HEALTHY LIVING
Medicare open enrollment ends Dec. 7: Comparing coverage options
(Family Features) If you’re enrolled in Medicare, it’s important to remember Medicare Open Enrollment is open through Dec. 7 each year. It is the time for people with Medicare to compare their prescription drug and health coverage options for the upcoming year.
It is important to compare your options because plans can change every year – even your current choice may be changing. Your health needs can change, too. By comparing all your options, you could save money, find a coverage option better tailored to your needs or both.
How to Compare Prescription Drug and Health Coverage Options
Medicare.gov is the official source for information about Medicare and Open Enrollment. You may see enrollment information from various insurance companies and other sources. Start at Medicare.gov to get unbiased information to find the type of coverage that best meets your needs.
Comparing prescription drug and health coverage options is easy at Medicare.gov. You can input the list of medications you are taking and conduct a side-by-side comparison of plan coverage, costs and quality ratings. If you are happy with your current choice, you don’t have to do anything. If you choose a new option for 2024, you can enroll right there.
Before you enroll in a plan, consider the following:
- Check if your health care providers are in a plan’s network.
- Check if your prescriptions are included on a plan’s formulary and if the plan works with your pharmacy.
- Check the plan’s Star Rating on Medicare.gov to see how it performs on quality, customer service and more.
- Remember low monthly premiums may not always be the best overall value for your specific needs.
- Review a plan’s estimated total costs to you, including deductible and other out-of-pocket costs.
- Check if Medicare Advantage plans offer extra benefits, like vision, hearing or dental coverage, if you need these services.
- Remember that you may need a referral or prior authorization for some services under Medicare Advantage plans.
Vaccine, Insulin and Drug Cost Savings
Improvements to the Medicare program are adding up to savings and improved access to affordable treatments because of the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Insulin: If you have Medicare and take insulin, you’ll pay no more than $35 for a month’s supply of each covered insulin. This includes people who have Medicare drug coverage (Part D) and all Part B covered insulins.
- Vaccines: People with Medicare drug coverage will pay nothing out of pocket for adult vaccines, including the shingles vaccine, that are recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
- Drug Cost Savings: In 2024, people enrolled in Part D who have very high drug costs will get some relief. Once they reach a certain threshold on paying out-of-pocket costs – what we call the catastrophic phase – they will no longer have additional cost sharing or copays at the pharmacy.
Medicare Can Help
To compare options and find the best coverage to fit your needs:
- Visit Medicare.gov and conduct side-by-side comparisons of costs and coverage.
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE. Help is available 24 hours a day, including weekends.
- Access personalized health insurance counseling in your community at no cost, available from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE for locations near you.
Medicare Options
There are two main ways to get Medicare coverage: Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage (Medicare-approved plans from private companies). There are differences between the two that are important to understand when reviewing your coverage options.
- With Original Medicare, you get your health care through Medicare Parts A and B. You can join a separate drug plan to get Medicare drug coverage (also called Part D). And you can see any doctor that takes Medicare anywhere in the U.S.
- Medicare Advantage is an alternative that usually bundles your health and drug coverage all in one plan. Some plans may offer extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover – like certain vision, hearing and dental services. In many cases, you can only use doctors who are in the plan’s network.
If you are new to Medicare or need to review the ways you can get your Medicare coverage, visit Medicare.gov and click “Get Started with Medicare.”
Extra Help with Prescription Drug Costs
If you are struggling with prescription drug costs, Extra Help is a Medicare program that can help pay for your drug coverage (Part D) premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and other costs. If you make less than $22,000 a year ($30,000 for married couples), it’s worth it to apply. Visit ssa.gov/extrahelp or call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to apply. The program will expand to cover more drug costs for people with limited resources in 2024. People who qualify for Extra Help generally will pay no more than $4.50 for each generic drug and $11.20 for each brand-name drug.
Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(Family Features) Strokes can happen to anyone, at any age – even young people. Despite being one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the United States, strokes are largely preventable, treatable and beatable – if you can control your risk factors.
