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HHS To Offer Telehealth Options For Medicare Recipients Amid Pandemic

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Seema Verma discusses expanded telehealth options and coronavirus warnings for Americans.
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One of the nation's top health and human services administrators says she's concerned that people aren't listening to the government pleas for social distance to stop the spread of coronavirus. This comes as the administration is rolling out a plan for Medicare recipients to use telehealth as a way to prevent further infections. 

"Well, I think one of the things that concerns me is that people aren't taking these recommendations seriously," said Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. "You've heard it at the highest level of government, you've heard it from scientists: Every single American has to do their part, and if everyone does their part, we have a real chance at mitigating the spread and reducing the number of people that die from this virus."

The White House is aiming to avoid what's happening in Europe, which has the most cases outside of mainland China. 

Verma also says that the administration is working with Congress to help uninsured Americans, but that the best thing people can do is to stay home over the next 15 days.