Tag: COVID-19

Get your Covid vaccine: Reduce your risk of long Covid
Pam Belluck reports for the New York Times on new findings showing that people who get Covid-19 vaccines reduce their risk of long Covid. Long Covid can cause serious symptoms such as exhaustion and brain fog.

Dr. Clifford Rosen writes in the New England Journal of Medicine that people in the United States who had been vaccinated for Covid had a much smaller chance of developing long Covid than people who were not vaccinated.

Vaccines keep people from getting super sick when they are infected with Covid. And, people who get long Covid tend to be people who become severely sick from Covid.
That said, some people who only have minor symptoms from Covid also get long Covid. And, some people who are vaccinated still get long Covid. Getting a vaccine will not always prevent you from getting long Covid.

Rosen’s team looked at millions of medical records, including the records of 450,000 people who had Covid between March 1, 2020 and the end of January 2022. They were not able to look at different subpopulations. They looked at data from the Veterans Administration, which keeps good data, but treats mostly older white men.

Long Covid was least evident in the last two months of the study among vaccinated people who got Covid. Only 3.5 percent had long Covid at that time. Among unvaccinated people who were infected with Covid at the same time, the incidence of long Covid was 7.8 percent.

The researchers underscore that. over time, the efficacy of the Covid vaccine diminishes. People need yearly vaccines. Without vaccines, the incidence of long Covid will rise.

Here’s more from Just Care:

Covid-19 roundup: What you should know

COVID: Treatment costs for people with Medicare

Donald Trump’s threat to Medicare and Social Security

How to avoid overpaying for your prescription drugs

How to get free or low-cost dental care
July 24, 2024
Will Congress extend Medicare telehealth coverage?
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Congress opened up telehealth coverage in Medicare and millions of older adults and people with disabilities have taken advantage ever since. Telehealth allows them to get medical attention without the burden of leaving home. But, with the pandemic behind us, the Medicare telehealth coverage provisions are set to expire at the end of this year. Emily Olson reports for HealthcareDive on a House Ways and Means Committee bill that would extend telehealth coverage in Medicare through 2026.

As of now, the House Committee bill to extend telehealth coverage another year has unanimous bipartisan support. They have until the end of this year to get it through Congress.

If passed, the bill would lift all geographic restrictions on telehealth services. (For a time, telehealth was available only to rural residents.) The bill would also allow more health care providers to offer health care services through the internet and phone. The entire House of Representatives will vote on the bill shortly.

While there is widespread support for telehealth, there is some concern about it as well. Does it allow for appropriate treatment? How does it affect the most vulnerable people with Medicare? And what are the risks of fraud and abuse?
For sure, Medicare’s coverage of telehealth services improves access to care for many people, particularly people in rural communities. It also makes it easier for people to get mental health services.

The Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act, as written, covers Medicare telehealth services by FQHC’s, federally qualified health centers, as well as rural health clinics. It also allows most hospice agencies to use telehealth for recertification purposes as an alternative to face-to-face requirements.

Of note, telehealth does not come for free. But, bill sponsors believe that its costs will be covered by new money-saving prescription drug requirements.

Here’s more from Just Care:
May 20, 2024
Life expectancy in US remains lower than all other wealthy nations
Brett Wilkins reports for Common Dreams on new data from the federal government on life expectancy in the US. We continue to live shorter lives than people in every other developed nation. Advocates for a government-run national health care system argue that it’s time that the our government moves away from for-profit health care and guarantees health care for all Americans under one single system.

Life expectancy in the US is up 1.1 years according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It was 77.5 in 2022, the most recent year for which we have data. It’s still significantly lower than dozens of other countries.

Cancer, heart disease, injuries and Covid-19 were most common causes of death in 2022. We lost 1.2 million lives to Covid-19. With guaranteed universal health care, we might have cut that number down by 338,000 to fewer than 900,000 lives, according to one study.

