Stress and Coping
Mississippi largest health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, has expanded teletherapy coverage in the state to deal with COVID-19.
"In response to the CDC and Mississippi State Department of Health guidance on necessary steps to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi expanded care access which includes coverage for medically necessary telemedicine visits to allow our members to visit their provider without leaving home," Blue Cross said in a statement.
BCBS said its new COVID-19 telemedicine coverage was developed with network providers in early March and was further refined to pay for up to an hour session for teletherapy. BCBS said it will continue to review its coverage.
The expansion comes after Lee Ingram of Oxford started an online petition last week that had nearly 1,500 signatures by Monday urging Blue Cross Blue Shield to fully cover teletherapy.
In 2017, Ingram's twin brother died by suicide at the age of 23.
Lee tries to educate others on the importance of seeking mental help if needed. He said his brother succumbed to mental illness. In his own life, Lee said he receives professional counseling to cope with issues.
Ingram said fear came over him this month when his therapist indicated it might be some time before they could resume in-person sessions due to coronavirus mandates to postpone routine medical and dental services.
Ingram, a former Madison resident who now lives in Oxford, said Blue Cross wasn't fully covering teletherapy as part of its telemedicine policy. He said BCBS had previously said it would cover 30minutes sessions but most therapy sessions are for an hour.
On Monday, Ingram claimed victory, saying the insurance company will extend its telemedicine policy to cover hour-long teletherapy.
“The fight with Blue Cross was WON! As of today, teletherapy is now fully covered in Mississippi!," he said in a Facebook post.
But BCBS said the expansion of telemedicine services wasn't related to any online petition.
Ingram said whether his petition played a part, he is happy that teletherapy will be covered.
BCBS said it is also waiving cost sharing for covered telemedicine visits, meaning no deductible, co-pay or coinsurance for members.
In a phone interview with the Clarion Ledger on Tuesday, Ingram said he could have survived without the Blue Cross coverage, but he jumped to the cause to try to help others.
"We need to make it available to everyone," Ingram said of teletherapy.
The Mississippi Department of Insurance had sent a bulletin March 16 that directed telemedicine between a provider and a patient be covered the same as it was an in-person session.
All major commercial health insurance providers in the state issued their pandemic telemedicine policies of compliance effective March 16, but the Mississippi Insurance Department didn't didn't think BCBS had fully complied, said Insurance Department spokeswoman Beth Reiss.
Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney requested that BCBS reply by 3 p.m .March 19, with the steps taken to comply with the bulletin. The reply was received but the agency said it fell short of compliance. Chaney sent another letter March 21 and resent it March 22 requesting full compliance with the bulletin or BCBS would face regulatory and legal remedy by the department.
The CEO of BCBS called Chaney and assured him that BCBS would comply and issue an amended policy. It did so.
“I do not know if the petition Lee Ingram started helped in the compliance by BCBS, but I do not think it hurt efforts to get BCBS to comply,” Chaney said.
MID said it doesn't believe BCBS was prepared to initially to address the telemedicine issue when Chaney issued the bulletin and had to work over the weekend to comply.
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health has said ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 virus is a challenging time for many, but provides these coping tips:
❚ The Department of Mental Health Helpline will remain staffed at all times and is available by calling 1-877-2108513 for information about services and supports.
❚ Take time to do things you enjoy, whether that's playing games, reading books, or enjoying a nice cup of coffee.
❚ Don't watch or listen to too much news or social media.
❚ People who have pre-existing mental health conditions should make sure to continue their treatment, whether medication or therapy, and also pay attention to worsening symptoms and share them with their service providers.
❚ Take care of your physical health by getting exercise, eating healthy meals, avoiding excessive drinking, and trying to get plenty of sleep.
Helping Others Cope
❚ Adults often influence the way young people react, and parents and caregivers who react calmly can help reassure and support children and others near them.
❚ Common signs of young people having difficulty coping. Extreme crying or irritation, or excessive irritability or acting out in teenagers. Children and young people may return to behavior they previously outgrew, or they may begin avoiding activities they usually enjoy.
❚ Help children and teens cope with stress by keeping regular routines when possible or by creating a schedule for learning and school-based activities that are taking place in the home.
Social Distancing and Isolation
❚ Take proactive steps to reach out to friends and family members can help reduce the anxiety or loneliness someone may feel during this time.
❚ People are encouraged to get “faceto-face” contact through video chat applications like Facetime or Skype.
Contact Jimmie E. Gates at 601-9617212 or jgates@gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.
Jimmie E. Gates