The AP (3/17, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports CMS announced Medicare “will immediately expand coverage for telemedicine nationwide to help seniors with health problems stay home to avoid the coronavirus.” With the policy change, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to consult physicians, “while heeding public health advice to stay home during the outbreak.”

STAT (3/17, Facher) reports President Trump said “Medicare patients can now visit any doctor by phone or videoconference at no additional cost, including with commonly used services like FaceTime and Skype. A historic breakthrough – this has not been done before.” Federal health officials also said that they would stop enforcing many HIPAA provisions in order to facilitate the expanded use of telemedicine for seniors.

Among other sources providing coverage are: The Hill (3/17, Johnson), Modern Healthcare (3/17, Brady, Subscription Publication), and Healthcare IT News (3/17, Miliard).

Related Links:

— “To keep seniors safe at home, Medicare expands telemedicine, “Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP, March 17, 2020

The Washington Post (3/17, Achenbach) reports that many people are feeling grief amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Joshua Morganstein, the chair of APA’s Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disasters, said, “Right now people are feeling grief over the loss of routines, certainty, and a perception of themselves as being generally healthy and protected.” Dr. Morganstein and other “experts say there are steps people can take…to ease some of that anxiety and give a person a better sense of being in control of this chaotic situation. Some of the advice comes from research on natural disasters, mass shootings, terrorist attacks and other traumas.” For example, Dr. Morganstein said, “Things like getting good sleep, eating regularly, staying hydrated, exercising. When we take care of our body, with good sleep in particular, but certainly food and water, our ability to think clearly, our ability to solve problems, our ability to manage our emotions, are all optimized.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post, Requires login and subscription

Medscape (3/16, Vlessides, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found that “approximately 8% of 9- and 10-year-old children in the United States report having suicidal thoughts, and 2 in every 100 report a suicide attempt.” The findings were published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Psychiatric News (3/16) reports the researchers also found that “children who are more impulsive or disruptive and/or those who reported greater family conflict were more likely to report suicidal thoughts and behaviors than those without these tendencies or family conflict.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

MedPage Today (3/16, Hlavinka) reports researchers conducted “a survey of 547 Latinx adolescents in suburban Atlanta” and found that “family member deportation and detainment was associated with poor psychological outcomes among youth.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Kate Bolduan, host of CNN’s “At This Hour” program, writes in an opinion piece for CNN (3/16) about how she is discussing coronavirus with her children. Bolduan writes, “I have a 5 and a 2-year old, so I just made sure to remind them they needed to wash their hands more often.” Bolduan quotes Dr. Joshua Morganstein, chair of the APA’s Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions on Disasters, who said, “Listen first and talk second. Listen for concerns, questions and misinformation while you are enjoying usual play with your children – whether that is drawing, dolls, or throwing a ball. Then let kids know you’re glad they are asking you questions and sharing what is on their mind.”

Related Links:

— “What I’m telling my kids about Covid-19, “Kate Bolduan, CNN, March 16, 2020