In 2020 and 2021, US life expectancy fell, in large part as a result of Covid-19. But, in 2019, life expectancy was 1.3 years higher than it was in 2022, 78.8 years. It should go without saying that the US spends significantly more per person on health care than other wealthy countries. Every other wealthy nation has guaranteed health care for all its citizens.

For-profit health care is not good for patient health. Eagan Kemp of Public Citizen advocates: “We must keep making the point that profit-driven healthcare is not only worse for patients—it’s a national embarrassment. Our leaders must act to kick insurance companies to the curb and enact Medicare for All now.”

Not only does guaranteed health care for all deliver longer life expectancies and better patient outcomes overall, it costs a lot less than our profit-driven health care system. The Congressional Budget Office determined that guaranteed health care for all would cost as much as $650 billion less than we currently spend, back in 2020. It also found that without healthcare coverage, 68,000 people in the US die every year. Our health care system also drives millions of families into medical bankruptcy and financial distress.

In the words of the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal: “There is a solution to this health crisis—a popular one that guarantees healthcare to every person as a human right and finally puts people over profits and care over corporations. That solution is Medicare for All—everyone in, nobody out.”

Here’s more from Just Care:
March 26, 2024
Coronavirus: Beware of the latest Covid strain
If you’re careful and lucky, you have yet to fall prey to the latest strain of Covid hitting people in the US, JN.1. But, large numbers of Americans are coming down with it, reports Adriel Bettelheim for Axios, so beware. Fortunately, the symptoms tend to be mild, including dry coughs and fatigue.

I recently caught Covid, for the first time, sitting next to someone who did not stop coughing and sneezing, on a plane trip to visit my 88-year old aunt. As soon as I saw that my seatmate was ill, I put on two masks, but it was too late. So, instead of caring for my aunt, she ended up having to take care of me!

I had a very mild case of Covid and recovered in a few days, though I continued to test positive for a week. My worst symptom was exhaustion. I think I slept 12 hours for the first two nights, but I had no respiratory symptoms. I’d like to believe that all the Covid booster shots I’ve gotten helped minimize symptoms, but who knows.

The experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe that this latest Covid strain is likely better at getting around our immune systems than other strains because so many people are catching it. Time will tell whether more people will be hospitalized as a result of catching it. As of now, there are relatively few hospitalizations.

People in the Northeast have been most likely to be infected by the JN.1 Covid strain.

According to the CDC, people who have had vaccines should be better off fighting the JN.1 strain. And, the World Health Organization believes it poses low risks to the public health. If you end up with respiratory symptoms, you should talk to your doctor.

If you do catch Covid, you should be immune for at least a few months afterwards. Once your body has successfully fought off the virus, it is as if you have been vaccinated.

Keep in mind that Covid symptoms tend to be similar to flu symptoms. And, there are a lot of people who are catching the flu this winter. To know whether you have Covid, take a Covid test.

Here’s more from Just Care:
January 2, 2024
It’s once again time to get your flu shot!
It’s important to get the flu shot every year, no matter how old you are. It’s particularly important for older adults. And, it is all the more important with Covid-19 surging. Now that it’s sweater weather, it’s time to get your flu shot!

Talk to your doctor about getting the flu shot and about whether you should get a special vaccine available for people over 65. The good news: Medicare covers the full cost of a flu shot.

You do not need to go to the doctor’s office for your flu shot. You can likely get the flu shot at your local pharmacy or your local supermarket. More pharmacies are offering drive-through and curbside flu shots, in addition to in-store vaccines.

Why get the flu shot now? That’s how you best protect yourself, the people you love and your community. The flu, like Covid-19, can be lethal. It kills thousands of people each year. Because people have been taking precautions against Covid-19 though, in 2021-22, the CDC found a significant drop in hospitalizations and deaths from the flu. Ten thousand people in the US were hospitalized from the flu and 5,000 people died. Older adults are more likely to die from the flu than younger people.

