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 temporarily made Teladoc® available to all of our Medicare Advantage members for general medical care only, at no cost, through January 31, 2021. 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 24/7.²

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.³

Yes, along with all telehealth services, we have waived copays through January 31, 2021.⁴  Members may see Teladoc® providers for general medical care; however, they should consult their providers for virtual dermatology and behavioral health services.

Yes, we have temporarily made Teladoc^® available to all of our Medicare Advantage members for general medical care only, at no cost. However, we encourage members to seek virtual care from their own doctors first, when possible, to maintain care continuity.⁵  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 and copays are waived through January 31, 2021. 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) Plan, Aetna Better Health of Michigan Premier Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan), and Aetna Better Health of Illinois Premier Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan).

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.

Yes, E-Clinic visits are part of the no-cost telemedicine waiver for most Medicare members. There is no cost to Medicare Advantage members for this service through January 31, 2021. 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) and Aetna Better Health of Illinois Premier Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan). E-Clinic visits are not covered by Aetna Better Health of Virginia (HMO SNP).

To access E-Clinic visits, members can visit https://www.cvs.com/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 www.minuteclinic.com.

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 aetnamedicare.com.

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 1-2 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.

• 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.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not indicated there are any concerns with drugs manufactured in China. The FDA protects public health by promoting supply chain integrity and working to ensure medicines imported to the U.S. meet legal and regulatory requirements. Imported drugs must meet FDA’s standards for quality, safety and effectiveness. 

Aetna Better Health is waiving member cost-sharing for diagnostic testing related to COVID-19. The test can be done by any approved testing facility. The policy aligns with new Families First 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), all health plans must cover certain serological (antibody) testing with no cost-sharing. This benefit does not apply to Aetna Better Heath of NY since medical benefits are not covered. Please call your medical benefits administrator for your testing coverage details.

Your doctor is in the best position to advise if testing is needed based on your symptoms. With tests in limited supply, providers are using a strict set of guidelines to determine when testing is appropriate.

If your symptoms change, contact your doctor again.

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 NY 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^®
• CVS MinuteClinic offers 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 www.minuteclinic.com.
   

Regulations regarding telehealth services available to Aetna Better Health Medicaid members vary by state and, in some cases, are changing in light of the current situation. 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.

CVS Pharmacy will waive charges for home delivery of prescription medications. 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 NY or Aetna Better Health of WV 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.

Aetna Resources For Living (RFL) is also offering support and resources to individuals and organizations who have been impacted by Coronavirus. Through this liberalization, those in need of support can access RFL services whether or not they have it as part of their benefits. Individuals and organizations who don’t have RFL can contact RFL at 1-833-327-AETNA (1-833-327-2386). Support to individuals and organizations that don’t have RFL includes:
 

• In-the-moment phone support to help callers cope with the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak
• Informational brochures about dealing with a crisis
• Community resource referrals, including local support services in the local area