Member Guide for COVID-19

COVID-19 is a global pandemic.  With 1 in 5 Americans covered by Medicaid, it is seen as a key player in the response to this national emergency.  There is uncertainty around eligibility, co-pay, testing and treatment coverage.  There has been a surge in search of Coronavirus information on Google.  Below is the search term indexed against popular terms like “Trump”, “music” and “video” – according to News Lab team at Google, there has not been a search term like coronavirus in terms of volume – as you can see in the image, it surpasses all other keywords.

Most of the search is for information about taking care, testing, and prevention.

Setting up a COVID-19 crisis communication effort in terms of a response page that addresses member need for information is critical for all Medicaid organizations.  This page should address:

1. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
2. Where can I get myself tested?
3. Will I be covered for testing, treatment?
4. What can I do to prevent getting the virus?
5. Can I do a virtual visit?

The next step for Medicaid organizations is to set up healthcare communications campaigns that are simple to understand, frequent, and honest.  

1. Reach high-risk members – children and elderly, who have underlying respiratory conditions with clear directions on what to do if they have symptoms
2. Notify members on testing sites
3. Notify members on their eligibility for testing and treatment
4. Updates on policies around testing and treatment
5. Information on sites that provide virtual visits

Sample messages could include:

• HealthPlan: If you suspect you may have been exposed to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) or have symptoms, here is a link to testing sites https://healthplan.com/testing (this is just an example of how the message would look and not an actual website link)
• HealthPlan: Coronavirus testing is free at no cost to you. Here is a link to testing sites https://healthplan.com/testing
• HealthPlan: For information on Coronavirus testing and treatment policy, here is a link https://healthplan.com/coronavirus
• HealthPlan: If you suspect you may have been exposed to Coronavirus or have symptoms, here is a link to virtual care centers https://healthplan.com/virtualcare

In times of any crisis, it is best to have constant communication and be flexible with strategies. 

HealConnect is well suited for communicating with members on a regular basis through SMS, email, or live chat.  It allows for members to ask questions through SMS and get responses.  All member data is stored on HITRUST certified Microsoft Azure.

Find out how HealConnect can help by downloading our white paper.