Keeping Physicians in Mind and Informed.
COVID-19 Update, 1/14/21
January 14, 2021 | ARKMED.org/covid19
Status Update as of 1/13/21 from ADH Website: 


  • Total cumulative cases in Arkansas - 262,020
  • New confirmed cases since 1/12 - 2,467
  • Active cases - 17,555
  • Recovered patients - 191,412
  • Deaths - 4,186
  • Patients in the hospital - 1,362
  • Patients on ventilators - 255
ADH Expands Vaccine Roll-Out to Phase 1-B

Gov. Hutchinson announced on Tuesday that the state was finishing up the vaccinations of those in Phase 1-A and is ready to move into two categories of 1-B. This includes Arkansas aged 70 and older and those in education, including child care, K-12, and higher education. These new categories will be eligible for vaccines beginning next Monday, January 18, 2021.

Vaccines will be available either through clinics at your worksite or by appointment at a community pharmacy around the state.

Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield Extends COVID-19 Benefits through April 21, 2021

The voluntary, expanded COVID-19-related benefits announced for certain Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Health Advantage fully insured health plans and individual policies will be extended to align with the federally mandated COVID-19 coverage provisions as specified in the FFCRA (Families First Coronavirus Response Act) and CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act. The federal mandate currently runs through April 21, 2021.

This update does not impact related changes for Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement members. Please note: Decisions about coverage changes for members of self-funded health plans served by BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas or Health Advantage are made by the employers or plan sponsors who fund those self-funded programs.

If you have questions about your patient’s coverage, please call the number on the back of the card.
UnitedHealth Also Extends Public Health Emergency Temporary Provisions

Individual and Group Market Health Plans: From Feb. 4, 2020 through the national public health emergency period, currently scheduled to end April 20, 2021, UnitedHealthcare is waiving cost sharing for in-network and out-of-network COVID-19 tests and testing-related visits, including testing-related telehealth visits. This includes UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange health plans.

Medicare Advantage: From Feb. 4, 2020 through the national public health emergency period, now scheduled to end April 20, 2021, UnitedHealthcare is waiving cost sharing for in-network and out-of-network tests for COVID-19.

Medicaid: State-specific rules and other state regulations may apply. For Medicaid and other state-specific regulations, please refer to your state-specific website or your state’s UnitedHealthcare Community Plan website, if applicable. For more details, go to UHCprovider.com/COVID19.

Complete details on these temporary cost share waivers are available at UHCprovider.com/COVID19 and in the Summary of COVID-19 Dates by Program guide.

PPE
View our information on personal protective equipment at
or visit
arkansasready.com/ppe for Arkansas PPE vendors.
Telemedicine
View the latest information from insurance carriers, HIPAA, and other sources on telemedicine during the COVID-19 crisis at ARKMED.org/telemedicine
Financial Resources
We've compiled all of the financial resources that you may need for your clinic or practice during the COVID-19 crisis at https://www.arkmed.org/financial-assistance-during-covid-19/.
Got Questions? Let Us Help.

The Arkansas Medical Society is here to serve our physician members and their medical teams. On our website, we have a place that you can send us questions or share what you're experiencing. Visit ARKMED.org/covid19 and click on the Got Questions box. We will respond to your question as soon as possible. Thank you for your hard work and together we will make it through this crisis.
For more AMS COVID-19 Resources, visit ARKMED.org/covid19.
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