Health

Psychedelics belong to a group of hallucinogenic drugs that trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness or psychedelic experiences. These drugs activate the brain to combat mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and PTSD. According to WHO, depression is a leading cause of disability affecting more than 360 million people worldwide every year. Psilocybin produced from "Magic Mushrooms", DMT (N-Dimethyltryptamine) found in some plants and Ketamine, besides the notorious LSD, are examples of psychedelics. While psilocybin and DMT are undergoing clinical trials these days, ketamine is far more advanced and has already entered the marketplace as a treatment for anxiety and severe depression.  I am starting this thread to solicit our members' opinions on psychedelics as well as to get a feedback on their personal experiences if they they have used any psychedelic drugs to treat their mental disorders. Finally, a warning is in order! Please do not use these drugs wi

FROM THE ARTICLE. Will New Vaccine Recommendations Affect Your Fall Flu Shot?Doctors and infectious disease experts stress that flu vaccines are safe, and they are especially important for older adults. By Rachel Nania, AARP. Published July 24, 2025. Federal vaccine advisers are recommending that nearly everyone roll up their sleeves for a flu shot this fall. This same recommendation has been made for more than a decade to help prevent illness from the common respiratory bug that killed as many as 130,000 people in this country’s most recent flu season.But this year’s influenza guidance comes with a twist: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), with all new members that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently appointed, said June 26 that people should get a flu vaccine free from thimerosal, leaving many to wonder what that ingredient is and how it might affect their annual trip to the doctor’s office or pharmacy. US

Various changes can be made to Medicare at different government levels.  How do you find out about them especially if they are very beneficial to you? For example, the addition of a new preventive service available at no out of pocket cost.  In the last few years, Medicare has added PrEP coverage under Part B with the associative monthly blood work all covered - This is covered under Part B but it seems many who need this coverage still have this med submitted under Part D and that is costing them lots of money.   Or another example would be how approved immunizations are now covered as NO out of pocket.  Another would be the addition of a preventive test - like the low dose CT Scan for lung cancer if one is a smoker or was a smoker sometimes in their life.  Or at the state level, a change in state law that would allow you to switch your Medigap plan to another carrier or plan (equal or lesser usually) with NO underwriting which may save premium

I never know if people use my links within my post so here is the list of the Medigap insurers - individual and group - that have requested a premium increase from the NY Dept of Financial Services for 2026 and the % amount they are requesting.. https://myportal.dfs.ny.gov/web/prior-approval/medsupp/summary-of-2026-requested-rate-actions The above is the link where the below info was taken.  I copied and pasted the (2) photos as best I coul.   

I need some advice. I will be 70 years old in November. I am still working and have my health insurance through my employer.  Because my Primary care physician does not belong to my insurance group I had to switch to a much more expensive tier in order to keep my primary care physician that I’ve had for over 20 years not to mention that it is costing me about two hundred more each pay period. I’m confused as to what I should do.   I’m not sure if I should apply for Medicare or stay where I am.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!! Anthony LaMonica alamonica@aol.com 

Trying to determine if medicare patients have the right to refuse the annual wellness visit or is it mandated by law?

After reading today's New York Times Article "United Health Applies Pressure to try to Quiet Critics",  I ask that you, AARP, rethink your relationship to this insurer. They have numerous lawsuits to take down videos, social media postings, and newspaper articles critical of them. Intimidating critics shows how these people are probably on the right track. I made the decision to drop them during Open Enrollment for Medicare.

California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP), University of California, Berkeley- 04/20/2025 - SB242  This is the Report to the 2025–2026 California State Legislature by this organization about this legislation.  It was introduced this year in the California Senate. It has not yet been passed by both the Senate and the Assembly and then signed into law by the Governor. The bill is focused on expanding open enrollment periods for Medicare supplement coverage.  I am only posting some of the highlights - Understand that this does not affect the “Birthday Rule” in the state where a beneficiary can switch their Medicare Supplemental plan to another plan - of equal or lesser value.     This is actually opening up the Medigap marketplace to those who do not yet have a Medigap plan - they either have nothing or they have a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan.  It also gives those with ESRD a period to get a Medigap plan.  So this is an

