Health

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Recently I read article how the people over sixty loosing muscles, - yes if you do not care about you will. My name John 77 years old dietitian with master's degree in diet planning and nutrition assessment from University of Warsaw, Poland. My drama starts when I was around 30 years old, my doctor gives me destructive news, because of congenital heart disease, I have had the most 2-3 years to life, for the next 35 years I been living destructive life, alcohol and stress. Around 20 ago I met my wife, she encourages me to chang my life, being dietitian, I start looking for solutions. few years ago, I achieved success- finding right diet. Now standing at 5'8 tall, weight 162 pounds, I'm full of muscle, incredibly healthy (despite of my heart disease) with perfect joints and brimming vistality and libido. Appearance no older than 60. My active day: 6am - gym heavy lifting 1.5h. 9am to 10 am 4 stets 80 push up= 320. 11am to 4pm walking fast and swimming (5-6days a week). I would like to en

US Senate.gov Finance - Medicare Cost Cap Act Lowering Out-of-Pocket Costs for People with Medicare  These Senators have gotten it written in Bill Format - so it is ready to be introduced. In their own words here (at the link) is what the Medicare Cost Cap Act would do. Per these Senators in the linked article:Background: Currently, Traditional Medicare has no limit on beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket spending, putting them at risk of confronting unlimited health care costs if they face serious illness or hospitalization. Medicare Advantage, employer-sponsored insurance, and insurance bought on the Marketplace all have annual caps on out-of-pocket spending. Americans who choose Traditional Medicare deserve the same protection. According to AARP, “Adding an out-of-pocket spending limit to traditional Medicare, similar to the one that exists for peopleenrolled in MA. This change would not only help protect individuals from the risk of incurring&nb

Before we re-enroll, would like to know AARP's position on the DSA's proposal of Medicare for all?

I always use a Salad Spinner - don’t you?  Yes even the bagged stuff and definitely the heads or hearts.  I use it for other stuff too - like berries.Best invention ever - protects your health when others fall short for some reason.  I still use the ole pump type -  

I'm enrolled in Medicare Easy Pay, so my monthly premium payments are payed by automatic deduction. I still receive, every month, a paper Medicare Premium Bill (CMS-500) which states plainly at the top right corner, "THIS IS NOT A BILL." I thought, okay I'll just go paperless for this billing since I don't need a paper bill which is not a bill, and  can look up the bill on-line if I need to. Besides, receiving this bill every month is problematic on two fronts. It's a security issue, because my medicare ID number, Medicare reminds me needs to be protected to reduce fraud, is printed twice on it and I have to deal with securely destroying it every month. Secondly is an environmental issues because of the waste it unnecessarily generates. I was surprised, when scouring the medicare.gov website, that there was no option for me to go paperless for this bill. I chatted with a chat agent who said, indeed, there is no way to entirely avoid receiving paper bills, but I could opt

Hi everyone, I’ve been trying herbal tinctures for stress and sleep, but I’m not seeing much effect and I’m starting to think it might be the brand I’m using. There are so many options, but I’m not sure which ones are actually good quality or worth the money. If anyone has experience with trusted brands or noticed better results with certain ones, I’d really appreciate your suggestions. Thanks!

How Exercise Helps Burn Visceral FatAs a clinical pharmacist, I spend my days helping people manage their health with medications — but one of the best prescriptions I can offer doesn't come in a bottle. If you've been told you need to lose belly fat, here's what I want you to know: the deep fat around your organs, called visceral fat, is the kind that really matters for your health. It's linked to heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of metabolic issues. The great news is that regular movement — walking, swimming, biking, whatever you enjoy — is incredibly effective at shrinking it. What I find most encouraging to share with my patients is that you don't even have to see a big change on the scale. Research shows that exercise can reduce visceral fat by about 6% even when your weight stays roughly the same, because your body is trading that deep, harmful fat for healthier muscle.So how much are we talking? About 30 minutes a day, five days a week, of something

One of your legislators introduced this bill in 2025 - but it seems that some seniors are wanting to bring it to life.  Just thought I would let you know about it so you can decide.   It will raise your Medigap rates because of the added risk but how much now and later, I cannot tell you.   Your choices would be to give those under 65 a choice for ALL Medigap plans - currently they only have access to Plan A and Plan D and also give everybody some expanded guaranteed righe like the right for everybody to switch their insurers (believe it is to the same plan) around their birthday for what ever reason - premiums being the leading reason most likely. SUMMARY: Michigan SB0469 - BillTracker  from the link ~ This bill amends Michigan's insurance code to expand protections for individuals seeking Medicare supplement insurance policies (also known as Medigap policies). The bill prohibits insurers from denying, conditioning, or discriminating in pri

Bad knees running my life lately. Doctor says keep moving but everything hurts. Tried glucosamine, didn't do much. Ice helps sometimes. What's working for you all?

