Health

This is a referral to an AARP link, but I tried it both broiled & baked, and really enjoyed it so I thought I'd share. https://stayingsharp.aarp.org/recipes/balsamic-marinated-chicken/   

  Is AARP doing anything to address the doughnut hole in Medicare, and how to eliminate it completely? I just spent almost $500 for insulin to keep me alive.  I am on Social Security and Medicare and I do not   know in I will be able to afford this life saving medicine when I need to refill it.

 World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an international day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. [source: Wiki] World Mental Health Day  [source: World Health Organization/W.H.O.]  'When talking about suicide, avoid using these words'If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit the 988 Lifeline website. [source: CNN] Remember, you are enough!  👉😌👈  So, take care of yourself! 

Ever get tired of eating the same food staples? Did you know that even small changes to your diet may support your brain health? Good nutrition is essential for optimal brain function, and research has found that certain plant compounds, amino acids, vitamins and minerals found in food can help protect memory, regulate emotions and control blood sugar. Read this article to find out which six foods you should add to your grocery list. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on brain health.

Discover the social benefits of pet ownership. Pets aren’t just companions; they’re social catalysts that can help you form new connections and friendships. Read More. Explore AARP® Staying Sharp® for more brain health tips and resources.

One of the common tactics of perpetuating antisocial values and behavior in our culture is the use of the rhetorical phrase "Grow up" or "Oh Grow Up".  Hopefully reviewing this material will provide a more meaningful understanding what it truly means to Grow Up.Including a couple of links to information about Mama Bears in this post.  Maybe folks will find some inspiration in them.  Mama Bears on POV  Mama Bears Home Page  These brave people are one example of the many who are seeking redress of the many antisocial values that infect human cultures.  Everything from concerns about AI to Gun Violence, Anti-Vaxers, Sudan and Ukraine is a product of a culture embracing rather than growing beyond our antisocial mistakes of the past. P.S.  This time of year is accompanied by persistent sleep disruption for me so I hope this doesn't sound too cranky...please checkout the links it really is an amazing record of prosocial personal growth.

I had a wonderful dentist who partnered w his patients; his staff could tell you to a nickel what the share was for each visit. He tried to hold costs down. Unfortunately he passed away, and I’ve not been unsuccessful at duplicating the experience. One dentist provided me w a treatment plan, but I could not pin her down on what the actual cost would be. Lasers for pockets, a back tooth implant w a graft, etc. I didn’t want any of it. Thousands! My current dentist’s staff puts a clipboard in front of you while you’re in the chair and makes you sign responsibility for the ‘estimate.’ Fine, OK, but he just did an onlay that cost $1200 above the estimate, now I’m on the hook for $1700. My dental insurance paid $85 would have covered 50% of a crown had he done one. No one in my retirement planning told me to have $40,000 in an account held in reserve for dental care. I’m at a loss in more way than one. It’s costing $3000 a year for dental care and I have insurance. How can seniors advocate

After 45 years of using the same insurance company, we decided to look into Hartford. What a mistake! I set up auto pay for Auto insurance when I took out policy. I verified all info in system was correct, yet they failed to take payment and cancelled policy without notifying me. I found out when I checked bank statement and saw it was not withdrawn. No problem, I thought. I called and called and could get noone to help me. AARP members are lowest on priority. Finally, after hours of being shuffled around, I talked to a live person that informed me there was nothing they could do. It was cancelled due to non-payment and it could not be reinstated. She advised that I call and get coverage right away with another company. I also have my homeowners with them, so now they leave me stuck to get coverage and also change my homeowners since it is too expensive without bundling. I wish I had never changed. They are the worst company I have ever dealt with and it is not worth switching. How can

Life happens. You get a flat tire, make a mistake at work or get into an argument with a friend. It’s possible to respond to stress in a neutral or even positive way, but avoiding negativity can be a real challenge. So let’s find a way to deal with life’s little defeats. Explore this activity on Staying Sharp and learn how focusing on the upsides of stressful situations can help you. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on brain health.

We make decisions multiple times a day. But as we get older, everyday reasoning can become a bit challenging. Good problem-solving skills are essential for feeling healthy and remaining independent as you age. The Everyday Reasoning challenge provides you with strategies to solve problems in your daily life. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on brain health.

Do you have a number in mind? Do you want to live to be 80, 90 or 100? How about 115 or 120?Do you think it matters what your expectations are? I do. I think if you expect to live a long healthy life, your chances of doing so are greater.

We all have bad habits, but some of them can really take a toll on our mental abilities. Learn about nine habits to avoid, from smoking to sitting too much, in this article, and discover how simple lifestyle changes may impact your mental well-being. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on brain health.

It might do each and all of us a world of good to laugh this hard at least once a day. Tim Conway on The Carol Burnett Show 

  Patient portals are healthcare-related online applications that allow patients to interact and communicate with their healthcare providers, such as physicians and hospitals.  Your whole health history is there - from you filling out a questionnaire on your family to other things like conditions and surgeries one has had in the past, pregnancies if a female, anything else   ALL the results of any test like CT Scans, MRI, lab work.Your medication list is there.  Name, dose, frequencyany allergiesvaccination and immunization recordresults of last preventive test of whatever kindyour docs and specialist are thereyou can make and cancel appointment you can view your claims and their statushave your insurance plans listed in priorityyou can get a price quote on some procedureAND much more This is what Medicare has paid money to health providers to establish - the Electronic Health Records (EHR)  It is all secure and under several layers of sign

   I’m pushing 70.  I have most of my hair but the gray is slowly creeping up the sides.  I am retired, but I could go back to work if I wanted to.  I rarely get sick or take medication.  I wouldn’t want to be a soldier in the military or run cross country, like I did in high school, but I’m fit to do most anything else.  No memory problems.  I’m not angry.  My politics and religion haven’t changed.  In short, I am what I’ve always been.  So why do people insist on calling me “elderly” or “retired” or “senior”?  Why do they automatically give me senior discounts or hold the door for me?  

How Many Steps per Day Are Enough?What should you set as your pedometer goal?    By Wendy Bumgardner | Reviewed by a board-certified physicianUpdated June 20, 2017Is 10,000 steps per day the right number to set as the daily target on your pedometer? You may wonder where that number came from and whether it is a good goal for most people. Does it really indicate that you are getting enough exercise for fitness, enough to reduce health risks and support weight loss?Why Is 10,000 Steps the Magic Number?A goal of 10,000 steps per day was created as a promotion by a pedometer company in Japan in the 1960s and it became popular as it was adopted by walking clubs.It wasn't based on research. It just sounded good.Once the goal of 10,000 steps per day was established, researchers played catch-up and found it was a good indicator you were getting somewhere near the recommended amount of physical activity during that day to reduce health risks. Now many activity monitors and pedome

Recent research is challenging many long-held assumptions about the older brain. And it’s a myth that you have no control over many age-related brain issues. In fact, doing nothing and just chalking them up to getting older may accelerate some of these changes. Check out these six common brain myths as well as facts about what happens to the brain as we age. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on brain health.

On 04.26.2024, HHS issued a whole lot of new rules on health care coverage -HHS.gov-HHS Issues New Rule to Strengthen Nondiscrimination Protections and Advance Civil Rights in Health CareThis is just one small part of it -For the first time, the Department will consider Medicare Part B payments as a form of Federal financial assistance for purposes of triggering civil rights laws enforced by the Department, ensuring that health care providers and suppliers receiving Part B funds are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex and disability.By just reading this very short statement, I am sure everybody would say, That’s great - but then when you get down to reading all the fine print which one only finds in reading the whole rule in the Federal Registry do you understand that there is gonna be a lot of cost to this for Medicare Beneficiaries to absorb in their Part B premiums and by proxy, into their Medigap premiums if one has chosen this way

 If you have Original Medicare, your doctor should let you know if you are - An Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is a group of doctors, hospitals, and/or other health care providers who work together to improve the quality and experience of care you get. Medicare.gov- Accountable Care OrganizationYou could be in one of these through Original Medicare if your doctor belongs to one.You could be in one of these if your Medicare Advantage plan with your doctor has placed you within one.CMS.gov - Accountable Care and Accountable Care Organizations YouTube Video from CMS.gov on ACO (Accountable Care Orgaizartions)  

Looking for a way to estimate the total annual dollar exposure I will have arising from Medicare's 20% Part B Coinsurance.