The worst thing that could ever happen is to be a SENIOR and still sexually repressed! "The Victorian and Puritan legacies have had a massive and lingering influence on Western attitudes toward sex, the body, and morality. They promoted strict codes of conduct—where modesty, restraint, and suppression of bodily desires were seen as virtues. Anything sexual was cast into the shadows, especially if it did not fit the heteronormative, patriarchal mold. The Puritans saw the body as sinful and the flesh as something to discipline. The Victorians, for all their advancements, doubled down on that by wrapping repression in elegance and politeness. They created a culture where even acknowledging sexual desire was scandalous—and this mindset embedded itself into law, education, religion, and eventually, media policy. What is wild is that centuries later, we are still dragging around those moral codes—codes that deny people the right to their own stories, their own pleasure, and their own bo

Just a note to let you guys know that if your phone is not compatible with their drive app your premium will go up ~$25 a month!   I have a Motorola Android that is not compatible (which I didn't know about until after I had received my quote and changed coverage from my previous Ins carrier) so my premium has gone up $25 and change a month.  Seems to my this is their problem not mine.  We shouldn't be charged because their software isn't compatible.  So I should have to go out and buy a new phone just for their app? Needless to say I am upset.  I could have stayed with my previous carrier for the same coverage, a lower premium and their drive app works perfectly with my Android.  

The Street.com 07/08/2025 - Retired workers to see frustrating change to Medicare in 2026 from the link ~A Medicare change is coming next year, and your wallet will not like it. It’s only an estimate — but if history is any guide, it’s one you’ll want to watch.Tucked deep inside the 267-page 2025 Medicare Trustees report is a projection that the standard monthly Medicare Part B premium could rise to $206.50 in 2026.  That’s an 11.6% jump from the $185 premium set for 2025 — and it would be the largest single-year increase since 2016, when premiums climbed 16.1%, from $104.90 to $121.80. This estimate, however, is not the final number. In fact, it could be even higher.more at the link ~  Yes, this is an estimate by these Wall Street numbers folks but this likely estimate is born out by the 2025 Social Security Trustee Report on Medicare Part B or the Supplemental Medical Insurance (SMI) part of the report. CMS.gov - 2025 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD

I just got refill of xarelto...$360 for 3 month supply. That is a hike of 200% from previous refill. Does anyone know the reason for this outrageous price hike 🤬 

I was recently forced into retirement, at 68 years old. Until this time I had corporate-based medical insurance, so I figured there was no reason to register for Medicare until I did actually retire, which I was planning to do when I turned 70 (I loved my job). I did receive notifications suggesting I register for Medicare, but ignored them as long as I had corporate-based insurance from one of the top-3 providers.  It turns out, that it is not really an "option" to register for Medicare as soon as you turn 65, but in reality, in the eyes of the top-3 medical insurers it is a requirement! These days they deny full coverage, and only pay "what Medicare would not have paid" even though you continue to pay the same full price for insurance from them that you did before you turned 65, in addition to what your employer is also paying on your behalf.  This doesn't seem fair (nothing in life is fair) as they do not reduce your premiums, while they drastically cut your cove

Just FYI in case you get one of these notifications or a new Medicare card.CMS.gov 06/30/2025 - News Release - CMS Notifies Individuals Potentially Impacted by Data Incident  from the link ~What Happened? On May 2, 2025, CMS’ call center began receiving inquiries from beneficiaries who received letters confirming the creation of Medicare.gov accounts they did not initiate. CMS promptly launched an investigation and discovered that malicious actors had fraudulently created new accounts between 2023 and 2025 using valid beneficiary information, including Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBI), coverage start date, last name, date of birth, and zip code. Once these unauthorized accounts were established, bad actors may have accessed additional beneficiary data, including: Provider informationMailing addressDates of serviceDiagnosis codesServices receivedPlan premium detailsCMS is not aware of any reports of identity fraud or misuse of the information as a direct r

Can someone help me understand Medicare a little bit more than I do.  I have traditional Medical Part B, D and Plan G.  I had a procedure done recently for which the hospital billed Medicare $60,000.  The Medicare approved amount was around $1,800, or 3% of the billed amount.  How is Medicare able to reduce their price to 3% of market?  Why would any physician want to do business with Medicare given that they pay 3% of what the market pays.  What is in it for them? My second question has to do with Plan G.  When I signed onto Plan G I was thinking that the Medicare approved amount was going to be closer to market, like maybe a 15-20% discount.  This would still leave the patient with a sizeable co-pay on expensive surgeries.  But if a $60,000 surgery is negotiated down to $1,800 then the co-pays are peanuts…20% of $1,800 is $360.  I would have to have a $1MM medical procedure once every three years for the Plan G Premium of $185/mo