  FYI KFF Health News 07/14/2026 - Knee Pain? Ragged Cartilage? Research Suggests Surgery’s Not the Best Answer  I was wondering why Medicare picked this particular procedure - Arthroscopic Knee Surgery - to add to the Prior approval test in several states. (WISeR (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) Model Looks as though medical necessity with this procedure does need to be documented for approval.  Why do this when other other methods also work well especially if there are conditions that would make the procedure even work better if it is approved.   

Hi.  I hope I'm posting this in the correct forum.  Please let me know if there's one that's more appropriate and I'll copy and paste this accordingly. I live alone and I'm looking for recommendations for a daily check-in service (phone call, text, or choice of either).  I came across one called "Iamfine" on Google that looked like a possibility and was what I would consider reasonably priced.  Has anyone here used this particular service, or is there another one that you or a loved one has used that you would recommend (or conversely, any that I should stay away from)?  What would be even better is if I can find something that's in combination with a "Life Alert" type notification service so that I could have one source for both purposes, but I don't know if this exists anywhere except in my imagination! 😄 Thanks in advance!

Playing brain games may lower dementia, do you play a game daily?  Here is a great article on this:  https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2017/brain-games-lower-dementia-fd.html   Share here what games do you play.

I found this to be very interesting.  Yes, all eyes have been on Washington State as their WashingtonCares plan starts to do some paying out - Washington Cares is the 1st state initiative for Long Term Care Insurance. It also sounds like some in the Senate may also be working on some type of LTC plan. KFF Health News - The New Old Age Article - 07/10/2026 - A New Option for Long-Term Care Costs  What do you think of these new ideas in Long Term Care payments for those outside of the Medicaid area.  

Just curious when you guys are going to address and speak to this issue. My guess is many of your members are negatively affected by Advantage plans and more specifically the ones AARP endorses - United healthcare. I am currently living the nightmare of dealing with UHC. Their denial, delay and defend strategies have all been applied to my care which has had a significant negative impact to my care and recovery.  I joined AARP because of your advocacies for seniors. What is currently in the news about the horrors of our healthcare system that are affecting seniors most needs to be talked about.The fact that AARP has been mostly silent on these matters AND endorses the worst offender is a disservice to your members. You lend your respected name, which I know your are paid handsomely for,  at the peril of your members.The exposure and pressure to reform their cruel practices needs more coverage, not just a silent endorsement.Please step up and help us on this issue. R

Would you throw out food if it is pass the “sell by” date? AP U.S. News 07/01/2026 - Did the milk expire? California bans ‘sell by’ food labels to cut food waste  I never even reference the sell by date or actually the use by date either, I got by my own senses and they have never failed me. What do you do?  

I would like to know if many of you would give me the approximate age of your PRIMARY CARE Medicare provider - your best guess or you could just say something like   Young (new to primary care) ormiddle age orolder orclose to retirement age.AND Are they a medical doc ? Need as many as possible to respond - to get an idea of what you are seeing in your area as far as on going availability Thank You 

We have discussed this  before here on this board - it is back in the limelight today KFF Health News 06/25/2026 - Legislators To Propose Bill Capping Out-of-Pocket Medicare Costs for Enrollees  Comments or Discussion ?    

 My wife and I switched to UHC this year on a recommendation from a broker who was "helping" us.Over the last few years my coverage with Florida Blue was in jeopardy due to mid-year contracts with our providers and hospital group in our county. My wife had Aetna for several years with no difficulties but was told her existing policy was no longer available in Florida(?).Shortly after agreeing to policies with UHC starting in January this year, we receive letters from our PCP, the hospital group and UHC stating they also are in mid-year contract negotiations and may drop coverage June 1 if not resolved.My first question is "why these companies can negotiate and drop services mid-year while we are locked in Jan through Dec?" I have sent letters to a local congressman on Medical and Health committees requesting a correction to this practice but no replies. Of course, during this period of uncertainty, all reimbursements and customer service were completely stopped and absolutely

I am sure we will get all the same responses as in the past but FYI got our Supplemental Plan G increases for this year in Arizona.  30.08% over last year.  I do not have the plan with the declining discount.  Yes I know I can change and yes I will look.  I am guessing the other are similar now.  So much for affordability.  

