America’s Epidemic of Unnecessary Care It was lunchtime before my afternoon surgery clinic, which meant that I was at my desk, eating a ham-and-cheese sandwich and clicking through medical articles. Among those which caught my eye: a British case report on the first 3-D-printed hip implanted in a human being, a Canadian analysis of the rising volume of emergency-room visits by children who have ingested magnets, and a Colorado study finding that the percentage of fatal motor-vehicle accidents involving marijuana had doubled since its commercial distribution became legal. The one that got me thinking, however, was a study of more than a million Medicare patients. It suggested that a huge proportion had received care that was simply a waste. The researchers called it “low-value care.” Could pointless medical care really be that widespread? I decided to do a crude check. To my surprise, it appeared that seven of those eight had received unnecessary care. Why does this fact barely seem to register publicly? “How’d it turn out?”
Half Somersault Or Foster Maneuver | A DIY Home Exercise for Vertigo Beware of Shifting Options Within Medicare Plans Photo For millions of older Americans, it is time to sift through the mind-boggling array of Medicare plans. There is an average of 29 drug plans to digest, and about 18 options for Medicare Advantage, the plans delivered through private insurers. Then there are the 10 supplemental plans that cover what traditional Medicare does not. The choices can be paralyzing for anyone, and they can be even more challenging as you age. The Medicare open enrollment season, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, gives individuals a chance to rethink it all and reassess whether their plan still fits their needs. While no broad-based changes are expected, there could be meaningful shifts within individual plans. “People treat this as a momentous decision but they get scared of it, and the thing that worries me is that they don’t make the changes that they should,” said Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center in New York. She is healthy now, but she has a history of skin cancer.
Does it matter where you buy a Medigap plan? Editor’s Note: Journalist Philip Moeller is here to provide the answers you need on aging and retirement. His weekly column, “Ask Phil,” aims to help older Americans and their families by answering their health care and financial questions. Send your questions to Phil. John: I’m turning 65 soon. I am a resident of New Jersey and need to remain so for at least several months. Phil Moeller: Medigap plans provide supplemental coverage for people who have basic Medicare (Parts A and B). So, it doesn’t matter where your Medigap plan is issued. Once you have established residence in Texas, you could try to switch to a Medigap insurer there, but you don’t have to. Asela – Fla.: After Hurricane Maria, my niece in Puerto Rico needs to come to Florida for health reasons. Phil Moeller: Yes. As a reminder, Medicare has extended its annual open enrollment period through the end of the year for people affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Anonymous: I’m 50 years old and on disability.