In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many commercial health insurers waived cost-sharing for medical and behavioral telehealth services.
Becker's asked five of the largest for-profit insurers — Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare — when those waivers are set to end.
Here's the projected expiration date of their telehealth cost waivers, as of Sept. 17. For reference, the current national public emergency health period — which was extended effective July 25 — is slated to end in late October, around the 23rd. If the PHE is extended again, some of the dates may be pushed backed.
Aetna
- Cost-share waivers for commercial telemedicine behavioral health services: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for all Medicare telemedicine services: Dec. 31
Anthem
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 testing and related telehealth visits and telephonic-only visits: When PHE ends (around Oct. 23)
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 treatment from in-network providers accessed via telehealth: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits across fully-insured employer and individual plans: Sept. 30
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits across Medicare and Medicaid plans: Dec. 31 (where not covered under a state program)
Cigna
- Cost-share waivers for COVID-19 telehealth visits across Medicare Advantage plans: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for telehealth screenings for COVID-19 across commercial and individual/family plans: Oct. 31
- Cost-share waivers for non-COVID-19 in-network medical or behavioral telehealth visits across Medicare Advantage plans: Dec. 31
- Cost-share waivers for in-network virtual primary care and specialist office exams or consultations for non-COVID-19 care across individual/family plans: Oct. 31
- Expanded virtual medical care access for non-COVID-19 services from physicians and certain providers for commercial members: Dec. 31
Humana
- Cost-share waivers for all telehealth visits (primary, speciality and behavioral services) with in-network providers, regardless of COVID-19 diagnosis: Dec. 31
UnitedHealthcare
- Cost-share waivers and expanded access for COVID-19-related telehealth visits: Oct. 22
- Cost-share waivers and expanded access for non-COVID-19 telehealth visits with in-network providers: Sept. 30
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