Joan’s Boomer Blog

Annual Medicare Enrollment is less than a month away and my guest contritubutor Ross Blair, President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc. has some important information on what you should know in choosing a Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan.

By Ross Blair, CEO of Plan Prescriber

The health reform law has made some important changes to Medicare that go into effect in 2012. Whether you’re approaching age 65 or already enrolled in Medicare, the annual enrollment period (AEP) for next year’s Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans is right around the corner – and it’s starting a month earlier.

Before 2012 begins, we’ve outlined the six most important things people on Medicare should know to ensure they pick the best Medicare Advantage or prescription drug coverage for their specific needs.

There are new Medicare annual enrollment dates. Generally, most Medicare beneficiaries can change a Medicare Advantage plan or stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan only once per year during Medicare’s annual enrollment period (AEP). The dates for AEP changed this year, and run from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 in 2011. And, if you want to switch from a supplement plan to an Advantage plan, the AEP is a good time to make that switch.

But, the new AEP does not effect when you can enroll in a Medicare supplement plan, because these plans have an initial enrollment period that starts in the first six months after you enroll in Medicare Part B and are 65 or older. You can enroll in any supplement plan during that time and not be declined. But, if you wait until those six months are over, your application could be declined.

Make way for baby boomers qualifying for “Original Medicare” at age 65. This year, baby boomers begin turning 65, which means more people will be enrolling in Medicare this year than in the past. All of these new enrollees will put more stress on Medicare enrollment experts. When you combine this influx of new customers with the new enrollment dates, people who wait until the last minute could be putting themselves at risk of running out of time or not getting the help they need to review their coverage and make changes, if necessary. It’s a good idea to make a plan and review your coverage options for 2012 early.

“Newbies” be aware of deductibles, coinsurance, out-of-pocket limits and prescription drugs. If you’re new to Medicare, it’s important to know that both parts of Original Medicare (A and B) have deductibles. And, the deductibles are not tied to a calendar year like they are with traditional health insurance. Instead, they’re tied to a 90-day benefit period, with some exceptions. The Medicare Part B benefit also includes coinsurance after you meet your deductible. With coinsurance, Medicare pays a percentage of each bill (typically between 20 percent and 45 percent depending on the service) and you pay the rest. Original Medicare also has no limits on the amount you could pay out of your own pocket for covered medical services each year. And, Original Medicare does not cover the cost of most prescription drugs.

It’s critical to compare drug coverage: A 2011 PlanPrescriber.com report looked at 25,000 user sessions on its website during the 2011 annual enrollment period (between Nov. 15, 2010, and Dec 31, 2010), where customers entered their zip code, their existing Medicare prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage drug plan and the names, dosages and frequency of any prescription drugs they were taking, if any. The site’s prescription drug plan comparison tool found that, on average, a user could save more than $500 per year – more than $40 per month - by reviewing their options and changing their prescription drug plan. Don’t miss this important step heading into 2012.

You can fill in Medicare’s gaps: People concerned about some of the gaps in original Medicare have the option to enroll in insurance products regulated by the government but provided by private companies. These are products designed specifically to fill some of the different gaps in Medicare. They include: Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans, which cover the cost of most prescription drugs; Medicare supplement plans, which cover portions of the deductibles, coinsurance and out-of-pocket costs not covered by original Medicare; and Medicare Advantage plans, which bundle together the Part D drug benefit with some additional coverage for deductibles, coinsurance and out-of-pocket costs. Each type of supplemental coverage has different guidelines for when you can enroll, change and cancel your coverage.

Get “star power” in 2012. The Affordable Care Act (health reform) requires a star rating system to be used for Medicare Advantage plans, beginning in 2012. Plans get a rating of 1 to 5, with a 5-star rating equating to an “Excellent Performance,” and a 1-star rating equating to a “Poor Performance.” According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2011 out of 523 plans nationwide, only three received an overall rating of 5, and 74 received an overall rating 4 or 4.5 stars. Heading into 2012 the hope is that more plans will achieve this high 5-star rating. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a 5-star plan, consider it as an option for your coverage. One benefit of a 5-star plan is that you can enroll in it any time, even outside of Medicare’s annual enrollment period.

Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc. , a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has neither reviewed nor endorsed the information provided by PlanPrescriber.

Today I have a guest post by James Garvin, co-Founder of FiGuide.com, a free daily email that provides short actionable strategies to help you achieve a successful, worry-free retirement. The topic, How to Build Wealth During a Recession, is a very important one for anyone who is retired or wants to be.

There is no longer a debate about “if” the U.S. economy is in another recession. We have all fallen victim to the “Lost Decade” of investing where investor returns were flat, incomes relative to inflation decreased, and unemployment sky rocketed. While the politicians and Wall St. can argue all they want about how to fix the “lost decade”, what’s more important is to understand how you keep building your own wealth so that you achieve your retirement goals.

Given the harsh realities, you may be wondering what you can do to continue to build your wealth and move closer to your retirement dreams. Below are 3 strategies you can (and should) employ to boost your wealth today during these recessionary times:

1.) Save your savings – whenever you’ve landed a great bargain (say 40% off), rather than keeping those 40% savings in your checking account, where you’ll likely spend it on something else, transfer that 40% into your savings or investment account. This way, your savings are well, truly “saved”.

2.) Find alternative investments - It’s becoming harder and harder to truly diversify your investments, so instead of stocks and bonds, look at adding alternative investments. Peer to peer lending is becoming a popular alternative strategy to investing excess cash. This allows you to lend money to other consumers. It’s a win: win situation because you earn higher returns on your cash and borrowers can borrow at lower rates than by going to the banks. Two reputable peer to peer lending companies are Prosper.com and LendingClub.com.

3.) Take advantage of today’s low tax rates by converting your investments to a Roth IRA. By historical standards, tax rates are very generous today and odds are they’ll only go up from here. A Roth IRA allows you to withdraw money tax-free once you reach retirement age. That means if tax rates go up 10% by the time you retire, you would have saved as much as 10% on your retirement income and allows you to retire knowing your money is really your money; you’ll owe nothing to Uncle Sam.

These are unusual times for those nearing retirement over the next decade or two and unusual times call for unique savings and investing strategies that allow you to continue to make forward progress toward your ultimate goal for retirement.

James Garvin is the co-Founder of FiGuide.com a free daily email that provides short actionable strategies to help you achieve a successful, worry-free retirement. Sign-up for the free daily retirement tip

Also read How to Turn Your Hobby into Retirement Income

A bone spur in the big toe! It seems every time I go to the doctor, I get another piece of news that tells me I’m getting older. This time, I’d had pain in the ball of my right foot for about two months before I finally gave up and went to the doctor at all. She sent me for an xray, which told me I had only a bone spur but arthritis of the big toe as well.

On the first visit, the doctor also gave me some cortisone pills, which can’t be taken long term, but will take down inflammation. Now I’m not for taking prescription pills of any kind, but the pain was bad, affecting my daily walks and my water aerobics, so I decided to take the pills and see what happened.

The cortisone worked all right - too well! After a day on them, all my bodily aches and pains disappeared. Little naggy joint pains in my knees and hands, which I’d just grown accustomed to over the years, were gone, just like that!

So my doctor’s recommendation was to go on Celebrix. She doesn’t know me and my anti-medication philosophy very well!

This is how I saw my bone spur situation.

1. Arthritis in an inflammatory condition. If I have arthritis in my toe, then I probably have it other places.
2. Instead of popping a pill, I need to get serious about an anti-inflammatory diet.
3. I need to find out what causes bone spurs and how to get rid of them naturally before I even think of popping a medication, which could have serious side effects.

In fact, I knew just the person I needed to go to for advice, a good friend from my yoga and tai chi class, who is also a nutritionist. When I mentioned bone spur to her, she pretty much gave me a free one hour appointment right there in the hallway of the Y, bless her heart.

