Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for:

• People 65 years of age and older.
• Some people with disabilities under age 65.
• People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant).

Medicare has Two Parts:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance) Most people don’t have to pay for Part A.
• Part B (Medical Insurance) Most people pay monthly for Part B.

Medicare offers you the ability to choose different services. Depending on where you live, you could have different choices. In most cases, when you first get Medicare, you are in the Original Medicare Plan after that you may want to consider a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to add drug coverage to your health plan. You may also want to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that provides all your Part A, Part B, and often Part D coverage. You make a choice when you are first eligible for Medicare. Each year you can review your health and prescription needs and switch to a different plan in the fall.

As long as you have both Part A and Part B, items covered by Part A and Part B are covered whether you have the Original Medicare Plan, or you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO). For more information see the Your Medicare Coverage database.

I find that most families wait for a crisis to occur before they talk about aging and the possibilites of moving or hiring care for the home. AARP recently conducted a survey that shows a high percentage of adults have not yet talked to their parents about aging.

Here are the facts:

A recent survey by AARP found that nearly 70 percent of adult children have not talked to their parents about issues related to aging. Some children avoid this most intimate of conversations because they believe their parents don’t want to talk. Others think they know what their parents want. And some simply don’t want to face the very real truth that if you are lucky enough to have parents who live well into their senior years, chances are good that disease, injury, frailty, even loneliness, will affect a parent’s well-being.

It is so important to talk to your loved ones before you are stuck in a really hard place. I am sure if you have been through a rough situation you can relate.

Don’t be afraid to talk about the inevitable aging process.

I love that Newsweek has dedicated an entire section to Baby Boomer’s. Its called Boomer Files. I would check this out daily to read interesting articles and keep up to date with current events.

They have articles like this one titlted:

Insuring Your Future Care

The article talks about insurance compnaies offering new forms of long-term-care insurance for boomers who might be willing to buy at a younger age.

Read the entire article at www.newsweek.com

What a great article. You have to read this. The sad thing is that this article is all too true.

In recent years, Medicaid has spent more money on antipsychotic drugs for Americans than on any other class of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, AIDS drugs or medicine to treat high-blood pressure.

One reason: Nursing homes across the U.S. are giving these drugs to elderly patients to quiet symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Nearly 30% of the total nursing-home population is receiving antipsychotic drugs, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, known as CMS. In a practice known as “off label” use of prescription drugs, patients can get these powerful medicines whether they are psychotic or not. CMS says nearly 21% of nursing-home patients who don’t have a psychosis diagnosis are on antipsychotic drugs.

There is much more at www.wsj.com

Source: www.wsj.com

 

 

Glaxo Smith Kline Plc is likely to delay marketing its troubled Avandia diabetes pill as an Alzheimer’s disease treatment because patients are reluctant to volunteer for research studies.
Glaxo, Europe’s largest drugmaker, has lost more than 33 percent of Avandia’s $3.3 billion in annual sales since a report in May tied the pill to heart attacks. Glaxo is trying to transform the drug into an Alzheimer’s therapy after a preliminary study in 2005 suggested that Avandia may improve memory in some patients.

Source: Bloomberg.com. Please read the entire story at www.bloomberg.com

“Medicare 2008″ helps the public understand Medicare and prescription drug coverage

Reservations required. 10:30 a.m. Free.

Fullerton Senior Multi-Service Center

340 W. Commonwealth Ave. (714) 738-6305.

News!

Long-term care insurer MedAmerica, will expand with a new carrier domiciled in Florida on Dec. 15, MedAmerica Insurance Company of Florida .Recognizing the unique qualities and opportunities of the Florida market, MedAmerica decided to incorporate a new carrier dedicated to that state.

Here’s a summary of the plan:

After a Simplicity policyholder becomes benefit eligible, they receive monthly benefits distributed from their Cash Benefit Account. Their monthly cash benefit is prepaid and is guaranteed in full each month they remain on claim, whether or not they received services. A person can use the funds as they choose, no company approval is required. Cash Benefit Accounts are available in varying amounts from $100,000 to $1 million and can grow over time using various inflation protection options.

Policyholders have been notified that MedAmerica Insurance Company of Florida has assumed their MedAmerica Insurance Company contracts issued in Florida. There are no changes in coverage or premium as a result of this transaction. Only the carrier has changed.

Source: MedAmerica.

I was browsing information on Long Term Care Insurance for a client that I am working with. I was happy to see that more interactive resources will available for people searching for tips, help and education!

Here’s a overview:

The nation’s most experienced long term care insurance brokerage LTC Finacial Partners, is offering two free assists.

- A quarterly newsletter with prevention tips

-Access to Living Longer, a new online group that will share videos and forum posts on healthy aging. The group is hosted by SuperLife World Service, a social network that promotes physical, mental, and environmental betterment.

Please visit: www.ltcfp.us/ltcfp/living-longer.html. to learn more.

There is so much imformation on what to eat and what not eat to boost your brain. Here are just a few very easy tips to build into your daily routine.

Brain Boosters:

Supplements! Make sure your high-potency multi-vitamin has a sufficient amount of the substances your brain needs most to stay in top shape. Among them:

Folate: A member of the B vitamin group, this nutrient is found naturally in legumes, kidneys, oranges and leafy green vegetables. Few Americans get enough in their diet, so make sure your intake is at least the recommended daily dose of 400 micrograms.

Other B vitamins: Vitamins B6 and B12 are believed to be involved in the formation of the sheaths around nerve cells that contribute to communication between these cells. People with Alzheimer’s often have reduced levels of B vitamins.

Vitamins C and E together: The most effective doses are 400 to 1,000 International Units of vitamin E, and 500 to 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C.

Omega-3 fats: Eat at least two servings of tuna, salmon or sardines a week, but consider taking a supplement, too. Though there’s no recommended amount, most fish oil pills provide plenty. Make sure that a third party has verified the oil is free from contaminants, such as mercury.

Drinking and thinking. be sure to SIP the wine..no need to rush.

Alcohol kills brain cells, and the more you drink the more brain cells are destroyed. So it’s a no-brainer to keep your consumption in check—no more than one drink per day.

Minding your meditation. Reward yourself daily with a little meditation! As little as 15 minutes a day may be enough—whether it’s sitting in the car in traffic or relaxing in bed before calling it a night.