Archive for the ‘Medicare Card Replacement’ Category
Because dental insurance is usually acquired as part of a job benefit package, most persons lose their dental insurance coverage when they retire. In some states, Medicaid provides limited dental coverage for routine dental care for low income and disabled elderly persons.
Medicare, on the other hand, does not cover routine dental care for older adults, but provides a few, very limited services considered to be “medically necessary.” With only 22 percent of the adults 65 years and older covered by private dental insurance in 1995, most dental care expenses for the elderly were paid out of pocket.
This website offers affordable low cost dental insurance that will greatly help with dental care cost. Take a moment to review our dental insurance plan options and call member services if you should have any questions at 310-534-3444 M-F 8-4. We are always happy to help you with any of our dental insurance plan options.
Low Income Subsidy (LIS)
Helps to pay for Medicare Part D for people with low to moderate income and resources. Also known as “Extra Help”.
There are two levels of the LIS:
Full Subsidy
The full subsidy is for people who also get Medi-Cal coverage or who are in a Medicare Savings Program (MSP). You may also qualify if your countable income is less than $16,281 per year and your resources are less than $7,560, if you are single (the limits are higher for larger households).
With the full subsidy, you will not have to pay a Part D premium or deductible, there will be no donut hole, and there may be lower co-payments.
Partial Subsidy
The partial subsidy is for people who can’t get the full subsidy, but have less than $18,090 in countable income and less than $12,600 in resources, if you are single (the limits are higher for larger households).
With the partial subsidy, you will pay 0%, 25%, 50%, or 75% of the Part D premium, depending on your income, and will only have to pay a $83 deductible before you get help paying for drugs. You will have to pay coinsurance and co-payments for your medications, but they will be lower than they would be without the partial LIS.
Note: Not all of your income and resources are counted when you apply for the Low Income Subsidy. You can apply for the LIS even if you are not sure that you will qualify.
Some counties have contracted IHSS care providers. Community care providers, friends, neighbors, and relatives can provide services as well. You are responsible for hiring, firing, and supervising your IHSS caregiver.
Free Instant Individual – Family Dental Insurance Plan Quotes
Individual – Family dental insurance plan help and information – InsuranceCompany.com is a specialist in dental insurance and dental discount plans, vision and prescription coverage programs for individuals, families and groups. We have been serving the dental insurance community since 1983, you will find our licensed dental insurance agents are well informed and ready to assist you.
Compare dental insurance plans and decide which one is right for you and your family. Many of our dental plans have next day benefits including vision and prescription. InsuranceCompany.com offers quotes for individual and family dental insurance plans including an option to compare dental national coverage plans. Remember, buying dental insurance does not have to be a painful process.
We offer individual and family dental insurance benefit coverage in all 50 states. Insurance company is a national leader of dental health and related products with an e-market place to compare affordable dental insurance from the nations largest dental companies.
When you think winter holidays, do you envision cookies, pies and high-fat treats? Bulging waistlines and scale-tipping weight gain? Maybe it’s time to rethink what brings joy and happiness to you, your friends and family. Last December, NIH News in Health suggested over a dozen healthy holiday gifts. Here are a few more budget-friendly possibilities to help keep your loved ones active and healthy. Good food is one of life’s great pleasures, and it doesn’t have to be bad for you.
Several kitchen gadgets—like juicers, slow cookers, rice cookers or vegetable steamers—can help you prepare nutritious low-fat foods. You can also encourage loved ones to prepare tasty, healthy dishes by giving them a low-cost cookbook from NIH (see the “Wise Choices” box). Popsicle molds in whimsical shapes can encourage healthful snacking for kids. Fill them with pureed fruit or 100% fruit juice.
Being physically active is one of the best things anyone can do to stay healthy. A pass to a local, state or national park system could be a fun way to encourage walking, biking, hiking, jogging or even kayaking. For the cyclists on your list, consider getting a tune-up with a local bike shop, protective eyewear to protect vision or other bicycle accessories.
Older people might enjoy the book Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute on Aging. It helps you get motivated and describes exercises that enhance endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. It also suggests ways to modify activities so people with chronic conditions and disabilities can exercise safely. Request a free copy of this 120-page book by calling1-800-222-2225, or order online.
