This Year Has Been All About Changes For Everyone

October 19, 2020

2020 has been all about change for all of you as well as our office. Late last year before the pandemic hit, our advisory council voted to change our name to the Office for Aging Services. A small change that we hoped would better emphasize the services we provide rather than “aging” which no one seems to want to do. We had hoped to have a big celebration to accompany this change but like everything else this year, it was sidelined by COVID-19. Since then our office has been consumed by making sure that people have the information and services they need to get through the pandemic ...

Prescription Drug Plans May Change In New Year

October 12, 2020

Question: What happens now that my prescription drug plan will not be offered in 2021? Answer: This year there are only three plans that will not be offered in 2021. The three monthly plans are Magellan Rx Medicare Basic, $35.80, Journey Rx Standard, $32.80, and Journey Rx Value, $26.10. These plans haven’t been the most popular plans. It sounds like you have Original Medicare, a Medicare Supplement Plan (Medigap) and a standalone drug plan. The plan that changes the most year to year is your prescription drug plan (PDP). This PDP change each year in the monthly premiums, the ...

Why Do Flu Shots, Shingles Vaccines Have Different Prices?

September 28, 2020

Question: Why is there a difference in price between a shingles vaccine and a flu shot? Answer: Immunizations are covered by different parts of your Medicare coverage. The flu shot, along with the pneumococcal vaccine are covered under Original Medicare Part B. Both of these vaccines have been around a long time, before Prescription Drug coverage was required. Both of these vaccines are free under Medicare and most Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. You may find that in some situations you are charged a fee for the administration of the vaccine. We often see walk-in clinics for these of ...

Medicare Summary Notices And Explanation Of Benefits

September 21, 2020

A Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) is not a bill. It is a notice mailed quarterly to Medicare Beneficiaries which includes a list of services provided during the past 3 months. It will also list any services that were denied or not covered by Medicare. An Explanation of Benefits (EOB), is a monthly statement and includes a list of services provided, how much the provider billed, how much the plan pays and how much you may owe. In reading your MSN’s and EOB’s, make sure you look for: Provider Location Date of Service Duplicate Billing If the insurance company rejected a ...

We Can’t Live Without It, Hydration And The Older Adult

September 21, 2020

Water makes up about 70% of the human body. From our bloodstream to inside each and every cell, it is required in every life-sustaining body process. Water is very important to our health, yet is often overlooked in our diets. In addition to providing cushion and temperature control, water also function as transportation of nutrients and waste, maintains proper volume of blood, keeps the urinary tract flushed, and promotes improved digestion and intestinal function. Dehydration is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the older adult and approximately half of those ...

Stay Safe During COVID And Don’t Forget To Vote

September 21, 2020

As COVID numbers start to surge in our county, it’s important to remember that older adults with and without underlying health conditions are the most at risk for severe consequences and death from this disease. We have already had 10 deaths in our county and all of these people were over the age of 60. In fact COVID-19 has become the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020 after heart disease and cancer. That is something that cannot be down played or disputed. This means we all need to do everything we can to avoid getting COVID-19 for our own health and so that we ...