Medicare wants to help protect you from COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung, or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. This means that people with Medicare may be at higher risk. Medicare covers:

• Lab tests for COVID-19
• FDA-authorized COVID-19 antibody (or “serology”) tests
• Monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19
• COVID-19 vaccines

For the latest information about:

• How Medicare is helping during this public health emergency, go to Medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus. 
• COVID-19 prevention, symptoms, and answers to common questions, go to Coronavirus.gov.
• Public health and safety information from CDC, go to CDC.gov/coronavirus.

What the U.S. Government is doing in response to COVID-19, go to USA.gov.

New / Updated Training Materials

2021 Medicare Amounts job aid (in multiple languages)

2021 Medicare Appeals Processes job aid

The CMS National Training Program has training materials for many Medicare topics, including PowerPoint modules that can be customized for your audience. Check them out at CMSnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov.

NTP Webinar Recordings

January NTP Medicare Update & Education Webinar (Recorded January 14, 2021): We shared Medicare updates, tips for training preparation, and demonstrated how to use our NTP website to maximize your Medicare training experience.

January 2021 Understanding Medicare Webinar Day 1

January 2021 Understanding Medicare Webinar Day 2

To view all of our webinar recordings, please visit the NTP website.

Did You Know?

• As the country is distributing COVID-19 vaccines, scammers are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic. Learn tips to help prevent Medicare fraud and report suspected Medicare fraud by calling us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
• February is American Heart Month. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers cardiovascular screening blood tests once every 5 years.
• The 2021 Federal Poverty Levels are published.
• You can find the latest information by visiting the CMS Newsroom.

Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf announced that the submission period for One Lens: Sharing Our Common Views is open and Pennsylvanians can begin sharing their photos documenting their COVID-19 experience. The first lady announced the statewide virtual photo exhibit in January and its mission to celebrate the hard work and commitment of all Pennsylvanians as we continue our fight against COVID-19, as well as create a visual record of this historical moment.

More information about the exhibit and how to participate can be found here.

“It is very exciting to begin collecting photos,” said First Lady Wolf. “Since we launched the One Lens initiative, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from individuals across the state who want to share these pieces of their lives. And not every story is going to be about picking up new hobbies and finding bright spots during this time, but that’s what we want to convey. Every story, no matter how sad and no matter how frustrating, matters. These are our stories as Pennsylvanians, and they need to be remembered and honored.”

One Lens highlights the importance of preserving history by encouraging Pennsylvanians to share their experiences during COVID-19 through photography. The submitted images will be displayed for public viewing and archived as visual documentation of the pandemic. By using photography as the medium to tell these stories, One Lens also emphasizes using art as a tool for Pennsylvanians to cope, heal and inspire one another. The exhibit covers three themes:

•   Our Heroes, paying homage to the pandemic heroes who cannot stay home;
•   Our Lives, looking at how we spend our time when no one is watching; and
•   Our Communities, showcasing Pennsylvanians uniting in the face of a global
  health crisis.

The photo submission period will remain open until Monday, March 8, 2021. The full exhibit will be released on Friday, March 19, 2021.

In preparation of the exhibit, five ambassadors were selected to represent the central, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest regions of the state. These regional ambassadors will use their strong connection to their regions to ensure that the One Lens exhibit will truly reflect the experiences of Pennsylvania’s diverse, vibrant, and resilient communities.

One Lens is presented in partnership with the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Photography experience is not required to contribute to the statewide exhibit. For more information on the regional ambassadors, the overall project, and rules for participation, visit  https://www.pa.gov/one-lens/. For exhibit updates, highlights, and inspiration, follow One Lens on Facebook and Instagram.

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Deputy Secretary for Postsecondary and Higher Education Dr. Tanya I. Garcia today announced a temporary change in eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), expanding eligibility to certain college students who qualify based off their families’ income but normally would be ineligible for the program due to being a student.

“Our ways of life and routines have changed to keep ourselves and our communities safe from this virus. Jobs that students would normally work on campuses or around their schools may have reduced hours or are not an option anymore, meaning that students and families with more limited resources may be struggling even more to meet their most essential needs,” said Secretary Miller. “In a time when so many are struggling, we are hopeful that this will be another resource that we can extend to families who are feeling this economic strain most acutely. We urge congress to make this change permanent, so that no student has to go hungry again.”

