Michael Umanoff MD Pain Medicine

This is called analysis...a correlation NOT a cause.

The AHA says Fasting increases cardiac risk by 91%. Are they really that stupid? Correlation is not causation. Healthy User Bias.

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A bit of knowledge goes a long way......For those looking into strains for medicinal benefit, this is a worthwhile and quick read

How Do You Figure Out What Cannabis Strains to Purchase? | Medical & Recreational Ma*****na News & Articles Recreational and Medical Ma*****na News, Articles and Information: Trying to figure out how to buy cannabis can be tough, too, especially for newcomers.

Don't fall into their trap

Elizabeth Warren Urges Crackdown on Private Medicare Advantage Insurers (Bloomberg) -- Democratic senators led by Elizabeth Warren urged top Biden health officials to take a harder line on private Medicare Advantage health plans, arguing that insurance companies annually overcharge the government by tens of billions of dollars.Most Read from BloombergApple’s iPhone Wo...

Worthwhile read

America is hitting "peak 65" in 2024, breaking retirement records If you're one of the millions of Americans turning 65 this year, here's what should you know about retirement — whether you intend to continue working or not.

A common problem

Hip Bursitis: Top 9 Strengthening Exercises and Stretches One not-so-pleasant day, you get out of bed and experience hip pain. Many can relate to this because hip pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems. According to the review paper “Chronic Hip Pain in Adults: Current Knowledge and Future Prospective,” hip pain affects 10% of the gene...

Another tool to treat pain

FDA Finds ‘Credible Scientific Support’ for Ma*****na as Pain Reliever By Pat Anson, PNN EditorIt took a lawsuit to prompt its release, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has finally made public a lengthy FDA review explaining why it thinks ma*****na should be rescheduled as a Schedule III controlled substance. Such a move would make it legal un...

Never too late

At 93, he’s as fit as a 40-year-old. His body offers lessons on aging. The human body maintains the ability to adapt to exercise at any age, showing that it’s never too late to start a fitness program.

Need to add resistance training

Why strength training is key to your long-term health | CNN Strength training is far more important for long-term health than people realize, says exercise researcher Dr. Tommy Lundberg. He shares why in a Q&A with CNN.

Researchers may have discovered the cause of Parkinson’s disease In an era of remarkable scientific breakthroughs, the mysteries of Parkinson's disease have remained elusive. Known to be a chronic ailment that disrupts the central nervous system, Parkinson's affects over 10 million people globally, rendering them with difficulty in walking, tremors, cognitive iss...

It takes a judge to discern the truth

Florida judge says Ron DeSantis spread false information on trans healthcare and says there's no 'rational basis' to ban gender-affirming care A federal judge criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis's ban on gender-affirming care for minors and said there's no "rational basis" for the law.

A good analysis of the economy and how we have fared under both.

Biden’s economy vs. Trump’s in 12 charts The presidential election is less than a year away, and economic issues are once again top of mind for voters around the country. Here’s how the economy fared under President Biden and President Trump.

An end to breast cancer? California company develops groundbreaking vaccine with promising future An estimated one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, killing on average 42,000 a year in the U.S. But what if a vaccine could significantly lower each woman's chance of ever getting it in the first place?

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE ISN'T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE:

Once you turn 65, you're eligible to sign up for health coverage under Medicare. And at that point, you can choose to stick with original Medicare (Parts A, B, and D) or Medicare Advantage.

Medicare Advantage is often hailed as a more cost-effective alternative to original Medicare. And one thing enrollees tend to like about it is that Medicare Advantage plans limit your out-of-pocket spending on an annual basis, whereas with original Medicare, you don't get that same guarantee. Rather, it's generally advisable to put a Medigap policy in place if you have original Medicare to potentially avoid catastrophic costs.

A person in scrubs talking to a seated person in a hallway.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

But while Medicare Advantage has its benefits, it's also far from perfect. Here are a few issues you might face if you decide to sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan.

1. You may not be able to see your favorite doctors
When you sign up for original Medicare, you basically get the option to see any provider that accepts Medicare. But Medicare Advantage plans work differently.

These plans are more similar to employer-sponsored insurance in that you're limited to a specific network of providers, hospitals, and pharmacies. And going out of network could prove to be extremely costly.

Compounding the problem is the fact that provider networks for Advantage plans can change from one year to the next. So you might find a provider you like and trust only to find that you're unable to see them because they're no longer in your plan.

2. You might end up paying for benefits you don't get to use
One reason Medicare Advantage appeals to seniors is that these plans commonly offer supplemental benefits that original Medicare doesn't. It's common, for example, for Medicare Advantage plans to pay for dental services, which is something original Medicare doesn't pay for. And a lot of Advantage plans offer benefits that go way beyond original Medicare, like fitness club benefits and meal delivery services.

The problem, though, is that to qualify for some these benefits, you generally need a documented medical condition that justifies your ability to receive them. If you have a condition like diabetes, for example, that can be managed by diet, then you might qualify for meal delivery or nutrition benefits under a Medicare Advantage plan. But if you don't have such a condition, then you may not get to use those specific benefits, even though you're paying to have access to them.

3. You may end up needing prior authorization for more in-depth care
The Kaiser Family Foundation says that 99% of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans that require prior authorization for at least some services. With original Medicare, that's generally not a requirement. This not only puts an added burden on you as a patient, but could also, in some cases, delay essential treatment or diagnostic services due to red tape.

4. Your local hospital system may not accept your insurance
As mentioned earlier, with Medicare Advantage, you're limited to a specific provider network. But a growing number of hospital systems are dumping Medicare Advantage due to a variety of issues. These include high prior authorization denial rates and slow payments from insurers.

Last year, Mayo Clinic began dropping Medicare Advantage plans in certain states. And more recently, Scripps notified patients that it's terminating a large number of Medicare Advantage contracts -- a move that's projected to affect more than 30,000 seniors.

For some people, Medicare Advantage may be the right choice when it comes to health coverage. But do your research thoroughly before deciding that Medicare Advantage is right for you. And if you come to the conclusion that you want to move forward with an Advantage plan, pay close attention to plan ratings so you're able to see which options rank more favorably among existing enrollees.

I have spent years in such pain that I begged for someone to cut my arm off. This is how I survived — Guardian US Amy Pohl was working as a teacher when a medical accident left her with the condition CRPS. She talks about the agony that even doctors struggle to understand – and her new life as a TikTok star