CMS clarifies what Medicare covers for COVID-19 cases
Medicare Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans generally already cover everything that a COVID-19 patient might experience. CMS has issued some clarifying information to update Medicare beneficiaries, providers, and insurance carriers on specific COVID-19-related charges.
Medicare.gov offers the following on its coronavirus page:
Medicare covers the lab tests for COVID-19. Beneficiaries pay no out-of-pocket costs.
Medicare covers FDA-authorized COVID-19 antibody (or “serology”) tests.
Medicare covers all medically necessary hospitalizations. This includes hospital stays after a COVID-19 diagnosis when the patient might otherwise have been discharged from the hospital after an inpatient stay, but instead is required to stay in the hospital under quarantine.
If and when a vaccine becomes available, it will be covered.
For providers and carriers, CMS has created a fact sheet, titled " Medicare Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19 (PDF)” with more detailed guidance and billing codes.
This is useful information and relatively easy to find on both sites. The clarification on hospital stays due to quarantine is especially welcome guidance; given the complexity of Medicare hospitalization payment rules this could have become a costly nightmare for individuals who have mostly recovered but need to stay in isolation until their quarantine period is up.
