COVID-19

When the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends, you will need to renew your Medicaid coverage. Notices will be sent out from Maryland Health Connection with instructions on how to renew to keep your health insurance coverage. Visit Maryland.gov.

Premium payments for members in the Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP Premium) and the Employed Individuals with Disabilities (EID) program are not due until further notice. Learn more about premium payments on the Maryland Department of Health website.

COVID-19 vaccines are available now to people ages 6 months and up. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized several COVID-19 vaccines.

No. Your COVID-19 vaccine does not cost you anything.

According to the CDC, the vaccines are safe and effective. The vaccines went through the FDA's review process meeting their standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing. Hundreds of millions of people have received the vaccine since mid-December 2020. The FDA, CDC, and vaccine manufacturers continue to monitor their safety and quality. So far, serious safety problems are very rare. If you are fully vaccinated, you can go back to doing many activities you did before the pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccines have been used under the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. The vaccines met the FDA’s rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.

Many children with COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms. But some children have become severely ill from COVID-19. Some have needed hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe. Children who have COVID-19 and no symptoms can still spread the virus to others.

To find a COVID vaccine site near you:

• Visit vaccines.gov.
• Text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829).
• Call 800-232-0233 (TTY 711) from 8 a.m. to midnight Eastern time.

Your primary care provider can answer any questions about COVID vaccines. You can also learn more from the CDC.

If you are a Wellpoint member, you can activate your online account to receive updates on COVID-19 vaccines.

Activate your account 

Download the Sydney Health app from Google Play™ or the App Store®.

The vaccines cannot make you sick with COVID-19 because they do not contain the virus. It is normal to have mild side effects to most vaccines. This means your body is responding to the vaccine by making antibodies.

No vaccine is 100% effective against any virus, but the COVID-19 vaccines come close. In clinical trials, they were about 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection and reduced the risk of severe illness. The data we have today shows they are effective against variants found to date, as well.

Yes. Even if you have already had COVID-19, you could still benefit from the vaccine. You can talk to your primary care provider to find out what they recommend. The CDC also has information about the benefits of the vaccine.

It is an airway and lung infection. It is similar to the flu.

Similar to the flu, but often more serious. Mild to severe fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, and nausea or vomiting are just some of the common symptoms. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after being around someone who has COVID-19.

The best way to prevent infection is to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you. Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for up-to-date information. If you are traveling, this site also provides for the CDC's most current travel guidelines.

Good health habits can also help prevent and fight COVID-19. Here are some tips:

• Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth, especially if you are not vaccinated.
• Keep six feet between yourself and others.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you cannot use soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Clean and disinfect items and surfaces you touch often with regular household cleaning spray or a wipe.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue. Then throw away the tissue.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Older adults, people with disabilities, and people with diabetes or who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung, or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness.

If you're caring for someone, be sure visitors take care to avoid causing any extra risk to you or them — keep hand sanitizer by the door or ask visitors to wash their hands. Wash your hands thoroughly and use hand sanitizer before and after touching or feeding someone or touching any mobility devices or equipment.

You should check with state and local guidance on masking requirements. Here is what the CDC says about face coverings.

Call your doctor if you develop a fever, have a cough, or have a hard time breathing. Tell them if you have been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19. Your plan will pay for telehealth visits with your doctor. If you cannot reach your doctor, call the 24-hour Nurse HelpLine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the number on your ID card.

If you have a plan with us, you do not have to pay for a COVID-19 test or the doctor visit to get the test. The visit and test are covered whether you receive care in a doctor's office, urgent care center, or pharmacy. You should avoid going to the emergency room for a COVID-19 test since there are many other locations that can provide you with a test. Use our testing locator to find a site near you.

No, prior authorization is not required for COVID-19 testing.

You should try to see your primary care provider or a doctor in your plan. If your doctor offers telehealth visits, your plan will pay for those, too.

We will pay for the care you get from doctors outside your plan (called "out of network") as long as the services are medically needed.

No. If you have health benefits from us, your plan covers sick visits and tests.

If you have medicines you take regularly, call the Pharmacy Member Services number on your member ID card to find out about your options.

Your health is important. Try to keep taking your medicines as prescribed and try to get your refills on time.