RELEASE
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network Extend No-Cost Telehealth Services to June 30 and Include Behavioral Health Providers
Meghan O'Brien
| 2 min read
DETROIT, April 2, 2020 – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are extending their offering of no-cost telehealth services to members with existing telehealth benefits nationally through at least June 30 to help people connect with physicians from home. Additionally, no-cost telehealth services have been expanded to include common behavioral health therapy, and most common office visit and hospitalization follow-ups. This builds on the company’s March 17 announcement that it would be providing no-cost telehealth medical services for members with telehealth in their benefits until April 30. BCBSM hopes to continue to ease the strain on doctor’s offices and hospital emergency rooms due to the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting the use of “virtual” visits for patients with mild, flu-like symptoms, while keeping the health and safety of members at the forefront. “We want to do our part to ensure our members can access the care they need to stay healthy – and that includes behavioral health,” said Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan President and CEO, Daniel J. Loepp. “This supports both our members and health care workers. By allowing our members to consult with doctors and nurses from home, we help them get questions answered and relieve pressure on the health care delivery system to focus on the most serious COVID-19 cases.” Telehealth services include telemedicine and telephone-only visits with members’ own physicians and therapists that are set up by their offices, as well as Blue Cross Online Visits for members who have that service as a part of their benefits. Blue Cross Online Visits can be initiated through bcbsmonlinevisits.com or through the BCBSM Online Visits mobile app. Blue Cross also provides a free 24-Hour Nurse Line for 24-hour questions about symptoms, or where and when to receive care. For emotional support, we have a free crisis hotline available for anyone at 833.848.1764, which is staffed by BCBSM's behavioral health partner New Directions. More information on the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is available on the company’s blog – www.mibluesperspectives.com – and website – www.bcbsm.com/coronavirus. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides health benefits to more than 4.7 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies residing outside the state. The company has been committed to delivering affordable health care products through a broad variety of plans for businesses, individuals and seniors for 80 years. Beyond health care coverage, BCBSM supports impactful community initiatives and provides leadership in improving health care. For more information, visit bcbsm.com and MiBluesPerspectives.com.
