Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #112

[BetteDavisEyes]

Will health insurance pay for Covid vaccines this fall?

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has upended the way Covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating uncertainty around coverage.

www.nbcnews.com

If you want a Covid shot this fall, will your employer’s health insurance plan pay for it? There’s no clear answer.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has upended the way Covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating uncertainty where coverage was routine.

Agencies within HHS responsible for spelling out who should get vaccinated aren’t necessarily in sync, issuing seemingly contradictory recommendations based on age or risk factors for serious disease.

But the ambiguity may not affect your coverage, at least this year...

 

[Sundog]

Will health insurance pay for Covid vaccines this fall?

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has upended the way Covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating uncertainty around coverage.

www.nbcnews.com

If you want a Covid shot this fall, will your employer’s health insurance plan pay for it? There’s no clear answer.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has upended the way Covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating uncertainty where coverage was routine.

Agencies within HHS responsible for spelling out who should get vaccinated aren’t necessarily in sync, issuing seemingly contradictory recommendations based on age or risk factors for serious disease.

But the ambiguity may not affect your coverage, at least this year...

Just speculating, but I think that individuals over 65 who are considered as a group to be at risk will be able to get a shot through medicare/health plan, and for others it will be up to their physician. If recommended by a physician, I think health plans will cover it.

 

[Inthedetails]

Will health insurance pay for Covid vaccines this fall?

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has upended the way Covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating uncertainty around coverage.

www.nbcnews.com

If you want a Covid shot this fall, will your employer’s health insurance plan pay for it? There’s no clear answer.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has upended the way Covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating uncertainty where coverage was routine.

Agencies within HHS responsible for spelling out who should get vaccinated aren’t necessarily in sync, issuing seemingly contradictory recommendations based on age or risk factors for serious disease.

But the ambiguity may not affect your coverage, at least this year...

Stating the obvious and singing to the choir, but when employees are sick and cannot go to work, it costs companies more money than the cost of covering a vaccine.

So much for the regime that claims to want to cut excess expenses and be efficient.

jmopinion

 

[Gemmie]

Stating the obvious and singing to the choir, but when employees are sick and cannot go to work, it costs companies more money than the cost of covering a vaccine.

So much for the regime that claims to want to cut excess expenses and be efficient.

jmopinion

Probably more than tenfold. JMO

 

[IceIce9]

It's already creepy enough for me now where separate providers have all my information, even my dentist has my info from other providers and my prescriptions. I guess I signed all that access away somewhere.

I do appreciate it though when I get a test or scan somewhere and then the doctor can access it electronically immediately.

Most hospital systems, clinics, and physician offices that are owned by hospitals or medical groups already have access to share medical records belonging to patients.

I’m a Credentialed Trainer for Epic, which is the largest Electronic Medical Records company in the US. And other EMR companies allow linking of records with EPIC.

Is is important for all of a patient’s physicians to be able to see test results and treatment plans. The use of shared electronic medical records has dramatically cut down on duplication of tests and previously it was common for more than one doctor to order the same blood tests or scans.

Also it allows doctors to see all the medications a patient is taking from multiple doctors.

I worked in x-ray before electric medical records, and patients often had to make a trip to a hospital’s x-ray department to pick up their x-ray films to take to an appointment with a different provider or specialist.

When I recently to a friend to an urgent care on a Sunday she was amazed that the doctor instantly had her medication list, allergies, and medical history even though she had never been to that urgent care before, or even the hospital system that was associated with that urgent care.

Although I don’t see why Google and Amazon should get involved with medical records. Hospital systems are perfectly capable of providing electronic records without outside companies getting involved.

 

[IceIce9]

Sharing data across health systems, I'm ok with that. But with private tech companies? NO NO NO

I have Amazon Prime, and I have already received several emails from Amazon requesting that I share my prescription information. That’s a hard no from me

Apparently Amazon is getting into the prescription business?

 

[SouthAussie]

I think we need more information, but this is what they do in Canada and other countries that have government health insurance - your records are available across providers, etc.

In Australia (we have a National Health system) our health records are available across providers unless we withdraw consent. We can pick and choose which providers we want to have access to them.