 Definitely NOT just AARP/UHC Supplemental plans that are seeing these premium  increases.  KFF Health News - 04/23/2026 - Medigap Premiums Leap, and Consumers Have Few Alternatives  from the link [copy/paste - portions of the article - most of it actually]From an Illinois based broker:  More than 80 of his customers who were enrolled in the same Medicare supplemental plan from the insurer Chubb got hit last August with a 45% increase.  . . . . . In my 49 years of doing biz as a broker, I’ve never seen a premium increase be effective immediately on everyone, instead of on their policy anniversary . . . .  While 45% was an unusually big jump, Jaggi and other brokers say double-digit premium increases for Medicare supplemental, or Medigap, policies are becoming the norm. In the supplemental market, following big increases last year, rates appear to be rising again.  In early 2026 filings with state insurance commissioners f

I have been under the impression that a person insured by a HD-G plan is only liable for the monthly premiums on the HD-G as well as the HD-G annual deductible ($2,950 in 2026), no matter what - even if you get socked with a million-dollar hospital bill in one year. Am I correct? The reason I am asking is a statement I read online, and forgive me for this "copy and paste:" Massive Out-of-Pocket Risk:  If you were to develop a severe, chronic, or critical illness (such as cancer requiring expensive treatments or infusions), you will blow through the High-Deductible G (HD-G) deductible very early in the year. Once you meet it, you then pay 20% coinsurance on all subsequent Medicare-approved services, which can equal thousands of dollars. In other words, isn't the statement about "Massive out-of-pocket risk" above incorrect? Edit to illustrate the rational decision on which to buy (G vs. HD-G): And if your maximum annual outlay ("MOOP") for an HD-G plan is&nb

Without going into a ton of details, here is a quick outline of the problem I'm having with UHC. I have a Dual Complete plan with UHC, and when I first joined UHC in mid-2025, I was able to use my UHC Card to purchase healthy foods.  My wife is currently being treated for stage three breast cancer, and the ability to buy healthy food was a great blessing to us.   However, UHC took this option away from me on January 1st of 2026, and when I called to ask them about it, they told me that I would have to have a form known as the SSBCI Verification Form signed by a doctor, and then they would return healthy food assistance to me.   Last Friday I took the SSBCI Verification Form to a doctor's appointment with me, but when I showed it to the medical assistant, she acted like I showed her a poisonous snake, and she was very adamant that no one at their facility would be willing to sign my form me for me.  I explained to the medical assistant that I

Until just today I have not really felt so bad about aging as I do now. I am 64 and just went to a seminar this morning on senior linkage line information sources. I have also been going to various medicare seminars to start learning about my upcoming options. Usually, in my life I have enjoyed problem solving and learning information was a way to feel empowered. But lately, I have felt terribly overwhelmed by problems to be solved and all this aging information seems to me a bit overwhelming as I navigate to try to figure out how I can care for myself as I grow older. I have no kids to help me out with this. As I was driving somewhere today, I suddenly just started crying, tears coming down my cheeks. I am starting to very, very overwhelmed with so many aspects of aging and all the upcoming changes. I think another thing that spilled over is the ongoing severe stress on retirement investment accounts due to the decreases the past year and now this horrible banking crises starting. I f

One thing that currently fills me with gratitude is the number of PBS channels my T.V. antenna picks up...far far more than I ever got with cable T.V. alone.  Anyway, two of the channels I get have been running a bunch of Lucy Worsley and reruns of the Ben Franklin biographical series from a few years ago. After watching Lucy's account of the brutal injustice done upon one Agnes Sampson, some of the things Mr. Franklin said have taken on a deeper meaning: To be proud of virtue, is to poison yourself with the Antidote. (As Silence Dogood commenting on parents sending their children to Harvard) I reflected in my Mind on the extream Folly of those Parents, who, blind to their Childrens Dulness, and insensible of the Solidity of their Skulls, because they think their Purses can afford it, will needs send them to the Temple of Learning, where, for want of a suitable Genius, they learn little more than how to carry themselves handsomely, and enter a Room genteely, (which