Medicare Part D Costs for 2009As 2008 draws to a close, it is important for Medicare Part D participantsto review their coverage to make sure that it will still cover their health care needs at a cost they can afford in the coming year. Part D (Outpatient Prescription Drug Insurance) covers drugs bought at the pharmacy. There is no Original Medicare option for Part D coverage is available only through private plans, either stand-alone (Part D only) plans or as part of a Medicare private health plan that includes prescription drug coverage. Check you plan's coverage for '09 Each plan has its own list of covered drugs (formulary) with different costs. Part D is optional, but if you do not enroll when you are first eligible, and you do not have other coverage that is considered to be as good as Medicare drug coverage, you may have to pay a premium penalty when you do enroll. You will not, however, have to pay a premium penalty if you qualify for Extra Help federal assistance paying for Part D even if you are doing so after you were first eligible. Finding an affordable plan Part D plan costs change every year and each private plan has different costs, so check with plans in your area to find out what you will pay. With most plans you pay a monthly premium and part of the cost of each prescription (copayments or coinsurance) until total drug costs paid by you and the plan equal $2,700 (for most plans) Then you may have to pay the full cost of your drugs during the coverage gap, or "doughnut hole"). If you spend $4,350 in 2009 in out-of-pocket drug costs, you will then pay no more than 5 percent for each prescription (plus the premium). If your income is very low, you can get Extra Help to pay for most of these costs. For more information To learn more about the costs and coverage under Medicare Parts D, or to find out how to qualify for a Medicare Savings Program, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at www.medicareinteractive.org. Medicare Interactive Counselor is a resource provided by the Medicare Rights Center, the largest independent source of health care information and assistance in the United States for people with Medicare. www.medicareinteractive.org |
NIA Releases New Edition of Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery Link
This update to the 2003 edition of Unraveling the Mystery helps readers understand AD, its impact on individuals and society, and research advances to prevent or diminish the effects of the disease. The new edition: describes the basics of the healthy brain; focuses on changes that occur in a brain affected by AD; highlights findings from recent NIA-funded research into the causes of AD, new developments in diagnosis, and the search for new treatments; and addresses issues of concern to AD caregivers and families. The book also includes a glossary, a comprehensive list of organizations offering more information, and a list of recommended reading. To view, download, or order copies of Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery, go to: www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/Unraveling, or call NIA's Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at 1-800-438-4380. click here |
Flu and Other Potentially Life-Saving Vaccines and ShotsWhile in the office for your annnual flu shot, older adults should ask their healthcare providers if they need shots to protect against pneumococcal disease and other potentially deadly illnesses.The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) recommends the following vaccinations for most older adults: Flu Shot What It Does: Protects against the influenza virus Who Needs It: Anyone who's 50 or older, lives in a nursing home, or has a serious health condition such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, lung disease or HIV. However, people who are allergic to eggs and have demonstrated allergic reactions to flu shots or had Guillian-Barre Syndrome should not get the shot. When to Get It: Every year, ideally in October or November Pneumococcal Shot What It Does: Protects against pneumococcal bacteria, which can cause pneumonia, blood and brain infections Who Needs It: Anyone who needs a flu shot When to Get It: Only once, unless you had the shot before turning 65, in which case you'll need a "booster" shot after 5 years Tetanus/Diphtheria Shot What It Does: Protects against two potentially deadly bacterial infections Who Needs It: Everyone When to Get It: Once every 10 years AGS also recommends the new Herpes zoster (Shingles) shot for most adults 60 and older. It recommends additional shots including the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccination, and shots for Varicella, Hepatitis A and B, and Meningococcal disease for older adults at increased risk of these diseases. |
Study: Elderly Women Can Increase Strength But Still Risk Falls
DURHAM, N.H. Elderly women can increase muscle strength as much as young women can, a new study from the University of New Hampshire finds, indicating that decline in muscle function is less a natural part of the aging process than due to a decline in physical activity. The research, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, compared strength gains of inactive elderly women and inactive young women after both groups participated in an eight-week training regime. Yet while the two groups increased similar percentages of strength, the older group was far less effective in increasing power, which is more closely related to preventing falls. "Power is more important than strength for recovery from loss of balance or walking ability," says Dain LaRoche, assistant professor of exercise science at UNH and the lead author of the study. Preventing falls, which occur in 40 percent of people over 65 and are the top reason for injury-related emergency room visits, is the driving force behind LaRoche's research agenda. LaRoche's own interest in fall prevention in the elderly arose after helping his parents and sister care for his completely sedentary grandmother, helping her stay in her own home until she died at age 93. She broke both hips, lost six inches of height, and had osteoporosis so severe that a caregiver accidently crushed several of her ribs just helping her out of a chair. "There's a gap between life expectancy and quality of life in older age," LaRoche says. "We can improve that a lot with physical activity." LaRoche compared the initial strength of 25 young (18 33) and 24 old (65 84) inactive women then had both groups participate in resistance training on a machine that targeted knee extensor muscles, which are critical for walking, stair-climbing, or rising from a chair. "They're what let you live on your own," he says. After eight weeks of training, the older group not only increased their strength by the same percentage as the younger group, they achieved gained strength similar to a control group of young inactive women. But the older group's ability to increase power force over time was significantly less than the younger group's; the elderly women saw only a ten percent increase in power versus the younger women's 50 percent increase. "It's somewhat troublesome that these older individuals had a reduced capacity to increase performance that's so closely associated with falls," says LaRoche. It seems that the key to muscle power in the elderly is to maintain it over the lifespan rather than try to develop it later in life, he says. Of those 40 percent of elderly people who will fall, research has shown that 20 to 30 percent suffer injuries that reduce mobility, independence and longevity. Health care cost of a fall injury totals nearly $20,000, and following a hip fracture, life expectancy is just two years. An abstract of the research, "Elderly Women Have Blunted Response to Resistance Training Despite Reduced Antagonist Coactivation," is available to download at the link below:www.chhs.unh.edu/docs/kin/LaRocheDP.pdf click here |
