GuideStone will cover in-network, inpatient hospital care for COVID-19 treatment at no cost for claims through May 31.

DALLAS

Participants in GuideStone’s U.S.-based Highmark BCBS health plans will be able to receive physician-ordered, in-network, inpatient hospital care for COVID-19 treatment at no cost for claims incurred through May 31, 2020. This coverage is also available to health plan participants in HSA-qualified High Deductible Health Plans and Secure Health™ 3000. GuideStone’s health plans were among the first nationally to make physician-ordered COVID-19 testing available without cost to health plan participants earlier this year. Cigna Global Health is offering similar benefits to participants in those plans.

“Our commitment is to honor the Lord by being a lifelong partner with our participants in enhancing their financial security; this decision, we believe, will help our participants faced with a COVID-19 diagnosis focus on their families’ health and well-being and not the costs associated with in-network, inpatient care,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “We are pleased to be able to provide this enhanced coverage to our participants in these health plans.”

GuideStone^® has taken several steps to help reduce health care costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to covering all costs for in-network, inpatient hospital care:

• Health plan participants through Highmark BCBS in the United States will not incur co-pays for physician-ordered COVID-19 testing.
• U.S.-based Highmark BCBS health plan participants are able to access Teladoc^® telehealth services at no cost through June 12, 2020.
• Both Group Plans and Personal Plans have a one-time opportunity in 2020 to step down to a lower-cost health care plan for the remainder of the year. Generally the option to change plans is available only during re-enrollment. (Churches who decide to make the one-time step-down can return to their former plan, or another, at re-enrollment.)

“We are navigating truly uncharted waters,” Hawkins said. “As we’ve said throughout this process, while we are washing our hands more frequently, we’re not wringing our hands in fear and desperation. We are diligently engaged daily in seeking to aggressively manage costs and find new ways to come alongside all our participants during these challenging days.”

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Roy Hayhurst is director of denominational and public relations services for GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention^®.

Media Contact
Roy Hayhurst
Director of Denominational and Public Relations Services
GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention^®
Roy.Hayhurst@GuideStone.org | (214) 720-2141