We have already saved hundreds of thousands of dollars to seniors all across America who realized that staying on the same Medicare Supplement costs too much after years of increases.  RIGHT NOW, there are guaranteed issue Plan N Medicare Supplements!  This means no health questions asked.  Usually, you can’t change Medigap plans this easily and this may not last, so check it out.

Why spend time trying to save on your medications if you are spending too much on your doctor and hospital care?

Everybody is talking about using COMMON SENSE these days, so get a Medigap cost comparison today!

I don’t know if any of you read Bottom Line, but it is a very good periodical you can get by going to BottomLineSecrets.com/gifts and subscribe.  There is all kinds of info about health, insurance, investments and  relationship advice, really just about everything! My grandmother has made sure I get a new subscription every year for a long time now.

Here is a list of foods we have been told are not good for us, but really can be healthy.

1. Iceberg Lettuce: Just because it is not dark green does not mean it has no nutrient value.  Iceberg contains lutein and zeaxanthin.  These are carotenoids that reduce the risk for cataracts and age-related macular  degeneration leading to blindness in older adults.  My Dad had this and really suffered.

2. Watermelon: Although watermelon is sweet, it contains 40% more lycopene than fresh tomatoes.  It may be helpful to let you know that canned tomatoes have much more of the cancer fighting lycopene than fresh ones do. This is to the dismay of my vegitarian mother-in-law.  She didn’t believe it when I told her this.  So don’t feel guilty to open a can of diced tomatoes because you care getting more nutrients than eating fresh ones.  Just watch your sodium content for canned foods, there are many low or no sodium selections now for those of us worried about blood pressure.  Lycopene is a potent antioxidant that strengthens the immune system and lowers the risk for breast and prostrate cancers…so eat lots of watermelon and tomatoes.  Blueberries are good in the category as well.

3. Sauerkraut:  I guess those German’s knew what was good for you after all.  Many of us never thought of sauerkraut as being a healthy food  but studies have found that women who ate at least 4 weekly servings of fermented cabbage where 72% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate less.  The fermented cabbage changes the metabolism and may help to protect the intestinal tract.  Isothiocyanates in the cabbage appear to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and acclerate the dealth of these cells.

4.  Onions: Onions are mainly used as seasonings in soups and on burgers but they are high in Vitamin C, fiber, vitamin B-6 and folate.  They are also rich in quercetin, a flavonoid with powerful anticancer effects.  Garlic is also in this category.  Next time you make stir fry, use only olive oil and with lots of onion and garlic.  If you eat at least 14 servings of onions a week your risk for oral cancer goes down by 84%, colon cancer 56%, breast cancer 25% and prostrate cancer 71%.

5. Artichokes: I may pass on this one, at least the fresh ones.  It is hard to eat them.  I do buy the canned artichokes, however, to use in recipes.  They are good for irritable bowel syndrome and improve liver health.

6.  Avocados: Now this is what I’m talking about!  My favorite!  I can make a meal out of it, but it is high in fat.  However, it is GOOD fat that helps lower your bad cholesterol as does fish oil and olive oil.  So, eat half an avocado everyday and lower your bad cholesterol 11%.

I believe that by doing things naturally we can use less prescriptions and by making better food choices improve our health more than we realize.  By taking daily fish oil (this is so important, I can’t say it enough! but NO I don’t have stock in fish oil, HA!) and eating more fish and less red meats and using olive oil instead of butter, leaving off things made from white flour and sugar, I brought my very high cholesterol down to normal levels and actually improved my LDL rating.  My triglycerides went down from the 300’s to the 80’s.  You can do it too and get off all the medications.  Same thing with blood pressure.  I know this won’t work for people who suffer from diabetes and have other issues combined with these problems, but it will certainly help. Fish Oil even helps lubricate your joints! You will find yourself getting around better too.  If you have a story to share about how you lowered your blood pressure and cholesterol without using prescription drugs, please write to me.  I’d love to share your story with my readers.

One LAST hint for beauty’s sake: Ladies and Gentleman, even if you are not concerned with the health benefits of fish oil, it can make a HUGE difference in your skin.  If you take a tablespoon of a good quality fish oil combined with a good quality easily absorbed CoQ10 liquid supplement (right after a meal) you will see a great improvement in your skin’s color, elasticity, improvement in dark spots and wrinkles.  Many people spend hundreds of dollars on skin creams (don’t stop your creams), but it actually works better from the inside out.  Try it!  In 3 months let me know how good you look!

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp/

Also, if you have too much money….isn’t that ridiculous to think any amounts over those qualifications are too much money?….you can contact the manufacturer of your medication.  They have higher income limits and many of them will give you significant discounts.