What Causes Bone Spurs

Bone spurs are caused by ineffective calcium metabolism or excess calcium which allow for calcium deposits to build up and form a boney protrusion off of a bone, commonly in the foot. They are associated with arthritis and inflammation in the body and cause a lot of pain in the infected area. They can affect not only joints but nerves as well.

Excess calcium or inefficient absorption of calcium is caused by the fact that your body isn’t fully utilizing the nutrients you feed it or the fact that you’re not getting the proper nutrients in the first place. This could be due to a poor diet, getting older and other factors.

Symptoms a bone spur are:

Pain in the infected area
Swelling
Sometimes numbness and tingling if it is pressing on a nerve. If this happens around your spine, it is associated with degenerative spinal disease.

Diagnosis of a Bone Spur is most often done by xray of the painful, swollen area.

Medical Treatments for Bone Spurs

The most common medical treatment for bone spurs is surgery, which is painful and can have a long recovery time. Since bone spurs are a symptom of deeper problems affecting your entire body, however, it is best to address those issues but there are also natural remedies for bone spurs to get rid of that trouble in the short term.

Natural Remedies for Bone Spurs

Massage the area. Massage increased circulation to the area and is good for any type of arthritis. Since swelling traps toxins and debris in the joints and causes pain, massage helps release these to decrease pain and inflammation surrounding the bone spur. Deep tissue massage will help break up the calcium deposits.

Ice packs also helps decrease inflammation and therefore pain. My bone spur is in the ball of my foot, along side my big toe so I fill a quart size zip lock bag with ice, put it in a pan and rest my foot on it while I watch TV in the evening.

The spice Turmeric helps with healing inflammation, arthritis pain and bone spurs. Try 400 mg, 2-3 times a day and sprinkle it in your food as well. I use TurmericForce by New Chapter.

Apple Cider Vinegar - Apple Cider Vinegar is good for arthritis pain in general and bone spurs in particular. For arthritis, you can mix a couple of teaspoons in water and drink it. As a remedy for bone spurs, you soak the affected area in ACV for as much of the day as possible.

In the evening, warm a little ACV and pour it into a pan so you can put your foot in it. If possible, it’s also good to apply ACV to a gauze or cotton ball and wrap your foot so your bone spur area so it stays moist as much as possible.

I’ve read that this treatment can work in one week. I plan to try it myself and will report on whether or not it worked for me.

Excercise like yoga, which are gentle to the injured area help the bone spur to disappear gradually over time.

Vitamins and minerals to help heal bone spurs

Vitamins D and K promote bone health and can help heal bone spurs. Vitamin D recommended dosages range from 400mg per day up to 5,000. If you have a bone spur, you might want to consider taking about 2,000mg, which is what I now take. You can also get Vitamin D from about 15 minutes of sun exposure per day-without sunscreen.

Vitamin K can be obtained from hard cheeses like gouda (recommended on the Dr. Oz show!) Gouda also contains nutrients which are good for the heart and arteries so you don’t have to worry about high cholesterol. You can also get Vitamin K from probiotic fermented and cultured veggies and drinks. We’ve started eating homemade cultures vegetables every day with dinner.

Read more about the health benefits of cultured foods.

Minerals- Since your body is probably not absorbing and using the minerals you eat in your diet, you need to make sure you get enough trace minerals. Try drinking a good quality sparkling mineral water and using quality Himalayan Sea Salt, which contains minerals and offers many health benefits. Quality sea salt is definitely NOT to be confused with ordinary table salt which is stripped of any mineral benefits and contains many fillers and additives which lead to hypertension.

Most Americans’ bodies are in a highly acidic state from excess sugar, fast food, processed food, caffeine and alcohol. The acidic nature of our diet leaves us open for diseases like arthritis and other aging, degenerative diseases. Sea Salts added to the diet can help create a more alkaline body, while adding important trace minerals missing from so many diets now.