We also have a personal portal on the MyGov website which allows to see our vaccination records, our tax records, and our Medicare interactions. MyGov


Consumers can decide which of their healthcare provider organisations can view their health information by restricting access to their entire record, or to specific documents within it. Restricted information is not generally visible to healthcare provider organisations unless access has been granted by the consumer.
The consumer can revoke a healthcare provider organisation’s access to restricted information at any time via the Manage Access screen within My Health Record
My Health Record

 

[Sundog]

In Australia (we have a National Health system) our health records are available across providers unless we withdraw consent. We can pick and choose which providers we want to have access to them.

We also have a personal portal on the MyGov website which allows to see our vaccination records, our tax records, and our Medicare interactions. MyGov


Consumers can decide which of their healthcare provider organisations can view their health information by restricting access to their entire record, or to specific documents within it. Restricted information is not generally visible to healthcare provider organisations unless access has been granted by the consumer.
The consumer can revoke a healthcare provider organisation’s access to restricted information at any time via the Manage Access screen within My Health Record
My Health Record

Can the consumer block access to the My Gov records as well, or just block access to certain healthcare provider organizations?

 

[IceIce9]

I’ll add that each patient has the right to “opt in” or “opt out” to allowing their records to be shared. The default is “opt out” and you have to sign giving permission to “opt in” to sharing your records.

And you have the right to change your mind at any time and “opt out” even if already enrolled.

The correct way to ask patients if they want to allow this exchange is for either a staff member or physician to explain, then offer a document to sign if you want to allow. But too often the statement is buried in the endless paperwork that a patient signs, and the busy receptionist just points and says, “Sign here, and here, and here.”

 

[Lilibet]

Most hospital systems, clinics, and physician offices that are owned by hospitals or medical groups already have access to share medical records belonging to patients.

I’m a Credentialed Trainer for Epic, which is the largest Electronic Medical Records company in the US. And other EMR companies allow linking of records with EPIC.

Is is important for all of a patient’s physicians to be able to see test results and treatment plans. The use of shared electronic medical records has dramatically cut down on duplication of tests and previously it was common for more than one doctor to order the same blood tests or scans.

Also it allows doctors to see all the medications a patient is taking from multiple doctors.

I worked in x-ray before electric medical records, and patients often had to make a trip to a hospital’s x-ray department to pick up their x-ray films to take to an appointment with a different provider or specialist.

When I recently to a friend to an urgent care on a Sunday she was amazed that the doctor instantly had her medication list, allergies, and medical history even though she had never been to that urgent care before, or even the hospital system that was associated with that urgent care.

Although I don’t see why Google and Amazon should get involved with medical records. Hospital systems are perfectly capable of providing electronic records without outside companies getting involved.

We have Epic in our area. Some of my specialists use it. My regular doctors use My Chart. I’m not sure what the difference is, but I have to sign in differently. Both are helpful. But the government and outside companies getting involved is a big NO from me.

 

[SouthAussie]

Can the consumer block access to the My Gov records as well, or just block access to certain healthcare provider organizations?

Nobody can access our MyGov records except ourselves. We have a private logon.

 

[Gemmie]

Ugh. I hope this doesn't hurt our chances of getting vaccinated locally. I'm not into driving far for a vaccine (or anything, actually).

About two-thirds (59%) of American adults polled in a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation said they had no intention of getting a seasonal COVID-19 vaccine for the upcoming cold and flu season.

Of the adults polled, 23% said they will “probably not” get the vaccine, while 37% said they will “definitely not” get the shot.

KFF poll shows most Americans plan to skip fall COVID booster

Only 49% of poll respondents said they trust the Food and Drug Administration or the CDC to make sure vaccines are safe.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

 

[Gemmie]

Nobody can access our MyGov records except ourselves. We have a private logon.

And then there are hackers going for our personal info...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I have Amazon Prime, and I have already received several emails from Amazon requesting that I share my prescription information. That’s a hard no from me

Apparently Amazon is getting into the prescription business?

Seems so. There are (at least) two commercials running currently. You contact Amazon and have a chat with a "physician" about your symptoms. The Amazon "doctor" forwards a prescription to wherever you happen to be. One commercial features a young woman who has symptoms of a UTI while she is in flight. The other is a dad who is under the weather while on vacation with his wife and two kids.

