Medicare Patients Get New Coronavirus Coverages

DENVER (CBS4) - Medicare has moved quickly to cover the needs of those hit hardest by coronavirus. In Colorado, 926,149 people are enrolled in Medicare.

As coronavirus swept across the nation, Medicare moved to expand its coverages to accommodate treatment of the virus. Coronavirus testing is covered, as is hospitalization due to infection, and Medicare expanded coverage to help older adults get the medical attention they need while staying at home.

"Medicare acted pretty quickly to allow for telehealth medicine, in order to increase that social distancing and keep those stay at home precautions. So you can actually see doctors, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychologists for different telehealth services through video conferencing," said Lauren Bell, a counselor with the State Health Insurance Assistance Program.

Medicare has also said that it will cover the cost of getting a vaccine, when one becomes available.

"One thing to keep in mind is to go through your doctor if you're needing a vaccine. There have been possibilities of scams coming out. So if you have an unsolicited call about a vaccine, be cautious of anything like that and don't give out information over the phone," Bell warned.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is part of Denver Regional Council of Government's Area Agency on Aging. The SHIP office answers all questions about Medicare for free. The phone number for SHIP is 1-888-696-7213.

LINK: Aging Colorado