Federal and state governments have taken action to support employers and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check the Resources page on this site for more information.

You also can find resources that you can download and share with your employees on the Employer Toolkit.

BCBSRI is continuing to provide service to our members through this pandemic. To help protect the health and safety of our employees and members, we’re following the recommendations of the Rhode Island Department of Health and the CDC. This includes:

• Having all staff work at home while also providing uninterrupted service to our customers
• Communicating regularly with members, employers, and providers about COVID-19 updates
• Adding new protocols at Your Blue Store locations and offering online exercise and mindfulness classes through Your Blue Store Studio on our Facebook page

Yes, our service providers also have emergency plans in place and are prepared to meet the needs of our customers.

We have reopened all Your Blue Store^SM locations with new protocols. We also are offering online exercise and mindfulness classes as well as educational workshops at Your Blue Store^SM Studio. Your employees can join us at Your Blue Store Studio LIVE on our Facebook page every weekday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. If they can’t make the live classes, they can view the videos anytime on the BCBSRI Facebook page. We offer 10 different classes each week, and all fitness levels are welcome.*

*If it's been a while since your employees have exercised or they have health issues or concerns, it's a good idea to talk to their doctor before starting to exercise.

The State of Rhode Island has created a helpful website called ReopeningRI.com. It includes guidelines, checklists, and regulations organized by business type, such as retail stores, restaurants, and childcare centers, as well as general business guidelines.

You can find current guidelines from the State of Rhode Island at ReopeningRI.com. They also provide a template you can use for a COVID-19 Control Plan, a COVID-19 screening tool, checklists, and more specific information depending on your type of business, for example, retail, restaurant, daycare, or transportation.

You can download information, including an employee poster, at ReopeningRI.com, the website created by the State of Rhode Island.

On-site testing services needed to support and maintain operations should be coordinated through the Rhode Island Department of Health. These tests are not covered by your BCBSRI health plan. 
 

Yes. The vaccine itself will be made available to healthcare providers at no cost. Your employees' BCBSRI health plan will cover the cost for the vaccine to be administered. Your employees will not pay any costs when they receive the vaccine from a pharmacy or other provider approved by the government. 

The vaccine’s availability will be based on the phased distribution schedule being developed by each state. The plan enables everyone to be vaccinated but not all at once. When the vaccine is available to your employees, they’ll be able to receive it at a pharmacy or from a provider. You can find more information on COVID-19 vaccines through the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There should be no costs or paperwork for your employees, as the government-approved pharmacy or provider should bill BCBSRI directly.
 

The type of vaccine available will depend on the geographic location and provider. However, their coverage will be the same for all approved COVID-19 vaccines.
 

Please visit the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yes, we have made temporary changes to our policies to help your employees access the care they need—with no added worries about cost. Your employees will not pay any copays, deductibles, or other cost-sharing for medically appropriate:

• Doctors' visits, urgent care or emergency room visits that result in COVID-19 testing
• Treatment for COVID-19 including emergency services, inpatient services, and provider office visits when received in-network*

Your employees do not need preauthorization or a referral for these services.

*Not all employers have chosen to cover all of these services without cost share. Please check to see if these temporary benefits are available under your plan.

The Rhode Island Department of Health recommends testing for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and close contacts of people with COVID-19. For other testing recommendations, including for people without symptoms, please see the Rhode Island Department of Health website.

Your employees will not pay any copays, deductibles, or other cost-sharing for medically appropriate COVID-19 testing ordered by a provider, and you do not need preauthorization or a referral for testing.

Please note that testing is generally not covered by your employees’ BCBSRI health plan if they have no symptoms and no suspected exposure to COVID-19. However, all Rhode Islanders can get free COVID-19 testing through the Rhode Island Department of Health, even if they don’t have symptoms. Testing for people without symptoms or exposure may not be free in states other than Rhode Island.

Your employees can find information about testing sites on the Rhode Island Department of Health website. The Rhode Island Department of Health also has a COVID-19 Info Line at (401) 222-8022. After hours, please call 211.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should not go to a doctor’s office, urgent care center, or emergency room without calling their doctor first (except in a medical emergency).

To be covered by your BCBSRI health plan, your employee’s COVID-19 test must be medically appropriate and ordered by a healthcare provider. This includes testing for people who have been exposed or may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. It does not include testing for people without symptoms and no suspected exposure. Also, it does not include testing for people without symptoms who are traveling or returning to school/work.

However, all Rhode Islanders can get free COVID-19 testing through the Rhode Island Department of Health, even if they don’t have symptoms. Testing for people without symptoms or exposure may not be free in states other than Rhode Island. 

