A NEW SHINGLES VACCINE

Shingles affects about 30% of the population. If you had chicken pox when you were a kid, that same virus is likely hiding out in our body, ready to emerge and present itself as shingles years later. 

Although shingles is a scourge of seniors, and vaccination is recommended for those over sixty, Medicare Parts A and B does not cover the greater than $200 vaccination. Only the prescription drug part of Medicare, Part D, will cover the vaccination.

There is a lot of  misinformation about shingles. A recent NY Times article provides links to several resources that provide information about protecting oneself or one’s parents against it.

This week a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel recommended a new shingles vaccine called Shingrix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, for adults aged 50 and older.  The panel’s recommendation gives preference to the new vaccine over Merck’s Zostavax, which has been the only shingles vaccine on the market for over a decade and was recommended for people ages 60 and older.  The committee vote still awaits formal endorsement by the head of the C.D.C., which usually takes a couple of months. Insurance companies must also agree to cover the cost of the vaccine, which GSK estimates to be $280 for two doses.

The good news is that Shingrix extends protection against shingles by ten years, to people aged 50, and outcomes from Shingrix are somewhat better than with Zostavax. The bad news is that Shingrix can have unpleasant -- but not-life threatening -- side effects. 

If you are thinking of being vaccinated against shingles, you might want to discuss this new vaccine with your health provider.

EQUIFAX DATA BREACH: WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW

Early in September Equifax, the premier credit rating agency in the USA, reported that its system had been hacked.  The breach meant that potentially millions of Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and other information had been stolen, leaving many of us to wonder how vulnerable we might be to identity theft.

This breach was reported extensively in the NY Times and other newspapers. Following are some actions that you might want to follow in order to protect your identity. These are recommended by the Times. 

Most importantly is that you frequently change your PIN numbers and don't use the same pin for multiple uses.  (although Equifax says that no PINS were stolen in the breach).

Trying to remember one new PIN, not to mention a whole bunch of them, is way  beyond me. What I do is store PINS, and other critical information such as income tax and social security information, on a thumb drive that is only connected to the computer when I need to recall something. Other than that, the thumb drive lives unconnected in a drawer next to my right hand.

Don't use the same PIN for multiple applications. For example, your bank and Netflix, and so on. Once hacked, it is not a stretch for the hacker to use that PIN for other applications.

But, what to do about the Equifax breach apart from regularly changing and diversifying your PIN numbers?

1.  Find out whether your data been compromised? You can find out the likelihood that your information has been compromised by going to the Equifax website.

2. Freeze  your credit file. Contact the credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Eperian and TransUnion, and set up a freeze on each. You can either do this through the web or by phoning.

The Times article describes the whole process of freezing your credit -- and how to unfreeze it.

TAKING OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO THE DOCTOR

Many seniors have a new job in their retirement: child care. And that might mean taking your grandkids to see the doctor. 

It makes sense that doctor’s offices and hospitals are hot spots for germs, but what can you do?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a policy statement that aims to minimize the spread of germs in waiting rooms and exam rooms. 

Much of what this policy recommends goes back to the essentials of preventing infections, like the importance of hand hygiene and immunizations. But there is specific advice for your experience in the waiting room.

In considering a pediatrician, you might want to ask how your pediatrician handles children who have not been immunized and whether they are kept out of the waiting room when they are sick.

Bring along a toy. Those toys in the waiting room have been handled by an unknown number of kids who may be infected so, even if they are disinfected daily it’s better to be safe and to pack your own.  If your grandkid wants to play with the toys in the office, wipe the thing with the alcohol-based sanitizer that should be available.

When you make an appointment, be sure to mention if your child is infected -- coughing, sneezing, itching and so on -- which indicates that the child should not spend time in the waiting room. If your child is prone to infections, you might also want to consider asking the office to call you when it is your child’s turn to be seen while you wait outside. Maybe take a walk or wait in the car with your kid and a book. Ask for a specific time when your kid will be seen.

It all comes down to sanitation. Wash your hands often and use the alcohol based sanitizer in the doctor’s office. Many people do not seem to know about “cough [and sneezing!] etiquette.” Cover your mouth, cough into your elbow rather than your hand … and sanitize your hand after wiping your nose or dealing with a sneeze. Cough etiquette refers equally to you, your child and their child!

Even before reaching the doctor’s office protect your grandchild by making certain that her immunizations are up to date. It is important for your grandchild to get a flu shot as soon as it is available so that she or he can develop full immunity before there is a lot of flu going around in the air.

Remember also that we seniors need to keep up our own immunizations. Get that flu shot! It will probably be free to you at the local pharmacy.

MEDICARE SCAM... AGAIN!

Starting next April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin issuing Medicare cards that do not display Social Security numbers. 

 

THAT'S A GOOD THING. BUT... 

OF COURSE SOMEBODY HAS FIGURED HOW TO USE THIS PROGRAM TO SCAM US!

 

 Scammers might call you.  They will claim to be MEDICARE or Medicaid Services or Social Security -- you get the idea. Hang up!  

 

They might ask you for personal information, even your social security number. Maybe the voice on the phone will tell you that you must pay to get this new card.  Maybe they will ask for something else... whatever..

MEDICARE WILL NEVER CALL YOU. PERIOD. NADA. TELL THE VOICE WHERE TO GO. HANG UP. SAYONARA. DELETE THE CALL. 

THE NEW CARDS ARE FREE. YOURS WILL ARRIVE IN THE MAIL
New beneficiaries will get the modernized cards first, and then new cards will be issued to existing beneficiaries.
  

NEVER GIVE UP YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR ANY OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION TO A VOICE ON THE PHONE THAT CLAIMS TO REPRESENT MEDICARE OR SOCIAL SECURITY OR ANY OTHER AGENCY. 

 

IT'S A SCAM. DON'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING. THEY ARE CROOKS. THEY WANT TO HURT YOU.

 
Report scams to local law enforcement. Contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork for more information on fraud prevention.

Tagged: aarp, fraud, medicare, new hampshire, social security   

SENIORS ALIVE! OCTOBER 2017

SENIORS ALIVE! THE GHSS NEWSLETTER FOR OCTOBER 2017

We sincerely apologize with the confusion around this month's newsletter, and for its lateness.

This is really 2017! (still, although at the rate this year has passed -- and moving into these last months of holidays -- we won't be in 2017 for much longer. How does this happen? anyway....)

CORRECTION FOR SENIORS ALIVE!

I APOLOGIZE THAT THE ISSUE OF SENIORS ALIVE! THAT I HAVE JUST POSTED, THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME, WAS FOR OCTOBER 2015.

I WILL TRY TO GET THE MOST RECENT ISSUE.