CIGNA Corp. and the TriWest Healthcare Alliance are the latest carriers to announce special arrangements for individuals affected by the Midwestern flooding.
CIGNA, Philadelphia, says it will make the following adjustments, retroactive to June 9, for CIGNA members living in Indiana and Iowa counties designated as disaster areas:
- Any 30-day prescription refill time restrictions will be waived.
- Precertification requirements will be waived.
- In-network benefits will be paid for medical services, even if a member must see an out-of-network physician or other provider.
- Any time limits, including deadlines for appeals and claim submissions, will be extended for 60 days.
- Members of dental health maintenance organization plans can get emergency and urgent dental care without prior approval, and will not be required to get referrals for specialty care.
- Out-of-network fees will be waived for members of dental preferred provider organization plans.
- The grace period for employer premium payments to CIGNA will be extended 60 additional days, to a total of 91 days.
Meanwhile, TriWest, Phoenix, which serves members of the National Guard living in Iowa and Missouri and their family members, says it will let beneficiaries refill prescriptions at any TriCare retail network pharmacy. Beneficiaries who used a chain store pharmacy can get medicine from another store in the same chain.
TriWest notes that the hospitals and clinics in Iowa and Missouri that accept TriCare remain open.