The flu vaccine takes between two and four weeks to become effective. So, even if you get it now, it might not protect you from the flu until the end of October. It will not protect you from Covid-19, though the symptoms can be quite similar–a cough, a cold, sore throat, fever. You should also talk to your doctor about getting the Covid-19 booster shot, now available; also ask whether you should get the new RSV vaccine.

Sometimes the flu shot will not keep you from getting the flu. However, even if you get the flu, the flu shot reduces the odds that it will be a severe case. The flu shot may keep you from being hospitalized for the flu or, worse still, from being in the intensive care unit of the hospital. It also reduces your risk of death.

You shouldn’t wait to get the flu shot. No one knows whether the flu season will begin this month or next. You want to protect yourself as soon as possible.

You need the flu shot even if you haven’t gotten the flu before. (There is one exception: People who are allergic to the flu vaccine.) There is only benefit from getting the flu shot. The flu shot cannot give you the flu.

Here’s some good news: Everything you are doing to protect yourself from Covid-19–social distancing, wearing a mask and regular hand washing–should also minimize your chance of getting the flu!

A version of this post was originally published on September 9, 2020.

Here’s more from Just Care:
September 25, 2023
Coronavirus: Should you get the 2023 booster shot?
The next Covid-19 booster shot should now be available from your local pharmacy, health clinic or doctor’s office. Medicare pays for it in full, whether you are enrolled in Traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, the booster shot should be covered in full from network pharmacies, but perhaps not if you go out of network for the booster. Should you get the booster shot?

The Food and Drug Administration just approved the booster as safe and effective. The booster shot protects people from the current Covid 19 variants in the US. The Centers for Disease Control panel of advisors believes that everyone over six months old should get it. Some argue that if only older adults are vaccinated, it will mean 100,000 additional hospitalizations.

Fewer than one in five Americans got the Covid-19 booster that was approved in 2022. But, the data show that people who got the booster had a much lower likelihood of getting very sick or dying.

Many people are getting Covid-19 now and more people are being hospitalized for it than earlier in the summer. More still are expected to be hospitalized this fall and winter.

The list price of the booster is $130. But Medicare pays for it under Part B. Medicaid also covers it. And, so does commercial insurance. If you are uninsured, the federal government’s Bridge Access Program covers the vaccine at Federally Qualified Health Centers and at Walgreens, CVS and some other pharmacies.

While the booster shot might only keep people from getting Covid for a few months, it still reduces the likelihood of being hospitalized and dying for a much longer period of time.

The booster was tested on monkeys and mice, not people. But, around the world, billions of people have gotten the booster safely.

Should you get the booster shot? You probably should not get the booster shot if you’ve had Covid in the last two months. Otherwise, many recommend you get the booster shot soon. If you are planning to travel over the winter holidays, you might wait until early November to get the booster. You then increase the likelihood that the vaccine protects you from infection during your travels.

Some doctors question the value of the booster for people who have had Covid-19 and have been vaccinated one or more times. They believe that this alone should keep them from getting seriously ill from Covid-19, even if they get Covid.

Should you get the Covid booster, the RSV vaccine and the flu shot at the same time? It might be smart to space them out.

Free Covid tests: The federal government is once again offering free Covid tests beginning September 25. Click here to get four free tests sent to your home.

Here’s more from Just Care:
September 20, 2023
HELP committee focuses on Moderna pricing of COVID vaccines
Now that the COVID-19 public health emergency is coming to an end and the government will stop covering the cost of COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, Moderna is planning to raise the price of its vaccines significantly. Senator Bernie Sanders’ HELP Committee is holding a hearing on Moderna’s pricing of these vaccines.

Make no mistake, COVID-19 vaccines cost almost nothing to manufacture, about $3 a vaccine. The big cost of tbe vaccjnes is for the research and development. And, while there are ongoing costs as the virus mutates, to date, taxpayers have funded a significant share of the research and development costs.

