Archive for November, 2011
Medicare open enrollment is here and will close in 3 weeks
November 14th, 2011 | 
Author: The time frame to change current Medicare plans has been moved up. This year, open enrollment started on October 15 and ends on December 7.
Actual changes will take effect, as usual, on January 1.
This is the time to review cost, coverage and convenience. It is time to consider a return to traditional Medicare or to check out if there is a Medicare Advantage plan that may offer better benefit options.
It is also time to change prescription plans. It is the perfect time to review all letters arriving from the present drug plan. There may be changes in the formulary for next year, which can adversely effect your bottom line. As always information is available at www.medicare.gov
Of course people that are satisfied with their current choices don’t have to make any changes.
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Recognizing a stroke
Disclaimer: this is not medical advise; it is simply a public announcement trying to spread the word about early recognition of stroke symptoms.
Neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can reverse the effects of a certain types of strokes. They say the trick is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours.
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
Ask the individual to SMILE.
Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
Ask him or her to STICK OUT YOUR TOUNGE
WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS : being crooked. A smile where the lip is droopy in one side, a sentence where the words are slurred, arms that don’t go up the same height, tongue that ends up one side or the other. You are looking for pronounced weakness in either side of the body.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.