Employee Benefits Coverage Requirements for Coronavirus Testing & Provider Reimbursement Rates Effective March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to cover COVID-19 testing without imposing any cost sharing (such as deductibles, co-payments, or co-insurance) or prior authorization or other medical management requirements. The CARES Act expands the FFCRA’s coverage requirement for COVID-19 testing. Coverage Mandate This coverage mandate applies to the following health plans and issuers, regardless of grandfathered status under the Affordable Care Act (ACA): All fully insured group health plans All self-insured group health plans Health insurance issuers offering group or individual coverage During the COVID-19 public health emergency, health plans and issuers must cover FDA-approved diagnostic testing products for COVID-19, including any items or services provided during a visit to a provider (in-person or telehealth), urgent care center, or emergency room that relate to COVID-19 testing. Effective March 27, 2020, the CARES Act expands this coverage mandate to include COVID-19 tests provided on an emergency basis, state-developed tests, and any other tests approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This coverage cannot be subject to any plan deductible, co-payment, or co-insurance. Provider Reimbursement Rates The CARES Act also addresses provider reimbursement rates for COVID-19 testing. A health plan or issuer must pay a health care provider the negotiated rate for COVID-19 testing. However, if a health plan or issuer does not have a negotiated rate with a provider, it must pay the cash price published by the provider on its public website or negotiate or lower price. For additional information, please contact the Curi Benefit Solutions team by calling 800-328-5532. News & Knowledge All Curi recommendations are based on current CDC criteria at the time of publication. CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may, or may not, be adopted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. Providers should always check with their local health department to see if the CDC’s guidance on any given topic has been modified (particularly if more restrictive) from the CDC’s recommended guidelines. Follow this link https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/index.html for contact information to your state/local health department. If local recommendations vary from those of the CDC, and you are unsure what recommendations to follow, then it is safer to follow the more restrictive guidelines/recommendations.