According to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. Keeping blood pressure in check, living a healthy lifestyle and knowing stroke warning signs may help protect you and your loved ones.
Here are key insights from the American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke initiative, nationally supported by the HCA Healthcare Foundation.
Controlling Risk Factors
Up to 80% of strokes may be preventable, according to the American Stroke Association. You can take action to prevent strokes by managing your risk factors, like high blood pressure, a leading cause and controllable risk factor for stroke and heart disease.
Other risk factors include diabetes and obesity, which can be kept in check with healthy lifestyle behaviors such as good nutrition. Quitting smoking and being physically active are important. Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, which is a quivering or irregular heartbeat, also increases stroke risk. In fact, people with AFib are five times more likely to have a stroke, according to the American Heart Association.
Preventing a Second Stroke
Nearly 1 in 4 strokes occur in people who had a previous stroke, sometimes because they don’t know what caused the first, making identifying the cause of the stroke a key step toward future prevention. Treatment depends on the type of stroke someone is having, which can be determined with a series of medical evaluations and tests.
Work with your health care professional to develop a plan that helps you move forward after a first stroke while preventing a second. This plan should include controlling risk factors, like achieving and maintaining healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
“Preventing a second stroke is possible with the right approach,” said Teresita Casanova, MD, HCA Healthcare affiliated neurologist and American Stroke Association volunteer expert. “Taking medicines as prescribed, monitoring health numbers, and making small, consistent lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Stroke survivors should feel empowered to take control of their health and work with their care team to build a strong prevention plan.”
To help you in your journey, you can rely on tools such as the Heart & Stroke Helper, a free self-management app available for stroke survivors and their caregivers. The app allows patients to oversee their health in one place with features that track progress on lifestyle habits, manage medications, track health numbers, provide information about stroke and allow patients to connect with others for inspiration.
Find more ways to manage second stroke risk at Stroke.org
Act F.A.S.T.: How to Detect Signs of Stroke
Most adults in the U.S. don’t know the stroke warning signs, nor that stroke is largely treatable if you call 911 as soon as you recognize the symptoms.
Learning the acronym F.A.S.T. can help you recognize that someone may be having stroke symptoms so you can take life-saving action.
F: Face Drooping. Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
A: Arm Weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S: Speech. Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.”
T: Time to Call 911. If you or anyone else shows any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Time spent soaking up the summer sun is one of the things that makes the season so appealing. Warm outdoor air has a calming effect that can make anyone feel more relaxed and comfortable.
As good as warm summer sun can feel, overexposure to the sun can be dangerous. The World Cancer Research Fund reports there were more than 330,000 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed across the globe in 2022. A significant percentage of skin cancer cases can be prevented, and prevention is a multifaceted process that includes skin care self-examinations. Self-exams do not take up much time, and individuals can speak with their physicians about how frequently they should check their skin for signs of skin cancer. The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers the following instructions for how to conduct a skin self-exam.
Choose the right time to examine your skin. The USNLM recommends conducting a skin exam after bathing. Women who routinely conduct breast self-exams can check their skin at this time as well.
Use a full-length mirror. ItÕs not always easy to examine skin throughout the body. But signs of skin problems can occur anywhere on the body, including areas that might be hard to see without help. If possible, conduct a self-exam of the skin in front of full-length mirror in a brightly lit room.
Identify what youÕre looking for. The USNLM notes you should be looking for any new skin markings. This includes bumps, moles, blemishes, and changes in skin color.
Pay close attention to preexisting moles. A potential sign of skin cancer includes moles that change over time. Examine preexisting moles to see if they have changed in size, texture, color, and shape.
Look for unusual moles. The USNLM characterizes certain moles as Òugly duckling moles.Ó These unique moles look and feel different from nearby moles and may be indicative of skin cancer. Speak with a dermatologist if a self-exam uncovers the presence of moles with uneven edges or differences in colors or asymmetric shapes. Moles that look different from one side to the other also should be brought to the attention of a dermatologist. Moles that do not stop bleeding or will not heal also merit examination by a skin care professional.
