Target Audience

Des Moines University faculty, staff, and students.

Purpose

The health behavioral response by older adults to COVID-19 has varied over time with the geographic spread of the pandemic and affected access and utilization of medical services.

The purpose of this noon research presentation is to examine the first two waves of the rapid response survey fielded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to track and monitor the effects of the pandemic within the Medicare population. The findings from the study examine prevention behaviors, COVID-19 information sources, and medical access issues by race/ethnicity, gender, Census regions, and rural status.

Learning Objectives

• Understand geographical variation in access issues to medical care within the Medicare population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Identify the main information sources Medicare beneficiaries use to learn about the novel coronavirus.
• Compare prevention behaviors followed within the Medicare population in June and October

Speaker

Tami Swenson, PhD
Assistant Professor, Des Moines University, Master of Public Health Program