Medicare Plan Research Paper

Although your Original Medicare will not cover everything, Medicare Part B covers both installments of the pneumonia vaccine. To attain benefits that are not included in your Original Medicare Plans, you may want to purchase a Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Part C).
Medicare Advantage Plans

Medicare Advantage Plans offer the same benefits as the Original Medicare Plan, (minus the long-term/custodial care; however, that care is still covered under Part A of your Medicare Plan). Medicare Advantage Plans may also provide you with benefits that are not covered under the Original Medicare Plans.

These benefits may include:

Dental Vision Prescription drug Coverage

Pneumonia symptoms and treatment

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can
be caused by bacteria, fungi or a virus. Although the majority of healthy people will recover from pneumonia within three weeks’ time, pneumonia can be life threatening.

Symptoms can vary greatly and the treatment prescribed depends on:

What is causing the pneumonia The patient’s age The severity of symptoms The patient’s overall health

Once the germs that cause pneumonia reach the lungs, the alveoli (air sacs in the lungs) begin to fill with fluid.

This inflammation causes:

Coughing Difficulty breathing Chills Fever Headache Sharp/stabbing pain in the chest that worsens upon breathing deeply or coughing Excessive sweating Loss of appetite Fatigue Clammy skin Confusion (generally in the senior population)

Pneumonia can be fatal

Pneumonia affects the ability of oxygen to reach the blood: This lack of oxygen does not allow the cells in the body to work properly. This can lead to an infection throughout the entire body, eventually causing death.
Diagnosing pneumonia

A variety of tests can help your physician determine if you have pneumonia:

Physical exam–if you have pneumonia, when you breathe-in your lungs may make a rumbling, crackling or bubbling sound. You may also wheeze and your physician may have difficulty hearing you breathe in certain areas of your chest (with a stethoscope).

Tests used to diagnose pneumonia may include:

A chest x-ray Blood work to check your white blood cell count (CBC), as well as arterial blood gases to check your oxygen levels CT scan of your chest to determine how well your lungs are functioning Culture of your pleural fluid (if fluid is present in the space surrounding your lungs) Sputum tests (mucus collected after a deep cough) to look for the organism causing the pneumonia

Treatment

The treatment your physician prescribes depends on the kind of pneumonia you have, its severity and whether you have other chronic illnesses.
Bacterial pneumonia

Individuals who have bacterial pneumonia, but are otherwise healthy are frequently treated with the usual dose of antibiotics (i.e., clarithromycin, azithromycin or erythromycin); whereas, individuals who have other serious illnesses (e.g., heart disease, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or diabetes, etc.) are usually given a higher dose of these antibiotics or a more powerful antibiotic altogether.
Other treatments may include:

Oxygen Proper diet Pain medication

Who are at the greatest risk for complications?

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, approximately 50,000 people in the United States die from pneumonia and about one million people are hospitalized due to the disease.

People who are at the greatest risk for complications include:

People who are 65 years or older Smokers Those who have difficulty swallowing due to a neurological condition Individuals who recently had a respiratory infection (influenza, laryngitis or a cold, etc.) Those who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver and/or diabetes People residing within a residential living
facility Individuals who recently had surgery People with autoimmune disorders

The typical antibiotic does not work for viral pneumonia; however, your physician may choose to give you an antiviral medication.
Who should get the vaccine?

The CDC recommends that adults aged 65 years or older receive two pneumococcal vaccines. The initial dose contains pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13): The following year, you should receive the second part of the vaccine, which is the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23).
Medicare Part B covers the pneumonia vaccine

Medicare Part B does cover the initial pneumococcal shot (PCV13) as well as an additional vaccine (PPSV23) the following year. The PPSV23 vaccine protects adults against 23 different strains of Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria.

Medicare Part B also covers your annual influenza shot

Flu commonly causes pneumonia; therefore, getting an annual influenza shot is essential.
Patient costs associated with influenza and pneumonia vaccines

As long as the health care provider administering the vaccine accepts assignment, individuals who have Medicare Part B pay nothing for their influenza or pneumonia shots.