| Dear Marci,I am concerned about the spread of coronavirus and how it might affect my health. I have Medicare–will I be able to get necessary services covered?-Tammy (Tempe, AZ) Dear Tammy,Medicare is working to address the spread of COVID-19 (also called coronavirus) and inform people with Medicare about the services that Medicare covers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease as being at a higher risk from the virus.In general, Medicare covers medically necessary items and services that you receive from a provider who accepts Original Medicare or is in-network for your Medicare Advantage Plan. Medicare Advantage Plans must cover everything that Original Medicare does, but they can do so with different costs and restrictions.Certain cost and coverage changes may occur, so be sure to visit www.medicare.gov and the Medicare Rights Center’s blog post for the most up-to-date information.Some services related to coronavirus include:Coronavirus testing: Testing will be covered under Medicare Part B as a clinical laboratory test. Your doctor can bill Medicare for this test beginning April 1, 2020 for testing provided after February 4, 2020. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you should contact your plan to learn about its cost and coverage rules.Coronavirus vaccine: There is currently no vaccine for coronavirus. If a vaccine is developed, it will be covered under Medicare Part D. All Part D plans will be required to cover the vaccine. How much you will owe for the vaccine will depend on costs set by your drug plan.Prescription refills: If you want to refill your prescriptions early so you have extra medication on hand, you should contact your Part D plan to learn what is covered. Your plan may require extra approval before it covers early refills, and not every prescription can be refilled in advance. If you take medications that are covered by Original Medicare Part B, you should ask your doctor for advice.Services you receive from a physician (or other provider, such as a registered nurse) who visits your home: These services are covered under Part B. Part B also covers some services that are not face-to-face with a doctor, such as check-in phone calls or assessment using an online patient portal.Telehealth services: A telehealth service is a full visit with a physician using telephone or video technology. Part B generally only covers telehealth services for people who live in rural areas and get the services in certain health care settings, rather than at home. However, Congress has waived some of the restrictions on telehealth. Medicare Rights will monitor these changes and update our related blog post as appropriate. Medicare Advantage Plans may also cover additional telehealth benefits, including telehealth benefits in the home. If a beneficiary has a Medicare Advantage Plan, they should contact their plan to learn more.Note that if you have Medicare and Medicaid, Medicaid may cover additional services as long as you see providers who accept Medicaid. Contact your local Medicaid office for more information.If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan, know that plans must also work to maintain health care and prescription drug access during emergencies-Marci |