Tag: senior
Starting in 2020, the Medicare Supplement Plan C and Plan F will no longer be available for those NEW to Medicare.
What happened: With broad bipartisan support, Congress passed the Medicare “doc fix” in April. The bill focused on fixing the way Medicare pays physicians, and included big changes to the current Medicare system.
Why: The bill’s primary purpose was to prevent doctors from getting a 21% pay cut, and to overhaul the physician payment formula that Medicare uses. By 2020, Medicare beneficiaries will pay for the Part B deductible on their own.
When: The bill was passed in April. It will go into effect in 2020, but Part B premiums will likely see a small rise next year.
What does it mean: There are three major changes for Medicare beneficiaries:
Those will higher incomes will pay higher premiums. This is expected to affect only 2% of Medicare users– individuals with current incomes of $133,500 or higher, and couples with current incomes of $267,000 or higher.
Everyone will pay higher Part B premiums. The Medicare “doc fix” will increase all program costs. Medicare users’ premiums are required to cover 25% of Part B costs, so Part B premiums have to increase to fill that quota.
Supplemental Medicare Plans will no longer cover Part B deductibles. The C plan and the F plan are the only plans that cover the Part B deductible, so they will no longer be offered in current form to NEW Medicare users.
If you have the C or F plan, you do not need to change your plan just yet. You will not lose your current plan. The C and F plans will not be available to NEW beneficiaries in 2020.
Gradual increases are nothing new, but prices across the board are up, rivaling
those of brand drugs.
This image from the AARP shows how the prices of some drugs have increased since 2005.
When the patent expires on a brand-name drug, companies can begin manufacturing generic versions of the drug.
If the patent on a brand drug has expired, companies will alter the drug slightly (like a change from the original version to time-release) that they can keep the patent on. -AARP
“Pay for Delay”: Brand companies will pay manufacturers of generic brands not to produce the generic drug, so they can maintain control of the price and the market -AARP
Or, natural occurrences in the market can cause price increases.
Reduced competition: problems with the supply of raw materials, difficulties manufacturing drugs, and fewer companies (due to closings or mergers) -ABC News
When there is less competition, companies can raise prices.
It becomes more expensive to produce the drug (the least likely answer to the current rising prices) -AARP
The FDA is slow making decisions on generic drug applications -ABC News
The Office of the Inspector General’s last review of the FDA in 2008 found that many reviews took the allotted 180 days, and many took longer. 96% of applications for new drugs were denied because they didn’t meet the FDA’s standards.
The Office of the Inspector General will review the price increases of generic drugs since 2005 in a new report, as requested by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). The legislators introduced bills in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House targeting the high prices of generic drugs.
Is your drug going generic soon? View this chart to find out.
Price Spike for Some Generic Drugs; Costs for Brand-Name Drugs Also Rising
AARP
When Carol Ann Riha, 57, filled her prescription for the generic cholesterol-lowering drug Pravastatin, she was in for sticker shock. For months, she’d been paying $4 for a 30-day supply. Suddenly the price had climbed more than four times as high, to nearly $19. “I asked my pharmacist why, and he had no answer,” says Riha, a retired journalist who lives with her husband in West Des Moines, Iowa… By her accounting, the drugs that cost her $849 in 2013 almost doubles in price the last year, to $1,700.
With Generic Prescription Drug Prices Surging, Families Are Feeling the Squeeze
ABC News
When Tricia Salese called her local pharmacy for a price check on her next prescription refill, she was stunned when the pharmacist told her the cost of her generic-brand pain medication had gone up again. Salese, 49, started taking fentanyl citrate, the generic version of Actiq, a powerful painkiller, in 2010, and she takes three doses per day. Back then, she said, the price per dose was 50 cents. Now, the pharmacist told her when she called, it was going to cost her $37.49 per dose.
We’ve been trying to spotlight some healthy recipes for you lately, and boy do we have a good one for you today! I don’t know about you but here at My Medicare Planner we are looking forward to a fun, festive Thanksgiving with lots of delicious food, and this recipe could just be the newest addition to your holiday menu. Courtesy of Food Network Kitchen, this is an easy and healthier dessert option–Pumpkin Brulee Cheesecake.
Check out the recipe here.
I don’t know about you, but getting cozy inside with a nice warm cup of cocoa sounds like the perfect way to spend this rainy day. According to an article by the senior news and lifestyle website ‘Third Age,’ that cup of cocoa made do more for you than just warming your soul–it may just keep your memory strong longer. The article delves into the results of a study performed by Columbia University Medical Center scientists that found that age-related memory decline can be reduced or slowed by certain dietary changes. Namely, the scientists found that the naturally occurring ‘flavanols’ in the cocoa bean were significant ‘memory-boosters.’ Not all cocoa products carry these important flavanols, however, as they are sometimes removed during processing of the cocoa bean. So for a little extra brain power, check the label of your cocoa and be sure it includes theses flavanols before indulging in a cup.
Check out the rest of this fascinating article here.
