LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To the Editor,

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, I isolated to keep myself and others safe. This was incredibly hard, as my grandchildren are the light of my life. For months, I could only visit with them through a computer screen or phone call. But I did so anyway. I knew it was important to keep myself and others healthy so I could hug them as soon as possible. And now, as the vaccine is being rolled out and the crisis is coming to an end, I am so relieved that I can see my grandchildren again.

My Medicare Advantage plan helped me enormously throughout the past year.  While I was lucky to stay relatively healthy throughout COVID, I still had the everyday ailments of a human being and a retired senior. However, I didn’t want to overwhelm the healthcare system or potentially expose myself to the virus at a doctor’s office. Understanding these worries, when the virus hit, my Medicare Advantage plan reached and let me know I could use telehealth to see my doctor, while socially isolating.

This included audio-only telehealth, which allowed me to talk to my doctors over the phone. Telehealth, both over the phone, and using video technology is really important, for seniors who don’t have access the internet, or don’t have a smartphone or computer.

As New Orleans slowly returns to normal, I want Senator Cassidy to know that Medicare Advantage took care of seniors like me who use it for their health care. I also ask him, and the other members of Congress from Louisiana to ensure that seniors like me continue to access telehealth, including over the phone.

Thank you,

Patricia Frosch

Originally published in L’Observateur