>> WE’RE GOING TO BE SUPPORTING STATE EFFORTS.
STATE EFFORTS. WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH
THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE
GREAT RETAILERS WHICH ARE CVS
AND TARGET AND WALGREEN’S AND
WALMART THAT ARE OPENING THEIR
PARKING LOTS FOR DRIVE-THRU
CENTERS ARE INCLUDED.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN BE
CONFIDENT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE
COMMERCIAL LABS AROUND THE
COUNTRY WITH HIGH SPEED
AUTOMATED TESTS YOU ARE
LITERALLY GOING TO SEE TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF TESTS IN THE DAYS
AND WEEKS AHEAD FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. BRIAN: ALL RIGHT.
LET’S BRING IN SEEMA VERMA.
THAT’S THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES WITH SEAN.
SHE IS MEDICAID SERVICES AND
MEMBER OF THE WHITE HOUSE
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE.
SEEMA, ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
BRIAN: I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED
AND KIND OF HEARTENED BY THE
FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE
EXPANDING.
EXPANDING. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE
TELEMEDICINE FOR OUR SENIORS.
TELL US HOW THIS WILL WORK.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
THE PRESIDENT MADE A VERY
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY
THAT WE ARE EXPANDING TELE
HEALTH SERVICES TO OUR SENIORS
IN THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.
THAT’S ABOUT 62 MILLION
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE
LAST WEEK OR ACTUALLY JUST
EARLIER THIS WEEK THE WHITE
HOUSE HAS BEEN PUSHING OUT
INFORMATION, 15 DAYS TO SLOW THE
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
AND WE HAVE GIVEN
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC ABOUT THE MEASURES THAT
THEY CAN TAKE TO PREVENT THE
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
PART OF THAT IS AVOIDING
SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS MORE
THAN 10 PEOPLE.
STAYING AT HOME.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR
AMERICA’S SENIORS THAT HAVE
UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS.
WITH TELE HEALTH, THEY CAN NOW
GET TO SEE THEIR DOCTOR TALK TO
THEIR DOCTOR.
THEIR DOCTOR. IN THE PAST ONLY PAID FOR UNTIL
RURAL AREAS VERY SHORT VISITS
AND REQUIRED THEM TO HAVE A
LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH
THEIR PROVIDER.
THEIR PROVIDER. NOW, WITH THE CORONAVIRUS, WE’RE
EXPANDING TELE HEALTH SERVICES.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A
COUPLE OF REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, IT HELPS OUR
HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS FOCUS ON
THE MOST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT
HAVE THE MOST DIRE HEALTHCARE
NEEDS.
NEEDS. SECONDLY IT, KEEPS PEOPLE SAY.
IF YOU ARE A DIABETIC PATIENT,
YOU MAY NOT EVEN HAVE ANY
SYMPTOMS, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE
CORONAVIRUS, NO RESPIRATORY
DISEASE.
DISEASE. AND IF YOU COME INTO THE OFFICE
AND YOU ARE SITTING IN THE
WAITING ROOM, YOU ARE HAVING TO
TRAVEL, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY
GET SICK.
GET SICK. NUMBER TWO, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE
SHOWING SYMPTOMS, IT’S BETTER
FOR THEM TO COMMUNICATE WITH
THEIR DOCTOR THROUGH TELE
HEALTH, AND THAT MEANS THEY ARE
NOT INFECTING ADDITIONAL PEOPLE
THROUGH THEIR TRAVEL TO THE
DOCTOR’S OFFICE OR BY SITTING IN
A WAITING ROOM.
AINSLEY: SEEMA, ARE YOU WORRIED
AT ALL ABOUT RUNNING OUT OF
MEDICINE?
MEDICINE? WE HAD A CONVERSATION AS A
FAMILY MY MOM IS A DIABETIC AND
MY SISTER SAID DO YOU THINK THEY
WILL RUN OUT OF INSULIN I SAID I
DON’T THINK SO BECAUSE THEY’RE
MAKING AS MUCH AS THEY ARE
BEFORE.
BEFORE. CAN YOU ANSWER THAT.
>> PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS AT LARGE
ABOUT MEDICAL SUPPLIES,
TREATMENTS.
TREATMENTS. BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVEN’T HEARD
THAT THERE WERE ANY ISSUES IN
TERMS OF THE INSULIN SUPPLY.
I THINK MORE OF WHAT WE ARE
HEARING IS THAT PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT SUPPLIES TO
ADDRESS THE CORONAVIRUS, AND
THAT’S WHY THE PRESIDENT AND THE
VICE PRESIDENT MET WITH
MANUFACTURERS YESTERDAY ABOUT
INCREASING THE PRODUCTION OF
CERTAIN TYPES OF EQUIPMENT.
VENTILATORS, OTHER SUPPLIES.
AND THE DOD IS DONATING
EQUIPMENT AS WELL.
STEVE: RIGHT.
STEVE: RIGHT. >> I’M SORRY?
STEVE: I JUST SAID RIGHT.
SORRY.
SORRY. SEEMA, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR
YOU.
YOU. YOU HELD UP THAT THING THAT SAID
15 DAYS TO SLOW THE SPREAD.
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND THAT’S WHY WE ARE SOCIAL
DISTANCING AND THAT’S WHY THE
COUNTRY FOR THE MOST PART IS
SELF-ISOLATING AND THESE ARE
HARD TIMES.
HARD TIMES. THEY ARE CHALLENGING TIMES.
BUT, THIS LOCKDOWN OF 15 DAYS
REALLY IS GOING TO SHAPE THE
TRAJECTORY OF YOU WHO THIS
DISEASE IMPACTS THE UNITED
STATES FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS
AND MAYBE EVEN LONGER.
>> THAT’S EXACTLY IT.
I MEAN, WE CAN EITHER BE ITALY
OR WE CAN BE SOUTH KOREA AND
ALSO LOOK AT CHINA.
THEY ARE REALLY SEEING THEIR
NUMBERS GO DOWN.
SO IT’S REALLY UP TO EVERY
SINGLE AMERICAN TO COME TOGETHER
TO FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES AND
IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, WE
COULD SEE A FLATTENING OF THE
CURVE.
CURVE. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
WOULD BE OVERWHELMED IF WE HAVE
THE DEGREE OF INFECTIONS OR THE
RATE OF INFECTIONS THAT WE HAVE
SEEN IN ITALY.
THAT’S WHY THE WHITE HOUSE HAS
PUT OUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU KNOW, IT’S GOING TO BE
DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE
THESE MODIFICATIONS, BUT IT’S
IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL WORK
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. ESPECIALLY YOUNGER PEOPLE,
MILLENNIALS, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY
FEEL HEALTHY.
FEEL HEALTHY. THEY MAY FEEL LIKE IF I GET THIS
VIRUS IT’S NOT GOING TO BE THAT
BIG OF A DEAL.
IT’S JUST GOING TO BE LIKE THE
FLU.
FLU. BUT THE REALITY IS THEY CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO THE SPREAD.
THEY MAY NOT EVEN BE SHOWING ANY
SYMPTOMS, BUT THEY COULD SPREAD
IT TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE
VULNERABLE, THOSE WITH
UNDERLYING HEALTHCARE
UNDERLYING HEALTHCARE CONDITIONS.
CONDITIONS. ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY IN THAT
CASE.
CASE. SO IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL DO
OUR PART.
OUR PART. BRIAN: YOU GOT TO GET USED TO
SOMETHING NEW.
SOMETHING NEW. TELEMEDICINE IS IT AND YOU ARE
THE ONE MAKING IT HAPPEN.
SEEMA VERMA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AINSLEY: THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU