Blue Shield of CA Offers Assistance to Members Affected by Wildfires

On July 3, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to support disaster response and relief in Butte County, California in response to the Thompson Fire. Currently, other wildfires are also growing in California, including the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, the Basin Fire in Fresno County, the North Fire in Modoc County and the Shelly Fire in Siskiyou County.

Mandatory evacuation has been ordered for these zip codes:

Blue Shield of California is working hard to ensure the safety and care of all Blue Shield of California members during this difficult time.

Here is how members can access the care they need:

• Blue Shield is allowing the immediate refill of prescriptions for members in mandatory evacuation zones – even if the prescriptions are not due to be refilled.
• Blue Shield Medical Care Solutions will reach out to members enrolled in care and disease management programs who are in mandatory evacuation zones to ensure continuity of care.
• There are virtual care options that may differ slightly depending on your plan. Some of these telehealth options are Teladoc and NurseHelp 24/7SM. Please visit blueshieldca.com to view your plan options.
• Blue Shield's mental health service administrator is providing free access to resources, materials and counseling services through its dedicated hotline: (800) 327-7451.
• Vision plan members in an affected area that have lost, or broken eyewear may be eligible for a replacement pair of lenses and/or frames. Please call Vision Customer Service for assistance at (877) 601-9083 (TTY: 711). Operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m PST.
• If members have been displaced, they may see an appropriate out-of-network provider at in-network benefit levels. They may also replace medical equipment and supplies if needed.
• If members have lost their member identification (ID) card, they can view and print their card from Blue Shield's website by logging in to their online account at www.blueshieldca.com/login. Alternatively, they can use the Blue Shield of California mobile app to access their ID card on their mobile device.

Members can call Customer Service for assistance.  Blue Shield wants to respond to the urgent needs of all affected members.

• Commercial members: (800) 393-6130 (TTY: 711).
• Medicare: (800) 776-4466 (TTY: 711), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Please visit BlueShield.com for updates on plan services. For fire status updates, please visit CalFire.

In times like these, it is important to work together. Blue Shield wants you to know that access to the care your members need is their top priority.