I also received emails from many people talking about how their pharmacy will not let them get their generics OFF the drug plan. If your pharmacy tells you this, let them know you will will turn them in to Medicare.  You can call 800-633-4227 and issue a “formal complaint” against your pharmacy.  You do not have to make a claim on your drug plan.  It states plainly in the CMS guidelines that a pharmacy must file a claim, unless the Medicare beneficiary instructs them “NO”, do not file this under Part D drug plan insurance.   Remember, they want to file a claim because they get a larger fee from the insurance company.  YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF THE CLAIMS YOU FILE ON YOUR INSURANCE!  You do not have to give them your Social Security number to get a prescription filled.  All they need is your name, address and date of birth.

As we all know the best way to save on medications is not to take them.  I’m not being a sly boots!  We all know that some meds are needed no matter what and never stop taking them without talking to your doctor.   Please discuss with your doctor NATURAL ways to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.  It can be done!  TAKE A GOOD QUALITY FISH OIL TODAY AND EVERYDAY!  Have you seen the NEW drug commercials that are actually using Omega 3 fish oils? The drug manufacturers are going to try to sell us fish oil now.  I will be interested to know how much the “new” prescription fish oil will be.  If anyone knows about this, write me.  Please go to the left hand side of this blog under “Health & Wellness” to read more info on foods and supplements to improve our health.

As always, if you need lower prices on your doctor and hospital costs, we can help you.  Just give us a call at 866-752-1795. Tell us you want to check on the new “Plan N” Medigap Plans.

Joke for the Day:  I used to eat lots of natural foods and then I learned that most people die of natural causes.

1. This year when/if  you fall into the “dreaded donut hole” you will get a check for $250, if you are not getting Limited Income Subsidy benefits.   This will give you a “little” extra help to pay for your expensive brands during that time.

2. Next year, 2011, if you reach the donut hole, you will get a 50% discount when buying Part D covered brand name drugs.  Now, that is what I’m talking about, folks!!!  Remember you should NEVER buy your generics using your Part D Plan.  Get them for $4 a month at many big box pharmacies.  This will keep you OUT of the donut hole longer each year.  Even though your co-pay is $8 for a generic on your drug plan, they ding your plan $20, $30 or more toward reaching the donut hole.  Watch your statements from your drug plan and make sure the pharmacy does not make a claim you have asked them not to make!

3.  Over the next 10 years the donut hole will be closed, so the extra help you get will increase each year until then.

4. In 2011 preventive care will be covered with colorectal cancer and mammogram screenings, free annual physicals to make sure you stay on the right track with your personal plan to “stay healthy”.

5.  We are very happy to see these changes take place.  If you remember, many of you signed our website for change at www.Top10ThingsWrongWithMedicare.com We personally presented our Senator Corker from Tennessee a copy of this website with over 2,000 of your signatures and stories printed off (it was a big folder) so he could read for himself the problems you have faced with your Medicare benefits and the perils of Part D.  If you have not read this website, please take a moment and check it out now.

6. Please scroll down the page at www.MyPartDusa.com/blog and read about the New Modernized Medicare Supplement Plans  (PLAN N) that are now available.  You can save as much as $100 a month on your premiums for doctor and hospital coverage.  I know your Medicare Supplements/Medigap Plans go up and up and up! RIGHT NOW THESE PLANS ARE GUARANTEED WITH NO HEALTH QUESTIONS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, YOU CANNOT BE TURNED DOWN FOR COVERAGE. Please call us or use our worksheet on the website to get a Part D Comparison) and BE SURE to let us know you need “Plan N” info in the comments section! You can also email me at kblake@mypartdusa.org and let me know you want prices for Plan N in your state.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  The early bird gets the worm, however, the second mouse gets the cheese!

Many of you have been on the same Medicare Supplement for years and the price goes UP and UP. The new “N” Plan can really save so much on your premiums.  Also it is a guaranteed issue plan.  In the past when people contacted us to get a lower premium, we couldn’t help them because the insurance companies would turn them down for health reasons: NOT WITH THE NEW N PLAN!

If your Supplement premium has gone up, give us a call today.  We can help you save money and keep you going to the same doctors you have been going to.  No networks, no referrals to specialists and most importantly you will be with an A rated company that has NEVER endorsed Medicare Advantage Plans!

Our toll free number is 866-752-1795. Why try to save money on your drugs if you are paying too much for your doctor and hospital coverage?….get it all done the right way!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We make a living by what we GET, we make a life by what we GIVE.