“Food insecurity is yet another issue that learners are facing during the pandemic, and should not create further barriers to academic success,” Pennsylvania Department of Education Deputy Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education Tanya I. Garcia said. “I am grateful to Secretary Miller and the Department of Human Services for helping raise awareness about the expansion of SNAP benefits for college students and their families across the commonwealth.”

Eligibility rules set by the federal government dictate that students ages 18 through 49 who are enrolled in college at least half time are not eligible for SNAP unless they meet certain exemptions, including working an average of 20 hours or more per week, participating in a state or federal work study program, having a disability, or being a parent of a child under age six. Even if students reside at home with parents who qualify for and receive SNAP, they are not counted in the household unless they meet one of the exemptions.

Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, college students who are eligible for a state or federal work study program, regardless of whether they are actually participating, or students who have an estimated family contribution of $0 on their federal student aid determination are now eligible for SNAP. For those under the age of 22 for students who live at home with their parents. For now, these families will receive a benefit more commensurate to their household size that they would otherwise not get because their household contains a student.

This eligibility will remain in place until 30 days after the public health emergency ends. Since the Biden Administration has advised that the declaration will most likely remain in place at least until the end of 2021 and states will have 60 days-notice before it ends, this policy change will more than likely be something that can help families for the remainder of the crisis.

A Government Accountability Office report released in January 2019 found that at least one in three college students do not always have enough to eat. Additionally, 71 percent of college students today do not fit the model of a “typical” college student and may be financially independent, work at least part time, enroll in and stay in college at a later age, or have dependent children. These factors, when paired with other challenges students face like cost of tuition, lodging and/or transportation, books, and supplies, can create significant barriers to making ends meet. The report includes a literature review of 31 studies of college hunger and indicated there was a range of 9-50 percent of students who experienced food insecurity on campuses but that in 22 of these studies, food insecurity was estimated to be above 30 percent of the students surveyed.

December 2020 Public Assistance Enrollment Numbers
Secretary Miller also provided an update on enrollment in certain public assistance programs and how Pennsylvanians can apply.

Enrollment for SNAP statewide has increased by 84,389 people since February 2020, for a total enrollment of about 1,821,848 in December — a 4.9 percent increase. SNAP enrollment has trended slightly down since September. However, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) will no longer be counted as income for people applying for SNAP eligibility, opening SNAP as an option for more people who have lost income or employment due to the pandemic.

SNAP is the nation’s most important and effective anti-hunger program. For every meal provided through a Feeding America Food Bank, SNAP provides nine. SNAP provides individuals and families with funds that can only be used to purchase fresh food and groceries, helping Pennsylvanians with limited resources have a set, stable food budget and expanding their purchasing power to meet other essential household needs.

Enrollment statewide for Medicaid has increased by 337,772 people since February 2020, for a total enrollment of 3,169,335 people in November — a 12 percent increase.

Pennsylvanians who have lost health coverage or are currently uninsured and need coverage for themselves or their children may qualify for coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid and CHIP provide coverage for routine and emergency health services, tests and screenings, prescriptions, and COVID-19 testing and treatment are covered by both Medicaid and CHIP. Medicaid and CHIP enroll individuals throughout the year and do not have a limited or special enrollment time, so people needing health coverage can apply for these programs at any time. There are income limits for Medicaid, but all children qualify for comprehensive health, vision, and dental coverage through CHIP regardless of their parents’ income.

Applications for SNAP, Medicaid, and other public assistance programs that provide help with utilities, home energy, and cash assistance can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us. Those who prefer to submit a paper application can print from the website, pick one up at a County Assistance Office (CAO), or request an application by phone at 1-800-692-7462 and mail it to their local CAO or place it in a CAO’s secure drop box, if available. You do not need to know your own eligibility in order to apply. While CAOs remain closed, work processing applications, determining eligibility, and issuing benefits continues. Clients should use COMPASS or the MyCOMPASS PA mobile app to submit necessary updates to their case files while CAOs are closed to the public.

For more information about food assistance resources for people around Pennsylvania impacted by COVID-19 and the accompanying economic insecurity, visit the Department of Agriculture’s food security guide.

For more information on public assistance programs, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.