Salem – The State of Oregon has reached an agreement with several health
insurance companies to continue providing expanded telehealth options through
at least Dec. 31, 2020.
“Throughout this pandemic, telehealth has provided Oregonians with essential
access to health care services that otherwise might have been unavailable or
required the risk of an in-person appointment,” said Gov. Kate Brown. “It has
transformed how many people have accessed behavioral health services. I’d like
to thank Oregon’s insurers for partnering with us in this agreement, which
gives us the opportunity and the time to develop more permanent telehealth
policies with appropriate flexibilities during the 2021 session.”
The agreement follows guidance issued by the Department of Consumer and Business Services and the Oregon
Health Authority in late March requiring health insurance plans of all
types to provide coverage for multiple telehealth platforms at the same rate
as an in-person visit to limit in-person health care services.
This means health insurance companies will continue to provide coverage for
expanded telehealth services for Oregonians and pay for these services at the
rates they established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our health insurance companies continue to step up. This agreement is an
important one for our state,” said Andrew Stolfi, insurance commissioner and
acting director of DCBS. “It means Oregonians can get the critical health care
services they need, and providers will continue to get paid for providing this
important care, while we all work together to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.”
The following insurance companies have agreed to provide expanded telehealth
services through the end of the year:
Bridgespan | PacificSource |
Cigna | Providence |
Health Net | Regence |
Kaiser Permanente | Samaritan |
Moda | United Healthcare |
In addition to these companies, the Oregon Health Plan will continue to offer
pay parity and other allowances for many telehealth services, offering the
same rate as an in-person visit for physical health services, behavioral health
services, and some dental and long-term care services.
It is important to note that this agreement does not apply to self-insured
plans. The state encourages self-insured plans to cover expanded telehealth
services for members. These are plans in which an employer assumes the financial
risk of providing health care benefits to its employees. Oregonians who have
a self-insured plan should check with their employer about their coverage options.
Oregonians are encouraged to contact their insurance company or health care
provider if they have questions about using telehealth services.
Visit the division’s COVID-19
telehealth page for frequently asked questions and additional information.
For more information on insurance and financial topics, visit the Division
of Financial Regulation’s COVID-19
consumer site .
For up-to-date information and resources on COVID-19, visit the Oregon
Health Authority COVID-19
site .
If you have questions about an insurance company or agent or need to file
a complaint , call the Division of Financial Regulation’s advocacy team
at 888-877-4894 (toll-free) or email dfr.insurancehelp@oregon.gov .
###
About DCBS: The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, visit www.dcbs.oregon.gov.
About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit www.dcbs.oregon.gov and http://dfr.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx.