Medicare and Medicaid COVID-19 FAQs

Members should contact their doctor to see which telehealth services they may be able to offer their patients and how to schedule them.¹

Yes, we have made Teladoc^® available to all our Medicare Advantage members for general medical care only, 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 (1-855-835-2362) (TTY: 711) or visit Teladoc 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, we have made Teladoc^® available to all of our Medicare Advantage members for general medical care only, until further notice. However, we encourage members to seek virtual care from their own doctors first when possible to maintain care continuity. Members should consult their providers for virtual dermatology and behavioral health services.

Yes, MinuteClinic offers two telemedicine options: MinuteClinic Video Visits and E-Clinic visits.

Yes. MinuteClinic Video Visits are now covered by most Aetna Medicare Advantage plans. For Individual Medicare Advantage members, copays are waived for in-network telehealth visits for primary care through the end of the Public Health Emergency. At this time, MinuteClinic Video Visits are not covered by these plans:

• Aetna Better Health of Virginia (HMO SNP)
• Aetna Better Health of Ohio a MyCare Ohio plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan)
• Aetna Better Health of Michigan Premier Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan)
• Aetna Better Health of Illinois Premier Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan).

Aetna Group Medicare retiree members should check to see their plan coverage.

To access MinuteClinic Video Visits, members can visit MinuteClinic video visit or download the CVS mobile application. It’s available 24/7.

Yes, E-Clinic visits are now covered by most Aetna Medicare Advantage plans. For Individual Medicare Advantage members, copays are waived for in-network telehealth visits for primary care through the end of the Public Health Emergency. E-Clinic visits are available for most Medicare Advantage plans, including:

• Aetna Better Health of Ohio, a MyCare Ohio plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan)
• Aetna Better Health of Michigan Premier Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan)
• Aetna Better Health of Illinois Premier Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan)

E-Clinic visits are not covered by Aetna Better Health of Virginia (HMO SNP).

Aetna Group Medicare retiree members should check to see their plan coverage.

To access E-Clinic visits, members can visit CVS MinuteClinic and select “Clinic Visit” under “Plan a Visit.” E-Clinic visits are available between 9 AM and 5 PM local time.

E-Clinics offer many of the same services as the retail MinuteClinic locations. They can evaluate, diagnose and treat common injuries, illnesses and skin conditions. They can also help manage chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure for established patients. Providers can also assess a patient’s symptoms and risk factors for COVID-19 and provide guidance on how to access testing or treatment if infection with the virus is suspected. For more information, members can visit CVS MinuteClinic.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of these services:

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

To get started with mail-order, members can either call the phone number on their ID card or visit Aetna Medicare.

In addition to mail-order, most home delivery fees have been waived for prescriptions purchased from a CVS retail pharmacy. Charges for standard 1- to 2-day delivery fees are waived until further notice. Same-day delivery cost is $7.99.

CVS Pharmacy has waived most home-delivery fees for prescriptions purchased from them. Charges for standard 1- to 2-day delivery fees are waived until further notice. Same-day delivery cost is $7.99.

Yes, all Medicare members with prescription drug coverage (MAPD and PDP) may request early refills on maintenance medications, if needed. We are continuing to allow Medicare members, with pharmacy benefits administered through CVS Caremark, early refills following Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements through the end of the Public Health Emergency.

• 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.

No, members can contact their pharmacy directly for assistance.

Yes, however, members will have to pay for their prescription and submit a claim form to get reimbursed. Therefore, we strongly recommend that members use network pharmacies. Members with specific network issues should call the phone number on their ID card.

Aetna Better Health will cover the cost of diagnostic testing related to COVID-19 for Medicaid members. The test can be done by any approved testing facility. In accordance with guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), all health plans must cover certain serological (antibody) testing with no cost-sharing. This benefit does not apply to Aetna Better Heath of New York since medical benefits are not covered. Please call your medical benefits administrator for your testing coverage details.

Aetna Better Health will cover the treatment of COVID-19 or health complications associated with COVID-19. Aetna Better Health members with questions about these specific benefits are encouraged to call the member services phone number on the back of their ID cards. This benefit does not apply to Aetna Better Heath of New York since medical benefits are not covered. Please call your medical benefits administrator for your testing coverage details.

Telemedicine is health care delivery, evaluation, diagnosis, consultation, or treatment, conducted through audio, video or data communications by a health care practitioner who is physically separated from their patient. Telehealth/telemedicine can include:

• Live videoconferencing with providers
  
• Telephone-only consultations with providers
  
• Services provided by telemedicine vendors like MDLive and Teladoc^® telemedicine services
• CVS MinuteClinic^® locations offer a telemedicine option for Aetna Better Health Medicaid members called E-Clinic visits. These visits are covered by most Aetna Better Health Medicaid plans where brick and mortar Minute Clinics reside. Currently, Aetna Better Health of WV and Aetna Better Health of NY do not cover this benefit. For more details, visit CVS MinuteClinic.

Regulations regarding telehealth services available to Aetna Better Health Medicaid members vary by state. Aetna Medicaid members are encouraged to visit their health plan website or refer to their provider directory to identify in-network doctors that can potentially deliver virtual care. Aetna Better Health Medicaid members with questions about these specific benefits are encouraged to call the member services phone number on the back of their ID cards.

At this time, MinuteClinic Video Visits are not covered by Aetna Better Health Medicaid plans.

Aetna Better Health is offering 90-day maintenance medication prescriptions and waiving early refill limits on 30-day prescription maintenance medications for all members with pharmacy benefits administered through CVS Caremark^® (with limited exceptions as required by state Medicaid agencies).

Aetna Medicaid members are encouraged to take advantage of plan benefits for 90-day maintenance medication prescriptions. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encouraging individuals at higher risk for COVID-19 complications to stay at home as much as possible, this is a convenient option to avoid visiting the pharmacy for refills or new prescriptions.

Aetna Better Health Medicaid members with questions about specific pharmacy benefits are encouraged to call the member services phone number on the back of their ID cards. These benefits do not apply to Aetna Better Heath of New York or Aetna Better Health of West Virginia as pharmacy benefits are not available under these plans. Please call your pharmacy benefits administrator for your coverage details.

Through existing care management programs, Aetna Better Health^® has been proactively reaching out to Medicaid members most at-risk for COVID-19. Care managers will walk members through what they can do to protect themselves, where to get information on the virus, and where to go to get tested. If you would like to speak with a case manager, call the member services phone number on the back of your ID card.