By Jim Miller Savvy Senior
July 2, 2026 - 6:00 am
Dear Savvy Senior: I don’t thrust overmuch anymore, truthful getting to the doc tin beryllium a hassle. They suggested telehealth visits, but I’m not precise tech savvy. How does Medicare screen these kinds of appointments? — Trying to Keep Up
Dear Trying to Keep Up: You’re surely not alone. Many older adults are moving into the aforesaid issue. Getting to appointments is not arsenic casual arsenic it utilized to be, and the thought of utilizing exertion for doc visits tin consciousness a small intimidating astatine first.
The bully quality is that telehealth has made it overmuch easier to get attraction without leaving home, and it’s usually overmuch simpler to usage than radical expect. Medicare covers galore of these services, too, making it easier to enactment connected with your healthcare providers. Here’s a look astatine however it works and what Medicare pays for.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is simply a mode to spot oregon speech to your doc from location utilizing a phone, tablet oregon computer. Visits tin beryllium done by video oregon sometimes by a regular telephone call.
And don’t worry, you don’t request to beryllium a tech expert. Many doctor’s offices usage elemental systems and volition locomotion you done it measurement by step. In immoderate cases, each you person to bash is click a nexus they nonstop you oregon reply your telephone astatine the scheduled time.
It’s besides important to recognize that telehealth visits are not conscionable speedy chats. They are considered afloat aesculapian appointments. Your doc tin spell implicit symptoms, reappraisal medications, sermon trial results and urge treatment, overmuch similar an in-person visit.
Does Medicare screen it?
Yes, Medicare does screen galore telehealth services. While telehealth has been portion of Medicare for years, it was expanded importantly during the COVID-19 pandemic truthful radical could safely get attraction from home. Those benefits are inactive successful place.
Medicare allows you to person telehealth services from location nary substance wherever you live. Covered visits see a wide scope of care, specified arsenic reviewing laboratory results, managing prescriptions, regular checkups, preventive screenings and adjacent evaluating insignificant illnesses similar colds, coughs oregon infections. In galore cases, follow-up visits and ongoing attraction for chronic conditions tin besides beryllium handled this way.
Another large positive is flexibility. If you are not comfy with video oregon bash not person net access, immoderate telehealth visits tin beryllium done utilizing conscionable a regular telephone call. And it is not constricted to your superior doctor. Many types of healthcare providers tin connection telehealth services.
What’s ahead?
Here’s wherever things get a small uncertain. The expanded telehealth sum that began during the pandemic is not permanent, astatine slightest not yet.
Under existent law, these broader telehealth benefits are acceptable to proceed done Dec. 31, 2027. After that, Medicare volition astir apt standard backmost sum to much constricted rules unless Congress steps successful and extends the changes.
Even so, immoderate telehealth services are expected to proceed agelong term. Mental and behavioral wellness care, diabetes education, nutrition therapy and definite dialysis-related visits should inactive beryllium covered. Audio-only telephone visits for intelligence wellness attraction are besides expected to stay available.
If you are funny astir telehealth, commencement by calling your doctor’s bureau and asking what options they offer. They tin usher you done the process and assistance you consciousness comfy earlier your archetypal appointment.
It mightiness consciousness unfamiliar astatine first, but galore radical find that erstwhile they effort telehealth, it’s a elemental and convenient mode to enactment connected apical of their health, particularly erstwhile getting to appointments is difficult.
Send your elder questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, oregon sojourn SavvySenior.org.
English (US)·