Blue Cross Telehealth
Etowah Gastroenterology Associates provides telehealth during office hours. Patients can call our office number to schedule and the doctor will call back.
Blue Cross expands telehealth coverage due to COVID-19 crisis
As we continue to monitor the outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Alabama, we are expanding telehealth to ease access to appropriate medical services for your patients who are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama members.
What does the expansion include?
The expansion of telehealth services is effective March 16, 2020, and allows clinicians to provide medically necessary services that can be appropriately delivered via telephone consultation. These actions will be effective for one month, expiring on April 16, 2020. It will be reevaluated for a continuance as needed.
This is applicable for patients who wish to receive their care remotely and limit their exposure. It can also serve as an initial screening for patients who may need to be tested for the coronavirus. For guidance on coronavirus testing, please refer to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Alabama Department of Public Health websites.
Member cost-sharing (copays, deductibles, etc.) will apply according to the member’s contract benefits. This applies to all Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama members including Blue Advantage®.
What types of providers can perform telehealth?
This applies to physicians and their extenders who currently receive Blue Cross reimbursement on the Preferred Medical Doctor (PMD), Physician Extender, Select and Select Extender fee schedules. Urgent care is also included; however, at this time, we are not including other provider types.
How does this affect behavioral health?
Behavioral health providers are included in this policy expansion. Some of these providers already perform telemedicine services. Under this policy, all behavioral health providers will be able to perform services telephonically. This will expire on April 16, 2020, but be reevaluated for continuance as needed.
For more information about behavioral health phone consultations, see our telemedicine operational policy. For behavioral health billing and coding guidelines specific to this telehealth expansion, refer to the New Directions Behavioral Health telehealth expansion memo (link will be posted here when available).
New Directions will communicate additional telehealth services information to providers. To support providers who may have patients experiencing distress or anxiety, New Directions is offering a crisis hotline for the public at 1-833-848-1764.
What services can be performed?
Telehealth is appropriate for consultations and visits for either low complexity, routine or ongoing evaluation and management. This would include acute illnesses or chronic disease management that, based on the provider’s medical judgment, can be managed over the phone.
New Directions Behavioral Health is our business associate and is an independent company that provides diagnostic testing, information and services.