PORTLAND, Ore. – Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is providing $2 million in financial relief through a one-time premium credit to its members enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) PPO plan. The credit amount will either be applied to eligible members’ October premium bill or sent as a printed check in September. This follows a one-time credit totaling $35 million that Regence health plans issued in August 2020 to select fully insured group and individual customers across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah.

“The communities we serve continue to experience historic levels of economic hardship, uncertainty and stress,” said Kathleen Faulk, senior vice president and general manager of government programs at Regence. “During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of our Regence Medicare members could not access care while they continued to pay premiums for their health plan coverage. As we continue to work together through these challenging times, we want to offer some relief while remaining financially strong for all our members and customers.”

In addition to premium credits, Regence health plans have taken several actions to support members, employers, providers, business partners and local communities through the COVID-19 public health crisis. These include:

  • Providing no-cost COVID-19 treatment to fully insured members through December 2020, as well as no-cost testing, and reaching out proactively to high-risk members
  • Expanding virtual care services, including primary care and behavioral health, to ensure safe health care access
  • Working collaboratively with providers to support them through economic challenges, including expediting claims payments and removing pre-authorizations for select services
  • Listening to and collaborating with our customers on solutions such as grace periods and leave-of-absence policies to enable employee coverage to continue – and providing educational events on back-to-work strategies
  • Helping community partners on the front lines through investments in programs that aid food security, caregivers and the health care workforce; together with its employees and corporate foundation, Regence has committed nearly $10 million in philanthropic investments to care for people affected by COVID-19.

Regence’s website, regence.com/go/covid-19, provides up-to-date information on our COVID-19 response and community support, including expanded resources for self-care as people face mental health challenges.

About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon 
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, headquartered in Portland, has been serving Oregonians since 1941 and now provides approximately 935,000 members with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regencebluecrossblueshield, or twitter.com/regenceoregon.