The Importance of Telehealth Services for Seniors During COVID
In our last post, we discussed some general ways retirees can stay healthy and sane during the pandemic from engaging with hobbies, keeping up to date on social ties in a safe manner, and lastly taking good care of your medical needs despite the ongoing pandemic.
One of the chief ways that anyone, not just seniors, can stay on top of their medical health during the pandemic while maintaining social distancing is taking advantage of telehealth services.
Telehealth Service Costs are Discounted or Waived Entirely
For many people, telehealth services have been waived due to the pandemic. This is for two reasons, one is that due to the pandemic, unemployment had risen dramatically, leaving many people struggling financially. Being able to get a free virtual check-up to at least rule out any possibility of major, overt illnesses that can be found through discussing symptoms.
The second reason is that it has reduced foot traffic and person to person contact to prevent the spread of the disease. This also allowed retirees to hear from their doctor without risking heading out to an office and putting themselves at risk. Telehealth services continue to be covered entirely under most insurance plans and Medicare/Medicaid.
Telehealth Allows Retirees to Speak to Different Professionals
Seeing a qualified endocrinologist or other specialist outside of your Primary Care Provider may require a longer trek or may ordinarily have been costlier. It is not the case that all seniors have excellent healthcare coverage. That is why we at Benistar strive to provide the best post 65 retiree benefits administration so that organizations can offer members of their community the best possible healthcare plans and prescription drug benefits.
As a result, taking this opportunity to speak to any specialists you may have been interested in seeing could prove to be useful in managing aspects of your health you perhaps feel are being neglected. These telehealth calls can be treated as preliminary healthcare screenings that can save you money in the future as consulting with a specialist may lead to the knowledge that an in-office visit may not have been necessary.
This is an Opportunity for Seniors to Learn how to Use Telemedicine Services
Telehealth is part of the larger umbrella of telemedicine services which will invariably be a growing sector of practicing medicine. Being able to monitor a patient’s vitals, blood glucose levels, and other aspects of health with consent will allow specialists to manage chronic illnesses as well as consult with patients across the country.
Telemedicine will allow insurance providers and patients greater flexibility of services as the availability of services can be expanded to a national level in some cases. While there will always be those who are paid to assist seniors in the usage of such services, it is always prudent for seniors to have some basic technology skills to help themselves in the event that they must schedule appointments or access online portals regarding their healthcare.
The pandemic is perfect for retirees to try out telehealth and telemedicine services while they are relatively uncomplicated, free, and there is a great deal of emphasis being placed on garnering awareness around them.
EGWP Benefits Administration
Benistar designs and facilitates the administration of retiree medical benefits as well as prescription drug benefits. It is our mission to provide the very best plans and coverage to institutions who wish to look out for their retirees. Contact us today if you have any questions about your plan, eligibility, or what our plans may entail. We hope to hear from you soon!
