Health

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/

The brain and gut are closely connected, constantly communicating with each other. This means that what happens in your gut can affect your mood and mental health, and vice versa. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® and learn more about the Brain-Gut Connection to understand how taking care of both your mind and digestive system is essential for overall well-being. Explore AARP Staying Sharp for more great information on building healthy habits.

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

The Benefits of Learning a Musical Instrument at Any Age 🎸🎹🥁Labels: Music, Musical Instruments, Learning, Age, Personal Growth, Brain Development, Social Connections🌟 The Benefits of Learning a Musical Instrument at Any Age 🌟Have you ever considered picking up a musical instrument but thought it might be too late for you? Good news! 🎉 There's no age limit to learning a musical instrument, and the benefits are countless. 🎼 Whether you're 8 or 80, it's never too late to start. In this blog post, we'll discuss the advantages of learning a musical instrument at any age. 🎻🎺1️⃣ Brain Development and Cognitive Benefits 🧠Numerous studies show that learning to play a musical instrument can enhance brain function and improve memory. 🧠💡 Playing an instrument engages multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, promoting cognitive development and enhancing your mental capabilities. So, no matter your age, you can reap the benefits of music education. 🎓🎶2️⃣ Stress Relief and Emotional

It’s natural to wonder about memory loss as we get older. One way to assess your current performance is to take the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins from AARP® Staying Sharp®. It’s a free resource that will give you insights into your current performance in core areas, including memory. Best of all, you can retake it every 30 days to track your score. Visit AARP Staying Sharp for more information on brain health.        

I would love to thank Aarp reduced prescription drug program. My eye doctor recently wrote a prescription for an eyedrop which naturally fell under my deductible with my prescription drug program. The medication would’ve cost me $186 for a small bottle of eyedrop. I then went to a brand-name pharmacy Where initially the price would’ve been $334 had they not had prescription drug program I went to good RX, which offered a generic prescription for between 60 and $70 which was not available. I then went to Aarp and made a phone call and spoke to a young lady who told me the same medication Through the reduced Aarp prescription drug program would cost me $75.15. It’s just amazing the way that the cost for the same prescription can vary so much and this actually needs to be looked into. I would love to thank Aarp for all the great work. They’re doing For the seniors as well as the money that they are saving seniors so they do have a choice whether to take a medication and or eat and or just

If you use a different address on your medicare enrollment form than is listed with social security, will the medicare enrollment be denied? Also if they do deny the enrollment, do you have to appeal? These questions assume that you otherwise meet the qualifications to enroll and the denial would be based only on the information mismatch.

We all seek emotional well-being, but it takes time and effort. Are you feeling sad or depressed or simply overworked? Explore the Mental Well-Being challenges at AARP® Staying Sharp® and give yourself some well-deserved time to recharge your inner happiness. Visit AARP Staying Sharp for more information on brain health.

Hi. I'm 61 and newly divorced. I'm about to get kicked off my ex-husband's healthcare plan and I'm overwhelmed with trying to figure out ACA. The free state help offices are booked past the date I need to start. Where can I go for help? Thanks.

I saw some dialogue in a previous post regarding this subject. It looks like the potential exists for a double premium billing the 1st month that you receive social security benefits with the Part B premium auto-deducted. I reach FRA this month and get my first check next month (July).My last quarterly Medicare payment covers me thru the end of July.My understanding of my benefit payment next month is that my SS benefit is paid in arrears.But the Medicare premium deduction is in advance.That means my June SS check I receive in July is paying for my July Medicare premium. Am I understanding this correctly?If so, it appears that would create a double premium payment for the month of July. I'm sure I'm not the only one this has happened to and wonder if SS/Medicare addresses it. Thanks. Chuck 

 I am  looking for the AARP article (a Bulletin?) on a woman who had 3 spine surgeries and was in a wheel chair when her husband found a doctor out of state who gave him and his wife hope for help. The doctor was one of the few specialists in the country that dealt with nerve-related pain. Most doctors misdiagnosed the pain as something other than nerve related, according to the article.  I have looked back at all the Bulletins for the last 18 months. Didn't find it. Could it have been in another AARP publication that came by mail?  I have a friend who may have the same problem. I want to give her the article. Does anyone know where I can find it? I know it's an AARP publication. Thanks,Janet  

I have major dental issues. I had all of my upper teeth pulled years ago but after I got full time (six days a week), as a rural postal carrier,and a traumatic dental experience when I was a child. Now I have been in so much pain for the last week,ie fever and swelling of the gums . I'm 65 and really think that dental issues should be covered under my health insurance. It is part of my body, and shouldn't be considered as a separate health care problem. Going to call Tele-doc and hopefully get antibiotics at least. Wondering if I am an isolated case 🤔?

28 years ago, I gave up my fast growing career when my wife threatened to take my 3 kids and leave me. We moved back to our hometown, and she started her own business while I kept getting knocked further back down, that success ladder. I raised my kids mostly alone while working two jobs. In 2015, she tried to kill me while I was sleeping, and she lost her front teeth when I reacted to my attacker. Which made me a wife beater. Strange how there was no blood anywhere.  Three days later, I was served divorce papers, and she magically had a new pony farm with her female friend , "who had more money than she could ever spend unquote. My kids were instructed not to talk to me and haven't since, but they sure have nice, easy lives.  So no, I have not been able to forgive and move on. The bitterness remains, I have no friends, family is no help, I don't want to be bitter with my kids so i dont communicate with them either, I fear being around anyone that I will make them b

 “.. . . when Medicaid was created in the 1960s lawmakers did not include work requirements because it “never dawned on anybody that able-bodied people who work would be on Medicaid.”   CMS Administrator Dr. Oz Mehmet Now, we are asking these ABLED-BODIED Medicaid beneficiaries to either work 80 hours a month or volunteer or take care of a low income needy loved one or go back to school in order to preserve their ACA Expanded Medicaid benefits.   In listening to CSAN’s Washington Journal this morning during the open forum call in - I could not believe the people that are scared to death they would be losing their MEDICAID benefit even though they are on the program by being a low income elderly, blind, or disabled, a low income child, a low income pregnant woman and then the newborn for at least a year in most states (maybe in all by now).  They will not -  I get so tired of our legislators confusing the ignorant public with this ”name” recogniti

I believe there is a place where many beneficiaries will have some agreement in Medicare Reform and it is one that the Senate is currently looking into - it would involve NO cuts to benefits for beneficiaries.  POLITICO 06/05/2025 - Medicare is a target as Senate GOP faces megabill math issues  from the link:   Senate Republicans are currently discussing folding in language that would target overpayments to privately-run Medicare Advantage plans, which enables older Americans to buy private plans offering health coverage. It would help them recoup tens of billions of dollars, and it’s an idea that has also attracted bipartisan interest. … . . House lawmakers briefly floated the idea of overhauling Medicare Advantage into their version of the megabill but it failed to gain traction, as a band of House moderates is deeply uncomfortable with the concept of touching Medicare — even if it is in the name of slashing “waste, fraud and abuse.” Yes, there