Changes that will be made to Medicare/Medicaid in response to coronavirus

Here is a summary of the webinar held by HCPF regarding what changes will be made to Medicare/Medicaid in response to coronavirus:

• As of Friday: 277 confirmed COVID-19 cases in CO, but real number is likely 5-10 times higher. 4 known fatalities so far
• Requests have been made at the federal level to eliminate common roadblocks to receiving Medicare coverage so that more people can get signed up at this time
• Although there has been a huge surge in applications, Medicare/Medicaid is handling it well, as current phone wait times average only 2 minutes
• Automatic recertification is being worked on to make sure that patients can maintain coverage
• HCPF is currently reserving their efforts to respond to reports of “immediate jeopardy” including possible signs of elder abuse due to necessary quarantine
• The state and Governor Polis are being very responsive to disability issues at this time
• Medicare/Medicaid is putting a big emphasis on telemedicine, adding providers to the coverage to allow for virtual visits