Over the last few years, mRNA COVID vaccines have saved millions of lives. Not only did our government fund a large share of their development costs, it paid for them at a bulk price so that Americans who wanted the vaccine did not face financial barriers. Now, with the end of the public health emergency, Americans will be forced to pay for these vaccines outright or through higher insurance premiums and copays.

Moderna says it will raise the price of its COVID vaccines to as high as $130, a price that will be unaffordable for millions of Americans. Many Americans will die or get very sick as a result.

Moderna claims higher vaccine prices support ongoing research and development costs, which are several billion dollars. It says its patient assistance program will cover costs for those who can’t afford the vaccine. But, a patient assistance program is no substitute for a fairly priced vaccine. Most people are not able to navigate through the administrative hurdles these programs pose.

For sure, the COVID-19 vaccines have value. But, that is no justification for hiking the price of a drug every American needs to protect themselves from the sometimes deadly consequences of the COVID-19 virus. Moreover, government scientists and taxpayers contributed billions of dollars to the development of these vaccines.

Moderna contributed to the vaccine’s research and development, but it was hardly the sole inventor. Moderna has tried to bury the fact that researchers at the National Institutes of Health invented a critical part of the vaccine.

Moderna’s CEO and other executives are now billionaires, and Moderna has raked in tens of billions of dollars in profits from the COVID vaccines. Now, Moderna plans to hike prices, which is its right under the law. It’s due time our government ended that right and set fair drug prices in the US, as governments do in virtually every other wealthy country.

Congress should not allow pharmaceutical companies to set prices for any drugs, let alone life-saving drugs. By so doing, Congress discriminates against Americans with low incomes who desperately need these drugs. Until Congress takes charge of drug pricing, our government should continue buying vaccines for Americans and providing them free of charge to ensure everyone has access to them.

Here’s more from Just Care:
March 21, 2023
Coronavirus: When public health emergency ends, so will some Covid coverage
The President has declared May 11 as the date for an end to the Covid-19 public health emergency. Rachel Cohrs reports for Stat that once the public health emergency ends, older adults and people with disabilities will be at greater risk of not getting needed care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers Medicare, says that people with Medicare will face higher costs for Covid-19 tests and treatments.

People with Medicare currently get free Covid-19 tests. They also get Paxlovid, a prescription drug which treats Covid-19, for free. Come May 11, Covid-19 tests will no longer be free. Paxlovid will remain free until supplies run out, most likely in the summer. But, people with Medicare could have out-of-pocket costs for other treatments.

Comprehensive coverage of Covid-19 tests and treatment is critical for people with Medicare; older adults are more likely to die of Covid than working people or any other age group. Paula Span reports for the New York Times that in January alone, 10,600 people with Medicare died of Covid, which represented 90 percent of all Covid deaths last month. Overall, people with Medicare over 75 represent 75 percent of Covid deaths–8,500 deaths in January.

People with Medicare are also five times more likely to be hospitalized because of Covid-19 than younger people. Hospitalizations and deaths are higher than they should be for people with Medicare because six in ten of them have not received the bivalent booster.

What Covid-related services will Medicare cover after the Covid public health emergency ends? After the public health emergency ends, vaccines, lab tests, and antigen tests that a physician or other health care provider orders will remain free for people with Medicare. If there are monoclonal antibody treatments that are effective, they will also be covered through the end of 2023.

Insurers covering working people have yet to determine how much their enrollees will pay for Covid-19 tests and treatments once the public health emergency ends.

People with Medicaid will continue to get free vaccines once the public health emergency ends. But, they will not have protections against out-of-pocket costs for Covid testing and treatments beginning January 2025.

People who are uninsured are most at risk at the end of the public health emergency. States will no longer have funding through Medicaid to cover their Covid-19 tests, vaccines and treatments.

