What Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries Need to Know About COVID-19

Stay informed to slow the spread of COVID-19 – and get your vaccine and booster as soon as you are able! Contact your Medicare Advantage plan with any questions about your coverage, and reach out to your provider if you have health concerns during this time. 

 

• The COVID-19 public health emergency remains in effect: While hospitalizations and fatalities thankfully decline, COVID-19 remains in our lives and appropriate precautions should still be taken. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend wearing a mask in indoor public settings and large crowds, practicing social distancing (at least 6 feet), and getting a COVID vaccine and booster.

• Everyone age 5 and up is eligible for a free COVID vaccine, and everyone age 12 and up is eligible for the free booster dose: Every American age 5 and up is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost to them. The CDC reports that “widespread vaccination is a critical tool to the stop the pandemic.” Vaccines are safe and effective, with the latest studies showing that fully vaccinated seniors are 94% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Read a helpful list of myths and facts about the COVID-19 vaccine here. Once you’ve gotten your vaccine, remember to get your COVID-19 booster!

• Need help making a vaccine appointment? Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccination and booster sites near you with available appointments. Your doctor’s office and Medicare Advantage provider can also provide further information.

• Medicare Advantage is here to help: While all of us continue to face uncertainties and new challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare Advantage is here to help – expanding telehealth services, waiving consumer costs, and enhancing touchpoints with providers that are not available in Traditional Medicare. Read more about the Medicare Advantage response to COVID-19 here.