By Nancy Grover, workerscompensation.com
Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - Medicare doesn’t cover acupuncture; but it does cover chiropractic visits. That information is especially important to injured workers who have settled their claims and have a Medicare Set-Aside, since spending those funds on non-covered services puts them at risk of losing government benefits later on. Fortunately, there’s now an app for that. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched its “What’s Covered” app to give consumers more information about their Medicare benefits. This latest eMedicare tool can be a valuable assist for injured workers with MSAs.
The information on the new app is similar to the website, medicare.gov. While the app is convenient for Medicare recipients who are away from home, it also provides access to many others who would not otherwise have it.
“There are tons of people with smartphones but no internet in their homes,” said Porter Leslie, president of professional administrator Ametros. “A Pew Research survey found 1 in 5 Americans are ‘smartphone dependent,’ meaning they have no broadband connection at home, so they're using their phone carriers for their internet. That’s a good chunk of the population who wouldn’t be able to get the information from their computers.”
Organizations such as Ametros work with injured parties after they have settled their claims; helping them navigate the general healthcare system, providing discounted medical services, and — for those with MSAs — ensuring they comply with all Medicare requirement. For those who don’t work with such a company, trying to figure out what is or is not covered in their MSAs can be a nightmare.