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose, Nothin’s not worth nothin, but it’s free….Kris Kristofferson – lyrics from “Me & Bobby McGee”

We’ve all heard this great song time and time again, but I don’t know if many of us ever get to the point in our lives where we have “nothing left to lose.”  I talk to and receive emails from people every day who have come to feel that way about their health, health care and their Medicare coverage.

People these days cannot afford to pay for all their prescriptions, even with the help of Part D plans.  Some folks are taking way too many drugs.  They go to different doctors and do not let each doctor know what the other doctor has prescribed.  Please let ALL of your doctors know every drug you take and ask them if there is a better way.  Some doctors are now also recommending supplements to lower blood pressure instead of drugs, such as garlic and omega 3 oils.  Many times taking one drug leads to another and before you know it you are on 10 different medications all with side effects that make us feel even worse!  Never stop taking a medication without approval from your doctor.

I would encourage those of you who need help to try to improve your health so you can get off some of the medications you are taking.  Sure, it may be easier to just “take a pill”, but what is it really costing you?

Your Good Health Is Never Going To Be Free!

TOP 10 FOODS YOU CAN EAT TO GET OFF MEDICATIONS & IMPROVE HEALTH

1. GARLIC – Lowers cholesterol and raises “good cholesterol”.  Lowers blood pressure.  Reduces the risk of blood clots.  Helps fight Alzheimer’s.  Detoxification. This also includes all the allium family such as onions, leeks, chives and shallots.

2.  OLIVE OIL AND AVOCADOS - Shown to reduce death from heart disease and cancer.  Unlike other oils, olive oil is high in antioxidant activity.  Avocados are high in foliate and potassium which can decreade heart attack risk by 55%.

3.  NUTS – Recent Harvard University research found that eating more that 5 oz. a week cut heart attack deaths in women by over 40% and helped deadly irregular heartbeats in men.  ALMONDS and WALNUTS offer the most help.

4.  SALMON, SARDINES, TUNA - These fish contain high amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids – that perform miracles throughout the body, fighting virtually every chronic disease known.  Personally, taking fish oil has helped me feel better, my skin look younger and my joints don’t ache as much.  Please, if you do nothing else, try a good quality fish oil product and stick with it!

5.  GREEN TEA – Drinking even one cup of strongly brewed green tea (you can get Lipton’s in de-caf) cut heart disease risk in half.  Think about drinking it as ice tea and all through the day!  It also helps in appetite control and is very high in antioxidants.  EXTRA HINT – If you drink your first cup of green tea on an empty stomach in the morning with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, it will help your liver and gallbladder function better to cleanse your body of toxins.

6.  BLUEBERRIES – One of the best antioxidant rich foods says Tufts University.  Blueberries are so powerful in retarding aging in animals that they can block brain changes leading to decline and even reverse failing memory.  Eat half a cup of frozen or fresh blueberries a day.

7.  DRINK WATER – You would not believe how many of us are actually de-hydrated.  By cutting out sodas and other sugary drinks and replacing with Green Tea and water, not only will you lose weight, but your health will improve just by feeling hydrated.  Your kidneys will thank you!  NEVER DRINK YOUR CALORIES!

8.  GREEN FOODS - Spinach and other greens are second only to garlic in antioxidant activity.  Rich in folic acid which helps fight cancer, heart disease and mental disorders, it protects aging brains and may help prevent Alzheimer’s.

9.  GREEK YOGURT - This type of yogurt has more protein and calcium and also helps your digestive system with “good bacteria” to keep things running smoothly and calcium to protect your bones and teeth.

10. RED WINE AND DARK CHOCOLATE (AT LEAST 70% COCOA) FOR DESERT – This includes red grape juice, but is not as much fun!  Red Wine or grape juice has 4 times the antioxidants of orange or tomato juice.  Research shows that drinking Red Wine in moderation increases longevity.  Dark Chocolate helps your pleasure center of the brain release serotonin and the endorphins that make you”feel good”, all while lowering your blood pressure.  So, instead of fattening ice cream and sugar laden cakes and pies, have ONE glass of red wine with a couple of dark chocolate covered strawberries dipped in chopped almonds or walnuts!

NOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT WAY TO GET HEALTHY TO ME!

Then make an effort to walk or get some kind of activity in each day!  Make a project out if it and begin a journal.  When you look back in 6 months and see how much weight you have lost and how much better you feel,  please write me and tell me your story!  I’d love to share it with my readers.  As you know I am preaching to the choir because I lost 50 lbs last year.  I have to keep myself motivated!  It was hard and it still is hard, but it has been worth it.  I got off my blood pressure medication and I can actually walk around and enjoy myself instead of sitting in pain.  You can do it too!  Let me hear your story soon.