In order to prescribe medication, a physician should have access to a patient's history so he/she is aware of drug allergies, contraindications, chronic illness, etc. I'm happy that my health information is available to physicians, labs, imaging facilities, etc., but I wouldn't want my personal information easily accessed by Amazon or any other non-medical organization.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

 

[Inthedetails]

Seems so. There are (at least) two commercials running currently. You contact Amazon and have a chat with a "physician" about your symptoms. The Amazon "doctor" forwards a prescription to wherever you happen to be. One commercial features a young woman who has symptoms of a UTI while she is in flight. The other is a dad who is under the weather while on vacation with his wife and two kids.

In order to prescribe medication, a physician should have access to a patient's history so he/she is aware of drug allergies, contraindications, chronic illness, etc. I'm happy that my health information is available to physicians, labs, imaging facilities, etc., but I wouldn't want my personal information easily accessed by Amazon or any other non-medical organization.

Sounds like Amazon is trying to compete with local walk-in clinics that seem to have popped up everywhere. I've made use of the clinics and have been pleased with the care and the speed. My local walk-in clinic doesn't offer covid shots, though, for some reason. (But there are other neighborhood alternatives so not a problem.)

jmopinion

 

[Sundog]

Seems so. There are (at least) two commercials running currently. You contact Amazon and have a chat with a "physician" about your symptoms. The Amazon "doctor" forwards a prescription to wherever you happen to be. One commercial features a young woman who has symptoms of a UTI while she is in flight. The other is a dad who is under the weather while on vacation with his wife and two kids.

In order to prescribe medication, a physician should have access to a patient's history so he/she is aware of drug allergies, contraindications, chronic illness, etc. I'm happy that my health information is available to physicians, labs, imaging facilities, etc., but I wouldn't want my personal information easily accessed by Amazon or any other non-medical organization.

IIRC, Costco has this kind of service now, also. I used an online physican group one time (not through Amazon or Costco) to get a prescription for Paxlovid when I was having trouble getting through to my provider and wanted to get the Paxlovid quickly. I had to provide health information in the face time call, just as I would at an urgent care site. The physician had to be licensed in my state and all that information was provided. The particular online physician group had been recommended to me and although I vetted them myself, it was good to have the recommendation from someone who had used their services.

 

[IceIce9]

We have Epic in our area. Some of my specialists use it. My regular doctors use My Chart. I’m not sure what the difference is, but I have to sign in differently. Both are helpful. But the government and outside companies getting involved is a big NO from me.

My Chart is the patient portal for Epic. Lab results flow from the lab into Epic, and the provider signs the results and pushes them into My Chart so the patient can view them.

The doctor or other staff members can send messages to the patient in My Chart, and the patient can request refills, schedule appointments, and send messages through My Chart.

 

[mickey2942]

I work for a large private company that has offices all over the United States, and the "sick leave" policy depends on the law in the state you live in. It is completely unfair, in my opinion.

People who live in California, get an extra week of leave, for sick leave.

https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/paid_sick_leave.htm

It is a patchwork of different laws, rules, hours, that depending on what the state law is, where you live. I wish it was federal law.

If you call in sick, California law makes it so the person calling in sick doesn't get penalized.

My state doesn't have that, so if I call in sick, I get a "point". There is something about so many points and you are terminated. So, I guess that coming to work sick, is expected in some states. So much for staying home when you are ill.

Rant over.

 

[Lilibet]

My Chart is the patient portal for Epic. Lab results flow from the lab into Epic, and the provider signs the results and pushes them into My Chart so the patient can view them.

The doctor or other staff members can send messages to the patient in My Chart, and the patient can request refills, schedule appointments, and send messages through My Chart.

Thanks for the info about My Chart. I use it the way you described. But a couple of my doctors don’t use it. I have to sign in to Epic using a different ID. It may be that I signed up for My Chart through the main medical provider in my area (Asante) and these doctors aren’t tied to it like my other doctors. Or else they don’t realize I’m on My Chart. I’ll have to ask them.