CHARLOTTE, N.C. — People across the state who test positive for COVID-19 will get free access to telehealth visits and treatment.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services partnered with Charlotte health care provider StarMed to offer the resources.

All positive tests, whether from your primary care lab or an at-home test, will qualify you for the service.

If a StarMed telemedicine provider determines a patient is eligible for oral antiviral treatment, they can send a prescription to the patient’s chosen pharmacy or through a mail-order pharmacy.

Leadership with StarMed said the service will help prevent coronavirus patients from needing to visit their local hospital. 

“People are getting sick of it. People still have long-term effects, and some are still passing away from COVID-19. So to be able to have the resource with the COVID pill, you know, it’s 90% effective in keeping people out of the essential hospital,” said StarMed President Mike Estramonte.

StarMed will bill the patient’s health plan if they have one, but no health insurance or North Carolina identification is required. 

Estramonte said he hopes the service removes barriers for people who could not access health care at the height of the pandemic. 

“Right now, just like through the entire pandemic for those that do have insurance and those that have been trying to access the pill, it has been a challenge. I don’t think we knew just how big of a challenge it is or how expensive, so to get to this point to be able to determine eligibility in a painless way, you just go on your phone and make the appointment is very easy,” Estramonte said.

Funding for the program is estimated to run through March.