Health Insurance & Staying Healthy

If you are an older adult and eligible for Medicare your mailbox is likely overflowing with notices and offers from health care and drug insurance companies. Yes, it’s that time of year, i.e. Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, which runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. 3 things to keep in mind about Open Enrollment

1. During open enrollment you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare drug plan, or switch to original Medicare during this period. Effective date for new plans is Jan. 1, 2025;
2. Satisfied with your Medigap, also called Supplemental Insurance? Do nothing and your existing plan(s) will remain. Dissatisfied because of cost, coverage, insurance company or desired benefits such as Silver Sneakers now’s your time to shop around. Visit https://www.medicare.gov/ or call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) to request “Medicare & You 2025” handbook. But remember an insurer may charge more or reject a policy because of certain medical conditions. State laws vary. (Ohioans can call the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program OSHIIP, 1-800-686-1578).
3. New for 2025 includes $2,000 yearly cap for out-of-pocket drug costs and option to set up a monthly payment plan for drug costs; decline in telehealth services; and expanded mental health care based on a health risk assessment during your yearly “Wellness” visit.

At a recent insurance workshop at Kendal, Insurance Coordinator Donna Weber reminded residents about an upcoming change to their personal “my Social Security” account.

Social Security’s website explains:

“If you created your free and secure my Social Security account on or after September 18, 2021, no action is necessary because you already have the right setup. If you are among the 46 million people who created an account before September 18, 2021 and use your username and password to access Social Security online services today, you will need to create or use an existing account with one of our two Credential Service Providers (CSP) – Login.gov or ID.me.”

While a deadline has not been set, Social Security says the change will be implemented later this year.

Speaking of health

Of course, we all need health insurance - accidents, bad genes and the like are a fact of life. And it’s encouraging that many health insurance plans now include healthy lifestyle programs, such as Silver Sneakers. So, let’s talk about preventive steps to stay healthy, enjoy an active life AND reduce health-related costs.

Let’s start with what we eat. Two diets that get high nutritional marks are the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Both diets focus on eating less red meat and salt and more fish, vegetables, whole grains and spices.

 According to a recent article in The New York Times:

“Nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, so a lot of people would benefit from adopting the DASH diet, said Dr. Stephen Juraschek, an internal medicine physician and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Because the diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables and dairy products, it’s abundant in potassium, which studies have shown can lower blood pressure, Dr. Juraschek said. DASH is also rich in fiber, calcium and magnesium, and discourages foods high in sodium, added sugars and saturated fats.”

Next up is exercise.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, recommends that adults:

• Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week;
• Add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least 2 days per week.

 But how you reach those benchmarks are up to you. Find an activity or more than one that you enjoy, be it running or hiking, aerobic classes or exercise machines. Talk to your doctor or a personal trainer to help put a comprehensive fitness plan in place.

And finally, it’s important to take care of your mental health. Stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on your well-being, but you can develop skills to manage your stress. And good news, NPR is launching a free five-week online Stress Less course to help you master those skills.

NPR is collaborating with Judith Moskowitz, a research psychologist at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine who created the course, which covers eight skills to boost positive feelings.

Click here to sign up.