Dr. John Hollinger with WellMed discussed the importance of staying safe during this unprecedented time by seeing a primary care physician. That is why WellMed is working diligently to make your doctor visit safe. “One of the positive outcomes of COVID-19 is innovation to the way patients can now receive care," Hollinger said. When you arrive, stay in your car and one of the health care professionals will come to give you the vaccine. The health care provider is also offering drive-thru flu shot clinics in certain locations.

Dr. John Hollinger with WellMed discusses the importance of staying safe during this unprecedented time by getting a flu shot. “The CDC recommends anyone 6 months or older (to) get a flu shot now,” Hollinger said. And, just because you had a flu shot last year doesn’t mean you can avoid it this year. “There are several myths, but here are the facts -- you cannot get the flu from the flu shot,” Hollinger said. If you would like to get a flu shot from WellMed, you can call a WellMed clinic to make an appointment.

While the Medicare enrollment period has ended, there are ways people with Medicare can change their plans during the year without waiting for the annual enrollment period. When you have both Medicaid and Medicare, you may qualify for a UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete plan. According to UnitedHealthcare, the UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete plan has been awarded five out of five stars for the 2020 plan year, for quality, customer service and more. The Annual Enrollment period, when health plan benefits are often top of mind for consumers, is a great time to consider a UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete plan. However, people eligible have additional Special Election Periods available to change plans throughout the year outside of the Annual Enrollment Period.

{Related: KSAT12 to host virtual phone bank with WellMed and UnitedHealthcare Thursday]Listed below are some of the safety measures that WellMed has implemented to keep its employees and patients safe during the coronavirus. Staff temperature checks twice daily: All staff must undergo temperature checks at the beginning of the day. Visitor temperature checks at the door: All patients and visitors must have their temperature checked before they enter the clinic. Social distancing markers: WellMed clinics have markers that help patients keep at least 6 feet of distance for safe interactions. All staff wears personal protective equipment: All clinic staff are required to wear personal protective equipment.

According to WellMed, telemedicine is less costly than an urgent care visit or the emergency room. Its like Amazon -- we bring the care to the patient and the patient doesnt have to come to us for care, Van Duyne said. Patients with high blood pressure and diabetes and some other chronic conditions still need to get seen and evaluated, the doctor said. With the telemedicine visit, you can show the doctor your blood pressure on your machine at home.As of mid-June, WellMed clinicians have conducted nearly 100,000 telemedicine visits in 2020 alone. If you are interested in receiving telemedicine, call your health care providers office to see if the service is available.