March 31st is the last day you can change from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan.  After that you are stuck until the Annual Election Period which begins November 15 and ends December 31st of every year.

RED ALERT: If you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan within the past 12 months and do NOT like it, or you feel it does not meet your needs or that you were mislead by a salesperson or company, you can get OFF of the Medicare Advantage Plan within the first 12 months!!!  If you keep it longer…you may not be able to get on a Medicare Supplement because of the underwriting or health questions.   Call us to check on your options!

ORANGE ALERT:  If you are NEW TO MEDICARE and you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan and don’t like it, you are still within your open enrollment period and cannot be turned down because of health issues.  You can get back on Original Medicare which pays 80% of all doctor and hospital costs and take out a Medicare Supplement that pays the other 20%.  With a Medicare Supplement your only expense is your monthly premium.  There are NO co-pays, NO NETWORKS of doctors you must use.  You can go to any doctor or hospital of your choice! If you are NEW TO MEDICARE, PLEASE, PLEASE start out with a Medicare Supplement and Stand Alone Part D Plan.  We can help you!

GREEN ALERT: If you are losing your Retirement Plan Group Coverage and need to know what Medicare Supplement plans have the lowest premium, we also do a comparison of Medicare Supplement plans along with a comparison of the more than 50 different drug plans in your state!  You do NOT want to join a Medicare Advantage Plan!  All the Medicare Supplement plans include the same benefits…a Plan F is a Plan F, no matter what insurance company you buy it from.  The ONLY difference is the price they will charge you.  Why pay more?

The ugly truth of the matter is many Insurance Salespeople will try their best to get you to join a Medicare Advantage Plan because they get paid double the commission to do so!  Don’t fall for it!

So, that is the what’s up about the March Madness of Medicare!  Call our toll free number or go to the form on this page or go to www.MyPartDusa.com and fill out the form to get assistance.

Joke of The Day:  Old Man – Honey, what has happened to our sexual relations?  Old Woman - I don’t know, Dear, we didn’t even get a Christmas card from them this year.

I hope all of you are sticking to your new diets or at least adding supplements to your diets, such as CoQ10 and Fish Oil and drinking lots of green tea.

I lost 50 lbs last year and am going to work on losing a few more by June.  It is hard, but I try to keep motivated by knowing I won’t have to take so many medications and that means SAVING MONEY!!!

One great website to get health info on is www.realage.com

Now, to get down to business of Medicare…..as you know My Part D USA can give you the best service.  Why?  Because we actually do comparisons of drug plans and Medicare Supplements that will give you the coverage you need at the best prices.  Just read the Testimonials.  I get them in from people all over the country everyday.  They are so tired of being confused and not knowing what companies to deal with.  Since we are NOT an insurance company, we do not work for any particular plans and can help YOU find what YOU need, instead of what some insurance agent wants to sell you.

As always, if you have lost your retirement coverage or you are new to Medicare, we can help you any time of year get the plans you need.  Just either fill out the online form or give us a call!  Someone will answer the phone as well!  Many people tell me how nice it is just to hear a human being on the other end instead of all the prompts for #1 if you want to listen to a recording, #2 if you want to leave a message or #3 if you want to pull your hair out!!

Hope you are having a GREAT 2010 so far and we hope to hear from you soon.

JOKE OF THE DAY:  A man goes to his psychiatrist and says “Dr. what should I do, my brother thinks he’s a chicken?”  The doctor says “why don’t you get him committed?”  “I would”, the man says, but I really need the eggs!”

I am still getting many questions about this subject.  I called Medicare myself and was told that there is NO law that requires you to file a claim on any kind of insurance plan.   If you have a fender bender and decide to pay for the repairs yourself, is that against the law?  NO!

Part D is insurance for your drugs.  It is totally up to you whether or not you want to file a claim for any purchase of any medications.

If a pharmacy tells you they have to file a claim:

1. They are telling a lie in order to receive a higher re-embursement from the government.

2. Report them to Medicare at 800-633-4227 and issue a formal complaint against them.

Some people find it easier to go to one drug store for their generics, and another for their brands.  At the generic store, do not give them your Part D Plan card or your Social Security number.  All they need to process your prescription is your date of birth, phone number and address.

Then make them show you that they did not file a claim.  It should be located on your prescription receipt if it says CASH, or the name or ID number of your Part D Plan.  Also, check your statement from your drug plan like it was your bank statement monthly and make sure that no generics were charged.

Please read the other blogs under “drug savings tips” on the left side under categories to learn more!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE!