Insights

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation recently issued a number of bulletins addressing the COVID-19 crisis. Two of those bulletins with particular application to employee benefits are as follows:

• Telehealth Guidance: The state recently shared guidance indicating that health plans are expected to provide increased access to health care services through telehealth delivery platforms and to encourage patients to use telehealth delivery options to limit the amount of in-person health care services they seek. The guidance requires insurers to eliminate barriers to providing medically appropriate care through telehealth. One such way that insurers must do this is by ensuring that cost sharing requirements for services delivered via telehealth are no greater than if the services are delivered in-person.
• Grace Period for All Insurers: On March 25, 2020, the Department of Consumer and Business Services issued a temporary emergency order requiring all insurance companies to extend grace periods for premium payments, postpone policy cancellations and nonrenewals, and extend deadlines for reporting claims.

Although these directives are aimed at insurers, employers should familiarize themselves with the guidance should they or their employees need to avail themselves of the services.

Telehealth Guidance »
Grace Period Order »