Tennessee's biggest health insurer is supporting efforts in its hometown to provide testing and treatment for the coronavirus to those without health insurance.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, the philanthropic nonprofit established and funded by the Chattanooga-based BlueCross plan, is giving a $50,000 grant to support testing and treatment for uninsured persons in Hamilton County for COVID-19 or other related services. The funds will be managed through the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga and support the expansion of free COVID-19 testing for local residents.
The grant supports the expansion of free COVID-19 testing for local residents who do not have health insurance. Residents do not need a physician referral to receive testing, but must go through the Hamilton County Health Department's screening process. They should call their Coronavirus Information Hotline at (423) 209-8383 for more information.
BlueCross previously announced that it was waiving any co-pays and deductibles for its own members to receive COVID-19 tests or treatment to help encourage more people to be tested for the virus. Such tests help identify those in need of treatment and isolation to better control its spread.
(READ MORE: These are the Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama COVID-19 cases and deaths by county)
Gov. Bill Lee, who announced Wednesday that free COVID-19 tests will be available across the state this weekend, said widespread testing for COVID-19 is key to helping to contain the virus and ensuring that businesses can safely reopen by knowing who is infected and who is not.
"We don't know enough about this pandemic, but we do know that the areas that have tested the most have had the best success in slowing the spread," Lee said last week. "We are one of the top testing states in the nation and we test significantly more than any state in the South."
The BlueCross Foundation also has supported food banks across Tennessee with a $3.25 million contribution to help respond to the economic hardships caused by COVID-19 related shutdowns.