If you’ve noticed an increase in influenza cases this year, you’re not alone. This year’s flu season is the worst in 15 years — and it might not be over yet. This season seems similar to the 2019-2020 flu season, which had three peaks: December, February, and March.
But for the first time ever, you can also test for the flu at home. The new over-the-counter flu tests check for COVID-19, influenza A, and influenza B, and determine which virus, if any, a person has. They can be found at most pharmacies or online.
These combination COVID-19/influenza tests follow a similar process to the COVID-19 home tests that have been available since 2020, where the test taker collects nasal swabs then receives results in 15–30 minutes.
And they have the potential to help patients get healthier faster. Symptoms for COVID-19 and influenza can be treated with antiviral medication, but you’ll need to know which virus you have before knowing which flu medication to take. Considering the drugs are most effective the earlier they’re taken, it’s important to get tested quickly after showing symptoms.
If you end up needing health care for the flu, whether that’s a quick doctor’s visit or hospitalization, Medicare and Medicare Supplement insurance can help cover the costs.
However, benefits paid under your Medicare Supplement plan would vary based on which plan you are enrolled in, says Erin Bueltel, Director of Product Solutions at Wellabe.
“You may be responsible for the Part B deductible before Medicare Part B coinsurance kicks in,” she says. “And if you’re prescribed Tamiflu or any other outpatient medication, you’ll need to have a Medicare Part D prescription plan to help cover those costs.”
Medicare and Medicare Supplement insurance would also pay benefits if you’re hospitalized due to the flu.
“If you only have Medicare, you would be responsible for the Part A deductible and Part A coinsurance. If you have Medicare Supplement insurance, that policy would pay the deductible and your coinsurance amount,” Bueltel says. “And if you have a Hospital Indemnity insurance plan, that would pay you a daily benefit for each day you’re confined up to your selected benefit maximums.”
To protect yourself from the flu, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can strengthen your immune system by:
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Wellabe offers life and supplemental health insurance plans to help you prepare for good days and bad. We’ll always be here to empower you to be well — well prepared, well protected, and well loved.