Your employees can find information about testing sites on the Rhode Island Department of Health website. The Rhode Island Department of Health also has a COVID-19 Info Line at (401) 222-8022. After hours, please call 211. 

Testing for people without symptoms and no suspected exposure to COVID-19 is generally not covered by your employees’ BCBSRI health plan. To be covered, the COVID-19 test must be medically appropriate and ordered by a healthcare provider. This includes people with COVID-19 symptoms and people have been exposed or may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

However, all Rhode Islanders can get free COVID-19 testing through the Rhode Island Department of Health, even if they don’t have symptoms.  Learn more about these tests on the Rhode Island Department of Health website. Please note that testing for people without symptoms or exposure may not be free in states other than Rhode Island. 

You can share the Member section of this site with your employees for important benefit updates and other information related to COVID-19. Check back often—we are working to update the information whenever there are changes.

On our Employer Toolkit, you can also download ready-to-use emails and guides that you can share with your employees. Please review the content of the emails to make sure they apply to your benefit plan.

The Rhode Island Department of Health provides information specifically for businesses, including:

• Use of cloth face coverings
• Returning to work
• Financial resources for employees

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also updates guidance for businesses:

• Cleaning and disinfection guidance
• Best practices for conducting social distancing
• Strategies and recommendations that can be implemented now

During this time, BCBSRI is allowing employees on unpaid leave or furlough to remain eligible for enrollment in the employee health plan until July 31, 2021, as long as the employee was actively employed the day prior to the leave/furlough and the account stays current on premium. You will need to update your employee policies and/or plan documents to reflect that eligibility continues during such unpaid leave or furlough. We will take this approach through July 31, 2021, at which time we will determine whether to extend the date.

Yes, FDA-approved at-home testing kits are covered if you have an order or prescription from a doctor or other provider.

Yes. If COVID-19 antibody testing is ordered for your employee by their healthcare provider and is consistent with FDA guidelines, they will not pay any copays, deductibles, or other cost-sharing. Your employee does not need preauthorization or a referral for testing. BCBSRI does not cover testing for employment-related or “return to work” purposes.

Whenever possible, in-network providers should be used for COVID-19 testing and treatment. For COVID-19 testing, BCBSRI covers out-of-network providers at no cost when testing is ordered by a healthcare provider. For COVID-19 treatment, your employees’ out-of-network benefit applies. In-network COVID-19 treatment is temporarily covered at 100% for emergency services, inpatient services, and provider office visits if you have chosen to cover these services without cost share.
 

Yes, your employees have coverage for clinically appropriate video and phone visits from certain in-network providers. This telemedicine coverage is a standard part of your BCBSRI health plan. It’s in addition to the video visits available through BCBSRI Doctors Online if that service is available with your plan. Your employees’ cost share for COVID-19-related telemedicine treatment will continue to be covered without any copays, deductibles, or other cost sharing if you’ve chosen to offer that temporary coverage.

For employees with Commercial coverage 

• For in-network providers 
  Your employees will be able to access a comprehensive list of services via video or phone. This includes visits with primary care providers, specialists, and therapists. If your plan requires a referral to see a specialist, your employees will need to get that referral for telemedicine visits as well as in-person visits. Their share of the cost will follow their standard benefits as outlined in their benefit booklet or subscriber agreement. 
• For BCBSRI Doctors Online (if that service is available with your plan)
  Your employees pay the designated telemedicine provider cost share in their subscriber agreement or benefit booklet. Doctors Online provides access to top-rated, board-certified doctors via smartphone, tablet, or computer. They can receive 24/7 care for common, non-emergency health concerns as well as pre-schedule virtual behavioral healthcare appointments with licensed therapists and psychiatrists. Referrals for Doctors Online are not needed. Find out how to register for Doctors Online. 

For members with a Medicare Advantage plan 

• For in-network providers 
  Your members have $0 coverage for clinically appropriate video and phone visits from certain primary care and behavioral health providers, including in-network primary care providers, clinical psychologists, registered dietitians, and clinical social workers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they also temporarily have telemedicine benefits for select other providers at the same cost share they’d pay for an in-person visit. These providers include specialists, chiropractors, urgent care centers, retail-based clinics, and diabetes educators. If their plan requires a referral to see a specialist, they’ll need to get that referral for telemedicine visits as well as in-person visits.
• For BCBSRI Doctors Online 
  Your members pay $0 for services received through BCBSRI Doctors Online, which provides access to top-rated, board-certified doctors via smartphone, tablet, or computer. They can receive 24/7 care for common, non-emergency health concerns as well as pre-schedule virtual behavioral healthcare appointments with licensed therapists and psychiatrists. Referrals for Doctors Online are not needed. Find out how to register for Doctors Online. 

