Having trouble viewing this email? Please View in browser
April 3rd, 2020
COVID-19 News & Updates
As you know, the Coronavirus is having an impact on business and society. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by the situation. We will be providing daily and weekly updates about COVID-19 to you. We hope that you find these interesting and informative.


How Does the CARES Act Address Small Business Loans?

The CARES Act is the largest economic stimulus measure in modern history and promises to provide help for struggling American families and businesses. Specifically, the Act includes the following provisions:
  • The Act includes nearly $350 billion for a federal small business loan program called the Paycheck Protection Program. The program is designed to get cash in the hands of suffering small businesses quickly, with less stringent eligibility requirements than the existing U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) loan programs. Paycheck Protection Program loans are designed to incentivize business owners to keep employees on payroll.
  • In addition to businesses already eligible for SBA programs, most businesses with 500 or fewer employees are now eligible for disaster loans of up to $2 million for working capital. Those businesses will also be eligible for an emergency cash advance of $10,000 within days of making the application, which is not repayable even if their loan application is denied.
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

They have a great interactive mobile friendly website that is updated daily with COVID-19 Metrics Information. Bookmark this website and check back daily!

  • Toggle between the United States or State by State
  • How many days until Peak Resource Use
  • Deaths per day
  • State by State Government Mandated Social Distancing



USAble Life is ready to provide assistance during the COVID-19 outbreak


At USAble Life, we always strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our customers. Even more so now, during the spread of COVID-19. USAble Life remains firmly committed to providing a high-level of service to our customers while ensuring the safety of our employees. Even with our best planning and our team members’ focus, our disability and hospital indemnity products could see a considerable increase in claim volumes and related calls because of COVID-19. An increase would allow us to demonstrate fulfilling the promise of our products, but the volume of claims and related calls may impact our response times. We plan to keep pace with our current service levels, but given the unknown impacts, please know we will work quickly through any delays. We will keep our promise to you.

Their website answers many key questions that you may have such as:
COVID-19: Updates on cost-sharing and Special Enrollment Period

Details related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to evolve, and we're committed to helping you get access to the information and resources you need during this challenging time. Please review these important updates below and find more information on frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the broker and employer sections of uhc.com. We update the FAQs regularly, and you can download the latest information at any time.

Member cost-sharing waived for COVID-19 through May 31
UnitedHealthcare is waiving member cost-sharing for the treatment of COVID-19 through May 31, 2020, for its fully insured commercial, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans. This builds on the company's previously announced efforts to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and testing-related visits. Read more here .

Cost-sharing waived for network, non-COVID-19 telehealth visits
Starting March 31 through June 18, UnitedHealthcare will waive cost-sharing for network, non-COVID-19 telehealth visits for fully insured individual and group market health plans, as well as its Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans. UnitedHealthcare has previously waived cost-sharing for telehealth visits related to COVID-19 testing. Read more here .

COVID-19 special open enrollment extended to April 13
UnitedHealthcare has extended the COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to April 13, and employers* with multiple plan options also can buy down to a leaner plan. Options include:
  1. Add a special open enrollment for members who previously waived coverage, including dependents, to provide additional access to care. Employers can do this without introducing any new plans from March 23 – April 13 (extended from April 6). Employers will continue to contribute to the cost of the coverage, and coverage will be effective April 1.
  2. Buy down to a leaner plan:
  • Employers with a single-benefit offering that wish to buy down to a leaner plan may do so between now and May 31. They also can re-enroll their population to the leaner plan design.
  • Employers with multi-option plan designs can temporarily buy down to a leaner plan. If employers decide to conduct a SEP when adding the plan, new enrollees who previously waived coverage can select from any of the plans offered by the employer provided they are eligible and the employer contributes to the cost of coverage. Existing members can also move to the lean plan design, but no other benefit changes are permitted.
Add a lean plan design but no SEP: Consistent with the buy-down approach, employers will
have until May 31 to add a lean benefit. In that instance, existing members can move to the new
lean plan design. No other benefit changes are permitted. New enrollees previously waiving
coverage are excluded beyond the April 13 cutoff for SEP.

*Applies to NICE, PRIME, UNET, CIRRUS/PULSE, All Savers ® and SIERRA fully insured customers.
On behalf of all of our team, please know that we are here for you and that we will continue to do everything we can to support you during this time. Please do not hesitate to let us know if there is anything you need! 

The Hatcher Agency