It has been the norm that when people first go on Medicare, they are automatically enrolled into traditional Medicare unless they affirmatively choose a Medicare Advantage plan. In recent years...
Diane Archer
Butter may be better for you than you think
Butter may be better for you than you think. According to a June 2016 article in PLOS ONE, a meta-analysis of nine databases reporting on 636,151 people show that consuming butter has little or no...
Screening criteria for diabetes and pre-diabetes
Thirteen percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, including 9 million people over 65, and 38 percent of Americans have pre-diabetes. Controlling the blood sugar, cholesterol level and blood...
The VA health system: Best in class and under fire
Some might say with good reason that the Veterans’ Health Administration or the “VA” health system is best in class–indeed, Phillip Longman, senior editor at the Washington...
Three things to think about when enrolling in Medicare
When it’s time to sign up for Medicare, information can be confusing. Before enrolling in Medicare, here are three things you should know: Timing: If you are not actively working and getting...
Online pharmacies can save you money
Today, millions of people in the United States struggle to pay for their prescriptions. Many end up not filling prescriptions or skipping doses. Drug prices are too high, particularly for people with...
Trump, Republican platform on Social Security, Medicare and...
Trump has not spent much time talking about his vision for Social Security, Medicare and health care. But, were he to become president, he has promised on day one to ask Congress to repeal the...
Sex advice for older adults
You rarely see a story on sex advice for older adults in the media. For some bizarre reason, it appears that most people do not think older adults are interested in sex. But, of course, older adults...
President Obama calls for public option in state health exchanges
During the health care reform debate, President Obama supported a public health insurance option in order to promote competition and bring down costs in the health insurance marketplace. At one...
How safe are the drugs you’re taking?
You might think that the FDA ensures that the drugs you’re taking are safe. And, generally, drug companies must complete several costly drug testing phases before the FDA approves a drug to go to...