Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters By Kansas Senior Press Service
Medicare covers immunizations against flu, pneumococcus, and hepatitis B—all of which can be life-threatening to older people.
All adults 65 and older should get flu and pneumococcal shots. People with Medicare who are under age 65 but have a chronic illness, such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, or end-stage renal disease, should get a flu shot. People at medium to high risk for hepatitis B should get a hepatitis B shot. See your health care provider concerning these preventive services.
Medicare covers the cost of flu shots once a year, in the fall or winter. All people with Medicare are eligible to receive them. In the original Medicare plan, you pay nothing for these shots. No beneficiary co-insurance or co-payment applies and beneficiaries do not have to meet their deductible to receive an influenza or pneumococcal immunization.
Medicare will cover a booster pneumococcal vaccine for high-risk persons if five years have passed since their last vaccination. Medicare covers hepatitis B vaccinations for persons at high or intermediate risk. The co-insurance or co-payment applies for hepatitis B vaccination after the yearly deductible has been met.
About influenza (flu)
Influenza, also called “flu,” is a highly contagious respiratory infection.
Symptoms. Flu can cause fever, chills, headache, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and muscle aches. Unlike other respiratory infections such as the common cold, influenza can cause extreme fatigue lasting several days to more than a week. Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea sometimes accompany influenza, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent. The illness that people often call “stomach flu” is not influenza.
Spread from person to person. Influenza spreads easily from person to person, primarily when an infected person coughs or sneezes. After a person has been infected with the virus, symptoms usually appear within two to four days. The infection is considered contagious for three to four days after symptoms appear. Each year, an estimated 10 to 20 percent of the population contracts influenza.
For more information about Medicare preventive services, including flu shot information, steps to help prevent the flu, and other Medicare-provided preventive services, visit www.medicare.gov or call 800-633-4227 (TTY 877-486-2048).
A publication titled “Your Guide to Medicare’s Preventive Services”(CMS Publication #10110) is available on the Medicare Web site or may be ordered by phone.
Source: The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
By Kansas Senior Press Service
Fall reminds us of pumpkins, apples, and leaves crunching beneath our shoes, but fall is also when cranberries are in their prime. In fact, cranberries deserve more attention now than ever before. A new study suggests that they may boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy among ovarian cancer patients.
To evaluate the cancer-fighting efficacy of cranberries, researchers collected ovarian cancer cells from patients who had developed resistance to chemotherapy. They exposed some of the cells to cranberry extract, taken from 27 percent pure cranberry juice. Varying amounts of the extract were administered to the cells, which were then treated with chemotherapy.
The cranberry extract made the chemotherapy treatment six times more powerful. It also seemed to reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells.
Cranberries contain antioxidants that are already known to help stave off urinary tract infections, prevent cardiovascular disease, and improve the immune system. Researchers surmise that the antioxidants may also block the activity of cancer-causing proteins in ovarian cells, making the cells more receptive to chemotherapy treatments. This would be one way of explaining the study’s findings.
The study suggests promising results for future cancer treatments. Some ovarian cancer patients develop an immunity to chemotherapy drugs, so they need higher doses of it to help fight off the cancer. Unfortunately, when doses are too high, patients are at risk for nerve damage and kidney failure. If the properties of cranberries can facilitate the effectiveness of chemotherapy, immunity to the treatments may be less common.
Ovarian cancer is the seventh most-common cancer in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cranberries may hold true promise in helping patients who suffer from this disease and who become immune to chemotherapy. Although no one yet knows the necessary dosage of cranberry needed, or exactly how cranberries boost the potency of chemotherapy, cranberries are still considered a nutritious food bearing health benefits.
Source: The American Institute for Cancer Research
By Kansas Senior Press Service
If you want to enroll in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program or switch to a different plan, enrollment for 2008 continues through Dec. 31, 2007.
Medicare prescription drug coverage is insurance that covers both brand-name and generic prescription drugs at participating pharmacies. Medicare prescription drug coverage provides protection for people who have very high drug costs and protection from unexpected prescription drug bills in the future.
Everyone with Medicare is eligible for this coverage, regardless of income and resources, health status, or current prescription expenses.
You may sign up when you first become eligible for Medicare (three months before you turn 65 until three months after the month you turn 65). If you currently receive Medicare because of a disability, you may enroll from three months before to three months after your 25th month of cash disability payments.
If you don’t sign up when you are first eligible, you may pay a penalty. If you didn’t join when you were first eligible, you may enroll any time before Dec. 31. You may also switch to a different plan during this sign-up period.
Medicare prescription drug coverage may provide peace of mind by protecting you from unexpected drug expenses. Even if you don’t use a lot of prescription drugs now, you may want to consider joining. As they age, most people need prescription drugs to stay healthy. Enrolling now means protection from unexpected prescription drug costs in the future.
Two ways to get coverage. To get Medicare prescription drug coverage, you may join a Medicare prescription drug plan, a Medicare Advantage plan, or another Medicare health plan that offers drug coverage. Whatever plan you choose, Medicare will cover brand-name and generic drugs.
Like other insurance, if you join, you generally will pay a monthly premium, which varies by plan, and a yearly deductible (between $0-$265 in 2007). You will also pay part of the cost of your prescriptions, including a co-payment or co-insurance. Costs will vary, depending on which drug plan you choose. Some plans may offer more coverage and additional drugs for a higher monthly premium.
Help may be available. If you have limited income and resources and you qualify for extra help, you may not have to pay a premium or deductible. You may apply or get more information by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) or visiting www.socialsecurity.gov.
Comparing plans and enrolling. The Web (www.medicare.gov) offers information to help you locate plans available in this area, a comparison of plans, and an interactive tool that allows you to narrow your search based on personal preferences. You may even enroll at Medicare’s online enrollment center. Simply click on “Enroll” under Prescription Drug Plans on the first page of the Medicare Web site.
To reach a Medicare customer service representative, call 800-633-4227 (TTY 877-486-2048). In Kansas you may also call 800-860-5260 to talk to a Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) representative, or contact the Area Agency on Aging serving your area for information concerning plan and enrollment options.
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm