Cases and hospitalizations are up. What can you do?
The most recent statistics on COVID-19 for the City of Alameda shows 121 cases, up from 92 last week. Alameda County has 7,725 cases with 140 current hospitalizations and 148 total deaths. The state of California has 304,297 cases and 6,851 deaths.
If you have Medicare and want to be tested for COVID-19, you should be aware that Medicare covers tests with no out-of-pocket costs. You can get tested in your home, doctor’s office, a local pharmacy or hospital, a nursing home, or a drive-through site. Medicare does not require a doctor’s order for you to get tested.
Testing is particularly important for older people and nursing-home residents, who are often among the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Widespread access to testing is a critical precursor to a safe, gradual reopening of America.
Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea were on the CBS Morning Show promoting a new restaurant they have opened. It is called JBJ Soul Kitchen. It is on the campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey. Jon and Dorothea had become aware that college students often do not have enough money to eat.
You may be aware that the suicide rate is currently higher than the homicide rate in this country. I am aware that I have written about the increase in depression. Now this.
At Medicare, we understand people may have concerns about going to a doctor’s office during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Like so many Americans, Medicare beneficiaries are rightly observing social distancing guidelines to protect themselves and others from possible infection. We also recognize that beneficiaries still need checkups, prescription refills or other care from their doctors.
