Guidance Issued for Health Plans Regarding COVID-19 Services

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the Departments) have issued “FAQs About Families First Coronavirus Response Act and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Implementation Part 44” (the FAQs).   

The FAQs address the requirement to cover items and services related to diagnostic testing, qualifying preventive services, and recommended immunizations of COVID-19 without the imposition of cost sharing, prior authorization, or other medical management requirements. In particular, the FAQs provide that group health plans or issuers 

• cannot impose medical management criteria, including medical screening, to determine coverage of a diagnostic test; 
• may distinguish between an individual clinical assessment versus a test for the general workplace, health and safety, or for public health surveillance; 
• must cover diagnostic tests provided through testing sites administered by a state or locality; 
• must cover point of care tests without cost sharing; 
• must cover immunizations with a recommendation in effect from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP); 
• must begin providing coverage for qualifying preventive services no later than 15 business days after the date the United States Preventive Services Task Force or ACIP make an applicable recommendation; 
• cover the immunization fee even when not billed for the immunization; and  
• provide immunizations in accordance with immunization specific recommendations, regardless of priority. 

Additionally, the FAQs provide that the Departments will not take enforcement action against a group health plan or issuer that fails to provide an advance notice of modification to a Summary of Benefits Coverage (SBC), so long as the group health plan or issuer provides the notice as soon as practicable. 

The FAQs further clarify that employers are permitted to offer benefits for COVID-19 immunizations and its administration under an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or through an onsite medical clinic that constitute an excepted benefit.  

Finally, the FAQs provide information about the reimbursement of COVID-19-related services for the uninsured from the federal government.