City Council works to ensure health and safety of residents and healthcare workers

COVID-19 continues to affect hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and this week, the Council voted to adopt a resolution offered by Councilor Flynn, urging insurance carriers to provide continuous coverage to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Massachusetts Division of Insurance (DOI) has issued a bulletin requiring all commercial insurers and the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) to cover medically necessary telehealth services in the same manner they would cover in-person services, and that they cover COVID-19 related treatment and testing without requiring cost-sharing of any kind or prior authorization.

Although these are important steps to safeguard the health of residents during this pandemic, Councilor Flynn believes it should be made certain that residents will still have access to health insurance even if they lose their jobs or cannot pay premiums.

With this resolution, the Council also called on insurance carriers to consider relief or modified payment plans if the policyholder cannot pay premiums due to financial hardship during this crisis. They also urged the DOI to issue guidance and requirements ensuring that insurance companies will not drop coverage for policyholders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that same meeting, Councilor Flynn offered another resolution, supporting nurses and healthcare workers during this time. The Council adopted this resolution, not only to recognize and support nurses and healthcare workers, but to urge hospitals, industry leaders and other policymakers to provide the appropriate equipment, facilities, and personnel that they require.

Councilor Flynn emphasized the need for continued advocacy of widespread physical distancing in the public to slow the spread of the virus, so that our medical system is not overwhelmed, and so healthcare workers can effectively and safely treat patients.