Blue Cross Offers Early Refills, Other Services Ahead of Hurricane Zeta

BATON ROUGE, La. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has services available to help members who may be affected by Hurricane Zeta. The hurricane is forecast to make landfall on the Louisiana coast Wednesday night, with rain and wind effects beginning later today.  

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana urges all residents to consider their health needs and take steps now to be prepared for Zeta’s landfall, especially given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. See tips, including how to download a digital ID card, at bcbsla.com/hurricanes.

Blue Cross is allowing early prescription medicine refills for a limited time, so members can make sure they have enough medication for a few days in case they need to evacuate or are unable to leave their homes because of storm conditions. Members who have trouble refilling a prescription can call the Pharmacy number on their ID cards for help.

As you make plans for what your family will do during the storms, consider your healthcare needs:

• Be aware that because of COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions to keep people six feet apart, processes for evacuation and sheltering are different. Pay close attention to weather alerts for your area, and follow guidance from state and local officials.
• If you are with people who do not live in your household, wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth, wash your hands often and avoid close contact.
• Keep your healthcare coverage information handy, including your ID card. Blue Cross customers can log into their member accounts to get a digital version of their ID cards. Many other health plans offer digital versions of ID cards, which is an easy way to keep this information with you. 
• Make a list of your family’s health information, including any medications you take with dosages and the names of your healthcare providers and their contact information. Store this on your phone or keep a written copy someplace that you are sure to take with you if you need to evacuate. If you need to get care or get a prescription filled while away from your home, this will be very helpful.
• Sign up for telehealth services so you can be treated online if you’re away from home. Ask your regular healthcare providers if they offer telehealth. Blue Cross customers can have 24/7 online doctor visits or behavioral health appointments with BlueCare, the insurer’s telehealth platform.
  
  BlueCare works on any device with internet and a camera, like a smartphone, laptop, tablet or computer, and is a good option to treat routine, non-emergency medical conditions like cold, pink eye, mild stomach viruses, bladder infections, rashes and more. BlueCare is available in all 50 states, and BlueCare providers can write prescriptions to treat many conditions via telehealth. Create your BlueCare account at www.BlueCareLA.com or with the BlueCare (one word) mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

More information about these services is available on Blue Cross’ website, www.bcbsla.com.

To learn more about hurricane preparedness, watch Blue Cross’ short video on Summer Ready: Preparing Your Health for Hurricanes (1:00). Visit the State of Louisiana’s Get a Game Plan site for more information.

Visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube page to see short videos with the clinical team and others discussing various health topics. Subscribe to know when new videos are added. You can also connect with Blue Cross on social media for regular updates.

For information on what Blue Cross is doing for members during COVID-19, visit www.bcbsla.com/covid19.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We were recognized in 2019 and 2020 as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.