COVID-19 protocols for instructors

Jan 20, 2022 | Intercom

Dear Instructors,

With Spring semester underway and the prevalence of the omicron variant in our region, we’re experiencing an increase in reported COVID-19 cases in our campus community. In an effort to maintain a safe learning environment and improve the efficiency of contact tracing, we’d like to review our current protocols for what to do when a student or instructor tests positive:

If a student tests positive for COVID-19

• Report all positive (student) cases through NMC’s Red Flag incident reporting system:
  • Check “Health Concerns” in the questions section. 
  • Please include:
    • The best contact information for the student (cell and/or email)
    • The room number of your class
    • The time class met
    • Any other information related to unusually close or lengthy contact with additional students (i.e. lab partner)
• Please ask the student to contact NMC Health Services to expedite reporting and follow-up.
• To maintain student privacy, we strongly discourage notifying an entire classroom if a student in your classroom tests positive. 
• Health Services is responsible for contact tracing, focusing on close contacts since they are most at risk. Should the instructor choose to notify an entire class of a case in their classroom, it’s very important not to identify the student who tested positive. Exclude their name and other personally identifiable information.
• If Health Services is made aware of or discovers a student case before an instructor, they will notify the instructor as soon as possible. 
• If Health Services identifies multiple classroom cases, they will notify the instructor and arrange a meeting to assess the need to pivot to virtual instruction or cancel for a period of time.
• Instructors should contact Health Services immediately (via the Red Flag process outlined above) if multiple student cases are discovered by the faculty member first.
• Instructors should then follow guidelines for “Multiple Classroom Cases” in determining whether to temporarily shift the course online.

If an instructor tests positive for COVID-19

• The instructor should notify their supervisor and Human Resources (include Hollie DeWalt and Mark Liebling).
• Coursework may be temporarily cancelled, adjusted or shifted online at the discretion of the instructor during quarantine (generally 5 days unless symptoms persist).

Rapid testing resources

• Health Services provides free rapid testing services for all students. 
• Health Services also provides testing services to faculty and staff who experience on-the-job exposures. Due to limited resources, testing services are not available for employees who are exposed elsewhere in the community. 
• Free COVID-19 rapid-testing sites near you can be found here and are also available through COVIDtests.gov

Please also note the dates and locations of potential campus exposures are posted to NMC’s COVID-19 dashboard by 4 p.m. weekdays.

Thank you,

Troy Kierczynski
Vice President of Finance & Administration
Administrative Services
(231) 995-1147 | www.nmc.edu

COVID testing for NMC employees

Jan 17, 2022 | Intercom

New regulations for access to coverage on over-the-counter COVID-19 tests

Jan 14, 2022 | Intercom

Good afternoon,

The recent regulation that provides that the cost of over-the-counter-at-home tests be covered by health insurance providers came as a surprise. Our provider, Priority Health, is still working out the details for how this will be implemented for NMC and other employers Priority serves. The guidance we have at this time is “please advise members to keep a copy of their receipt and UPC code for any purchases of FDA approved at home COVID19 tests purchased from 1/15 on.”  We have been informed that Priority is working on a point-of-sale solution in order to provide us a better customer experience.  

We (HR) will provide updates to you as the situation progresses and information becomes available.  Thank you!

Mark

—

Mark Liebling
AVP of Human Resources
1701 East Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 995-1342

New regulations introduced for access to coverage on over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for Commercial Group and Individual Market members.

To expand Americans’ access to COVID-19 testing, new regulations were introduced by the Biden-Harris Administration this week. Beginning January 15, 2022, individuals with private health insurance coverage or covered by a group health plan who purchase an over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic test (FDA approved) will be able to have those test costs covered 100% by their plan or insurance as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, as long as the emergency order remains in place.

What is covered under the regulations?

• Insurance companies and health plans are required to cover at no cost to the member 8 individual over-the-counter at-home tests per covered individual within a 30-day period without a prescription from a health care professional. This means a family of four, all on the same plan, can purchase up to 32 of these tests covered 100% by their health plan per month.
• COVID testing ordered by a health care professional when the test is medically necessary to diagnose and treat a patient’s symptoms continues to be covered 100%, with no member cost sharing applied and no limit to the number of tests.
• Workplace mandated testing is not covered.

How will this coverage work for Priority Health members?

• Priority Health is working on solutions including point of purchase with no upfront member out-of-pocket costs; however this is in partnership with our Pharmacy Benefits Manager, Express Scripts Intl (ESI) along with their network of pharmacies and will not be operational immediately.
• In the meantime, we’re also developing a direct member reimbursement solution that we’ll communicate more details soon.

Who is this for?

• All Individual Market and Commercial Group members, including self-funded and grandfathered. If an employer does not have pharmacy benefits through Priority Health, they’ll need to work with their Pharmacy Benefits Manager separately.

When can members start to purchase over-the-counter Covid tests for no cost?

• Coverage starts on at-home tests purchased as of Jan. 15, 2022. We anticipate availability of tests will still be limited based on the nationwide shortage and strain on the healthcare system, including pharmacies.

How will members know about this solution?

• Once we have a solution finalized, members will be able to access the most current information on COVID testing and coverage on http://www.priorityhealth.com/covid-19.

We are carefully reviewing and evaluating the new regulations to determine impact and implications. We’ll continue to keep you updated as we know more and finalize solutions.