Humana to Waive Member Costs for all Primary Care & Behavioral Health Office Visits for Medicare Advantage Members, Delivers ...
06 May 2020 - 12:00AM
Business Wire
Commitments build on earlier efforts to support
Medicare Advantage members during public health emergency
Today, Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) announced additional actions to
help protect, inform and care for its nearly 4.5 million Medicare
Advantage members. During this time of uncertainty, Humana
continues to invest in efforts to help people achieve their best
health and that now includes waiving all cost sharing—including
copays, coinsurance, and deductibles—for in-network primary care,
behavioral health and telehealth visits for the remainder of the
calendar year. The company is also proactively delivering safety
kits to members’ homes, allowing them to access essential
healthcare services safely and affordably.
The actions are part of the company’s Human Care approach to
making the healthcare experience better, more personal and more
caring. Starting with the decision in March to waive out-of-pocket
costs related to COVID-19 treatment, Humana has led the way in
easing the burden on its members and facilitating access to
care.
These expanded cost share waivers are effective as of May 1 and
will remain in place through the end of 2020. Members are
encouraged to respect local shelter-in-place orders but when states
begin to transition, this change will help ease any financial
burden of seeing their doctor in person or continuing to use
telehealth.
“At a time when so many Americans are focused on caring for
others, we want our senior members, in particular, to know that
Humana is here to care for them,” said Bruce Broussard,
President and CEO of Humana. “We will continue to assist all of our
members through this unprecedented health crisis by easing any
financial burden of seeing their doctor and helping them to live
safely in their communities.”
Today’s announcements, which are part of an ongoing program to
support Humana members during this public health emergency,
include:
- Eliminating out-of-pocket costs for office visits so that
Medicare Advantage members can reconnect with their healthcare
providers. While many members are successfully using
telehealth, some are forgoing essential preventive and primary care
services during this crisis. To reduce barriers, Humana is waiving
in-network primary care costs, not only for COVID-19 costs, but all
primary care visits for the rest of 2020. In addition, the company
is waiving member costs for outpatient, non-facility based
behavioral health visits through the end of year. Behavioral health
issues, like depression, may be exacerbated because of the pandemic
and are important to flag and treat. Finally, Humana is extending
telehealth cost share waivers for all telehealth visits—PCP and
specialty, including behavioral health, for in-network providers
through 2020. By eliminating these costs, Humana is supporting
members to re-engage with their physician for pressing primary care
and behavioral health needs whether in-person or virtually,
depending on their personal situation.
- Providing safety kits to support visits to healthcare
providers. For members who need to access the healthcare system
or other essential services in the community, Humana wants them to
be as safe as possible. To assist in this effort, the company is
proactively sending a safety kit to members’ homes over the next
several weeks, including masks and health advice information, to
support their ability to seek care.
“These actions are the latest in a series of efforts we’re
taking to support Humana members and help them best manage their
chronic conditions and other health issues and ensure that we’re
living up to our commitment to meet their needs,” said Broussard.
“By supporting members’ safety and lowering financial barriers, we
can also help facilitate the re-opening of the healthcare system
and help bolster the economy.”
Since the pandemic started, Humana has been working to ease the
burden of the COVID-19 health crisis. More than 2,000 Humana nurses
and other staff members are making daily outreach calls to members,
coordinating care for their clinical and behavioral health needs
and screening for social determinants of health. They are
connecting members with food, including prepared meals, offering a
friendly voice on the phone to combat loneliness, helping to secure
prescription refills, and solving routine medical issues to help
avoid an unnecessary trip to the doctor or ER.
The company will continue to explore ways—big and small—to
support members’ whole person health experience during the
pandemic.
About Humana
Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and
specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history
in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us
create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve
health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a
better quality of life for people with Medicare, families,
individuals, military service personnel, and communities at
large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care
professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right
place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical
capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care,
behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness
solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes
health care easier to navigate and more effective.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via
the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at
www.humana.com, including copies of:
- Annual reports to stockholders
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings
- Most recent investor conference presentations
- Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
- Calendar of events
- Corporate Governance information
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200505005336/en/
Kelley Murphy Humana Corporate Communications (317) 701-4007
Kmurphy26@humana.com
Amy Smith Humana Investor Relations (502) 580-2811
amysmith@humana.com
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