for assistance.

Yes, however, you’ll have to pay for the prescription at the point of sale and submit a claim form to get reimbursed. We therefore strongly recommend that you use network pharmacies whenever possible for the best member experience and ease of payment process. Call the phone number on your ID card if you need help.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends these steps to help stay safe:

• Wash your hands often
• Avoid close contact with others (distance of 6 feet is preferred)
• Stay home if you’re sick
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue if you sneeze or cough. Then throw it away immediately in a lined trash-can
• Wear a facemask if you’re sick
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (like counters and doorknobs)

For more information, members can visit the CDC website at: cdc.gov/coronavirus

The phone number is 1-866-370-4842 (TTY: 711) for Medicare members.

The phone number is 1-855-493-7019 (TTY: 711).

The toolkit is an online resource with helpful info about the coronavirus and tips for staying healthy. It also includes a recorded webinar to help members cope with coronavirus fears. Just visit http://www.promoinfotools.com/Communications/ecard/Svcs/Wellness/CoronavirusFearsRFL.html to access the toolkit.