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The revised guidelines will help members who are impacted by Hurricane Ikeaccess needed medical care and prescription drugs.
Members affected by the hurricane should seek medical assistance whereverit is available and have their medications refilled at any pharmacy or shippedto them at an alternative address.
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In addition, from Sept. 12 through Sept. 19, 2008, for members evacuatingfrom Texas and Louisiana, all providers caring for affected members will beconsidered "in-network" providers, and affected members will not be requiredto satisfy prior authorization, pre-certification or referral requirementsduring this time.
These revisions apply to affected members living in Texas and Louisianawho are under a mandatory evacuation and who are covered by UniCare, WellPointNextRx and WellPoint affiliated health plans in California, Colorado,Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, NewYork, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia. More information on WellPoint'saffiliated health plans can be found athttp://www.wellpoint.com/business/about_family.asp .
For impacted members, WellPoint is:
-- Suspending requirements for prior authorization and pre-certification.
-- Suspending requirements for authorization or referral from a primarycare physician.
-- Allowing the affected members to see any physician necessary to provideaccess to care.
-- Paying all claims as in-network, regardless of whether or not thehealth care provider is in network.
-- Suspending early refill limits and shipping prescriptions to members atalternative addresses.
-- Suspending utilization management (UM) review of in-hospital cases.
These medical and pharmacy guidelines are effective Sept. 12 through Sept.19, 2008. At that time, it will be determined if these guidelines need to beextended.
WellPoint's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is offering free telephoniccounseling and referral services for the next 30 days to all members in theareas impacted by the hurricane. Services include access to a resource-richWeb site and telephonic consultations with professional counselors. The EAPprogram is available 24 hours a day by calling, toll-free, 1-800-765-4446, orby logging into the EAP member Web site at www.anthemeap.com and entering thepassword "hurricane."
For additional questions, members should call the phone number on the backof their membership card. If they do not have their card, they should call 1-866-417-7107.
About WellPoint:
WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of medicalmembership in the United States. WellPoint is an independent licensee of theBlue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the BlueCross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee forColorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as theBlue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan andsurrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licenseein selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (serving Virginia excludingthe city of Fairfax, the town of Vienna and the area east of State Route 123),Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint isavailable at www.wellpoint.com.
SOURCE WellPoint