On a tight budget? Give a gift of your time. Create coupons that promise to help others with shopping trips or cooking healthy meals. Teens can make coupons for grandparents that offer to help set up their computers, connect to the internet and make bookmarks for web sites that give reliable health information.
Two calendars from NIH can help you keep track of time and keep healthy habits. The colorful 12-month Noisy Planet calendar for 2010 reminds kids to protect their hearing. It’s 5.5 x 8.5 inches, removable and restickable. Order 1 free calendar per household at online, or call 1-800-241-1044; 1-800-241-1055 (TTY).
The 2010 Keep the Beat: Healthy Choices calendar supports a heart-healthy lifestyle ($3 $2 with promotional code. See the “Wise Choices” box for details). Order online, or call 301-592-8573.
Another gift that promotes heart health is the Red Dress pin, designed to raise awareness that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women ($2.50 $2 each for up to 24 pins with promotional code. See the “Wise Choices” box). Order online.
A 12-page booklet from NIH might encourage scientific curiosity in kids. The Rocket Boys of NIH tells the true story of a 9-year-old boy’s plans to build a small rocket ship with his friend in the late 1950s. Published in both English and Spanish, the free booklet can be ordered online.
Scientists at the University of Florida have discovered a new method of observing the brain changes caused by Parkinson’s disease, which destroys neurons important for movement. The development suggests that fluid changes in a specific brain area could provide a way to track that damage. The study, published in the journal Brain, was supported by the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
“By finding a new way to detect and track how Parkinson’s affects the brain, this study provides an important tool for assessing whether a drug might slow or stop those changes and keep symptoms from getting worse,” said NINDS Program Director Daofen Chen, Ph.D.
Self-Employed and Dental Insurance
If you are a self-employed person and have had the misfortune of visiting a dentist, you will immediately realize the importance of buying individual dental insurance coverage. Individual dental insurance plan help and information – InsuranceCompany.com is a specialist in dental insurance and dental discount plans, vision and prescription coverage programs for individuals.
Free Individual Dental Insurance Plan Quotes
Individual dental insurance is probably one of the most widely adopted private insurance plans.
Individual dental insurance provides you with the coverage you need to promote good dental health in which you can generally find customized options. That means you may have some work cut out for you as you shop our web site. For example, in California we offer over 65 dental plans to choose from which beats looking through that many places. Keep in mind individual plans is just a term used to distinguish itself from group plans which you generally get from your employer. Since obtaining an individual dental insurance plan is very affordable, many people choose to take responsibility for that coverage either as a stand-alone policy or as a supplement to their group dental coverage.
According to studies done, there may be a link with excessive alcohol consumption and it having a contributing factor towards mouth cancer. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the chances of developing mouth cancer by 30 percent. However, mouth cancer is the not the only oral health risk associated with alcoholic drinks. alcoholic drinks also often contain high levels of sugar which can lead to tooth decay. Tooth decay happens when the enamel and dentin of a tooth become softened by acid attack after you have eaten or drunk anything containing sugars. Over time, the acid makes a cavity in the tooth. This often leads to the tooth needing to be filled or even removed.
Overall, only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year receive treatment for it, and even fewer—about one fifth—receive treatment consistent with current practice guidelines, according to data from nationally representative surveys supported by NIMH. Among the ethnic/racial groups surveyed, African Americans and Mexican Americans had the lowest rates of use of depression care; all groups reported higher use of past-year psychotherapy vs. medication for depression.
Seasonal flu shots are available right now. H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine is being shipped and will soon be widely available. Flu refers to illnesses caused by a number of different influenza viruses. Flu can cause a range of symptoms and effects, from mild to lethal. Two strains of flu, seasonal flu and the H1N1 (Swine) flu, are currently circulating in the United States. A third, highly lethal H5N1 (Bird) flu is being closely tracked overseas.
Most healthy people recover from the flu without problems, but certain people are at high risk for serious complications. Extensive efforts are underway to track and monitor the spread of all flu viruses. In the U.S., epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working with states to collect, compile and analyze reports of flu outbreaks. More on the current situation.
Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue. In H1N1 flu infection, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur. Annual outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually occur during the late fall through early spring. Most people have natural immunity, and a seasonal flu vaccine is available. In a typical year, approximately 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the seasonal flu and approximately 36,000 flu-related deaths are reported.
This year, the H1N1 flu virus may cause a more dangerous flu season with a lot more people getting sick, being hospitalized and dying than during a regular flu season. H1N1 is a new virus first seen in the United States. It is contagious and spreads from person to person. Like seasonal flu, illness in people with H1N1 can vary from mild to severe.
Need a Replacement Card? Order a Medicare Card by Phone or Online
If you lose or damage your Medicare card, you can obtain a replacement card from Social Security one of the following ways:
Log into your MyMedicare.gov account. If you do not have a MyMedicare account, sign up now.
Order Online by visiting the Medicare Card Replacement section of Social Security’s Web site. You card will be mailed within 30 days to the address SSA has on record. To make an online request, you will need the following information:
Your last (exact) payment amount or the month and year you last received a payment if you have received benefits in the last 12 months.
Your name as it appears on your most recent Social Security card
Your Social Security Number
Your Date of Birth
Your phone number in case we need to contact you about your request
Your e-mail address (optional)
You may also need:
Your Place of Birth
Your Mother’s Maiden Name (to help identify you)
Mild Lung Disease Linked to Heart Function
People with a mild form of a common lung condition—even those without symptoms—are at increased risk for heart problems, according to a new study. This is the first report that mild, often-symptomless chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be linked to the heart’s pumping ability.
COPD is the nation’s fourth leading cause of death. It affects an estimated 1 in 5 Americans over age 45, but as many as half the people who have it may not even be aware of it. The condition is strongly associated with smoking, and it often involves the destruction of lung tissue, called emphysema. COPD can bring persistent coughing, mucus production, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Symptoms often worsen over time.
Researchers have long known that severe COPD can have harmful effects on the heart, decreasing its ability to pump blood effectively. To see if mild and even symptomless COPD might also be linked to reduced heart function, a team of scientists led by Dr. Graham Barr of Columbia University Medical Center studied 2,816 generally healthy adults ages 45 and older. About half were women. All were participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a large study designed to detect early signs of heart, lung and blood diseases before symptoms appear. MESA is supported by NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
As described in the January 21, 2010, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers used breathing tests and imaging studies of the chest to assess the structure and function of each person’s heart and lungs. None of the participants had severe COPD or heart disease, but many were found to have mild abnormalities in heart and lung function.
The scientists observed that as lung function and structure became increasingly impaired, so did the heart’s ability to fill with oxygen-rich blood. The volume of blood pumped per minute also dropped as lung function declined. The link between lung and heart function was strongest in the 370 participants who were current smokers, but it was also seen in people with mild COPD who had never smoked.
The new results suggest that these changes in heart function occur much earlier than previously realized, when COPD is mild or even before symptoms appear. Because the study population was ethnically mixed and covered a broad age range of apparently healthy people, the findings may be widely applicable to the general U.S. population.
“These results raise the intriguing possibility that treating lung disease may, in the future, improve heart function,” says Barr. “Further research is needed to prove whether treating mild COPD will help the heart work better.”
Question: I am self employed and I have been looking for good dental insurance plan for my family. What I am finding are plans that do not cover much and has a max limit of $1000.00 – $2000.00. I want something that does not have a max limit and overs better coverage’s without all the waiting periods.
Answer: It is common for dental PPO or Indemnity dental insurance plans to have waiting periods and maximum limitations. You may want to review any HMO insurance options that are available to you in your state. HMO insurance plans generally do not have those types of restrictions and limitations.
The Health Benefits of Cutting Salt
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and other health problems. About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has hypertension.
Blood pressure can be reduced by lowering dietary sodium. Experts recommend that people consume less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day—that’s what’s in about 6 grams of salt, or about a teaspoon. People with high blood pressure should shoot for 1,500 milligrams or less—about 3.7 grams of salt. However, the average man in the United States takes in over 10 grams of salt per day and the average woman over 7.
While some dietary sodium comes from people sprinkling salt on their food, about three-quarters comes from processed food, including breads and cereals, dairy products and processed meats. To limit dietary sodium, people need to read food labels carefully.
