Good morning. October's here, the leaves are turning, and my neighbor already has his inflatable skeleton up. Football and flannel season — can't complain.
In this issue:
Medicare Open Enrollment starts October 15 — your week-by-week plan
Worth Knowing: free screenings you're skipping, heart failure warning signs, and a Part D trap
From the Archives: the honest keto guide for our age group
Slice of Life: a pumpkin patch confession
Medicare Open Enrollment starts next Wednesday, October 15. It runs through December 7. Here's how to break it into manageable weeks.
Week 1 (Oct 15-21): Compare. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare. Enter your prescriptions and pharmacies. This is the step that saves the most money.
Week 2 (Oct 22-28): Verify. Call the new plan and confirm your doctors are in-network.
Week 3 (November): Decide. Only your last choice before December 7 counts.
The takeaway: The cheapest premium isn't always the cheapest plan. A $0 premium plan with $47 copays can cost more than a $50/month plan with $10 copays.
SHIP counselors are free. Call 1-877-839-2675 or visit shiphelp.org.
🩺 The free screenings Medicare covers that most people skip. Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, bone density, certain cancer screenings, and more. If you haven't had your annual wellness visit yet, book it.
❤️ Know the signs of heart failure. Swollen ankles. Shortness of breath. Waking up at night gasping. These aren't "just aging." Benjamin Wells wrote a thorough guide.
💊 Check your Part D formulary before auto-renewing. Drug formularies change every year. A medication that was Tier 1 ($10 copay) could jump to Tier 3 ($47 copay). The plan comparison tool at medicare.gov does this automatically.
Keto for Seniors — by Eleanor Hayes
Refreshingly honest about what works and what doesn't. She explains why a "modified Mediterranean keto" approach might be the smarter path for anyone over 60. I've sent this to two people in my family.
Took my niece to a pumpkin patch last weekend. She spent 20 minutes picking the perfect pumpkin — tested the stem, checked for soft spots, turned it around three times. She's six. I told her she'd make a great auditor someday. She said, "What's an auditor?" I said, "Someone who checks pumpkins for a living." She seemed satisfied with that.
Until next Tuesday,
Nino
P.S. Open Enrollment only comes once a year — if someone you know is on Medicare, forward this their way. I read every one.
