A new study found that drinking diet soda may be related to increasing waistlines in older adults. Researchers studied how diet sodas affect the waistline over time, since fat in the midsection of the body can be dangerous to overall health. During the study, which lasted for about nine years, people who never drank diet soda saw their waistline increase by 0.8 inches. Occasional diet soda drinkers saw a 1.8 inch growth during that time, and daily soda drinkers saw a 3 inch growth. Waistline growth could be the result of diet soda consumption or other eating habits. Researchers recommend that diet soda drinkers balance their soda consumption with fresh-brewed tea, coffee, unsweetened mineral water, or fruit juices.
Dear Marci,
Dear Marci,
My Part B premium is difficult for me to afford each month. I called Medicare to ask about help paying for this, and they told me to apply for a Medicare Savings Program. What is a Medicare Savings Program?
– Emma (Jackson, MS)
Dear Emma,
A Medicare Savings Program (MSP) is an assistance program that can help pay for your Medicare costs if you have limited finances. MSPs may also be called Medicare premium assistance programs or Medicare buy-in programs.
There are three main types of MSPs. Each program has certain income and asset limits in order to qualify for them.
- Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) pays yourMedicare Part B premium, as well as your Medicaredeductibles, coinsurances, and copayments. Although most people get Part A for free, some individuals must pay a Part A premium. QMB also helps pay the Part A premium. You can qualify for QMB even if you qualify for Medicaid.
- Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)pays your Medicare Part B premium. You can qualify for SLMB even if you qualify for Medicaid.
- Qualifying Individual (QI) pays your Medicare Part B premium. You cannot have both QI and Medicaid.
In addition, all three MSPs allow you to enroll in Medicare outside of the formal Medicare enrollment periods. They also waive any late enrollment Part B premium penalties that you may have. When you have an MSP, you also automatically qualify for Extra Help, the federal assistance program that helps to pay Medicare prescription drug costs.
To qualify for an MSP, you must have Medicare Part A and meet certain income and assets guidelines. If you do not have Part A but meet QMB eligibility guidelines, your state should have a process to allow you to enroll in Part A and QMB. Many states allow this throughout the year, but others limit when you can enroll in Part A.
Keep in mind that you should still apply for an MSP if you need the help even if your income seems slightly above your state’s income and asset guidelines. This is because states use different rules to count your income and assets to determine your eligibility for an MSP. Certain income or assets may not count, and some states do not have an asset limit. Know that you cannot choose which MSP you receive, but are assigned to one of the three MSPs based on your income and assets. To learn about MSPs in your state and to find out where to apply, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or your local Medicaid office. You can find the contact information for your SHIP by going towww.shiptacenter.org or by calling 877-839-2675.
-Marci
Home Health Benefit from Medicare !
Medicare Reminder
Medicare will help pay for your home care if all four of the following are true:
- You are considered homebound, meaning it is extremely difficult for you to leave your home.
- You need skilled care, which is care that is provided by either a nurse or a skilled therapy provider, such as a physical therapist, speech therapist, or occupational therapist. Your skilled care need must be intermittent, which means you need care no more than once per day.
- Your doctor certifies that you need home health care.
- You receive your care from a Medicare-certified home health agency (HHA).
Keep in mind that if you only need occupational therapy, you will not qualify for the Medicare home health benefit. However, if you qualify for Medicare coverage of home health care on another basis, you can also get occupational therapy. If you qualify for skilled care, you can also receive limited personal care (usually provided by a home health aide), but you do not qualify for Medicare-covered home health care if you only need personal care.
Doc Fix Passes Senate !
This week, the Senate passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula that determines Medicare physician payments and extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for two years. Congress has acted 17 times to temporarily prevent drastic payment cuts resulting from use of the SGR formula. The “doc fix” bill replaces the SGR with alternative, value-driven payment strategies. This is good news for people with Medicare, who need to know their doctors will be there when they need them.
The bill also permanently funds the Qualified Individual (QI) program that helps low-income Medicare beneficiaries afford Part B premiums. While the Senate considered an amendment to the bill to permanently repeal the Medicare therapy caps, this measure was not successful. Instead, the therapy caps exceptions process will be extended for two years. When this exceptions process expires, Congress must again act to ensure that people with Medicare are able to retain access to needed therapy services.
Also extended for two years is federal funding for community-based organizations, including State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and others, to find and enroll vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries in low-income assistance programs. Like the therapy cap exceptions process, it will be paramount for Congress to ensure this funding continues beyond the two-year extension included in the final bill.
The legislation will now go to the President, and he is expected to sign it into law.
Tips for Quick Meals!
People use many excuses to give reason to why they are not eating healthy foods. One of the most common of these excuses is that they have no time to worry about choosing the best foods and cooking them for themselves and their families. These people usually grab fast food or take-out instead of healthier foods, and these quick dinner fixes are full of bad fats and cholesterol, sugar, and empty calories. However, no matter how little time you have to spend in the kitchen and at the supermarket, there are ways in which you can eat in a healthy way without much time. Learning how to quickly eating healthily can make all the difference in perfecting your diet.
Eating healthy foods begins with healthy ingredients, but if you are short on time, you may find that spending time in the grocery store does not fit into your schedule. To maximize your time, plan ahead for two weeks at a time. Instead of having to go to the store every time you need an ingredient, make a list and keep your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry stocked with good, healthy ingredients. You can make your shopping list during a meeting, while eating lunch, or while you are on the phone. A list will also help you cut back on compulsory buying, which is when we purchase a lot of the foods that are bad for us.
Along with planning your shopping list, plan your meals as well. If you find little time to cook during the week, you can instead try making a few healthy meals in advance on the weekend and than putting them in your freezer. Before you go to work in the morning, simply stick the frozen dinner in the refrigerator to thaw and then pop into the oven to cook when you get home from work. This will help you avoid having to pick up fast food.
When you do find yourself in the need of a quick meal and want to order out, look for healthy options. Instead of choosing a burger and fries, for example, look at the chicken breast options. Some fast food restaurants also have salads and fruit, but beware of dressing, which can be tons of fats and empty calories. Keep healthy drinks on hand at home instead of purchasing a soda as well. Better yet, stick the burger, pizza, and Mexican joints altogether and opt for a sandwich or sub shop instead, where you can choose a wheat bread and ask them to hold the mayonnaise.
Healthy eating on the run will never be easy. However, putting a tad bit more time into is worth that extra effort, because you’ll be living a healthier life in the end. Using these tips will help you to quickly eat as healthily as possible.
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