As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to unfold, we understand many of you have questions about seeking medical advice through telehealth to either avoid inadvertent exposure to coronavirus or for its added convenience. Telehealth is a virtual visit with a medical professional either by phone or by video. Both providers and specialized telehealth vendors provide this service. A newly signed law provides requirements for group health plans as it relates to coronavirus testing and telehealth services.
On March 18, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. This new law requires group health plans, regardless of grandfathered status, to waive cost-sharing (including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance), or prior authorization or other medical management requirements for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, as well as for in-person and telehealth services related to COVID-19 diagnostic testing. MagnaCare will process claims for services performed on or after March 18, 2020 in compliance with this new law.
There are a number of options to access telehealth services. The first option for telehealth should be your provider. Many of your providers already offer virtual care by phone or video for many services, including those related to coronavirus. In fact, many of your providers may be temporarily switching to a virtual-only model during the current situation. The provider will typically bill the telehealth visit the same as an office visit. If the provider bills for these services as if it was a normal office claim, it will be treated as any other office visit claim, with the appropriate benefits and patient cost-sharing applied. If the telehealth service delivered is related to COVID-19 diagnostic testing, MagnaCare will process the claim in compliance with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
If you have access to a telehealth vendor through your employer or other plan sponsor, you can contact the telehealth vendor directly.
There are also telehealth vendors as well as virtual care services from health systems that you can use today. Livehealthonline.com is one such telehealth option for your medical, allergy, psychology, and psychiatry needs. This telehealth service is free to register. Price per visit varies by service and you will be responsible for the fee at the time of the visit. Payment is by credit card. In addition, many local and regional health systems are also offering low-cost telehealth services. For your convenience, we have compiled information about a few of those virtual care vendor options below, along with their associated price-per-visit. You will be responsible for the fee at the time of the visit. Payment is by credit card.
| Health System | Price Per Visit | Discount Code |
| RWJBarnabas Health | $15 with code | RWJBH15 |
| Atlantic Health System | $49.00 | |
| Hackensack Meridian Health | $20.00 | HMH20 (NJ Residents Only) |
| NYU | $126.00 | |
| Mount Sinai Health System | $25.00 | |
| New York Presbyterian | $49.00 |
Our company is committed to delivering the highest level of service and support to the clients we serve. We will continue to communicate important information and updates as the current COVID-19 situation evolves. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and please do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide any further support.