Umpqua Health Alliance will keep our members informed of the COVID-19 outbreak. UHA’s commitment is to join forces with our local healthcare professionals in communicating strategies and information to help keep patients and the community protected. As the coronavirus/COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, UHA is taking necessary steps to prepare our organization in the event of a significant spread or significant community safety precautions that may or could impact the functions of our business and our members. A contingency plan is highly encouraged to prepare for operational impacts caused by COVID-19.

The CDC has issued these four action items for providers to prepare for the outbreak of COVID-19:

1. Designate a time to meet with your staff to educate them on COVID-19 and what they may need to do to prepare.
2. Explore alternatives to face-to-face triage and visits.
3. Plan to optimize your facility’s supply of personal protective equipment in the event of shortages. Identify flexible mechanisms to procure additional supplies when needed.
4. Prepare your facility to safely triage and manage patients with respiratory illness, including COVID-19. Become familiar with infection prevention and control guidance for managing COVID-19 patients.

For for up-to-date information regarding the outbreak of COVID-19 and the current situation in Oregon, as well as further guidance and resources for providers, click here.

UHA Operational Updates

Telehealth coverage for COVID-19:

Umpqua Health Alliance’s current coverage for telemedicine services reflects OHA’s requirements in OAR 410-130-0610 (which can be found here) and current Prioritized List guidelines. The payment rate for the telemedicine services that meet those requirements is paid at your currently contracted rate for reimbursement. For more information, view the Ancillary Guideline A5, Teleconsultations and Non-Face-to-Face Telehealth Services.

UHA is currently reviewing our internal policies and procedures for possible adjustments to provide the best care for our members. Any changes or updates made by the Oregon Health Authority in regards to service delivery for this recent outbreak will be reviewed for implementation by UHA.

We appreciate the care you provide to our members and will let you know of any developments with our telemedicine coverage.

Pharmacy-Emergency Preparedness:

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) encourages people to have at least a two-week supply of their medications for chronic conditions on hand and stay at home if sick. As the most accessible healthcare providers in a community, pharmacies are often the first point of contact for medical services. Community pharmacists can help appropriately triage patients who present to their pharmacies. For these reasons, Umpqua Health Alliance (UHA) encourages pharmacists to:

1. Provide medication refills up to two weeks early when appropriate (see these instructions from UHA’s Pharmacy Benefit Management company, MedImpact).
2. Help appropriately triage patients who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. ​COVID-19 infection often causes fever, cough, and some trouble breathing. Some people have mild symptoms. Other people can become quite ill. No strict criteria can be set and the following guidelines are not a substitute for good professional judgement:
   • For patients under 50 years of age with no underlying conditions, mild cough and low-grade fever for less than 2 days and NO dyspnea, they can often be treated at home with rest and plenty of fluids. They should not expose anyone else to their illness. They may use over the counter meds, if needed, and should be instructed to call back if symptoms worsen or they develop dyspnea.
   • For patients with new dyspnea, they should be evaluated urgently at an urgent care center or at the ED.
     • If the patient has acute dyspnea and cyanosis, the patient may need emergent transport. If emergent transport is contacted, explain that this patient has symptoms of COVID-19 infection that the EMTs will use proper protective gear.
     • If the patient has dyspnea but can self-transport to the ED, please call the ED and give them a heads up about the patient.
   • For those patients not in the categories above, they should contact their provider for consultation by calling the office. Some patients with brief symptoms (less than 3 days), mild to moderate cough, mild fever (less than 102), and stable chronic conditions condition can be managed at home. Older patients, those with underlying disease, those with prolonged symptoms and those who are getting worse after the second day are higher risk and should likely be seen by a non-ED provider.

Questions? Call UHA at (541) 672-1685 or email our Pharmacy Services team at UHPharmacyServices@UmpquaHealth.com.

COVID-19 Testing:

Codes to bill for COVID-19 testing are covered by UHA and do not require a PA for any provider.

– U0001   CDC testing labs to test patients for SARS-CoV-2                
– U0002   Non-CDC lab tests for SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV  

Self Isolation

UHA has encouraged its members to practice self-isolation or limited social interaction to help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) Please encourage your patients to follow this protocol.

As a reminder, please advise patients to avoid unnecessary visits to the ER. The ER is not set up to manage patients who are wanting COVID-19 testing. The ER is appropriate only for evaluation/treatment of serious and  life-threatening emergencies.

In Douglas County, essentially the only testing for COVID-19 currently is for hospitalized patients, available through the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory.