I just received a big box of medical monitoring equipment as requested by my PC. I am to receive instructions in the next few days from a Care Manager ---whoever that is. This is something new that will occupy my time.
What specifically is it? When I had that presumed mini-stroke, I wore a portable heart monitor for a month. It communicated to HQ via a dedicated cell phone, and the data was reviewed and sent to my MD every 24 hours. There are things about remote healthcare that I like (for example, I got 24 hour heart monitoring for 30 straight days and my life was not disrupted one single bit) and things that I don't like (the stuff that used to stay behind closed doors is now transmitted via cell signals and the internet.) So what are they monitoring, Lon?
They sent me a weighing scale to record and send my weight, aBlood Pressure kit to send BP an Pulse and some other goodies that I haven't opened. The whole shabang was in a big leather pouch that looks like a Lap Top case. This has got to cost Medicare some big $$$
Interesting. I thought you have care on-site for the basic stuff like that. That's the kind of stuff a nursing assistant might do. I wonder how they decide who gets a package like that.
I don’t know for sure (and I have not heard of a monitoring kit like Lon received ); but my guess is that it would depend on his health conditions, as well as the medicare supplement plan a person has. I have Humana now; but when I had United Health Care, they sent me a scale that connected to a little tablet device, and I had to record my weight each day because of the heart failure, to see how much I was retaining fluid each day. Humana doesn’t do anything like that , but they give me $10 Amazon gift card each month, just for recording my steps on a Fitbit each day and connecting it to the Humana website. Each company has different programs, and depending on what health issues a person has.
I'll have to go check mine out. I sat down with a local "aging" non-profit to pick out my initial supplemental plan, but I've not since reviewed it. I briefly asked one of their volunteers about looking at other plans when Year 2 rolled around, and he told me to not bother because the companies make it difficult to enroll (physicals, etc.) Given all the ads I see to switch, I find that hard to believe, but I've had no compelling reason to change or to pursue the subject.
I had a housemate who was on that stuff, Lon. It's a special program under Medicare. Here's some information: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/chronic-care-management-services .