If you would like more information on how to create a more alkaline body and adding probiotics and cultured products to your diet, I highly recommend you order a copy of the book The Baby Boomer Diet, Body Ecology’s Guide to Growing Younger: Anti-Aging Wisdom for Every Generation, by Donna Gates and Lyndi Schrecengost.

I just finished reading this book, which comes out in October, and I thoroughly believe every baby boomer who wants to avoid all so-called age-related diseases should read this book. It should be the gold standard in anti-aging books. It also gives an eye-opening picture of how baby boomers are suffering the consequences of being the first generation to live with processed and fast food and being over exposed to chemicals, pesticides and additives in our food and water.

Donna Gates also wrote the Body Ecology Diet and many of the principals of this diet are repeated in the Baby Boomer Diet but with an emphasis on healthy aging. Stay tuned for my review of The Baby Boomer Diet. I’ll be talking more about the principals of the diet as I implement them as well.

Don’t forget, if you suffer from bone spurs, this is a symptom of a larger problem which you should address with a natural healing program such as a diet full of vegetables, less acid forming foods like those mentioned above, lots of exercise, drinking plenty of good quality water and other all around healthy living techniques.

Update on Natural Remedies for Bone Spurs

Acupuncture for Bone Spurs

I recently read that people have some success with acupuncture for bone spurs so I am giving this method a try. I had my first treatment yesterday and the acupuncturist (one I’ve been to for other health issues) told me it usually takes 2-3 treatments so I’ll give an update on the results.

Would you like to be healthier and more physically fit in just six weeks time? I’m excited to participate in an upcoming health and fitness program called Luci Gabel’s Mind Body Blast, which begins September 26. I researched the program and I like Luci’s wellness approach. As a health and fitness coach and consultant, her program reflects a strong body, mind and spirit connection, which I believe is important to success.

I’ve always believed it’s important to make small, healthy changes over time, until they become a new habit. That way you can really stick to them in the long run as opposed to “going on a diet” or trying an unrealistic workout program, only to lose your incentive a week or two down the road. A six week program, with lots of information and support, is a good way to launch lifelong wellness changes in your life, to decrease stress, increase energy, lose some weight and tone some muscles.

The idea of making healthy changes in your life is to realize that in the process you’re giving up your old unhealthy ways and embracing something new, different and better. In the end you’ll likely lose weight, feel more energetic and be much healthier.

Luci Gabel, the creator and facilitator of The Mind Body Blast has an extensive nutritional background as well as an impressive assortment of fitness certifications, a master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of Maryland (UMD) and a master’s in business management from John Hopkins’ University. All of this points to the fact that her health and fitness program is based on sound research and not fad diets or workouts.

The Mind Body Blast six week health and fitness program includes:

• Luci as your personal health and fitness coach. Ask questions, get advice and stay motivated. The program includes seven conference calls of about 30 minutes each to keep you in contact with Luci.
• There will be seven information-filled podcasts. Watch these anytime they fit into your personal schedule and keep them to watch again once class is over.
• Six exercise videos show you how to get the most benefit from your workouts in the least amount of time. A sample video on a total body workout on Luci’s website looks like fun.
• The program provides supplemental reading to to re-enforce the healthy new habits you’ll learn about during conference calls.
• For the entirety of the six week program you have access to a private, members-only forum. Discuss your challenges, share tips and advice and stay motivated with other members of the program.Having others to share with is an important aspect of success for many people and you will find it here.

The full price of Luci’s six week e-course is $169 but she’s offered a special discount to readers of my blog. Just put mbbearly into the code box, and you can purchase the class for $135 instead of $169 up through September 24.

Luci Gabels’ has an extensive list of health and fitness articles on her website, plus the free 20 minute workout video with a total body workout you can do pretty much anywhere. You can also sign up for 6 weeks of mind/body fitness tips delivered right to your email.

This six week health and fitness program with Luci Gabel begins September 26 and ends November 7. I hope some of my readers will share in the program with me.

If you’ve always wanted your own personal health and fitness coach, now is the time to get more information on the Mind Body Blast with Luci Gabel.

