STAY SAFE The Orange County Health Care Agency will test for COVID-19 in Leisure World on Oct. 23. The free, drive-through COVID-19 testing for Leisure World residents will be held from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Clubhouse 4. Registration is required. People can start registering on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at oc.fulgentgenetics.com. All registration is online. People will need to bring an identification

• Look beyond a plan’s premiums. They may not be the best gauge of total out-of-pocket costs. • Check out whether the doctors you see are in the plan’s network you are considering because going out of network can cost you more. • Make sure all the drugs you take are covered either in your MA plan or by a Part D plan. Taking a drug that isn’t covered or isn’t considered

It’s time to take stock of your Medicare coverage. Open enrollment begins today, Oct. 15, and you will have until Dec. 7 to think about health care needs for 2021 and decide whether you need to make any changes in your coverage. This review is important every year, but it’s essential as the country continues to struggle with the repercussions of COVID-19, an illness that disproportionately

Premiums for Medicare Advantage Plans are dropping to historic lows for 2021. This type of Medicare health plan, offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare, is an all-in-one alternative to Original Medicare. These “bundled” plans include Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Medical Insurance), and usually Part D (prescription drug coverage). Most plans offer extra benefits—like

OC HEALTH CARE AGENCY Among adults, the risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may die. Recent statistics from the Orange County Health Care Agency show that the percentage of COVID-19