COVID-19 provider information

• Telemedicine technical assistance guide
• Primary care providers: Codes for telehealth and other communication-based services in response to COVID-19 
• Behavioral health providers: Codes for services via telephone in response to COVID-19  
• Dental providers (CareOregon dental providers and members ONLY): Teledentistry Codes for COVID-19

Additional telehealth reference material

• OHA COVID-19 for Oregon Health Plan partners (benefit information)
  • Guideline A5, telehealth, teleconsultations and electronic/telephonic services
  • Oregon Health Plan coverage of telemedicine/telehealth services (3/20)
  • How to Bill for COVID-19 Services Provided to Oregon Health Plan Members (3/30)
  • Expansion of fee-for-service telemedicine coverage, including telephone services during an epidemic of an infectious disease
  • DCBS-OHA telehealth guidance
  • OHA expanded telehealth for behavioral health
• Medicare telemedicine health care provider fact sheet (3/17)
• HHS notification of enforcement discretion for telehealth remote communications during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency
• COVID-19 public health emergency response and 42 CFR part 2 guidance

Pharmacy updates 

• Early refills and up to a 90-day supply of medications is allowed
• Prior authorization for new requests is turned back on
• For more details: CareOregon pharmacy benefits (Medicaid)
• For more details: CareOregon pharmacy benefits (Medicare)
• CareOregon Clozapine Advisory
• CareOregon Long-Acting Medication Advisory
• Pharmacy Resource List

Health-related services

CareOregon is continuing to offer health-related services of many kinds, but in particular we are striving to meet the most immediate member needs:

• Cell phones: With many providers moving to delivery of services via telehealth, we want to ensure that members have access to a phone. We are working with a provider to offer flip phones and simple smart phones to members.
  
  
• Hotel rooms: For members who are at higher risk due to underlying health conditions, have been exposed to COVID-19 or are showing signs of the virus, we are attempting to find hotel rooms where members can stay while they await test results or other care that does not meet the criteria for the county’s motel sheltering program.

There are two ways you can submit requests for health-related services for members:

1. Use our standard Health-Related Services Flexible Services Funding Request form to make requests for cell phones, hotel rooms or other health-related services for individual members.
   
   
   1. Please remember that requests for health-related services must be directly related to members’ treatment plans and require chart notes to justify the request.
2. Bulk items are available to help clinics and providers ensure a constant supply of the most needed items. To order items in bulk — including cell phone minutes, transit passes, sleeping bags, hygiene projects and more — fill out our Bulk Purchase Request form.
   
   
   1. Bulk requests may take up to 14 business days for review and delivery.
   2. Clinics and county teams may make bulk requests one time per month.
   3. Requests should be submitted by supervisors or managers.
   4. Clinics/teams are required to keep a Bulk Request Tracking document and submit it before new orders can be fulfilled. 

General resources:

• OHA COVID 19 updates
• CDC COVID 19 guidance
• AAFP: Prepare for corona (COVID-19)
• OHA Strategies to limit spread and increase capacity
• OHA guidance for health systems regarding COVID-19 testing
• Oregon Medical Board topic of interest COVID-19
• COVID-19 guidance: Non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT)
• CareOregon Dental COVID-19 guidelines for providers
• Behavioral Health access report
• Mental health considerations for older adults and individuals receiving care in facility-based settings during the COVID-19 pandemic 

COVID-19 coding

• ICD-10-CM official coding guidelines: Coding encounters related to COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak

Current guidance for members/patients

• If a member has symptoms of COVID-19, CareOregon is recommending they call their primary care provider. You can best advise members on the next steps, including how to get tested.
  
  
• We are encouraging members to stay at home and practice social distancing whenever possible. We are reinforcing that this is the most effective way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
  
  
• Except in an emergency, we are urging members not to go to the doctor or the dentist. You should notify members about canceling or postponing any non-urgent appointments to protect your staff. We are reminding members that the Oregon Health Authority and the Governor’s office are asking people to avoid going to providers’ offices, urgent care facilities or hospital emergency rooms, in order to keep the staff members at those facilities safe.
  
  
• We are urging clients receiving mental health and substance use treatment services to contact their providers directly to learn how to access services. Many providers are shifting to offering services by phone. Please see the telehealth and phone-based services guidelines for behavioral health included above.
  
  
• Most, if not all, elective procedures are being postponed until COVID-19 precautions are over. To reduce the administrative burden on providers and reassure members, authorizations for elective procedures are being extended until January 1, 2021.
  
  
• Members still have access to CareOregon’s provider network. None of their benefits have changed, and CareOregon is still committed to helping members meet their physical, dental, mental health and addiction-related care needs.
  
  
• You may be able to set up a telephone or online video call with your patients. We know our provider network is working to use these methods when appropriate and possible. We’ve encouraged members to call their provider to ask if these options are available. See above for an update on telehealth codes.
  
  
• If members need medication, they can still get it. If members get their prescription refilled, we will extend their prescription to 90 days’ worth of medication. They can refill their prescriptions early. They also have the option to receive prescriptions from a mail-order pharmacy. If a member has an approved pre-authorization that expires before the end of the year, we are automatically extending the expiration date by six months.
  
  
• Members and providers still have access to interpretation services. CareOregon’s approved interpretation vendors are Passport to Languages and Linguava. To arrange for an interpreter to be present during an appointment — whether by phone or in-person — complete the CareOregon Interpreter request form found on our Provider Policies and Forms webpage. You can also access our vendors’ online systems to request and confirm an interpreter:
  • Passport to Languages: passporttolanguages.com
  • Linguava: portal.linguava.com/Account/Login
    
    
• Some rides to appointments are still available for members. Due to COVID-19, ride availability may be limited. Members should call Ride to Care at 855-321-4899 to ask about service availability.

We’ve provided answers to other common questions below. This page will continue to be updated with more information as it becomes available. 

Additional information

What should clinic staff do if they suspect someone in their care has the coronavirus?

Please reach out to the CDC, OHA or Multnomah County. They can help you with any suspected cases and suggest the appropriate next steps.

Resources for health care staff:

• CDC: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/caring-for-patients.html
• OHA: oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/DISEASESAZ/Pages/emerging-respiratory-infections.aspx
• Multnomah County: multco.us/novel-coronavirus-covid-19



Who should we call if we have questions?

If providers or clinic staff have other questions about COVID-19, they should reach out to OHA directly.

If there are any questions about CareOregon’s policies during this situation, please reach out to Provider Customer Service at 503-416-4100, option 3. They can help point you to the right resource.