Helping Older Parents Articles

At last, at last. After an excruciating year of coronavirus pandemic, an amazing milestone has been reached: COVID vaccination has begun!

On December 11, 2020, the FDA granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. So now, it’s possible to vaccinate people who are not part of a trial studying the new vaccine. (Moderna’s vaccine is expected to get its EUA very soon, as well.)

Of course, it doesn’t mean that everything will be back to normal within the next few weeks. But vaccination is what will enable us to eventually pull out of the danger and disruption the pandemic is causing.

Although it’s exciting to see COVID vaccination start to take place in the U.S., it also raises a lot of questions for people.

In this article, I’ll summarize what I think is most important for older adults and families to know about coronavirus vaccination.

In particular, I want to address the question of efficacy (does it work?) and safety (is it dangerous?), specifically for older adults.

So I’ve recorded a short video presentation about how I assess whether the COVID vaccine (or other treatment) is effective in older adults, especially those over age 85 and those in nursing homes. I also have summarized some key vaccine information below.

In this video, I review the data for Pfizer’s vaccine, and I show you how you can assess the data on older adults when the data for upcoming vaccines is released. [Read more…]

Every year, Medicare has an open enrollment period: October 15 – December 7.

During this time, Medicare beneficiaries can do the following:

• Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or vice versa;
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another;
• Change Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan; or
• Enroll in a Medicare Part D (a late enrollment penalty may apply).

Medicare health and drug plans can make changes each year—things like cost, coverage, and what providers and pharmacies are in their networks.  It is important for Medicare beneficiaries to review their current plans, options, and needs for the next year. Many beneficiaries fail to take any action during open enrollment; Medicare is not a “set it and forget it” insurance plan.

Before you can start deciding if and what to change about your Medicare benefits, you have to understand the basics of Medicare.

In this article, I’ll review the basics of Medicare Parts A, B, C and D. Then, I’ll share some tips on navigating the Medicare Open Enrollment period and how to get help, if you’re considering making a switch or if you need help affording the Medicare premiums. [Read more…]