Medicare enrollment
Enroll in Medicare Jan. 1- March 31, 2007. Coverage will be effective July 1, 2007.

The HMO and PPO plans require Medicare-eligible persons to enroll in Medicare. If you don’t, the HMO and PPO will not pay the Medicare portion of your medical bills. You will also be ineligible to join TexanPlus or Texas HealthSpring. You or your dependent should apply for Medicare if either of you:

• are 65 and eligible for Medicare, but waived coverage; or
• are under 65, disabled and eligible for Medicare; and
• are covered under Medicare Parts A & B, and you want to pay a lower monthly premium for your HMO or PPO medical plan.

Apply for Medicare at least 90 days before the month of your 65th birthday.

Apply for Medicare through the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213, or visit www.Medicare.gov. If you are denied Medicare coverage, mail a copy of your letter of ineligibility to the Benefits Division, P.O. Box 248, Houston, Texas 77001. You may be eligible to pay a higher monthly contribution to keep your HMO or PPO medical plan.

December Medicare Advantage plan enrollment
During December, there will be an opportunity to join one of the city’s cost-effective Medicare Advantage plans. TexanPlus is $5.00 monthly per person; Texas HealthSpring is $7.50 monthly per person. To be eligible, you must already be covered under a city medical plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, live in the plan’s service area, pay premiums to the city, and not have end-stage renal disease.
Look for more information in the mail before Thanksgiving.

New first signs of Alzheimer’s
Problems with the body, not the mind, might be the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s, reported on May 2006 study.

Scientists evaluated four measures of physical function in 2,300 healthy adults age 65 or older: walking speed, balance, lower-body strength, and grip strength. After six years, those who scored poorly on overall physical performance or who walked slowly at the start of the study were more likely than the others to develop Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. Those who had poor balance and no memory problems at the start were at increased risk as well.

The researchers concluded that those physical signs might appear well before noticeable mental decline. Physical impairments might be early signs of brain deterioration. Researchers speculate that gait and balance decline earlier in the development of dementia than do leg or hand strength because the first two are complex functions controlled by multiple areas of the brain. Alternatively, those physical drop-offs might signal increased risk simply because they reflect physical inactivity.

If you or someone you care about develops gait or balance problems, see a physician. The problems could signal any of several muscular or neurologic disorders unrelated to dementia, or an inner-ear problem affecting equilibrium. But they also might lead to an early diagnosis of dementia, offering an opportunity for timely treatment, which might slow the progression of the disease. If no problems are found, the study should at least provide another incentive to exercise regularly. (Source: Consumer Reports on Health, Sept. 2006.)

Think about it

• Last year, 2.4 percent of all newlyweds were over age 65, double the figure from four years ago, reports The Week.
• 7,918 Americans, on average, turn 50 each day, says Time magazine.
• Twenty-five percent of men aged 65 or older will be in the labor force by 2014, according to new projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, up from 20 percent in 2005.

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