Barbara Hidu closes her eyes and shakes her head when recalling the feeling — the crushing feeling — she felt in her lungs.
“I just couldn’t catch a breath, not even for a moment,” Hidu says of the late December day she was rushed to the hospital, where she tested positive for COVID-19. “It wasn’t like the flu, not like pneumonia, not like anything I’ve ever had before.”
Hidu, 71, was treated at two different hospitals and a care center through early February, until she was well enough to return to her home in Eagan. But even then, she experienced fatigue and weakness in her legs, making it difficult to go about daily activities, like grocery shopping.
A call with Carrie Harpell, a registered nurse and Blue Cross representative, helped to make life easier. Harpell helped Hidu utilize her plan benefits to aid in her recovery. She arranged meal delivery to Hidu’s door through a post discharge meal program, scheduled physical therapy appointments, and helped review her medications for possible cost savings.
“Carrie and all of the help from Blue Cross has really been a godsend,” Hidu says. “I’ve never been in a position ever before where I needed anybody else’s assistance. But I needed it after COVID. The fact that Carrie was able to come into my life and make sure that I had the things that I needed, and that Blue Cross was able to cover them, it just meant so much to me.”
Hidu is among tens of thousands of members who have received help from Blue Cross during the pandemic. Though specific benefits vary from plan to plan, the goal of each of them is the same: to maintain the health and safety of members as we continue the fight against COVID-19.
Regardless of what plan you have, you can lean on Blue Cross for help.
Coverage you can depend on
When Hidu arrived home, she was grateful to find no bill for her treatment — not any aspect of it, including the ambulance trip.
If you get sick with COVID-19, the last thing you should worry about is whether you can afford the care. Blue Cross will pay for medically necessary testing and in-network care, including hospitalization. As Hidu found out, that means no co-pay, coinsurance or deductible costs. That also extends to mental health and substance use office visits and medication management.
If you are hospitalized with COVID- 19, it might be necessary because of capacity constraints to transfer to another facility. Even if a facility is out-of-network, as was the case for Hidu, Blue Cross will waive your transportation cost as well as the cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment at the new location.
Your plan might also provide additional benefits to help you through COVID-19 recovery.
In Hidu’s case, Harpell — one of 50 registered nurses on the Blue Cross care management team — was able to assist. Harpell and her colleagues have spent the last year connecting with members diagnosed with COVID-19, or those at higher risk of complications from the disease.
They help members connect with resources, make sure they’re following up with their primary care doctors or specialty providers, review their medications, and highlight benefits that members might not be aware of. Harpell helped Hidu sign up for physical therapy to help with her leg weakness, and was able to lower the cost of essential medication for Hidu’s Type 2 diabetes.
“These services can make a big impact on someone’s life, especially when dealing with a severe illness like COVID-19,” Harpell says. “For most people, it’s the immediate needs that they’re worried about — food, medication, costs. For Barb, the help was a huge deal for her.”
To learn more about your plan’s specific benefits, call the number on the back of your member ID card.
“The fact that Carrie was able to come into my life and make sure that I had the things that I needed, and that Blue Cross was able to cover them, it just meant so much to me.” — BARBARA HIDU
Powering prevention
Blue Cross has taken several steps to help protect members from COVID-19.
To help minimize trips to the doctor and reduce risk of exposure, telehealth services have been expanded. That means broader access to virtual appointments via video conferencing on a phone, tablet or computer. You can also make an appointment through doctorondemand.com, a service that is available around the clock. Any COVID-19-related visits are fully covered. Members will not have copays for doctor visits through the end of the year.
To make accessing medications easier for members during the pandemic, Blue Cross also waived early refill limits on 30-day prescription maintenance medications, allowing those to be filled for up to 90 days, if you have Blue Cross drug coverage.
And perhaps most important right now — Blue Cross will cover your COVID-19 vaccination. All Medicare members are eligible for vaccination and are encouraged to get it scheduled. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes, COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and key to ending the pandemic. Even if you had COVID- 19, it is recommended that you still receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, including where to find them, visit the Blue Cross COVID-19 resource center at bluecrossmn.com/coronavirus.
Hidu was quick to schedule her vaccination, which was completed in April. As someone with Type 2 Diabetes, she was at higher risk for complications from COVID-19, but was able to recover through medication, rest and rehabilitation, and never required a ventilator. As a proud new grandmother, she’s looking forward to regaining her strength and enjoying a new chapter of her life.
“I just hope it works,” Hidu says of the vaccine. “There’s nothing to lose in getting it. I just never want to go through that again.”