Some countries have reduced their populations’ salt intake by using various strategies, such as regulating the salt content in processed foods, requiring labels on ready-to-eat foods and educating the public. Researchers led by Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California, San Francisco, set out to explore the potential impact of a modest reduction in dietary salt on the health of the U.S. population.
The researchers built on the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model, a computer simulation of heart disease in U.S. adults 35 to 84 years old. The data for the model came from several studies. These include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the Framingham studies conducted and supported by NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and trials testing the effects of reduced salt on blood pressure and heart disease, such as NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial. The new study was supported by NIH’s National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) and the American Heart Association.
As reported in the January 20, 2010, online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, the scientists found that reducing salt intake by 3 grams per day could cut the number of new cases of coronary heart disease each year by as many as 120,000, stroke by 66,000 and heart attack by nearly 100,000. It could also prevent up to 92,000 deaths each year. All segments of the population would benefit, with African-Americans having the greatest improvements overall. Women would particularly benefit from reductions in stroke, older adults from reductions in coronary heart disease and younger adults from lower mortality rates.
Reducing salt intake by 3 grams per day would save the country up to $24 billion in health care costs a year, the researchers estimated. Even a modest reduction of 1 gram per day between 2010 and 2019 would be more cost-effective than using medications to lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.
“Our study suggests that the food industry and those who regulate it could contribute substantially to the health of the nation by working toward reducing the amount of salt in the processed foods that all of us consume,” Bibbins-Domingo says.
—by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.
The most common form of malignant brain cancer in adults, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), has 4 distinct molecular subtypes, according to a new study. The finding may lead to more personalized approaches to treating GBM patients.
GBM is a fast-growing type of tumor. In recent years, 3 of every 100,000 Americans have been diagnosed with GBM—the highest incidence rate among malignant brain tumors. Most patients die of the disease within 14 months of diagnosis.
Like most cancers, GBM is believed to arise from changes that accumulate in cells’ DNA over the course of a person’s life. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network, launched in 2006, is a comprehensive and coordinated effort to explore the genomic changes involved in human cancer. It consists of more than 150 researchers at dozens of institutions across the nation. The network is funded by NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
TCGA scientists previously published a detailed view of GBM genomic changes. In the new study, they built on those findings and determined that GBM appears to have 4 distinct molecular subtypes. As reported on January 19, 2010, in Cancer Cell, the scientists associated 2 previously identified subtypes with specific genetic changes and identified 2 additional subtypes. The researchers also found that response to aggressive chemotherapy and radiation therapy differed by subtype.
The evidence suggests that the different GBM subtypes arise from different kinds of cells. This finding has potential clinical significance, since determining the types of cells that form GBM is critical for establishing effective treatments.
“The ability to differentiate GBM tumors based on their altered genetic code lays the groundwork for more effective treatment strategies to combat this deadly cancer,” says NHGRI director Dr. Eric D. Green. “These findings demonstrate the power of using a cancer’s genome to unravel the molecular changes that occur in the various cancer types.”
“These new findings offer critical insights into stratifying patients based on the unique molecular characteristics of their disease,” says NCI Director Dr. John E. Niederhuber. “As we learn more and more about the genetic underpinnings of cancer, we hope to achieve a similar level of molecular understanding for all cancers and eventually to generate recipes of highly targeted therapies uniquely suited to the individual patient.”
Dental Fears: I have large dental fears so I can not go to just any general dentist since even for just a cleaning I need to have a specialist knock me out. Because of my dental fears, I have to pay more money for my dental services which my current dental insurance will not cover, since they will only cover me on UCR for general dental prices. Where can I get a dental insurance that will insured for specialist? I try explaining to my dental insurance that I do not see a specialist just to have it cost more but they state it does not matter it is up to me where I go and the coverages are what I get if I go to a specialist for my fears.
Reply: You may want to review a dental discount plan. With a dental discount plan you will save at least 20% off the cost of any plan specialist. Compare the benefits you current receive and see if that is better or worse then saving 20% with a dental discount plan. You also may want to try weaning your self off of going to a dental specialist all the time. There are great general dentist that deal well with people that have dental fears. At least may be get the simple things done at a general dentist.