Does anyone know if Eyemed is really available if you have the UHC plan G supplement? It’s listed as a benefit for AARP UHC supplement G, with $50 eye exams. My eye doctor is listed as a provider but they do not seem to recognize me as in the program. Neither does LensCrafters or another eye doctor near me (I’m in NH, near the MA border) who is listed as being an Eyemed provider. They’ve asked me for a group number which I don’t have. The UHC AARP Medicare Supplement website says I’ve got coverage but that’s it. Call the number listed and my doctors are in the plan. Call various doctors and they say they don’t see me as having insurance/where is your group number. I’ve called the UHC customer service line and no one calls me back (wait times 30 minutes plus.)

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE! What You Need to Know About FLiRT, the Latest COVID Variants. Experts caution not to let down your guard just because winter is behind us. By Rachel Nania, AARP. Published May 09, 2024. With national levels of respiratory illness declining and warmer weather on the horizon, COVID-19 may no longer be top of mind. But don’t let it slip too far, health experts warn. “COVID is down, but it has not gone away. I would say it’s continuing to smolder out there,” says infectious disease expert William Schaffner, M.D., a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. *** USE LINK AT BOTTOM OF THIS POST TO READ THIS ARTICLE *** [1] Then enter Email Address you used to sign in to use This Site.   [2] Then enter the password you use.   [3] Lastly, there are 3 LETTERS that will "pop up" as their SECURITY CHECK. Enter those.   [4] Then click log in. htt

   Investopedia:  PERSONALFINANCE - INSURANCE. Statutory Reserves: Definition and Examples I know as seniors who i have been around for a very long time, we feel we should know it all - but since I retired, many moons ago, I have found that there is still much more to learn.  And it help to know about the things that really affect us.  

  AARP.org 10/11/2023 - 10 Things You Need To Know About Choosing A Medigap Plan Some of the 10 from the link ~  7. Some States Set Their Own Enrollment Rules Connecticut and New York let Medicare beneficiaries buy a Medigap plan at any time without being denied. Other states (including California, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon and Washington) let you switch plans at designated times. Premiums will be higher for states that are more liberal with their Enrollment rules - You pay for the added risk. 8. Different plans have very different prices For example, a 65-year-old nonsmoking man in Fort Myers, Florida, could pay $64 a month for a Plan K policy or $263 for Plan D. A 65-year-old nonsmoking woman in Wichita, Kansas, might pay $32 a month for a high-deductible Plan G policy versus $455 for a regular Plan G. And by picking up more of the risk - you get a lower premium as the high-deductible plans show. &

   Investopedia 12/04/2023- Medicare Supplement Insurance Costs  A really interesting and informative article - this chart is just a small part of it.Medicare Supplement Cost Comparison Chart The following price ranges are for a 65-year-old male nonsmoker living in Florida ZIP code 33012.  Medigap Plan Type  Medigap Cost Range (monthly) Medicare Supplement Plan A$166 - $345Medicare Supplement Plan B $218 - $327 Medicare Supplement Plan C$294 - $364 Medicare Supplement Plan D $290 - $339 Medicare Supplement Plan F$254 - $461 Medicare Supplement High-Deductible Plan F $64 - $156 Medicare Supplement Plan G $237 - $409Medicare Supplement High-Deductible Plan G $64 - $144 Medicare Supplement Plan K $82 - $162Medicare Supplement Plan L $182 - $212 Medicare Supplement Plan M $268 - $268 Medicare Supplement Plan N $191 - $312  High-Deductible Plan F and High-De