Continuing our series on Medicare, guest author and Medicare expert Ross Blair, President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc.,discusses how you can save money and maximize benefits when choosing among the many prescription drug plans available.

Mining for Cost Savings in a Maze of Medicare Plans

In 2011, approximately one-third (33%) of the Federal government’s annual budget is committed to spending on Medicare and Social Security.

Recent debate over the nation’s debt limit and the upcoming deliberations of the Congressionally-appointed twelve person deficit reduction committee should have the close attention of all Medicare recipients and Baby Boomers who plans to enroll in Medicare as they turn 65.

Although the tenets of various plans and proposals are hotly debated, the likely outcomes are not. The fact is the growth rate at which America spends money on Medicare will likely be reduced. And, if the government reduces expenses, you’ll probably have to do more to maximize your own Medicare coverage.

The good news is that the average Medicare beneficiary can do a lot to maximize their benefits including:

1. Enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan.

2. Taking your prescribed medication, which can improve health and reduce health care costs.

3. Optimizing your prescription drug coverage each year.

Below we’ve mapped out some very important steps seniors should take this year as they consider their Medicare options and look for ways to save.

Enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan

Medicare recipients can enroll in a stand-alone drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that has the drug benefit bundled into it. In most parts of the country there are Medicare Advantage plans with a prescription drug benefit that cost nothing each month for the enrollee, beyond what they already pay for Medicare Part B. And, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that the average premium for a 2012 drug plan will be around $30 per month – slightly cheaper than in 2011. This is good news for people managing their budgets.

Taking the drugs as prescribed by your physician

Two different studies confirm that patients who take their medication are healthier and save the health care system money. The first study, published in 2009 by the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), found that patients who don’t take their prescribed medications cost the U.S.A. $290 billion a year. And the second, published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that non-drug-related health care costs have been reduced for older patients who gained better prescription drug coverage under the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.

Optimizing your prescription drug coverage each year

Costs are critical for many people receiving Medicare. Half of all single people on Medicare had incomes below $21,660 in 2010. They would welcome any and all ideas for how to save on health care costs without harming the quality of their care.

One proven strategy is to optimize your prescription drug coverage each year during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. But, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study last year, only about 10 percent of people on Medicare changed their plan despite the potential for savings.

In August, my company published a report that looked at 25,000 user sessions from PlanPrescriber.com during the 2011 Medicare Annual Enrollment period (between November 15, 2010 and December 31, 2010), where customers entered their zip code, the name of their existing Medicare prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan, and the names, dosages and frequency of any prescription drugs they were taking, if any. The prescription drug plan comparison tool compares a user’s existing plan to other plans available in their area and found that, on average, a user could save over $500 per year – over $40 per month – by reviewing their options and changing their prescription drug plan.

It may seem counter-intuitive to change a plan each year, but there are a lot of Medicare drug plans and they may change their prescription drug benefits, costs and listing of covered drugs each year. For example, they may move more expensive drugs off of their plans or charge more for them from one year to the next. This is why some participants may see their drug costs rise dramatically each January.

Getting ahead

These changes in plans and benefits are precisely why Medicare offers an Annual Enrollment Period – the time of year when anyone on Medicare has the option to review and switch their prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plan. In 2011, the Annual Enrollment Period starts on October 15 and ends on December 7 – new dates you should write down if you’re on Medicare. This time should be used to review new plans, understand what may be changing in an existing plan and maybe save a little money by making a change.

Most of us never buy our own health insurance until we turn 65. Then, at 65 we’ve suddenly got the option to buy supplemental Medicare health insurance on our own and face a multitude of options where plans can change every year, potentially affecting what we pay out-of-pocket. There is free, no obligation help available to you at places like PlanPrescriber.com, Medicare.gov and elsewhere.

It’s advisable to talk to a licensed agent who can help you pick a plan. But, these free, no obligation internet tools can help you see all the options you have available so you’ve got some information before you get on the phone with an agent. The internet gives you more insight into your health care choices, which means we all win.

Guest author Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.