An active lifestyle is important for people of any age, but as you head into your senior years it becomes a vital tool for battling and preventing age-related health issues. A regular program of moderate-intensity exercise can help control blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, and reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. Working your muscles, tendons, bones, and joints helps to fight osteoporosis, lower your everyday risk for injury, and helps to manage back pain and arthritis. Exercise truly can add years to your life, and people who follow a regular exercise plan report feeling happier and experiencing less stress.
If you’re like most people, the biggest obstacle to their fitness goals is simply getting started. It can be difficult to know just where to begin, with what exercises, how to do them properly, for how long, etc. That’s where this guide from the National Institute on Aging comes in, entitled “Exercise and Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide,” it is a comprehensive online book that covers all aspects of engaging in exercise as a senior. From evaluating your current ability levels to setting goals and finally to implementing an exercise plan and getting moving, this guide is a great resource–and its free!
Check out the guide here, and check back on the blog later for more fun, beneficial exercises.
Interested in getting out to enjoy some of the great things that Richmond has to offer this weekend? Here are a couple fun things going on around town this weekend.
Witch Trial
- What: an interactive re-enactment of a witch trial based on historical events
- Where: Agecroft Hall
- When: Friday and Saturday at 8:15 PM
- Cost: $7
Fridays Uncorked: Entertaining on a Budget
- What: a sampling of inexpensive wines that are great for gift giving or entertaining this holiday season
- Where: Southern Season
- When: Friday 5-8:00 PM
- Cost: $15
Holly Jolly Christmas
- What: a Christmas festival with trolley rides, vendors, and activities
- Where: Lakeside Avenue between Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and Bryan Park
- When: Friday 5-9:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
- Cost: Free
REAP’s Artisan Showcase & Auction
- What: artisans with disabilities sell their products, performance by Harp Therapy Outreach Program, auction proceeds benefit Richmond Entrepreneur’s Assistance Program
- Where: Northstar Academy
- When: Friday 5-8:00 PM
- Cost: Free
Gifts from the Heart Holiday Gift Fair
- What: a holiday gift fair
- Where: St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
- When: Friday 7-9:00 PM, Sunday 9:15-1:00 PM
- Cost: Free
Clover Hill Irish Festival
- What: festival with live entertainment, food, and craft vendors
- Where: Clover Hill High School
- When: Saturday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Cost: Free
Of course Richmond is a busy city, and there is much, much more than this. For a comprehensive list check out Style Weekly’s online calendar here.
We’re sticking with the Veterans Day theme from earlier this week for today’s post. Have you seen this adorable video of the family pup welcoming home his soldier owner? The video, posted on YouTube by user Rachel Burich, shows the adorable reaction of a Golden Retriever to seeing his owner for the first time since he was deployed to Kuwait 9 months earlier. If you need a fix of cute and funny, this is for you.
Did you know that lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and women?
The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States in 2014 there will be:
- 224,210 new cases of lung cancer (116,000 men and 108,210 women)
- 159,260 deaths from lung cancer
For seniors in particular, the largest demographic that faces lung cancer diagnosis, screenings for lung cancer offer the greatest opportunity for early detection and treatment, which in turn increases the possibility of survival. An interesting article from NBC News published yesterday discusses a proposal by Medicare to pay for this life-saving testing as a means for prevention similar to colonoscopies and mammograms.
“Experts project that the screening test, which costs $250-$300, may prevent as many as 20 percent of future deaths from lung cancer, making it akin to mammograms and colonoscopies in terms of saving lives.”
Check out the entire article from NBC News here.
First, we would like to extend our sincere admiration and gratitude to the brave men and women who have served or are currently serving in the United States Military. Your dedication and sacrifice is a great part of what makes this country such a wonderful place to live.
Now, how about a couple fun Veterans Day facts?
- Did you know that the Veterans Day we celebrate today was instituted by President Wilson in 1919 as ‘Armistice Day’? Coming on the heels of what was then known as The Great War (World War I), Wilson declared this day to be one “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”
- It wasn’t until May 13, 1938 that an Act was passed to declare the day an official legal holiday in the United States.
- On October 8, 1938, President Eisenhower issued the first ‘Veterans Day Proclamation’ that officially changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
- In Britain, people often observe two minutes of silence in honor of veterans at 11 am on November 11th.
Lets talk deals!
A number of local businesses as well as chains are offering some great deals for Veterans Day this year, like a free meal at Chik-fil-A or a free doughnut and coffee from Krispy Kreme. Check out the full list of deals for Richmond here, as well as this comprehensive nationwide list , but most places require proof of service so don’t forget to bring your ID!
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has the detailed history on its website, which you can check out here for more information.
Here is a great, healthy recipe to satisfy both your sweet and savory cravings this fall. From eatingwell.com, these maple roasted sweet potatoes look delicious! Try out the recipe for dinner or add it to your menu for Thanksgiving this year and lose the guilt–with only two grams of fat and stocked with nutrients like Vitamins A and C, they are a healthy treat!
Check out the full recipe here.