For members with Plan 65

• For providers  
  Your members will be able to access a comprehensive list of services via video or phone for $0. This includes visits with primary care providers, specialists, and therapists. 

¹BCBSRI Doctors Online is not available with all plans. In the case of an emergency, you should always call 911. Doctors Online is not intended to replace these services and should not be used in those circumstances. Doctors Online is a telemedicine service provided by American Well^®, an independent company that administers Doctors Online on behalf of BCBSRI.

If your BCBSRI plan includes coverage for Doctors Online, your employees can video chat with a board-certified doctor or licensed therapist on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. BCBSRI Doctors Online is available for common, non-emergency health issues 24/7 as well as for scheduled therapy sessions and psychiatry visits. Your employees will pay their designated telemedicine provider cost share for those services.

Your employees can download the BCBSRI Doctors Online¹ app from the Apple App Store or Google Play² or visit drs-online.com.

¹BCBSRI Doctors Online is not available with all plans. In the case of an emergency, you should always call 911. Doctors Online is not intended to replace these services and should not be used in those circumstances. Doctors Online is a telemedicine service provided by American Well®, an independent company that administers Doctors Online on behalf of BCBSRI.

²Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

You can share these tips, which can help your employees keep their information confidential while they are using video to talk with their doctor:

• Find a private location within your home or wherever you are using it so there is no one looking over your shoulder or listening to you.
• Don’t use a public computer, and try not to use a public or unsecured internet connection.
• Make sure you know who you’re talking to. If you’re not sure, verify the provider’s phone number and call their office to confirm.
• Be on guard against unsolicited calls offering services, such as COVID-19 testing, or medications or supplements that offer protection from COVID-19.

Yes, the CDC has recommendations for people at high risk. You can find detailed information on the CDC website.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the flu shot for everyone six months of age and older. Here’s why getting a flu shot is more important than ever this year:

• The flu vaccine prevents tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year.
• You can get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time.
• Getting vaccinated may also protect those around you.

As BCBSRI members, your employees can get a flu shot at no cost at participating pharmacies, in-network doctors' offices, and Rhode Island flu clinics.* In addition to the flu shot, a nasal spray flu vaccine is available for those ages 2 to 18. Find out where to get a no-cost flu shot at bcbsri.com/flu.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be different procedures in place for getting the flu vaccine than in other years, so your employees should check with the location.

*This benefit is not available to Plan 65 members or members who only have dental coverage from BCBSRI.

As BCBSRI members, your employees can get a flu shot at no cost at participating pharmacies, in-network doctors' offices, and Rhode Island flu clinics.* In addition to the flu shot, a nasal spray flu vaccine is available for those ages 2 to 18. Your employees can find out where to get a no-cost flu shot at bcbsri.com/flu.

*This benefit is not available to Plan 65 members or members who only have dental coverage from BCBSRI.

The Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Treasury have issued guidance that allows coverage of testing and services related to testing and treatment of COVID-19, as well as telemedicine services, before the deductible for people with high-deductible health plans and health savings accounts (HSAs).

Under the Governor’s Executive Order, everyone in Rhode Island must wear face coverings when in a public place, both indoors and outdoors, with limited exceptions. All employees of customer-facing businesses, office-based businesses, manufacturers, and nonprofits, also must wear cloth face coverings when they are at work with limited exceptions. Businesses must provide face coverings for their employees and all customer-facing businesses must take steps to remind customers to wear face coverings by putting up signs at the door reminding customers to wear a face covering inside. You can find detailed information about these regulations at the Reopening RI website as well as on the Commerce RI website.

We’ve extended our standard time frame for submitting claims during the public health emergency. We won’t count time after March 1, 2020 and before the end of the emergency toward the 365-day timeframe to submit claims.

We’ve extended our standard time frame for filing an appeal during the public health emergency. We won’t count time after March 1, 2020 and before the end of the emergency toward the 180-day time frame to file an appeal.  

Effective December 1, 2020, doctors do not need to get prior authorization for:

• The following in-network services: inpatient facilities, long-term care facilities, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, and telemedicine
• Treatment for COVID-19, including emergency services, inpatient services, and professional services when received in-network
• Inpatient services related to COVID-19 that are received out-of-network

Please note that this is a temporary change. Doctors will need to request prior authorization for any other services as indicated in your employees' subscriber agreement.