When the time comes to conduct the exam, the USNLM recommends following these steps:
- Look closely at your entire body, both front and back, in the mirror.
- Check under your arms and on both sides of each arm. Be sure to examine the backs of your upper arms, which can be hard to see.
- Bend your arms at the elbow, and examine both sides of your forearm.
- Examine the tops and palms of your hands.
- Examine the front and back of both legs.
- Examine your buttocks and between your buttocks.
- Examine your genital area.
- Examine your face, neck, the back of your neck, and scalp. Use both a hand mirror and full-length mirror, along with a comb, to see areas of your scalp.
- Examine your feet, including the soles and the spaces between your toes.
- Ask a person you trust to help examine hard-to-see areas.
Skin cancer poses a formidable threat, but many cases of the disease are preventable. Routine skin self-exams are a vital component of skin cancer prevention. TF256909
(Family Features) It’s no secret that many grocery store dairy sections are filled with more options today. One choice continuing to gain favor with consumers is 100% grass-fed organic dairy. Nutrition, environmental awareness and animal care are some of the leading reasons consumers choose grass-fed dairy products.
Globally, the 100% grass-fed dairy market is projected to continue growing and some market experts predict annual growth rates as high as 22%. If you’re curious about 100% grass-fed organic dairy, consider these benefits from Maple Hill, America’s original 100% grass-fed organic dairy producer. The pioneer of 100% grass-fed organic dairy took its commitment a step further by celebrating and declaring National 100% Grass-Fed Organic Dairy Day on April 15, which recognizes the positive impact it has on consumers, cows, farmers and the environment.
1. Honoring the Farmers
Unlike large-scale corporate dairy farms, most organic farms are small, family-owned operations dedicated to traditional, sustainable farming. Small dairy farms have been disappearing, but 100% grass-fed organic dairy creates a sustainable, viable path forward for farmers who work in harmony with nature.
This more natural approach to dairy is a “craft” process favoring small family farmers who are willing to dedicate the extra focus and patience to a better product and process. These family farms are passed on to future generations to grow the “better for you, better for the planet” approach.
2. Commitment to Good Health
Most consumers don’t know the difference between traditional organic and 100% grass-fed organic dairy. One key distinction is the products’ nutritional composition; 100% grass-fed organic dairy provides a 50% healthier ratio of omega 3:6 and 40% higher levels of CLA fatty acids, which may support heart health and provide other health benefits.
What’s more, Maple Hill’s products made with 100% grass-fed organic dairy are GMO free, hormone free and antibiotic free with no additives or fillers. The line of high-quality, rich-flavored products let you experience the organic difference from traditional dairy for a nutrient-dense solution that tastes as nature intended.
3. Happy, Healthy Cows
Cows on a 100% grass-fed diet can live up to three times as long as grain-fed cows and are never subjected to unnatural diets, hormones or antibiotics. More time in pastures filled with lush grass means cows have the freedom to roam, ruminate and graze on diverse, nutrient-rich grasses.
The result is happier, healthier cows, which in turn results in a richer, better-tasting and more nutrient-dense milk.
4. Sustainability and the Environment
Producing milk without grain or corn requires farmers to focus on regenerating soil and the soil life that supports everything else on the farm. In fact, the healthier the soil, the healthier the feed, so farmers have a natural incentive to be as regenerative as possible. Regenerative grazing practices are a powerful and positive tool to improve land and the web of life on farms by actively restoring soil health, promoting biodiversity and reducing the environmental impact compared to conventional dairy.
Well-managed grazing helps pull carbon from the atmosphere into the soil, fighting climate change in the process. In addition, healthier soil retains more water, reducing runoff and protecting water sources from agricultural pollution.
5. Strengthening the 100% Grass-Fed Organic Market
Consumers are increasingly aware of the choices they have in dairy products and how 100% grass-fed organic supports their health, farmers, animals and the planet. Some ways to support this category’s continued growth include choosing certified 100% grass-fed organic dairy, advocating for regenerative farming and helping shape a more sustainable food system.
Learn more about 100% grass-fed organic dairy products at maplehill.com.
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