Coronavirus Is Scaring Seniors Away From Doctor Visits. Here's How Physicians Are Helping

Many older Americans who prefer visiting their doctor for regular check-ins and other appointments are unable to do so because of edicts for isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, reports Today . Physicians are concerned that they will become "medically isolated" and even more at risk from COVID-19 infection. To avoid this, doctors nationwide are adjusting, with many offering virtual sessions by phone or video. Medicare beneficiaries will be covered for those appointments under a new law that expanded telehealth benefits "on a temporary and emergency basis." Experts recommend seniors considering such an option first check with their healthcare provider, provider system, or hospital app for a telemedicine portal, then download it and follow the prompts. Yale Medicine's Leo Cooney Jr. says older persons are "comfortable doing it over the phone. They want to see me at some point, but they're very well aware these are extraordinary times. Telemedicine is a reasonable approach in these difficult times and it manages a lot of problems fairly well." Some physicians have been willing to see patients in the practice's parking lot, with patients remaining in their car while providers approach and evaluate them in protective gear.