The Kidney Citizen Issue 15
To Change or Not to Change?, How to Move Out of Loneliness, Wellness and Mental Health While Living With a Rare Disease, and more!
New Medicare Initiative to Cover Costs of OTC COVID-19 Tests
Beginning April 4, 2022, Medicare now covers the cost of up to eight over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests per calendar month for Part B and Medicare Advantage participants. It is important to note that Medicare will not cover OTC COVID-19 tests for patients who only have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) coverage, but they may still be eligible for free tests through other programs. Medicare will cover the costs of these tests until the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) comes to an end. Patients can get the tests through any participating pharmacy or health care provider. A partial list of participating pharmacies [...]
Living With Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (PDPN)
Living with diabetes can be a challenge all on its own, in addition to the complications that can come with it. Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) is a common type of diabetic neuropathy that occurs in one-fourth of those with Type II Diabetes and is characterized by feelings of pins and needles, prickling, tingling, numbness, or shooting pain, most commonly in the feet. The American Chronic Pain Association has many PDPN resources for both patients and caregivers. There is a PDPN Conversation Guide, which can help patients communicate with their healthcare provider about the location, specific feelings, and severity of their [...]
COVID.gov Launched by the White House
On Wednesday, March 30th, the White House launched a new website, https://www.covid.gov/, that will be its one-stop shop for questions on masks, treatment, vaccines, testing, and where to find and order resources. Users can search by county to access the latest COVID-19 Community Level in their area, and can click on links that take them directly to the CDC’s site for guidance on staying up-to-date with vaccines, when to get tested, and additional precautions that can be taken for those at high risk for severe illness, such as those who are immunocompromised. The site is designed to be accessible to a [...]
It Was Already Hard to Find Evusheld, a Covid Prevention Therapy. Now It’s Even Harder
By Hannah Recht March 17, 2022 As immunocompromised people across the country work to get Evusheld, a potentially lifesaving covid therapy, several hundred providers of the injections were removed from a federal dataset on Wednesday night, making the therapy even harder to locate. White House officials had announced March 15 that a planned purchase of more doses would have to be scaled back without new federal funding. And federal and state health departments aren’t making it easy to find, leaving patients whose hospitals say they don’t have enough of the drug to write desperate tweets and Facebook posts seeking the shots [...]
How to Care for Yourself When You’re a Caregiver
Being a caregiver is a huge responsibility – whether you’re a parent, spouse, or sibling, being fully responsible for the well-being of someone else can be a full-time job. When you also need to juggle work or raising children as well, it is no wonder that the caregiver’s needs are often what gets neglected. Studies have shown that no matter the age, sex, race, or ethnicity of the caregiver, all are more likely to be sleep-deprived, unable to exercise regularly, and have poor eating habits. They are also less likely to keep up with doctor’s appointments for themselves or allow themselves [...]
Identifying Health Misinformation
Over the last two years, people have been exposed to a lot of information, from many different sources, regarding COVID-19. There are many reputable sources for health information, such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). However, there has been a recent rise in health misinformation, which caused confusion about vaccination and other public health measures, such as masking and social distancing. Although health misinformation is not new, with more people having access to the internet and various social media platforms, it has spread in recent years at an unprecedented rate. In order to keep yourself, [...]
COVID-19 and Patients with Kidney Disease on Dialysis
By Alan Kliger, MD Updated March 18, 2022 I am writing this mid-March 2022, as the last peak of COVID infection with the Omicron variant has rapidly fallen in every US state, but wastewater analysis has shown places in the US where virus infection in some communities is rising again. A new sub-variant, BA.2 is making up about 23% of cases. Abroad, the United Kingdom is seeing increasing hospitalizations with COVID infection, and many locations in the far east have raging infections. The effects of the surge in Omicron cases around the world this past winter have deeply affected [...]
Up-to-Date vs. Fully Vaccinated – What to Know About COVID-19 Vaccination
With Omicron continuing and the possibility of new variants in the future, it is important to not only be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but also receive a booster dose, when eligible, so that you are up-to-date. Someone is considered fully vaccinated when they have received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. In order to be considered up-to-date, a person has to have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster(s) when eligible. The recommendations provided by the CDC will be different for everyone, depending on age, health status, and when you received your first vaccine. It is important to note that [...]
Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests to be Covered Through Medicare
Beginning in early spring, those with either Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage (MA) will be able to get over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free. The tests will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities, with Medicare beneficiaries being able to get up to eight FDA approved or authorized tests per month. This announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to expand access to free testing for Americans. Until this option is available, people with Medicare can access free tests through the following channels: Request four free at-home tests that will be delivered to your house through: https://www.covidtests.gov/ Find [...]