[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":763,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is offering free medical and behavioral telehealth visits through August 1 to its members dealing with strong storms and flooding across the upper Midwest.

BCBSMA\u2019s national Blue Card plan provides coverage for more than 2,300 people in the wake of the storm in parts of Ohio and South Dakota.

The telehealth visits will be offered through Well Connection, BCBSMA\u2019s telehealth platform. The Blues plan is also letting members affected by the storms to refill prescriptions early and is waiving referral, authorization and pre-certification requirements for medical and pharmacy services.

\u201cMembers dealing with the aftermath of severe weather shouldn\u2019t have to worry about how they'll get the services and medications they need,\u201d says Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO of BCBSMA. \u201cOur hope is that this will make it easier for them to access care when and where they need it, even if they\u2019re displaced.\u201d

BCBSMA launched its latest telehealth platform, Well Connection, in April 2018\u2014it enables members to gain access to treatment from their doctors using smartphones, tablets or a computer.

In a natural disaster, telemedicine can play a crucial role, according to Nathan Sykes, a writer for the Arizona Telemedicine Program at the University of Arizona.

\u201cOne of the most influential applications for telemedicine is disaster preparedness and recovery,\u201d he writes in a blog entitled, \u201cIn a Natural Disaster, Telemedicine Has a Crucial Role.\u201d

\u201cA hurricane or raging forest fire can make it difficult, if not impossible, for those affected to receive food and other needs, especially healthcare,\u201d Sykes says. \u201cBut remote medicine can provide support to those who urgently need it.\u201d

After natural disasters, most people turn to emergency departments, but these facilities are often not adequately equipped to care for disaster-stricken populations, Sykes says. This is where telemedicine can help bridge the gap in care.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Systems<\/i> entitled, \u201cImplementing telemedicine in medical emergency response: concept of operation for a regional telemedicine hub,\u201d shows that when an organization sets up a telemedicine hub as a central command center during natural disasters, it facilitates specialty care, improves health outcomes and saves lives.

Lisa Doggett, MD, senior medical director at HGS AxisPoint Health, a population health management company with decades of experience helping in natural disasters, advises payers to show flexibility in times of natural disaster, by letting members get their prescriptions refilled early and covering the replacement of damaged durable medical equipment if any is ruined or lost. She also says it\u2019s helpful to permit members to use out-of-network services in the event that they can\u2019t go to their usual providers.

\u201cDuring crisis, everyone\u2019s needs increase,\u201d Doggett says. \u201cVulnerable people become even more vulnerable.\u201d","saveContent":"Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is offering free medical and behavioral telehealth visits through August 1 to its members dealing with strong storms and flooding across the upper Midwest.

BCBSMA\u2019s national Blue Card plan provides coverage for more than 2,300 people in the wake of the storm in parts of Ohio and South Dakota.

The telehealth visits will be offered through Well Connection, BCBSMA\u2019s telehealth platform. The Blues plan is also letting members affected by the storms to refill prescriptions early and is waiving referral, authorization and pre-certification requirements for medical and pharmacy services.

\u201cMembers dealing with the aftermath of severe weather shouldn\u2019t have to worry about how they'll get the services and medications they need,\u201d says Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO of BCBSMA. \u201cOur hope is that this will make it easier for them to access care when and where they need it, even if they\u2019re displaced.\u201d

BCBSMA launched its latest telehealth platform, Well Connection, in April 2018\u2014it enables members to gain access to treatment from their doctors using smartphones, tablets or a computer.

In a natural disaster, telemedicine can play a crucial role, according to Nathan Sykes, a writer for the Arizona Telemedicine Program at the University of Arizona.

\u201cOne of the most influential applications for telemedicine is disaster preparedness and recovery,\u201d he writes in a blog entitled, \u201cIn a Natural Disaster, Telemedicine Has a Crucial Role.\u201d

\u201cA hurricane or raging forest fire can make it difficult, if not impossible, for those affected to receive food and other needs, especially healthcare,\u201d Sykes says. \u201cBut remote medicine can provide support to those who urgently need it.\u201d

After natural disasters, most people turn to emergency departments, but these facilities are often not adequately equipped to care for disaster-stricken populations, Sykes says. This is where telemedicine can help bridge the gap in care.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Systems<\/i> entitled, \u201cImplementing telemedicine in medical emergency response: concept of operation for a regional telemedicine hub,\u201d shows that when an organization sets up a telemedicine hub as a central command center during natural disasters, it facilitates specialty care, improves health outcomes and saves lives.

Lisa Doggett, MD, senior medical director at HGS AxisPoint Health, a population health management company with decades of experience helping in natural disasters, advises payers to show flexibility in times of natural disaster, by letting members get their prescriptions refilled early and covering the replacement of damaged durable medical equipment if any is ruined or lost. She also says it\u2019s helpful to permit members to use out-of-network services in the event that they can\u2019t go to their usual providers.

\u201cDuring crisis, everyone\u2019s needs increase,\u201d Doggett says. \u201cVulnerable people become even more vulnerable.\u201d","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

BCBSMA offers free telehealth to members affected by storms

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