“Medicare and You“, an official electronic handbook on Medicare insurance by USA government is now available for 2023. It will help patients to get information about their Medicare insurance and this is in electronic form so it’s a paper or plan saving system. Patients can get an electronic copy and request electronic Medicare summary notices.
This “Medicare and You” handbook includes everything about a patient’s health and caregivers need to know about Medicare, including all information on types of Medicare plans, payment methods, and patient rights and protections as well.
Medicare holder and recipients can also use the handbook to find out if Medicare covers a test, item, or service. Information about signing up for Medicare and enrollment periods can also be found.
This year the new and important information for the coming year 2023 includes below mention as under:
- COVID-19 updates
- Mental health and wellness help in a crisis
- New start dates for coverage
- Accountable Care Organizations;
- State help with MDCR health and drug costs
- Special enrollment periods
- A new benefit for kidney transplants and immunosuppressive drug coverage
What is new in the “Medicare and You” Handbook?
In the new “Medicare and You” handbook there are several updates for Medicare in 2023. Please see below for the following in the 2023 MDCR handbook updates:
- Colorectal cancer screenings: If any provider finds and removes a polyp or other tissue during a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, patients are liable to pay 15% of the Medicare-approved amount for the providers’ services. In a hospital outpatient setting, patients also pay the hospital a 15 percent coinsurance. The Part B deductible doesn’t apply.
- Depression screening: Medicare still covers one depression screening per year. But if a person is in crisis, they can call or text the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988, or chat with lifeline support at 988lifeline.org.
- Lung cancer screenings: Medicare covers lung cancer screenings with low dose computed tomography one time per year if the patient:
- Is age between 50-77 years
- Doesn’t have signs or symptoms of lung cancer (is asymptomatic)
- Is either a current smoker or quit smoking within the last 15 years
- Has a tobacco smoking history of at least 20 “pack years” (an average of one pack or 20 cigarettes per day for 20 years)
- Gets an order from their doctor
Patients pay nothing for this service if their doctor accepts the assignment. (Assignment is an agreement by a doctor, provider, or supplier to be paid directly by Medicare, to accept the payment amount MDCR approves for the service, and not to bill the patient for any more than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance).
- Transplant and immunosuppressive drugs: Currently, if a patient only has MDCR ins because of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), their MDCR coverage, including immunosuppressive drug coverage, ends 36 months after a successful kidney transplant. Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, Medicare will offer a new benefit that helps continue to pay for immunosuppressive drugs beyond 36 months if a patient has no other health coverage. This new benefit only covers immunosuppressive drugs and no other items or services. It isn’t a substitute for full health coverage. Signup for the new benefit began Oct. 1, 2022. If a patient signs up by Dec. 31, 2022, coverage will start on Jan. 1, 2023. To sign up, patients should call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
- TTY users can call 1-800-325-0788.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease)
Medicare covers multiple tests, services , items, related to COVID-19 or Coronavirus infection. Coverage will be changed when the public health emergency ends. Need to consult with your doctor or health care provider to see which are right for you in this pandemic:
Vaccines:
FDA approved and FDA authorized vaccines help reduce the risk of illness from COVID-19 by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity (protection) against the virus. Patient will pay nothing for the vaccine, booster shots, or additional doses
Diagnostic tests:
These FDA approved tests are free if you have COVID-19. Patients pay nothing when a health care provider orders this test during the COVID-19 public health emergency and he/she get it from a laboratory, pharmacy, doctor, or hospital.
Antibody tests:
FDA approved tests if the patient has developed an immune response and may not be at immediate risk of COVID-19 reinfection. Patients pay nothing for the test during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Monoclonal antibody treatments:
These FDA approved treatments can help fight the disease and keep you out of the hospital, if you test positive for COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms of coronavirus infection. Patients pay nothing for this treatment during the COVID-19 public health emergency (and for the rest of the calendar year in which the COVID-19 public health emergency ends)
Over-the-counter (OTC) tests:
If a patient has Medicare Part B, it will cover up to 8 over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests at any participating pharmacy or health care provider for each calendar month until the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.
If a patient has a MDCR Advantage Plan, he/she won’t get this benefit through your plan, but the tests will be covered directly through Part B. Patients will pay nothing for these tests during the public health emergency.
Note-
- For “Medicare and You” electronic handbook , a premium will be paid for this benefit, but the premium amount was not disclosed at the time of this posting. For more information please visit the Medicare website.
- MDCR stands for Medicare
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