THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, February 28, 2020 Page 21 THE HOUSE AND SENATE. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week, This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call record local senators’ votes on amendments to the “Mental Health ABC Act,” aimed at making major changes in the mental health care system in Massachusetts. Supporters say the bill removes barriers to and expands access to mental health care, boosts the industry’s workforce and strengthens the quality of coverage. PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE (S 2519) Senate 37-0 approved an amendment creating a pediatric mental health care task force to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the delivery of pediatric mental health services in the state and make recommendations to improve the availability, access and cost-eff ectiveness of these services. Amendment supporters said there are thousands of children with treatable mental disorders who are not receiving proper mental health treatment and are falling through the cracks. They argued that the waiting period for a bed in an appropriate facility is too long and these kids are suff ering. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes CONFIDENTIALITY FOR CORRECTIONS OFFICERS (S 2519) Senate 37-0 approved an amendment adding corrections offi cers to a current law that ensures confi dentiality for police, fi re, EMTs and other fi rst responders who seek mental health service or referrals from a peer counselor. “Adding correctional officers … means they will be afforded the same protections as fi refi ghters, police offi cers and EMTs when seeking confi dential mental health assistance,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “Those that work in corrections are subject to traumatic incidents on a routine basis, making access to confi dential mental health treatment critical to eff orts in preventing suicide among correction offi cers.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes CHILDREN UNDER 22 (S 2519) Senate 37-0 approved an amendment to ensure that individuals under the age of 22 in the emergency room who are in need of inpatient or residential psychiatric treatment are placed in an appropriate facility within 48 hours of admission to the emergency department. “As the former chair of the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, I am especially sensitive to the urgency of taking care of our most vulnerable young people at a time when failing to treat them can exacerbate their issues and lead to their longer-term failure to thrive,” said Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “I am pleased that my Senate colleagues unanimously voted to pass my amendment to ensure children under 22 receive appropriate emergency psychiatric treatment.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK'S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature's job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of February 17-21, the House met for a total of 20 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 40 minutes. Mon. February 17 No House session No Senate session Tues. February 18 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:12 a.m. Senate 11:20 a.m. to 11:52 a.m. No Senate session Wed. February 19 No House session Thurs. February 20 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:13 a.m. Senate 11:13 a.m. to 11:21 a.m. Fri. February 21 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com a enioroniior avvy Senior avvyav avyvy vvy vy enioorniiori nio Ten Things Medicare Doesn’t Cover Dear Savvy Senior, I will be enrolling in Medicare in a few months and would like to fi nd out what they don’t cover so I can avoid any surprises. Almost 65 Dear Almost, While Medicare (Part A and B) covers a wide array of health care services after you turn 65, it doesn’t cover everything. If you need or want certain services that aren’t covered, you’ll have to pay for them yourself unless you have other insurance, or you enroll in a Medicare Advantage health plan, which may off er some additional benefi ts. Here’s a look at some commonly needed medical services that original Medicare doesn’t pay for. Most dental care: Routine dental care including checkups, cleanings, fi llings, tooth extractions and dentures are not covered by Medicare. However, some Medicare Advantage plans do cover basic dental care services. Routine vision care and eyeglasses: Medicare does not cover routine eye exams, eyeglasses and contact lenses (except following cataract surgery), but tests, treatments and surgeries for medical eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are covered. Some Medicare Advantage plans do offer routine vision benefi ts. Alternative medicine: Acupuncture, chiropractic services (except to fi x subluxation of the spine), and other types of alternative or complementary care are not covered by Medicare. Prescription drugs: Medicare (Part A and B) doesn’t provide coverage for outpatient prescription drugs, but you can buy a separate Part D prescription-drug policy that does, or a Medicare Advantage plan that covers both medical and drug costs. Cosmetic surgery: Most cosmetic procedures are not covered; however, if the surgery is due to an injury or deformity, it might pay. For example, Medicare will cover a breast prosthesis for breast cancer survivors. Hearing aids: Medicare will not pay for hearing exams or hearing aids, but may cover a hearing and balance exam if your doctor determines it’s necessary. Some Medicare Advantage plans do off er hearing benefi ts. Long-term care: Nursing home care and assisted living facilities are not covered by Medicare. But, Medicare will help pay up to 100 days of skilled nursing or rehabilitation care immediately following a hospital stay of three or more days. Personal home care: If you need to hire help for bathing, dressing or getting out of bed, Medicare typically won’t cover these costs either, unless you are homebound and are also receiving skilled nursing care. Housekeeping services, such as shopping, meal preparation and cleaning are not covered either unless you are receiving hospice care. But a few Medicare Advantage plans do off er in-home support services. Routine foot care: Medicare does not cover most routine foot care, like the cutting or removing of corns, calluses and toenails. But they do cover medically necessary podiatrist services for foot problems like hammertoes, bunion and heel spurs, along with exams, treatments and therapeutic shoes or inserts if you have diabetic foot problems. Overseas coverage: In most cases, health care outside of the United States is not covered by Medicare except for very limited circumstances – such as on a cruise ship within six hours of a U.S. port. But, Medigap supplemental plans D, G, M and N cover 80 percent of emergency care abroad, and some Medicare Advantage plans cover emergency care abroad too. The best way to fi nd out what Medicare covers is to talk to your health care provider, visit Medicare.gov/coverage and type in your test, item or service, or download the Medicare “What’s covered” app on the App Store or Google Play. And to look for Medicare Advantage plans that off er additional benefi ts visit Medicare. gov/plan-compare. Also keep in mind that even if Medicare covers a service or item, they don’t pay 100 percent of the cost. You will have to pay a monthly Part B premium (which is $135.50 for most benefi ciaries) and unless you have supplemental insurance, you’ll have to pay your annual deductibles and copayments too. However, most preventive services are covered 100 percent by Medicare with no copays or deductibles. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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