Benefits and COVID-19

CMU remains committed to supporting the CMU community as we come back from the COVID-19 pandemic. With the ending of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the national emergency on May 11, 2023, the following apply as of June 1, 2023:

COVID-Specific Care

Remaining covered at $0 cost-share as part of the preventive schedule:

• $0 in-network COVID-19 vaccines; out-of-network will follow plan benefits.

Defaulting to the coverage guidelines defined by the plan:

• COVID-19 diagnostic and antibody testing will follow the lab benefit.
• Prescription antiviral treatment will follow the prescription benefit.
• Related services to diagnose COVID-19 — office visit (in person or telehealth), emergency room or urgent care — will default to applicable plan benefits depending on where services are rendered.

No longer covered:

• Over-the-Counter (OTC) COVID testing will no longer be covered.

Telemedicine and Virtual Medical Provider Visits

Effective January 1, 2022, member copayment is $5 for telephonic and virtual provider visits** (i.e., any non-physical visit with your medical provider including primary physician, pediatrician, specialists, etc.). Members should work with their existing provider to set up a visit via phone or virtual meeting service such as Zoom or FaceTime.

**Employees enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan with Health Savings Account must pay 100% of medical and prescription costs out of pocket or with their HSA funds until they reach their deductible; a 20% copayment applies after the deductible.

Flexible Spending Accounts

The Consolidated Appropriations Act (and other IRS guidance) that extended the grace period and enhanced carryover provisions for Health FSAs and Dependent Care FSAs did not extend into 2023. Plan provisions that were in effect before the COVID-19 relief was enacted apply to the CMU Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (HCFSA) and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts (DCRA). Visit the Spending Account pages for more information.