FROM THE ARTICLE. Get Help Paying for Medicare Premiums, Deductibles, Copays.Find out if you qualify for a federal or state financial assistance program or prescription discounts. By Kim Lankford, AARP. Reviewed by Leigh Purvis, MPA. Published January 28, 2022.➡️[*** Updated June 30, 2025. Medicare covers most of your health care expenses after you turn 65, but it isn’t free.You’ll still have out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Part A hospitalization, Part B doctor and outpatient services, and Part D prescription coverage. If you’re part of a Medicare Advantage plan, also known as Part C, you’ll have cost sharing, too. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/medicare/financial-assistance/

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I received my letter informing me how much I’ll receive and hound expect my first payment June 10th or around. Was wondering if anyone know how long this first delay can be?

June 30th, 2025 Happy Summer to all of my Community! It has been a while since chatting withand finding out what is happening in the Retirement Club.lots of things have happened in our lives. Sometimes I wonder What Country are we living in. Trying to stay happy and focused each day. There are days when itseems as if the World is turned upside down. I am a positive and Educated personand I don’t want my grandchildren or children that I’ve taught to like in a “Chaotic”world. Hopefully I am not the only person who wants Peace and Happiness in mylife. My Prayer is that we don’t have a War. Lived that as a teenager fearing the Vietnam Era. I want my Country to be at Peace! I am afraid to travel and have toTell which Country I am from!So Community Let’s Continue to live our “Best Life!”Happy Summer!😊

GREAT- NPR 06/30/2025 - DOJ announces a record-breaking takedown of health care (MEDICAID) fraud schemes   

Yet another newflash study reaching the same conclusions. The risk of being trampled by the MA cash cows herded by Wall Street is greatest for those most in need and least able to react. The original article is behind a paywall but summarized in the second (along with editorial comment.) As always and especially in healthcare, YMMV. Medicare Advantage Plan Disenrollment: Beneficiaries Cite Access, Cost, And Quality Among Reasons For Leaving. Health Affairs Vol. 44, No. 6: Payment Policy, Medicare Advantage & More Churn and Burn: Why Medicare Advantage Patients Walk Away. American Council on Science and Health

June is Brain Awareness Month, a great time to focus on building lifelong, healthy habits. Explore the Brain Health 101 challenge from AARP® Staying Sharp®, built on the six pillars of brain health. It includes useful tools, including a sleep calculator, exercise videos and brainteasers. Take this challenge and spend time learning about strategies for achieving better sleep, relaxation and energy to help live your best life. Visit AARP Staying Sharp for more information on brain health.

Well let’s see if the government can make a difference without all the draconian rules and regulations -   KFF Health News 06/24/2025 - 5 Takeaways From Health Insurers’ New Pledge To Improve Prior Authorization  Sounds like an ultimatum from Government -  “So either you fix it or we’re going to fix it.”Worth watching how it develops in the next few months -  

Humana, the second-biggest Medicare insurer, has told congressional staffers that it will support moves that would curtail billing practices worth billions in extra payments to the industry, according to staffers and a document viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The stance by a leader in the Medicare Advantage business—in which insurers offer privately run Medicare plans—represents an important development in a growing debate over how the companies are paid in the $460 billion program. This is from an article in the WSJ to which I do not have free access but am taking the same info from Reuters which has some of the same info - read either to which you have access. Now what is the best way to get all the insurers onboard?  Support - just saying. WSJ 06/05/2025 - Humana to Back Curbs to Medicare Advantage Billing Practices(Healthcare) Reuters 06/05/2025 - Humana to back curbs to Medicare Advantage billing practices, WSJ reports  (Business)

24 months in and my supp G premiums up 18% cumulatively.  The starting point was outrageously high. Not a prior 'age discount' related increase. .  The reason(s) explained via scripted included 'rising healthcare costs, increased utilization'...etc,   Providers and insurers system broken vertically and horizontally, and this UHC plan is at the head of line. Open enrollment, goodbye UHC