Here’s more from Just Care:
February 13, 2023
Shortage of home health aides undermines people’s ability to age in place
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly hard for people to get the care they need at home. The Wall Street Journal reports on a woman with ALS who needed to rely on seven different caregivers over six months because of the shortage of home aides. This home health aide shortage undermines people’s ability to age in place, and it’s not likely to end any time soon.

Mary Barket has ALS. She struggles to manage with activities of daily living such as cooking, cleaning and bathing. On some days, she could not get her home health agency to send an aide to help her. She has no family or other volunteer caregiver.

Without a home aide, the situation can be dire for Barket. She can barely use her hands. And, she can’t go out on her own for food.

When people must rely on multiple aides, it jeopardizes continuity of care. In order to get the home health care they need, patients and their families have to teach each new aide about their daily habits anew. When do they wake up, nap, go to sleep? What do they eat at each meal? What do they wear? How do they like to spend their days, and more?

Unfortunately, we are facing home health aide shortages and significantly high turnover rates. The supply chain is inadequate to meet needs for the large number of people who rely on home health care to age in place. Covid-19 has increased demand for aides, making it harder for people to hire them.

Home health agencies have been increasing wages for home care workers, expanding their benefits, offering training and giving signing bonuses. Agencies are looking to ensure job satisfaction and reduce turnover rates.

But, annual income for home health aides still averages under $30,000. Average pay remains under $15 an hour, though the agencies generally charge double that or more for their time. The work can be quite difficult both physically and emotionally and the hours unpredictable.

The US has seen a doubling of home health aides in the 10 years between 2008 and 2018. There were 2.26 million in 2018, up from 900,000. And, the numbers should grow another 550,000 or so by 2033.

The home health care industry is growing much faster than other industries. But, it is not growing fast enough. Demand for home health care far exceeds supply.

Do you need to hire home health aides? Medicare covers home health aides to a limited degree for some people needing physical therapy or skilled nursing, who are homebound, for whom leaving home requires a considerable effort. Otherwise, unless you also have Medicaid, you will likely have to pay out of pocket.

If you’re hiring home health aides, you should look into hiring two, one as backup. You might also want a geriatric care manager to coordinate care and help find back-up aides when a caregiver is not available.

Be prepared: Keep a checklist with your loved ones daily routines to share with the home health aides.

Here’s more from Just Care:
January 23, 2023
Coronavirus: You should take it seriously, even in year four
I don’t know about you, but I have now had my two initial Covid-19 shots and three booster shots. As much as I’d like to treat Covid like a cold, the risk of hospitalization and long-Covid are real and frightening if you have not been boosted, reports The Guardian. Whatever the people near you are or are not doing, you should take Covid seriously.

What should you do to protect yourself? Get boosted. And, get boosted again when your immunity drops. The bi-valent boosters are very effective. Always wear a mask in public and around strangers when you’re indoors. You will then likely protect yourself from a bad case of Covid. If you could be wearing a mask, you should be.

Don’t assume you’ll be ok if you don’t get the bivalent booster shot. 84 percent of people appear to be making that assumption at grave risk to themselves and others.

Don’t assume that you’ll be ok if you’ve already had Covid. Data is mounting that if you’ve had Covid once you’re more likely to face greater physical and mental health risk if you get it again.

New variants of Covid are virulent. It might be the fourth year of Covid-19, but it is not waning. And, once again, many people are being hospitalized, particularly the unvaccinated and unboosted. Hospitalizations for Covid are at the fourth highest level since the beginning of the pandemic.

It shouldn’t matter whether the government is requiring people to be masked and tested, you should wear a mask to protect yourself and others.

Older adults are most at risk. People with Medicare comprise the better part of all patients hospitalized. And, many people are dying needlessly. During the week of January 4, nearly 4,000 people died of Covid, thousands more have become disabled, largely bedbound, with little energy to perform even basic activities of daily living.

Is Covid going away? Experts do not believe Covid cases have peaked. People in the northeast appear to be hit hardest. The XBB.1.5 subvariant is largely responsible.

Here’s more from Just Care:
January 17, 2023